Thinking about moving to Maui (Currently in Los Angeles) (Kahului: house, buy)

[hanana123]

Thanks everyone for answering my questions. You guys are all helpful, and I was so happy to see all the positive opinions. We are still thinking about moving there, but can't decide yet. Actually I have been ready to move, but my husband lived his whole adult life in Los Angeles, and he is trying to figure out how the life in Maui is going to be so that he is not going to regret. I think he is kinda scared of moving away from friends or family members in LA (None of my side lives in LA). We are visiting Maui next month about 3 weeks and I am hoping he is going to like there enough to make him decide to move to Maui.

By the way, I've been checking craigslists to see what kind of place I can get there. But I am wondering if there is any other way to find a place in Maui. I am looking for a 2br/2ba about 900 to 1200 sq, somewhere in Haiku, Lahaina, Kihei or Wailea. Is there any local paper or magazine that people post ads about rentals?

[ThenewHMR]

hanana123 Maui is good. I will be going to the small Island spot. Making friends is easy. Ask your closest friends to through low key weekly house, condo parties. Mingle that way is very cool. As for par take in higher growth income jobs You network bigger thoughts and do set up home/office and develop client base. If necessary Maui office with month to month lease. Do something your good at in a industry. It might take up to two three months if you work things out with a Maui Island lawyer. And CPA. At same time stage plans fallow through. When you settle down in Maui. Then you can fly back and fourth to the main land such like to Seattle, Washington and expand your home/office network. Making earning more income. As for me with background at new far away place. I drove 12,000 miles solo from Florida to Alaska and earned a living at resort complex up at Denali National Park, Alaska. Rule of thumb. Always do math before each step. Money in Money out.

[Calico Salsa]

Originally Posted by hanana123

By the way, I've been checking craigslists to see what kind of place I can get there. But I am wondering if there is any other way to find a place in Maui. I am looking for a 2br/2ba about 900 to 1200 sq, somewhere in Haiku, Lahaina, Kihei or Wailea. Is there any local paper or magazine that people post ads about rentals?

As always, be careful about Craigslist scams. There are fake postings (not just here) that ask for money in advance, but aren't a real rental.

Locally there's the Maui Bulletin. The Maui Bulletin: Admarket

If you planned to eventually buy, and you had a realtor here, you could ask them to check out rentals for you, and then you can be looking at some properties while you are here. But if you only plan to rent long term, please be honest about that so someone doesn't run around with no future payoff.

The Maui News is the newspaper. They have classified ads, *WARNING* also often annoying loud audio/video ads on their home page, so turn down your volume if you go to their site.

I really think the best way to find a place is to be here. Our new insurance rep moved here and got a quick rental; she moved again within a couple of months. You just have to look a place over, see the neighborhood, learn what you want and need.

While you're here, get a street map and a 3 colors of highlighters. Mark the areas you Love, Hate, and can Tolerate. For the areas that seem to be in the L & T categories, go back again in the evenings, both weekday and weekend. You want to know if you've got a party block, or too-crowded-to-park, or whatever. There are some neighborhoods that look just fine at 1pm on a Tuesday afternoon, but Saturday night means cars everywhere and lots of noise.

Take pictures of the neighborhoods. Having the map and photos later will really help you when you are looking at rental listings closer to your move. And don't forget Google Street Map.

[hanana123]

Thanks Calico. That's very useful information.

Although we are looking forward to the next trip to Maui, but we started realizing moving to Maui wouldn't happen at least next 10 years. I was researching about how to move dogs to Hawaii, and found out it could kill or injure dogs... If my dog is a calm and secure dog, that would be fine, but my dog has separation anxiety and also hates being in a crate. When we moved to a new place, we had to put him in a crate about 5 hours and left him alone. He chewed and scratched the crate till he started bleeding. He hates unfamiliar places and being alone. How can he handle traveling to Hawaii? I don't think so. It's so sad that we have to give up our dream of moving to Maui, at least next 10 years, but at the same time we love our little doggie.

Meanwhile, we will keep on visiting Maui, hopefully 3 times a year. Since we were planning to rent a place that would cost at least $1000 more than the current rent in LA, visiting 3 times a year wouldn't be more expensive than moving to Maui...

Ahhhh Maui... why do I love Maui so much? I wish I could move there tomorrow.

[Calico Salsa]

It is admirable that you would postpone a move for so long out of concern for your doggie.

I wonder though - couldn't you start an acclimation plan that would allow you to get your doggie used to confined spaces? Surely it would take time, but better that then wait until he passes away.

Get a crate, and go through a slow process to get him used to it. Of course don't just shove him in there for hours, which is what it would be like if you think he'd freak out on the airplane.

- Leave the crate somewhere the doggie spends time. In the living room, maybe as a new coffee table for you? Doggie will get over a new object.

- After a while, open the crate door and leave it open. That's it. Doggie will naturally explore the new space. But don't do anything else.

- Next step is to put something in the crate. Start storing doggie toys in there, maybe a towel you've used so the smell is there. Door is still open.

- Now comes the treats! What?!! Doggie is so happy to discover a treat in the crate. What a happy surprise to his doggie day. Repeat a couple of times a week.

- If doggie ever goes in the rest in the crate, big praise, big love. See if doggie will go in there, but then take him right out again, go for a walk, have some loving time. Repeat often - in, out, loving.

- And the day comes when you close the crate door with doggie inside. But open it again in just a minute or two. Repeat every time the doggie goes inside. Work up to more time. You are there the whole time. Big love!

- See if you can close the door, walk out of the room. Return soon. Repeat and increase.

- Will doggie sleep in the crate? Once doggie is used to the crate, sleeping in it (with door open and then with door closed), you can try bringing the crate with you in the car. Maybe doggie will work up to being in the crate in the car.

Yes, a long process, but it all involves loving time, and shorter than waiting 10 years. Doggies can freak out over change and fear, but they do trust you and want to please you.

[hanana123]

Thanks Calico. I think it's worth trying. I told my husband and he doesn't think that would work because he knows how much our dog hates crates and being alone. Plus, he is scared of loud noise. Whenever he hears thunders or door slamming, he gets panicky. I am not sure how he would react to the airplane noise... But I still want to try because I want to move to Maui so bad.

[Seeking_maui]

Just a quick suggestion about your pup... I used to work in animal clinic for a few years during college and many people would take their animals in to for updated vaccines and such to prepare for long airplane rides to foreign countries. 80% of these owners would have the vet prescribe their animals a sedative, so that they just pop a pill and go to sleep for hours. Many of them, if they were small enough, could be carried on a carry on.. if the pill wears off, just slip them another with a treat. The vet will be cautious in only prescribing the safest amount. Just wanted to throw this out there

[hanana123]

Hi Seeking_maui,

Thanks for the great tip! If a sedative works for my dog, that would be awesome. I will definitely ask our vet.

[hanana123]

We are visiting Maui now. Today I will try stand up paddle for the first time in my life. We're enjoying soooo much!

We're checking out some places here this time to see what kind of place we can get within our budget. So far I like Lahaina town, Kihei, Paia and maybe Haiku. Originally I thought we needed 2 bed 2 bath, but we started thinking maybe 1bd will be enough because most places have a big lanai or back yard. We realized it's quite different from Los Angeles.

Anyway, I will try to update more during the stay.

Mahalo~!

[teeej]

I'd be curious how much you think the costs are in comparison to SoCal.
- I'd LOVE to do a SoCal > Maui move next year, but I'm spending a ton of $$ traveling this fall to Australia/New Zealand, so we'll see what happens.