Considering a move to Oahu (Honolulu: HOA, houses, private schools)

[PaliPatty]

Get Weatherbug. Click on the Weather Window Live Cam for Kaneohe. It will give you a live view of the Kaneohe. Almost always dreary, with an occasional view of fantastic cloud formations.
I have friends who live right on Kaneohe Bay. It is gorgeous, dynamic, beautiful. I also have a friend who lives at the base of the Ko'olaus. She is treated with an incredible display of long slim waterfalls whenever it rains. But it is humid, wet, prone to mold and mildew. She has a lovely home and is quite happy.
To each his own. If you crave non-stop sunshine then Kaneohe is probably not for you.
But, IMHO, Kaneohe is beautiful. And slightly less expensive, realty wise, than Kailua. I would seriously consider it if I were thinking of moving from Kailua.
Kailua is certainly nice too. A majorly "preferred" zip code. But, also IMHO, becoming way too much of a tourist destination with all the inherent negatives. We are going on fourteen years here and things have certainly changed in that time. "Improvements" in the town business center (certainly esthetically more pleasing), but the loss of some places that I, and I'm sure others, will miss (Daiei.....sigh). I find myself timing my visits to town in order to avoid the daily tourist influx---either very early or very late. I hit Long's before 0800, for example. Sorry, people, but the constant tourist thing has gotten really old. If I hear another tourist shriek about the prices in Safeway and how much milk costs compared to "home" I think I'll scream. Best to just avoid the situation altogether.
Still, this is a lovely place in which to live. I do believe I'm in it for the long haul. Got my little house, my little yard, my garden, my hubby and my dog. Life is good. :-)

[PaliPatty]

Originally Posted by patish

She was spot on then. Is it tropical rain. In guatemala itd rain and then the sun would come out. I dont get the truck parked in the yard either. How annoying.

Then you might reconsider Hawaii. It is not unusual, in my neighborhood, to have a pristinely landscaped lovely house planted squarely next to a place that looks like it could audition for Sanford and Son, the Pacific Edition.
People tend to hoard here and it does seem like the majority of their hoarded items end up in their carports, in full view of the public. Everything from cardboard boxes full of who-knows-what to vehicles that have been in accidents and are no longer running but hey, we might be able to sell the parts. In all fairness I think the practice dates back to when it was so difficult to get parts and supplies here. People simply did not toss stuff, just in case someone would eventually need it. I understand this completely and tend to forgive the insanity as applied to life as it is today. Still....it can be so very unsightly.
We are fortunate in that we are surrounded by none of this crap in the immediate sense but just down the block we have a totally gross pigeon coop situation (I am thinking mycobacterium avium but hey, that is just my science background kicking in) and a place that looks like a junkyard. This is in the land of $750K and upward homes, BTW. Not slumworld. Even the pigs, the total gut jobs, go for more than $700K in my neighborhood.
As far as weather, the windward side of Oahu is a windward/mauka rain condition. The tradewinds hit the mountains, clouds form, and we get trade showers, on an almost daily basis. IMHO, very lovely---love love LOVE the rain here---and rainbows usually follow, if you know where to look. If a storm pattern moves in, yes, we get storm conditions and it rains. In 2006 we got forty straight days of rain. Yessiree-bob, that was a winner.
There are no guarantees here. Microclimates abound but are subject to the whims of Mother Nature.
I can't help but sense that you are looking for reassurances of stability that perhaps no one can provide.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by PaliPatty

It is not unusual, in my neighborhood, to have a pristinely landscaped lovely house planted squarely next to a place that looks like it could audition for Sanford and Son, the Pacific Edition. People tend to hoard here and it does seem like the majority of their hoarded items end up in their carports, in full view of the public. This is in the land of $750K and upward homes, BTW. Not slumworld. Even the pigs, the total gut jobs, go for more than $700K in my neighborhood.

The hoarding is spot on. Way worse iin Kaneohe than Kailua though.

In Kailua, many of the sea level homes, built after the pineapple fields were ripped up, and the Pali Highway was built, need a major remodel or even a complete rebuild - they are small houses and I'm seeing many torn down and rebuilt. And yep, $700K won't get you much.

I think of Kaneohe as the Sunset Distric in SF and Kailua Pacific Heights or Wrigleville in Chicago for Kaneohe vs Lincoln Park in Chicago if you know those neighborhoods. Kaneohe isn't a bad place to live, just a bit rough around the edges - with rain.

[PaliPatty]

I would definitely consider Kaneohe if I were the OP. Can't vouch for the school system and still think that private schools would be the way to go, simply on heresay.
For sheer physical beauty the Kanehoe Bay area cannot be beat. The incredible beauty of the Koolau's, the beauty of the bay...stunning.
I like shopping in Kanehoe, too. Prefer it over Kailua, honestly.
We would still consider moving to a bay-view area over our Kailua home, eventually. GORGEOUS.
And, of course, we would do it at a profit. :-) Retirement looms.

[whtviper1]

The shopping is pretty poor in Kailua - a small Macy's, Pier One, and not much else - Windward Mall at least has a Sears and more options.

I don't disagree it is more lush in Kaneohe - but I just don't dig the extra rain that goes with it - lush = rain. I'm in the hills on the Waimanalo side - much drier where I'm at.

The wateefalls on H3 were spectacular last week. Truly epic.

[MovingAloha]

Originally Posted by PaliPatty

Then you might reconsider Hawaii. It is not unusual, in my neighborhood, to have a pristinely landscaped lovely house planted squarely next to a place that looks like it could audition for Sanford and Son, the Pacific Edition.
People tend to hoard here and it does seem like the majority of their hoarded items end up in their carports, in full view of the public. Everything from cardboard boxes full of who-knows-what to vehicles that have been in accidents and are no longer running but hey, we might be able to sell the parts. In all fairness I think the practice dates back to when it was so difficult to get parts and supplies here. People simply did not toss stuff, just in case someone would eventually need it. I understand this completely and tend to forgive the insanity as applied to life as it is today. Still....it can be so very unsightly.
We are fortunate in that we are surrounded by none of this crap in the immediate sense but just down the block we have a totally gross pigeon coop situation (I am thinking mycobacterium avium but hey, that is just my science background kicking in) and a place that looks like a junkyard. This is in the land of $750K and upward homes, BTW. Not slumworld. Even the pigs, the total gut jobs, go for more than $700K in my neighborhood.
As far as weather, the windward side of Oahu is a windward/mauka rain condition. The tradewinds hit the mountains, clouds form, and we get trade showers, on an almost daily basis. IMHO, very lovely---love love LOVE the rain here---and rainbows usually follow, if you know where to look. If a storm pattern moves in, yes, we get storm conditions and it rains. In 2006 we got forty straight days of rain. Yessiree-bob, that was a winner.
There are no guarantees here. Microclimates abound but are subject to the whims of Mother Nature.
I can't help but sense that you are looking for reassurances of stability that perhaps no one can provide.

Without sending the thread careening off track, what is the deal with the hoarding? It's all over the island except where there is an HOA. I've been to pretty nice areas and there is always a few homes with all kind of crap in clear view. Also why are plant left in the black pots instead of putting them in the ground? Always a curiosity.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by MovingAloha

what is the deal with the hoarding? It's all over the island except where there is an HOA. I've been to pretty nice areas and there is always a few homes with all kind of crap in clear view. Also why are plant left in the black pots instead of putting them in the ground? Always a curiosity.

The "hoarding" is statewide and in some areas worse than others. I see it more in areas where they have a carport rather than a garage. If the home is more of a fixer upper, then it seems the homeowner often gives up, perhaps due to the high cost to renovate, hence more hoarding. Not every homeowner in that situation does it, but it is pervasive.

I also see a lot hoarding on the mainland in warmer climates, especially in the Southeast, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, etc.

Plants are often left in pots due to soil issues - you often get superior soil in the pot. Also allows you to move them depending on the sun and time of year. Easier to discard and replace when it dies.

[patish]

So hoarding or leaving your crap in your yard is not indicative of a good or bad neighborhood as it is here? I wouldnt like it but it doesnt seem anyone does. Were thinking wed rent for quite some time. Especially with houing so expensive. We replaced our furnace and zoning the first year we moved into our house for 10k.....blech. wouldnt want to deal with expensive housing upkeep right away. I know u guys dont have furnaces, but home upkeep has been costly here. Of course on a tiny house it would be much cheaper. I think if we move there it would be to become less materialistic and to simplify our lives. 1. Youd have to.2. Having a big house doesnt give you happiness. Time with your family and for us outside gives us happiness.

[MovingAloha]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

The "hoarding" is statewide and in some areas worse than others. I see it more in areas where they have a carport rather than a garage. If the home is more of a fixer upper, then it seems the homeowner often gives up, perhaps due to the high cost to renovate, hence more hoarding. Not every homeowner in that situation does it, but it is pervasive.

I also see a lot hoarding on the mainland in warmer climates, especially in the Southeast, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, etc.

Plants are often left in pots due to soil issues - you often get superior soil in the pot. Also allows you to move them depending on the sun and time of year. Easier to discard and replace when it dies.

We're seriously downsizing so that we can fit into the home, we know we'll be able to afford when we return. If we don't buy a newer Ocean Pointe home, then it will be an older home w/carport in another part of the island. It was funny when we were there before and our carport only contained the W/D and our car, our neighbors constantly thought we were moving out, because we didn't have anything out there; then when they entered our home were surprised that it was so completely furnished, they thought we were paying a fortune in storage fees. A quick humorous story, for landscaping I know grass plugs are the prevalent mode for putting in a lawn. We had sod for our front yard and the gardner that we used off and on was quite perturbed that we wouldn't use them for plugs and told us - you're just laying this stuff down on the ground, it'll never work. We ended up with a gorgeous lawn!! It's too bad this mode is so expensive on island that it isn't used more often.

[moki]

Psychiatrist? There will surely be no shortage of material to work with..........he could start with the donkeys and the elephants that continue to offer up the state to the highest bidder as opposed to serving the interests of the people: Which I'm sure is a rather universal problem, run rampant in the nation.