Immediate job transfer to Maui (Kahului, Kihei: apartments, renters, condos)

[crabapples2010]

My husband has been tranfered to Kahului from N. California and needs to be there in 3 weeks.

We need to know about any rentals that don't do credit checks. We had a really tough year last year and our credit went from pretty darn good to completely shot to crud.

We can come up with about $3000 for move in costs (deposits, 1st rent).

We'd like to find either apartments, condos, or small homes that will accept tennants wilth a stable income and cash down - no credit checks.

Any help will be appreciated.

[tyvin]

OOOOOOoh; that is a serious bummer. Everyone does the credit check thing. Well possibly not everyone but you'll be hard pressed to find one that doesn't. You can get a co-signer; most places will accept that but then the problem is finding a co-signer whose credit score is 650 or better. That was the score quoted to me lately.

Hey; gather the references as well. These days practically everyone has bad credit so it could be that it will be decided on references. Be prepared with the references and who knows you could get lucky.

It is no longer like the old days when you rented a place base on references and personality etc... I can see why they would want to check the credit score but it takes only so little to effect the score and boom.

So; go to craigslist and search and call and talk (don't worry about scammers; no reputable person is going to rent to you without seeing you first so if it's offered like that then it's a scam).

You have to prove income 3x that of the rent (gross) in most cases; so I don't know how that will pan out. The last paystub is usually sufficient but since there is no pay stub from Hawaii I don't know. Oh I empathize with you and hope all goes well. Most of the time these things have a way of working themselves out.

Perhaps someone will see this and be more helpful then I.

Good luck,

[Koale]

Aloha,
Not 'everyone' does the 'credit thing'. Look for rentals on Craigslist. If you choose to go through a Property Management Company your credit will be run. Private owners want good references from current landlords and a good
employment reference and they want to rent their units. If you can secure a letter of credit from your utilities that will help you negotiate the deposit with Maui Electric. You shouldn't have much trouble finding a rental. Kahului is about 7 miles from the opposite side of the Island. I know, for a fact, that SouthPointe Apts in Kihei have affordable rentals and some w/yards. Also look at the classifieds in the Maui News. I needed a place for my family w/a two week notice last month for a job transfer. It took me 48 hours to land a nice place. You'll have no problems.
Like you, two years ago we had A+ credit rating...bad things happen to good people, now our credit wouldn't get us a latte' on account.
Best of luck. Ignore the nay'sayers and keep a positive attitude.
Koale

[orangebird2020]

I agree on checking Craigslist. I have lived in 3 rentals so far that I found on there over the years and no one has checked my credit yet here on Maui.

Also look into staying in a hostel while you find the right rental, just so you aren't rushed into a decision. I think you can search this forum for the numbers and some reviews.

Good luck!

[hotzcatz]

Other than hostels, there are also vacation rentals. A month in a vacation rental will give you someplace that already has the utilities in place as well as furniture and accessories while you search for a longer term rental.

[mdand3boys]

Go with a vacation rental. Deposits are generally cheap. There's no checking anything. You get to move into a fully furnished place with everything included. No need to scramble around and arrange for electricity, cable, water, etc.
Use a site like vrbo.com
Be extremely wary of craigslist vacation rentals. Lots of scams.

[househuntermaui]

I was offered a job here in June. I spent all of July trying to find a place. I physically arrived and looked at over 15 places. There are plenty of places you can rent without a credit check buy make sure you have a lease in hand before you give any money at all I had cash too and it didnt matter. Some people will try to change the terms they verbally agree with you. avoid certain 'non licensed property managers' there are a lot of them around. Meet the owners personally.

If you are a professional renting is easy but many many places are needing credit checks. I did find a private home through the 'coconut hotline' aka word of mouth but it was tough! Also check with the employer they may have contacts (coconut hotline).

Avoid long commutes gas prices are high but lower than California if you buy at Costco (about 50 cent cheaper per gallon) Save every penny sell everything you can buy good used stuff here off craigslist.
Best wishes!

[Maui Moving Source]

Originally Posted by crabapples2010

My husband has been tranfered to Kahului from N. California and needs to be there in 3 weeks.

We need to know about any rentals that don't do credit checks. We had a really tough year last year and our credit went from pretty darn good to completely shot to crud.

We can come up with about $3000 for move in costs (deposits, 1st rent).

We'd like to find either apartments, condos, or small homes that will accept tennants wilth a stable income and cash down - no credit checks.

Any help will be appreciated.

Avoid management companies, many other rentals types will not do a credit check. There is a large pool of renters who fit your situation and a market to house them. A dog is a much bigger problem than no credit. I do see a red flag in the "We can come up with about $3000 for move in costs". Are you prepared for a cost of living similar to San Francisco with few good jobs to meet the need?

[MauiPartTimer]

The advice about renting a short-term vacation rental is sound. Not only does it give you a place to stay while you look for something long-term, it gives you a chance to get a feel for different neighborhoods and commutes for you husband. if you're not familiar with the island and rent something site unseen, you could end up with something:
a) that's a piece of junk of in a bad neighborhood
b) something you didn't realize (Ex: "I can't believe I'm on Maui but so for from a beach.")
c) something with a bad commute

[justmoved2maui]

I just moved here, after visiting many times. It is beautiful but different. I lived in CA the last 17 years.

1- things aren't plentiful and immediate. For ex. if you need to buy a car there are seriously 5 cars on the lot- brand new. I did not notice any difference in msrp costs at all compared to what was online or the mainland. They all worked with me. Used cars are marked up, but they were willing to come down a lot since I knew someone. Just saying you don't have a lot of choice.

2- Nothing is convenient and it takes a long time to get places. You might not notice that on vacay. Last weekend I thought....uggghhh drive 30 min up to Kahului and deal with tourists and locals trying to shop- no way. Last night after work I stopped at safeway to get sushi and all the registers had lines with 5-6 people deep and they wait was around 20 min until I could check out! I was not prepared for this sort of stress. It's very overcrowded.

3- Rentals suck here big time. Every place I have looked at in the past two weeks had some sort of 'glitch'. By that I mean illegal rentals almost like a compound in which you have 5 properties on one piece of land. Some landlords are crazy, some of the neighbors seem loud and crazy, some of the places are dumps. The good ones are gone right away. As I work, by the time I get around to seeing it, even though it was posted that day, it's rented! Credit isn't any issue here at all. It's more that you are working, have money to put down, and don't seem like a thug. I'm a professional woman and it's hard. They shy away from kids and dogs. I have seen a few that will take my small dog, however, there are glitches. Not ideal basically. You have to be here to see what I mean.

Overall, it's just not easy. I'm not sure why exactly, as like you the process of getting here was insanely smooth. It's just the aftermath I'm trying to figure out.

I am trying to enjoy the island and relax, and have faith it will all work out in the end.

ps- working here is stressful. I thought my bosses would be very aloha spirit and laid back. Not that way at all!

I find there to be a nervous go, go , go energy at least at work.