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Like just about everyone else from the mainland who has moved to Hawaii, I once went there long ago and felt the magic in the air, and have never forgotten it.
Over the last decade, I've been put through the wringer, and without getting into too much detail, I am in desperate need of some peace, and a place to heal and settle and stay. How could Hawaii not come to mind - and stick there?
I've read the cautions: moving away from the people you know, cost of living, that I'll be a minority (I am the whitest white lady), island fever, all that. I get the impression, though, that Hawaii is more about who you are than what you have, and that if you're a decent person with a good spirit, that's what matters.
I'm not the type to go in blind - IF I move to Hawaii, it will be after a long trip to make sure a given place is a good fit. Trouble is, I don't know where to actually LOOK. I don't just want to to move from the suburbs here on the mainland to the suburbs in Hawaii. I need some peace and calm and quiet. A steady pace, if that makes sense.
So here I am, asking for some help from natives and locals, hoping I seem like the kind of person who might seem worthy enough of your home state that you'd be willing to give me some insider information.
My considerations:
- Disabled - steady but modest income, job-hunting won't be a concern. I have no mobility issues.
- Have housing assistance through Section 8, which means two things: maximum rent on a place I live can't be more than, for example, about $1200/month in Hawaii county, or $1300/month in Maui county, and any place I live would have to more or less be up to code (depending on how strict Housing Authority inspectors are there).
- Looking for permanent/long-term rental for one person, and can't be a shared/a room rental (both by preference as a solitary person, and a requirement of Section 8)
- From my research, I'd prefer the Big Island, or Maybe Maui, for lower population density, cost of living, and more access to fresh produce. The Costcos wouldn't be a downside, either, even though trips would be rare since I don't have a car
- Social and entertainment opportunities are not a concern, I'm self-sustaining and a borderline hermit (though I'm very respectful and considerate when I run into people - I think everyone deserves at least that much)
- The fewer people, more trees, and more quiet and space/solitude, the better
Aloha, a mahalo nui loa! (I really hope that's right, I've only been studying Hawaiian for about two weeks >_>)
- Kim, 34
Have you contacted Hawaii County to find out what it takes to get Section 8 here on the Big Island? That might be your first concern.
Public transportation is not good on the Big Island. You’d have to be in a central location in either Kona or Hilo, and that will really limit your housing choices. Without a car, I doubt you’ll find housing that meets your criteria for solitude.
You’d have to taxi or Uber to Costco, as the bus doesn’t go there.
Are there any less expensive places to get away from it all? Maybe somewhere on the mainland rural that'd be closer? A small town somewhere on the mainland may have quietness at a lower price tag? A modest income won't stretch very far in a high cost of living area.
Will hospitals be required? Healthcare in the islands isn't purported to be as good as many places on the mainland. If they are a concern, then that will limit the areas to search for housing.
There's kinda a lot of things stacked up against finding a place that will meet your requirements in Hawaii. On any of the islands other than Oahu, public transportation is meager. Not having a car can be problematical unless you're directly in a town or on Oahu. It's also hard to find space & solitude near public transport, so there'd be some sort of trek to get to the bus. Places in town rent for more, too, and it's already going to be difficult to find a rental that will take Section 8.
A lot of the rentals are posted on Craig's List, although that can also be a spot for scammers. Don't hand over any money until you meet them in person and make sure they're the owner of the place they're trying to rent out, as well. Although, I suppose if it's thru Section 8, the place would have been inspected and approved so that may not be a big concern.
It may be hard to find one, though. We posted a rental house several years ago on Criag's List and got about fifty inquiries back on it. About half of them were Section 8 folks looking for a rental and the majority of those were from out of state. With it so cold on the mainland right now, there's probably a lot of folks trying to move to somewhere with less snow.
Towards the end of the school year is when a lot of folks move, but that's several months away.
- Have housing assistance through Section 8, which means two things: maximum rent on a place I live can't be more than, for example, about $1200/month in Hawaii county, or $1300/month in Maui county, and any place I live would have to more or less be up to code (depending on how strict Housing Authority inspectors are there).
Even if you can transfer a Section 8 voucher to Hawaii - the odds in this tight housing market on Maui and the Big Island means that any landlord on those islands that will accept your Section 8 voucher as a new resident is practically zero.
All I'm looking for are recommendations for quiet places to live. Small towns with good people, out-there communities, things like that.
I think you would be better served starting a new thread that is clean and simple - with upfront research.
First, do some research on craigslist. Many small towns - out there communities - don't have rentals. So to recommend them is pointless. Find places on craigslist that are actually available - maybe google the area - then come back here with a cleaner thread taking all the noise out about Section 8 and being disabled, etc.
Ahab, I appreciate the fact that you say you can work on the challenges, but please listen to those of us who live here and are trying to explain that many of the challenges are such that there might not be a work-around.
If you do start a new thread, if would be clear if you stated the following:
--your desire for a small, quiet town and not a suburb
--your budget
--your lack of a car
--your need to be close to medical services (if appropriate)
-- anything else relevant to the facts.
Don't completely disregard the valuable information being given by hotzcatz and whtviper1. They have lived in the islands for a long time (as have a lot of us on this forum) and are not biased against newcomers.
First, do some research on craigslist. Many small towns - out there communities - don't have rentals. So to recommend them is pointless. Find places on craigslist that are actually available - maybe google the area - then come back here with a cleaner thread taking all the noise out about Section 8 and being disabled, etc.
So... rather than coming to a forum, you suggest I should have spent days scrolling through Google maps looking for names of towns, search them for rentals on Craigslist, and if they had any, then proceed to research them one by one and hope I can find information on what it's like living there? To just... shoot blind and hope I got lucky instead of asking people who actually live in the state and looking into their recommendations? I've done my research. I didn't find what I needed on this question, which was why I came here. An article might call a place nice, but it isn't going to tell me what it's really like, and I'm not to a point where I was ready to ask about a specific town.
I'm also not clear why mentioning Section 8 assistance or my source of income is noise.
The Housing Authority restricts my options as a tenant, e.g. I can't move into a little mountain cabin with no indoor plumbing, or rent a room from someone, and it isn't because I'm picky. My source of income clarifies my means, limitations, and prospects. That seemed like important information to provide.
So... rather than coming to a forum, you suggest I should have spent days scrolling through Google maps looking for names of towns, search them for rentals on Craigslist, and if they had any, then proceed to research them one by one and hope I can find information on what it's like living there?
I'm also not clear why mentioning Section 8 assistance or my source of income is noise.
The Housing Authority restricts my options as a tenant, e.g. I can't move into a little mountain cabin with no indoor plumbing, or rent a room from someone, and it isn't because I'm picky. My source of income clarifies my means, limitations, and prospects. That seemed like important information to provide.
Ok, so you want to do no research whatsoever or even try to find rentals? I see. Given at any given time there are usually only a handful of rentals on the island it doesn’t seem unreasonable you can do some upfront work. That just shows me you aren’t serious and our time is valuable.
As far as Section 8 - it’s a non starter in Hawaii hence my suggestion to leave it out as you don’t stand a chance using a voucher since people who already live there can’t use one. So yes, it becomes unnecessary noise.
Gosh, why can’t people google some stuff first. Then say, how about x, y, or z - what do you think.
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