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Looking for a guiding hand on helping me pick out a place to relocate.
I am scheduling a trip to these islands in the coming months, but was hoping for some "before hand" information so I can scout things out.
What I am looking for, beyond all else is to not have to live in a community, complex, or whatever. I guess my ideal living situation would be 2-3 acres of land with my house in the middle. I dont care about views or being near the ocean but I want to be in a thick tropical/garden landscape where I cant see my neighbors house from my windows.
I am self employed via the internet, so finding a job is not a issue. I do have a kid, so access to a decent school would be nice as well as low crime / etc..
Aside from that, I would like to be within a 20 minute drive of a walmart/bestbuy/supermarket/etc..
My ideal choice would be to live on oahu, about 20-30 minutes away from honolulu, but I am not sure which areas I should be looking in to find my desired type of house/land (secluded)
The climate I would prefer would be 'tropical'
Here are 2 quick areas which look decent that I quickly found on craigslist:
The first one looks a little rural, but it shows that you cant see the neighbors from the house
Dont get me wrong, I dont want to be on a farm or anything. Even 1.5 acres might be enough if the vegetation is thick enough.
Anyways- Could you guys recommend the best areas for me to check out when I go down to the islands? Right now I know hilo looks like a good match, but can I find anything like this on oahu (and if so, what areas?)
If I was looking for what you listed I'd either look at Waimea on the Big Island or south of Kailua Kona by Captain Cook on the Big Island.
If money isn't an issue, Waimea has a very good private school - Hawaii Prepatory Academy.
Waimea is a little more remote and you might have to make 1 hour trips to Kailua Kona to get to Walmart, Costco, etc. You will get 5X the house/land for your money there compared to anyplace on Oahu. And personally I think the Waimea, entire north coast of the Big Island is just unbelievably beautiful.
Captain Cook is another area that you can get acres of land a nice house for a decent price. School might be an issue down there.
If you go to the Big Island, just drive around the entire thing and check out each area. Personally I don't think you'll find what you want on Oahu at the price range you're saying. Maui - just haven't been there enough to give any advice.
You really need to see it for yourself. The three islands you mention are different and have different things to offer. You listed a few things but if that's all that matters? Are you concerned about crime, are you concerned about roadways and access to property? Are you concerned about having water or electricity available? Are you looking for rugged backwoods poop in a hole or log cabin in the woods with hot running waters and internet? There are hundred of things and since each island may be better in one area but worse in another, you need to give more info. What if there was a nice 5 acre area within 20 minutes to walmart, with high speed internet, electricity and water, but your closest neighbor to the rear is the H3? Or the neighborhood is remote and secluded because the meth labs keep visitors out?
You could try and find a place in Haiku on Maui. Schools are pretty good and town is about 30-40 minutes away (depending on where you live). There are areas with pretty thick vegetation and the crime isn't much of a problem.
If you are in the internet biz I would not move to the south part of the big Island, like Puna and all parts west. They have no internet to speak of. And what they do have is very slow.
I agree with "Slick828" about Haiku, but also the Makawao/Olinda area and Kula areas upcountry. All are near Seabury Hall, probably the best school on Maui, and not far from Kahului (for WalMart and supermarkets -- no Best Buy on Maui, sorry).
When you say "tropical," there's plenty of that, but mostly in two variations: naturalized (tending toward the scrubby and tangled) and the more intentional kinds of plantings that people idealize for Pacific Islands. (But most were brought from elsewhere.) The latter is quite an investment in plants, maintenance, and time. Not to mention water, which is a contentious issue in some places. There are also a number of fair-sized lots (some with houses already built) that are zoned agricultural, and owners must agree to grow something (trees, flowers, fruit, etc.) in order to qualify to buy.
Lots of choices if you're ready to move soon. Best of luck.
If you are in the internet biz I would not move to the south part of the big Island, like Puna and all parts west. They have no internet to speak of. And what they do have is very slow.
I've had DSL for a couple of years now here in Pahoa, Puna. Still no cell service in my neighborhood, though.
I love Waimea and think you should definitely consider this part of the Big Island, but it is important to note that finding a secluded 1-2 acre property might require some patience. I checked the MLS for North and South Kohala properties: there are currently 36 residential listings on 1 to 2 acres (42 if I change the search to 1 to 3 acres).
Only a few of those properties would be what I would consider secluded in the same way you can find secluded homes in some East Hawaii subdivisions where the more lush "rainforest" grows fast and thick. Still, Waimea is a great small town, with access to everything you need from day-to-day supplemented here and there with a big-box run to Kona.
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