Information about living and working on Maui? (Kahului, Kihei: rent, townhouse)

[Missie032393]

My husband will be arriving on Maui this Sunday, 8/3. He will be teaching at the Intermediate school in Kehei. We have a cottage over in Haiku for a few months. I understand the traffic into Kehei in the AM is nasty... how early would one need to travel to avoid the worst of the traffic? Does anyone have ideas about the area to live if you work in Kehei?

I will be over in a few months, after I sell our house and stuff in Arizona.
We know it is expensive on Maui. We have friends on Maui and family on Oahu. I spent part on my childhood in Haleiwa, Oahu. We know the transition will be work, but we want to be closer to family and the climate is far better in Hawaii than it is here in Northern Arizona. Life is short, live each day to the fullest. This is an opportunity we could not refuse.

I would appreciate any advice from Maui residents on the ins and outs of living on Maui.

Thank-you....

[Calico Salsa]

Hi Missie,
I think one of the best things is to start reading some of the other threads here, so you don't have to ask what has already been answered. Even if you only read threads that have been updated over the last month, you will glean lots of Maui info.

I live in Kihei (note the spelling, not Kehei), and I could NOT see living in Haiku and commuting to Kihei. It isn't like a drive on the freeway on the mainland. Well, thank goodness for that, but there will be a lot of traffic and your husband will quickly tire of the time involved.

I'm going to guess you are not rich, basing that only on what teacher's salaries are. That means you cannot afford Wailea or Makena (south of Kihei). That leaves you Kihei itself, Maalaea, Kahului, or Wailuku.

The decision on where to live is best made by you seeing all those areas. Kihei is convenient to where he will be working, but hotter than the other areas. You didn't mention any children of your own, so I can't tell if schools for them are in the equation.

So here are some things that might influence your decision:
Cost
Temperature
Infrastructure requirements (schools, groceries, etc)
What you like to do for fun
What kind of cars you drive
Whether you mind driving a lot

You see? It's hard to tell... I say let him try commuting for a little while. If that's a no-go, he can rent a townhouse in Kihei until you arrive, then you can both see if it is a fit for you.

Feel free to post more info and I will try to be more help.