Moving To Hawaii, Cost Of Living Questions????? (Honolulu: rental car, apartments)
OahuIncludes Honolulu
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm sure there are nice apartments near the Geico call center, where ever that may be. However, they will probably be expensive. Depending on which part of the mainland you are coming from, they could be very expensive compared to what you are used to. They are likely going to be much much smaller than you are used to, as well.
Okay, the Geico Call Center is on Kapiolani Blvd, over near the Waikiki end of it. You'll be able to find apartments in Waikiki, Ala Moana, Kakaako, and possibly be able to walk to work. In any case, you'll want to see the apartment in person before signing a lease. There are vacation rentals you can stay in for several weeks to a month while you are looking for your long term apartment. Hawaii doesn't have homogenized neighborhoods, there will be a hovel directly next to a mansion, so just renting in a specific area isn't enough to guarantee a good place. You really need to see it in person before signing a lease. Also there are a lot of rental scams on Craig's List so contact a realty company or a property management company about rentals. They will be legal and valid.
There is a website for the quarantine: Animal Quarantine Information — Hawaii Department of Agriculture Follow all their rules exactly or your yorkie could end up in 120 day jail at your expense. There are also a lot of discussions about bringing pets into Hawaii on this forum with a "search" button up there on the blue bar.
Safeway has a website, you may be able to search it for prices in Hawaii. Use 96815 zip code to search since that's Waikiki and about as expensive as it's gonna get. There is also Foodland, Whole Foods, Costco, Sam's Club and a variety of other grocery stores. There is the whole Chinatown area in downtown Honolulu (which will be within walking distance of your employer if you don't mind a long walk) and they have a lot of inexpensive groceries. Interesting place to shop, too. A wheeled cart and a good pair of walking shoes may be some of your more useful items.
Honolulu is densely packed and parking is insane and driving is no fun because of the amount of traffic. The Bus system is pretty good and it's even better if you can live close enough to where you work to walk to work. Saves tons of money by not keeping a car and you can always rent one on the weekends to go places and do a major grocery run. It's probably cheaper to rent one on weekends than to keep one full time, especially when you factor in parking.
Yes, there is a state income tax although I don't think they tax retirement income. They do tax food and medicine at 4% unless Oahu has added a half percent or so to fund the light rail project. Basically, they tax everything and any time they can tax tourists more they go for it.
If you follow the procedures you don't have to quarantine the dog, but you need to plan ahead. If the dog is up to date with rabies vaccination (and you can prove it with wet ink (aka no copies or faxes, blue ink highly suggested)) you can get a titer test before you leave and it can be allowed in after passing inspection. If you don't follow the rules the option is to have the animal sent back, euthanized, or quarantined for 120 days.
There is a lot of stuff that folks just don't know about living in Hawaii and they don't even know that they don't know.
The other day we were all sitting around the backyard BBQ around sunset and we had a pair of mainland malahini with us. She was wearing a skin tight polyester top (it was a nice top, not trashy or anything) and she was cold. Everyone else was wearing cotton or natural fiber and they weren't cold when the sun went down.
The folks from the mainland were also surprised when they couldn't find a thermostat in their rental house so she has pretty much been cold since she got here since most of her clothing is meant to be worn in heated areas, I think. Climate controlled areas, anyway.
Honolulu is a warmer area than some of the higher elevation areas on the Big Island, but folks moving over here don't know about wearing natural fabrics to stay either warm or cool depending on which is necessary. They also don't know that Hawaii houses usually don't have any sort of climate altering equipment. When it's too hot, you open the windows. When it's too cold you shut the windows. Everything else regarding how to stay warm or cool off has to do with clothing.
So Glad I found this forum! And yes hotzcatz you are a wealth of information! Here's my story, I am 1/4 polynesian my Grandfather is 100% have never been to any of the islands, My husband works for Hilton and we are relocating for his job, I am online everyday trying to give myself a crash course of my heritage LOL We are moving on 04/03/2012 and I'm getting nervous because I haven't yet found a place to live/stay when we first get there, We are not teenagers in our 50's. I am selling both cars all furniture and rehoming my dog, So we will literally have just the bags we come with hence clothes on our backs, Our flight gets in at 9pm Hawaii time, Ive contacted a free lance rental car place in Oahu that said they will rent us a car for $35. a day until we can find one to purchase, I'm also looking online at rentals (on craigslist) short term until we get our bearings and decide where we would like to live, and I'm even a little nerves about that "site unseen" My husband works as an OPC off property consultant getting people to take a timeshare tour for hilton, does anybody know anyone in that business? We are coming from Florida Disney area where he did well 100k plus a year are OPC'S making that kind of money in Oahu? Also I was going to pack boxs of stuff for my son to send me USPS once I'm there my 40 and 50inch TV's Is that a good idea? any responce will be helpful Thank you
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
