Hawaii - Off the Grid (how much, house, maintenance)

[RugbyDave]

As I say often: I know we're listening but I sure hope the organic farmers and resteraunteurs are as well

I have a video of a cool discussion given on the BI with the local govt and some UH scientists on the nematode, though I work in medicine my real love is spider conservation on our islands (not just nananana makakuli, but our other endemic beauties as well). As such, I work with many biologists and entomologists from the islands as well, many of who are focusing on the nematode right now.

My friend was hosting this discussion and it has a great encapsulation of the issue at a whole, without being too scary. I'll edit this post when I can find it. You must wash the things you put in your mouth; then again you should have been doing that already heh

[OpenD]

To get back to the OP's question...

Originally Posted by caryberry

Any recommendations to research rental property that is off the grid

Part of the challenge I see in what you're asking is that pretty much by definition "off the grid" rental properties tend to be, well, off the grid. They're typically not advertised, at least in any mainstream fashion, and there's little or no money to be made on them by real estate professionals, so I think that means you will have to do some real digging, in person, feet on the ground, to turn anything up. And I expect you'll also need some patience, and at least a bit of luck.

Talk to people, ask around at farmers markets, meetup with like-minded individuals, let people know what you're looking for... don't be in a hurry. And have an exit strategy in case it doesn't work out for you.

[RugbyDave]

I think part of the question was about living off the grid and growing food off the grid, etc.... pretty sure we're all trying to answer the questions here on topic, Open not that you were intimating any differently, I know.

Have your a friend on island, OP? Probably the best way to do it. I'd agree that lots of places aren't going to be super advertised online, but you may stumble across something in person. If you know someone they could probably dig around for you.

[caryberry]

Originally Posted by Robin Rossi

The "bottom" of your venture. When you realize it was a huge mistake and want to go back, but are stuck in the most-remote islands on the planet.

I am being rhetorically serious, but not literally so.

I can't seem to take "off gridders" seriously in the least bit. Kinda like a kid who wants to pack up all his stuff in a bandana on the end of a stick and "leave home". Good for a few hours, or until dinner time, whichever comes first.

Good grief. First off, you do not know anything about my situation financial or otherwise.

I really don't care whether you take "off gridders" seriously or not. In fact, I doubt that anyone really cares what you take serious or not. That's just how the real world rolls.

[caryberry]

Originally Posted by OpenD

To get back to the OP's question...



Part of the challenge I see in what you're asking is that pretty much by definition "off the grid" rental properties tend to be, well, off the grid. They're typically not advertised, at least in any mainstream fashion, and there's little or no money to be made on them by real estate professionals, so I think that means you will have to do some real digging, in person, feet on the ground, to turn anything up. And I expect you'll also need some patience, and at least a bit of luck.

Talk to people, ask around at farmers markets, meetup with like-minded individuals, let people know what you're looking for... don't be in a hurry. And have an exit strategy in case it doesn't work out for you.

We are not in any hurry and have not decided if Hawaii is our top choice. We are particularly interested in a possible long-term land lease arrangement. We are hopeful to utilize solar/wind power along with water catchment system. Specific geographical conditions and local ordinances will have an impact on any systems implemented.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[Robin Rossi]

Originally Posted by caryberry

Good grief. First off, you do not know anything about my situation financial or otherwise.

I really don't care whether you take "off gridders" seriously or not. In fact, I doubt that anyone really cares what you take serious or not. That's just how the real world rolls.

Well, in that case, good luck to you.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by Robin Rossi

I can't seem to take "off gridders" seriously in the least bit. Kinda like a kid who wants to pack up all his stuff in a bandana on the end of a stick and "leave home". Good for a few hours, or until dinner time, whichever comes first.

That was a very strange statement, RR, given the fact that there are SO MANY people on the BI who are currently living off the grid and have been doing so for many years. Mostly by choice, although some are off the grid in places like Hawaiian Ocean View Estates where HELCO has not installed power lines all the way to the top of the subdivision. And there are thousands of people who have to rely on rainwater because they live in a subdivision where there is no county water.

What do you find wrong with people wanting to generate their own electricity, either by harnessing the abundant sunshine in Hawaii or by harnessing the abundant wind in Hawaii? What do you find wrong with people getting their water from the rain falling from the sky instead of through a pipe furnished by the County?

I live in a nice middle-class house and am a semi "off gridder" in that we have installed solar panels. Why not when electricity is $.44 per kilowatt hour? Our monthly HELCO bill is $20 instead of $233. We've been here for three years and aren't leaving anytime soon (or after dinner time either).

[McFrostyJ]

Originally Posted by Robin Rossi

I can't seem to take "off gridders" seriously in the least bit. Kinda like a kid who wants to pack up all his stuff in a bandana on the end of a stick and "leave home". Good for a few hours, or until dinner time, whichever comes first.

Compared to digging a basement under your house in Hawaii, I'd say wanting to live off the grid is quite normal and easily doable!
Wishing you the very best of luck, Caryberry.

[Robin Rossi]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

That was a very strange statement, RR, given the fact that there are SO MANY people on the BI who are currently living off the grid and have been doing so for many years. Mostly by choice, although some are off the grid in places like Hawaiian Ocean View Estates where HELCO has not installed power lines all the way to the top of the subdivision. And there are thousands of people who have to rely on rainwater because they live in a subdivision where there is no county water.

What do you find wrong with people wanting to generate their own electricity, either by harnessing the abundant sunshine in Hawaii or by harnessing the abundant wind in Hawaii? What do you find wrong with people getting their water from the rain falling from the sky instead of through a pipe furnished by the County?

I live in a nice middle-class house and am a semi "off gridder" in that we have installed solar panels. Why not when electricity is $.44 per kilowatt hour? Our monthly HELCO bill is $20 instead of $233. We've been here for three years and aren't leaving anytime soon (or after dinner time either).

I get the feeling that he was using "Off Grid" in its bigger meaning of detached from society, almost underworld existence. Cash only, barter, no job etc.

It is one thing to live in an area where there is no electricity or it is expensive and having to supplement your power with self-generated juice, but to go deliberately looking for a life "off grid" is completely odd to me, and I can't take them seriously, any more than I can take the "laid backers" seriously. I have never once met a person "off grid" deliberately. Sure, people have solar panels, but nobody is disconnected.

It is like they are on a pretend camping trip, and they always want to go to the BI to do it (at least on this forum) so I offer Quartzite as a cheaper, easier to recover from alternative. Also, to prevent the B.I. from being cluttered up with dead-enders, which I suspect many of them are or will become.

I have used the line before, almost as a half-joke, like on the pair from Austin who, in the prime of life, living in a dynamic economy like Austin, wanted to run and hide to be laid back and do "chill stuff".

BTW, my electric bill is sometimes close to $1,000 a month, but is a bit lower now that the hot tub motor blew a bearing, and I replaced the 1960's-era pool pump.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Well, of course you haven't met anyone who lives off the grid deliberately. You don't even live in Hawaii! I just checked your profile, and you live in California!

As I said before, there are thousands of people on the BI who DO live off the grid deliberately, so please don't be so quick to judge people who come on this forum asking reasonable questions. If you ever decide to live in Hawaii and take the time to learn about the realities of living in the rural areas, perhaps you will come down off your high horse.