Young Family still researching and dreaming of Maui (Hilo, Volcano: for rent, mortgage)

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by OpenD

OK, so it looks like I was wrong about a buncha stuff, Mr. Smarty Pants. Sez you.

But I wasn't wrong about Parker Ranch, I was just thinking one thing and typing another. While drinking my Ka'u coffee from a Parker Ranch mug. It's a kinda understandable slip, me coming from a state where the King Ranch is so heavily promoted as a marketing tool. Jeez, they even have King Ranch model pickup trucks all over the road, with the ranch branding iron burned into the fine Corinthian leather... or whatever it is.

I've been guilty of "posting before editing" as well. It usually happens before I've had a cup of my Trader Joe's Papua New Guinea Peaberry coffee, which I usually drink in my UCLA Anderson School mug or my UH mug (http://www.uhrainbowtique.com/productdetails.asp?pid=793&pagenum=9 - broken link) (which cost two bucks more than the UCLA one).

Originally Posted by OpenD

And when I lived in Seattle I got to know some of Hawi'ian expats who mostly moved to Seattle so they'd be able to find jobs and buy their own houses. Then in Seattle they weren't able to find good jobs or afford to buy houses. But they were colder. And homesick.

They probably moved there too late. I know plenty of folks from Hawai'i that moved to Seattle during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s who work for Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Costco, Nordstrom, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, the University of Washington, the U.S. Department of Defense, and several other employers. They bought houses, raised familes, started "Hawai'i clubs" (like the Wakinikona Hawaiian Club), and are quite happy with their lives there. Some of the Hawaiian expats in Washington did well enough to purchase second (or even third or fourth) homes in Hawai'i. Things were somewhat similar for folks from Hawai'i that moved to California during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

Originally Posted by OpenD

My opinion is still the same... your happiness living in Hawai'i is largely a function of how well you can adapt to the conditions here, whether you were born on the mainland or right hiyah.

For some folks, happiness living in Hawai'i is largely a function of staying out of local politics.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

For some folks, happiness living in Hawai'i is largely a function of staying out of local politics.

Just not having to deal with either a landlord or a HomeOwner's Association is bliss enough for me.

[Lucywe]

OpenD, Having been through Volcano, although very beautiful, peaceful, artsy, green and nice, as a place to live I have ruled that part of the island out. Various factors for me that would include VOG, chill, and at least on the wet side, the rain.

I lived in Oregon and Seattle/Bellevue, Washington for enough years to know I don't want that anymore unless I have to. I need to avoid the issue of SAD. I am not sure about Hamakua or N. Hilo for that reason?

Cost wise Austin is pretty much higher than here, which becomes a problem because property doesn't appreciate like it does there. Luckily we have save our $$.

But yes, I do know that the BI has many advantages over the others as far as what it offers as a way of life and many types of favorable environments to choose from. I keep tabs on the Real Estate market each day through Harry Pritikin's market letters, Alohaliving or at Hilobrokers.

With the economy in the tank, I am not so sure about the housing market zooming back up as quickly as it has in the past decades. Hawaii is an different kind of market though. There will still be millions of properties going through the foreclosure REO pipeline that looks to be taking time.
It is good as we already do own a piece of land on the BI!

[Lucywe]

Yahooserious
Property taxes are comparatively low, it is other costs that are higher.

Here you will find the rates for three counties, which include many of the islands.

For Honolulu County
https://www.realpropertyhonolulu.com...9/09_rates.pdf

For Hawaii County
Hawaii County

For Maui County
Maui County, HI - Official Website - Classification for Tax Rate Purposes

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Lucywe

OpenD, Having been through Volcano, although very beautiful, peaceful, artsy, green and nice, as a place to live I have ruled that part of the island out. Various factors for me that would include VOG, chill, and at least on the wet side, the rain.

I lived in Oregon and Seattle/Bellevue, Washington for enough years to know I don't want that anymore unless I have to. I need to avoid the issue of SAD. I am not sure about Hamakua or N. Hilo for that reason?"

I can speak to the SAD issue, because it was a key reason I left Seattle when I did. Even the light panels didn't help. But I don't get it here. And here it is January what? 27th, and I have all the windows open because it is 68 and sunny, as it will be all week. VOG? I rarely notice it. Even with the huge plumes of the last week. They blow the other way.

Where is your property?

Originally Posted by Lucywe

With the economy in the tank, I am not so sure about the housing market zooming back up as quickly as it has in the past decades. Hawaii is an different kind of market though. There will still be millions of properties going through the foreclosure REO pipeline that looks to be taking time.
It is good as we already do own a piece of land on the BI!

I think that overall it will take a long time to come back, yes, but in this specific area I see significant signs that there are some big games already in play. They largest single lot clearing in the village's history has just been completed and a very large structure on it is all framed out. Can't tell if it is to be condos, or apartments, or an inn yet, and the guy at the Tru-Value store in front says he doesn't know. But I'll bet there is room for 7 more buildings the same size based on how much clearing was done, so something big is happening. Sub-division signs are popping up. Power broker types in big cars are packing into the best restaurants in town. The estimated value on my property has tripled in the last couple of years, even in a down market.

It will probably take a long time for Puna properties to rise much, since there is such a huge inventory, but special pockets like this can run on an entirely different timetable.

[hotzcatz]

The bank foreclosures are starting to hit the market so I'm expecting the prices to stay low for awhile longer or even get lower. Depends on how many banks drop how many properties and how quickly.

Even though it rains a lot in Hilo, it's not the same kind of rain as the mainland. Here we can get several inches of rain in an hour and then the sun comes out directly afterwards. Our rain showers frequently only last four or five minutes so many people don't even use umbrellas, they just wait a few moments for the cloud to move. I don't know of anyone who gets SAD here.

The vog can be anywhere but the Kona district seems to be nailed a lot harder than the Hilo side of the island.

I suspect what keeps the living expenses of the Big Island lower than the other islands is primarily lack of employment followed by enough room that scarcity of living areas doesn't drive the price up. Plus we have the occasional lava flow to lower the price a bit, too. We are also rural and many areas lack almost all services, so that keeps prices lower, too.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

There's more than one "active" volcano on the Big Island. Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, and Hualālai are still "active", while Kohala and Mauna Kea are considered to be "dormant." In the 1970s, a couple of USGS workers prepared "Lava Flow Hazard Zone" maps that are used (or misused) by many insurance companies in their "risk assessments."
Volcanic and Seismic Hazards on the Island of Hawaii: Lava Flow Hazard Zone Maps

Wiping a smudge off my Mighty Ranger badge, after talking to a few people who have been around longer than I...

What we have here is a difference in definition. Kilauea is actively erupting now. A few days ago the lava was spurting up in such a high column from the Halema`uma`u crater, inside the Kilauea Caldera, that it could be seen from the park entrance and beyond. And the lava flows from the Pu`u `O`o crater that have burned property in Kalapana are part of the Kilauea volcano system.

Mauna Loa's last eruption was 1984. From a volcanologist's scientific perspective, it's an "active" volcano, but in layman's terms it is not active today.

Hualālai's last eruption was 1801. From a volcanologist's scientific perspective, it's an "active" volcano, but in layman's terms it is not active today.

Yes, the scientific term "active" is what the insurance companies use, but when lay people talk about volcanoes on Hawai'i, they talk about THE volcano - Kilauea. The tour companies talk about THE volcano. This is THE volcano people want to visit. Even the staff in the park refer to it as THE volcano. And it is the biggest active volcano in the world, no matter which definition you choose.

So I think it is fair to say we were both right. We were simply using the term "active" in different ways. And I learned from your post, and from my subsequent research, so mahalo nui loa.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Wiping a smudge off my Mighty Ranger badge, after talking to a few people who have been around longer than I...

What we have here is a difference in definition. Kilauea is actively erupting now. A few days ago the lava was spurting up in such a high column from the Halema`uma`u crater, inside the Kilauea Caldera, that it could be seen from the park entrance and beyond. And the lava flows from the Pu`u `O`o crater that have burned property in Kalapana are part of the Kilauea volcano system.

Mauna Loa's last eruption was 1984. From a volcanologist's scientific perspective, it's an "active" volcano, but in layman's terms it is not active today.

Hualālai's last eruption was 1801. From a volcanologist's scientific perspective, it's an "active" volcano, but in layman's terms it is not active today.

Yes, the scientific term "active" is what the insurance companies use, but when lay people talk about volcanoes on Hawai'i, they talk about THE volcano - Kilauea. The tour companies talk about THE volcano. This is THE volcano people want to visit. Even the staff in the park refer to it as THE volcano. And it is the biggest active volcano in the world, no matter which definition you choose.

So I think it is fair to say we were both right. We were simply using the term "active" in different ways. And I learned from your post, and from my subsequent research, so mahalo nui loa.

I'm glad you've started to do your research.

In terms of classifying volcanoes, they are considered to be "extinct", "dormant" or "active." Here's a link that explains this in a little more detail...
Volcano Classification

While I would consider Kīlauea to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world, I wouldn't call it the "biggest" active volcano in the world. Mauna Loa will probably continue to hold the "biggest active volcano" title for the foreseeable future.

Mount Shinmoedake (http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110127p2a00m0na017000c.html - broken link) (4,662 feet tall) located in Japan on Kyūshū is currently "active" (in both the volcanologists' and your "layperson's" definition of the term) and it's bigger than Kīlauea (4,091 feet tall). Another Japanese volcano, Sakurajima, has been erupting consistently since 1955. Sakurajima (along with Mauna Loa and 14 other volcanoes), is considered to be a "Decade Volcano."

Now, getting back to Maui, Haleakalā is still considered to be an active volcano.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

While I would consider Kīlauea to be one of the most active volcanoes in the world, I wouldn't call it the "biggest" active volcano in the world. Mauna Loa will probably continue to hold the "biggest active volcano" title for the foreseeable future.

Definitions, definitions, definitions... taller isn't necessarily bigger. Kilauea has far more mass than those skinny Japanese volcanoes. And Mauna Lea and Mauna Kea are taller mountains than Mt. Everest if you measure them tip to base... which is deep under the sea.

[hotzcatz]

Lava was above the crater rim of Hale ma'uma'u?!!! Shootz! If I woulda known, I'd have gone to see it! Generally lava in the park doesn't get so exuberant.

Other than being an active volcano or not, the steepness of the terrain also makes a difference. They say if Hualaulei goes off, the folks have about forty five minutes to get out of the way.