Moving from Arkansas to Hawaii (for sale, real estate, apartment)

[PriscillaVanilla]

Hi,


I am considering moving to Hawaii from Arkansas. I have some money saved up and will be cashing out some of my IRA to move there.


My main concern is buying a home to live in. 1) Would it be more affordable to look into condos or townhomes first? and 2) which island should I look at for living and working in?


I will be looking for a job once I move down there. I've worked in a broad variety of sales jobs (salary + commission) so I'm pretty versatile. I also might look into working in the financial services industry and train to work as a financial adviser. I am 35 years old and want to change careers at this point in my life.

[WannabeCPA]

Whoa! Cashing out some of your IRA to move here. Already a bad idea. Of course condos and townhomes are more affordable than single family homes. Look at websites to find out what's for sale on the various islands. It's pretty easy. Finding a sales job shouldn't be too hard if you live on Oahu, but whether it'll cover your living expenses is another question. If you really want to change careers I'd think it'll be better to stay in a lower cost of living area like Arkansas rather than move to one of the most expensive states in the country.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Agree totally with Wannabe. Cashing out part of your IRA at 35 years old is a BAD idea (have you looked into what you'll have to pay in tax?). Why jeopardize your future for what looks to be a pipe dream? When people start asking what island they should live on I have to assume that they've never been to Hawaii.

I suggest that you spend some quality hours reading through the many informative posts here about living in Hawaii. Please reconsider your move if you can't even afford it without borrowing money.

[PriscillaVanilla]

I'd reconsider, but the air where I live is so polluted. I can't even breathe in most of the USA, since I have some problems with asthma. I had a friend move out to Hawaii and her health is so much better now. I'm going to get a garage apartment at first and advertise for a roommate. I can't live with my friend because she lives with her boyfriend now.

[hotzcatz]

Aloha PriscellaVanilla,

Welcome to the Hawaii forum!

Well, Hawaii would definitely be a change from Arkansas. However, do you want to move to Hawaii or move away from Arkansas? There's a huge difference between those two wants. There's a lot of compromises and sacrifices most folks make in order to move to Hawaii. If you feel you really want to move to Hawaii, then they won't feel so much like sacrifices. However, if all you want to do is to go somewhere other than Arkansas, then there are a lot less expensive places to go.

Generally, it's much harder to save once you're in Hawaii due to the higher costs of living and the lower incomes available to most folks in Hawaii. So, IMO, hang on to your savings since they'd be hard to replace once you move.

As far as buying a home, most likely you can't afford Oahu, but I don't know your finances so I could be way off on that one. However, if you have to cash in some of your IRA to make the move, more than likely the housing on Oahu will be out of your reach,especially as a single person with one paycheck. Frequently it takes two or more incomes to afford Oahu houses. Check some of the real estate listings and you'll see how much it takes to live there.

Try looking at some of the other islands other than Oahu since you're hoping to buy a house. However, the crash and burn ratio is pretty high for folks who move to Hawaii. Generally it isn't anything like what they thought it'd be and their employment is less than they'd been making on the mainland even doing the exact same job. They'll last about two years on average before they hightail it back to where ever they started from and hopefully they didn't burn any bridges to get away in the first place. So, moving to an unfamiliar place and buying a house may make it more difficult should you change your mind in a few years. Usually we suggest folks move over and rent for about six months to make sure they've at least got a taste of living in the islands before choosing where to buy a house.

The islands are all different from each other and most of the areas are all different from each other, so it's really hard to figure out where to move to without experiencing the area first.

Another slightly distressing thought is that you're hoping to change careers. That means you'd be back at the bottom of the experience pile so you'd not be getting higher wages for having experience in whatever field you end up in. Another possible rock in your path. If, after thinking about it a bit, you're choosing to move TO Hawaii and not just away from Arkansas, then there's a much higher chance of things working out well for you.

But, if it's a dream and an itch you just gotta scratch, then check out Hawaii Island perhaps. It's a bit more affordable than the others with still enough infrastructure to keep you from getting island fever. Send out some resumes, although it's generally harder to find employment when you're not already on island. The employers here get a lot of folks dreaming about moving to Hawaii and they occasionally hire them just to have the potential new employee not show up at all or leave within a few months so they've gotten a bit hesitant about hiring folks who aren't already on island.

[PriscillaVanilla]

I won't consider Oahu, then.


I've heard a basic 2 bedroom, 1 bath house is around 500K in Hawaii? I'm okay with smaller homes but that would not be within my affordability. But first things first, I'm wondering now what it would cost to rent a garage apartment. (Monthly rent cost).

[StanleysOwl]

Originally Posted by PriscillaVanilla

I'd reconsider, but the air where I live is so polluted. I can't even breathe in most of the USA, since I have some problems with asthma. I had a friend move out to Hawaii and her health is so much better now. I'm going to get a garage apartment at first and advertise for a roommate. I can't live with my friend because she lives with her boyfriend now.

Not trying to convince you away from Hawaii. But if your primary concern is air quality, with secondary concern being home affordability - combination needing to be found in an area where sales and financial consulting can pay the bills - you should take a few things into consideration about Hawaii.

1. Mostly, Hawaii air quality is excellent ... except: the Big Island, Hawaii, produces VOG continuously. This is volcanic sulphur dioxide which is brutal on people with lung problems. Mostly VOG is a concern on parts the Big Island ... but when the trade winds shift from time to time, VOG can affect all the islands (Kauai least).

2. Home affordability in Hawaii is only within reach of someone as you self describe - on the Big Island ... specifically in the areas most affected, often, by VOG.

3. The professions you mention are not well paid in Hawaii.

4. If you Google "air quality in the U.S." You will get lots of ideas for alternate areas to compare for clean air comparable to Hawaii's, in areas with affordable homes and better paying employment.

Good luck in your seach.

[hotzcatz]

Ah, having a friend already in Hawaii makes moving to Hawaii much more sensible now. Can you have her ask around to find you a place? A lot of times the best rentals are done by word of mouth, which in Hawaii is frequently referred to as the 'coconut wireless'.

Some folks are affected by vog, some aren't. It's a pretty large particulate, I suspect, since it can be easily filtered out of the air.

Which island is your friend on?

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by PriscillaVanilla

I'd reconsider, but the air where I live is so polluted.

In Arkansas? At least say LA so you sound credible

[StanleysOwl]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Ah, having a friend already in Hawaii makes moving to Hawaii much more sensible now. Can you have her ask around to find you a place? A lot of times the best rentals are done by word of mouth, which in Hawaii is frequently referred to as the 'coconut wireless'.

Some folks are affected by vog, some aren't. It's a pretty large particulate, I suspect, since it can be easily filtered out of the air.

Which island is your friend on?

Well, yes, there are ways to deal with minimizing VOG ... if you consider sealing yourself inside and or wearing a mask (at work?) reasonable.

Vog is unpleasant to anyone, and can produce headaches as well as irritation to the lungs and eyes at higher concentrations. For people with asthma and other respiratory problems, the effects are much more serious, causing a tightening of the airways in the lungs and making it very difficult to breathe. Studies are being done to learn the long-term effects of vog but, to date, there’s been no clear evidence that vog causes lingering damage to normally healthy individuals. However, a number of strategies can be used to minimize your exposure to vog’s irritations: when possible, stay indoors with windows and doors closed and sealed. If you have one available to you, use an air conditioner or even a dehumidifier; both will condense water out of the indoor air and, in doing so, will remove the particulate sulfur compounds and acid gases from your indoor air. You can also reduce your indoor exposure using something as simple as a fan: in this case, take a hand towel, or, better yet, a piece of cheesecloth, and saturate it with a thin paste of baking soda and water. Drape the cloth over the face of the fan and turn the fan on at a low or medium speed. The baking soda will neutralize the sulfur compounds and the moisture will help remove particles from the air. (You’ll need to keep the cloth damp at all times to ensure that it’s most effective but, as always when operating electrical appliances in the presence of water, be very careful not to get the fan motor wet.) This should reduce the amount of vog and gases in your indoor air and minimize the irritation from these compounds. Coping with vog

The OP identifies as having asthma. If no asthma is present, yes, some people don't hardly feel affected. But many people even without asthma find it challenging. So, a consideration. Especially given that the only affordable homes in all Hawaii are subject to VOG.