Moving to Hawaii - Need Advice (Hilo: rental, appliances, loan)

[kaswyn]

I do phone support and make 50k a year. Many of my co-workers choose to work at home. Others move to other states and continue to work from home. One lady even lives in Mauai and works from home that way. I have a child about 3 months old right now. As long as I can find broadband Internet, I can work from home. I don't have very many things to transfer, except for my computer (I'm damn good at building and fixing computers and can't live without one lol - heck, I'll probably even fix your computer when I'm there as a side job), Yamaha keyboard (I'm a pretty good musician), 1 bed, maybe 1 TV, and 1 car (only 2k loan left yay!). I'm a frugal person so I don't have a lot of junk, and with only moderate debt. We plan not to come back to the mainland very many times during this period, hence it will save us the usual $2k-$4k vacation cost we use up per year + gas.

We've been to Kauai and Maui. We love Kauia's laid back atmosphere, and we love to snorkel and hike. Plus, my wife and I are Asians so some of the locals have mistaken us for being locals too when we were visiting the islands LOL. Moving to Oahu is totally out of the question: If I wanted to move to a city, I would just continue living on the mainland. Mauai is not very enticing, being there are so many tourists. That leaves Kauai and the Big Island, which I've never been to. So my questions are:

1) Planning on renting anywhere from $600-$900, 2-3 BR. Would 50k a year income be enough for all other unforseen expenses, for Kauai or the Big Island?

2) Planning on shipping my car over. I read up the cost to be roughly 1k or so for the car move. Shipping some minor items I can't stand not to have over too. Anything I'm missing?

3) We plan on living there until my child is 5 years old, or starts Kindergarten. We would then move back to the states. I keep hearing people say Hawaii is a good place to visit, but not to live because you can't just hop on your car and go to Yellowstone (which we love btw) or something. This would give us only 4-5 years here. Still a good idea to move?

4) We may very well have an additional 1-2 children while we are in Hawaii. Good idea or not with the medical facilities, for Kauai and/or the Big Island?

5) Would Hawaii's humidity eventually destroy my Yamaha keyboard ($4k)?

TIA!

[isaackko]

Originally Posted by kaswyn

1) Planning on renting anywhere from $600-$900, 2-3 BR. Would 50k a year income be enough for all other unforseen expenses, for Kauai or the Big Island?

At that price, you're probably relegated to the Big Island. Even then, make sure that there is high speed internet. The really cheap areas often don't have it available.

Originally Posted by kaswyn

3) We plan on living there until my child is 5 years old, or starts Kindergarten. We would then move back to the states. I keep hearing people say Hawaii is a good place to visit, but not to live because you can't just hop on your car and go to Yellowstone (which we love btw) or something. This would give us only 4-5 years here. Still a good idea to move?

Don't call the mainland "The States" when you move here

It'd be an adventure at the very least. Just don't start doing meth or anything on the Big Island.

4) We may very well have an additional 1-2 children while we are in Hawaii. Good idea or not with the medical facilities, for Kauai and/or the Big Island?

The witch doctors who summon babies from the womb don't have as much connection with the fertility spirits on Kauai and the Big Island.

5) Would Hawaii's humidity eventually destroy my Yamaha keyboard ($4k)?

Not the humidity, but if you end up near the water, the salt air might do it.

[SkyBob]

Originally Posted by isaackko

Not the humidity, but if you end up near the water, the salt air might do it.

Wouldn't salt air be defined as humidity?

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by SkyBob

Wouldn't salt air be defined as humidity?

No, airborne microscopic salt is a separate atmospheric component. As wind-whipped waves toss seawater into the air, some of the water evaporates, driving salt crystals out of suspension and into the air, where the smallest particles can float long distances before dropping back to the surface. And these tiny particles of sodium chloride can go anywhere air goes. It's like a very fine dust.

[CyberCity]

Q. If you live near the ocean, how long does it take a new kitchen appliance to start showing small rust spots on the side that faces the ocean near a window?

A. 6 months

True story.

[hotzcatz]

Hmm, Kaswyn, your plan could work, although there are some points to consider.

1. At that rental price, you're probably going to end up on the Puna side of the Island of Hawaii. If you aren't careful, you could end up with a long commute to get supplies. See if you can find a place within walking distance to supplies, that will pretty much put you in Hilo, though, which is a nice place although I don't know if it will fit within your rental budget. However, if you have to drive 10 to 15 miles to get anything and gas is $5 a gallon, how much should you consider for transportation costs?

2. Does the car get good gas mileage? Although, if you rent in town, then it wouldn't matter as much.

3. How often do you go to Yellowstone now? If it's not more than once every other year or so, then it would give you a place to go to on vacation. Living in Hawaii, where to go on vacation can be a problem. And as already noted, Hawaii is already a state (although we won't contemplate a state of what - insanity perhaps) so "going back to the States" from Hawaii kinda annoys the folks who live here who think we already are in the states. Of course, half the mainland thinks we are a foreign country and won't ship things to us, that might be a lot of what is fueling the frustration local folks feel about the attitude of those folks who "go back to the States"

4. Having more children would be more of an expense consideration, I'd think, more so than the level of medical facilities in Hawaii. It is also more than likely that you wouldn't have the support system of family nearby so you'd be taking care of your kids without nearby grandpas, grandmas, aunties and uncles for help and support.

5. Put a cotton cover cloth over the keyboard when it's not in use and that will go a long way to keeping it pristine. For appliances, wax them several times with car wax before installing them and they will last longer. If it is an appliance you want to last a long time, take the metal cabinet apart and spray the insides with some sort of enamel paint. Hit it with Ospho first to knock out any incipient rust, then use any old enamel paint to protect the surface. Put the cabinet back together and your appliance will last years longer. If you get a stainless steel appliance, get one that a magnet doesn't stick to. The higher grades of stainless will survive salt air, the lower grades won't.

[kaswyn]

Thanks everyone! All good points. I usually say "the mainland" so I'm not sure what demented me into saying "the states" lol. I could up the rent budget, but just being on the cautious side. My car gets about 30 mpg. We're aware of some of the challenges like the being away from family, without their help. But since my wife and I both love kids and we pratically raised our siblings, we feel we would be ok with our own kids. We're the favorite aunt and uncle. Also, we figured everyone and their mom who knows us would probably be coming to visit us while we're in Hawaii so that'll save us a trip of having to fly back to the mainland. Anyways, we figured if not now, then it won't be for another 20-30 years before we can, and we want to enjoy Hawaii while we are still young. Again, thanks for all the input, everyone! Keep 'em coming!

[kaswyn]

Originally Posted by isaackko

It'd be an adventure at the very least. Just don't start doing meth or anything on the Big Island.

Funny response! Nah, no meth for me. I know better. Never was a peer pressured guy. Plus, where I live is Meth State, and I haven't lost my teeth over it, so I won't be doing so anytime soon.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

"Everyone and their mom who knows us would probably be coming to visit us while we're in Hawaii". NOT. With the current cost of airline tickets, the only way that any of our family comes to visit is if we pay for it.

You are smart to plan to return to the mainland when the kids are of school age. I assume that you've been reading the many threads here about the sad state of education in Hawaii.

Most of your questions have already been addressed on these forums. I would suggest that you focus on the Big Island, because I don't see your budget working on the other islands. There have been several about medical care, and one recently about having a baby on the Big Island. There have also been threads about what to bring (or not), and threads about telecommuting from Hawaii. So you've got lots of reading to do!

[CyberCity]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

"Everyone and their mom who knows us would probably be coming to visit us while we're in Hawaii". NOT. With the current cost of airline tickets, the only way that any of our family comes to visit is if we pay for it. !

I just spotted: LA to Hono, end Aug/Sept, $382 roundtrip on Hwn. Air. But don't tell that to the LA relatives that you don't want to come visit you.