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I really only posted due to someone telling you could not do something under $2500.
To clarify I said this: "I would expect anything decent that is furnished with parking to be in the $2,500+ range"
I didn't say you couldn't do it - there are plenty of places under $2,500 - I personally wouldn't feel safe in a lot of those places - especially the places off of Kuhio Ave in Waikiki. If a persons tolerance is to stay at a place that is rough around the edges - go for it. $2,500 gets you an average place - not extravagant by any means. That is in my opinion, the price point that separates decent from not so decent. I got a sense from the original post something decent what was the op had in mind - not a backpacking college kid type of place.
I do find a lot of Honolulu to have an appearance of shanty town-ish espeically the areas outside of Waikiki (Waikiki is just a different beast all together). I think it's fine if you live here (say Makiki or Moilili or Nuuanu) but coming from Seattle, you're going to find a lot of Honolulu neighborhoods to look desperate unless you go condo or something. I'ts just how it is. Things aren't well kept outside. INside may be a different matter. Wealthier areas like Kahala are better kept, but maybe a ohana rental near Kapiolani park would be great. I love that area.
Parts of Honolulu look run down, but that is true for every city on the mainland, in fact every city in every country around the world except for maybe Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and Austria. There are tons of nice middle-class neighborhoods outside of Kohala (which is really high end). I've only visited Oahu, but saw tons of fine neighborhoods around Hawaii Kai (upper-middle class), Punahou, UH Manoa, Kaneohe, Kailua (expensive, but tends towards unpretentious).
I think at this point people are going to mention an area or town, you're going to ask what its like, someone is going to say you can't afford it and there are no options there, and someone else is going to say but wait there is this place, what about... lol
Hey brother, not all of us are like that! Some of us are balancing out the 'other side'
Quote:
Originally Posted by ctr88
So you like Kona and Hilo as options too? I will definitely do a lot more research. It's still a ways off before I go.
I would seriously recommend the Big Island, my friend. The fresh fruit, veg and grass-fed beef... the air, the rain the flowers, the volcanoes, the ocean, the forests, the long drives where you don't see a car or house for miles. Waimea is beautiful, the Kohala coast is really hard to describe, the Hamakua is just so scenic. If you like more 'touristy', you've got Kailua-Kona and the whole coast south. Want more rough and tumble? We've got it in droves. Hilo town is just a great place, with lots of culture, and a pretty large population of younger people/mid-30s who do things like open design stores or whatnot. The culture of Hawai'i throbs here, but so do the other cultures (asian, pac island, etc).
The hikes, waterfalls, restaurants, and ability to be in one of the rainiest parts of the world (= lush, green, color, smells, sounds) to one of the driest (well you know what I mean) is great, and living where the earth is quite literally born under your feet is hard to describe. Yes there are tsunamis and yes there are earthquakes, but life here is really hard to explain. Yes, it's about an hour from Honolulu, but it feels like so much farther.
You at least should come and drive around the BI before moving here. I'm serious my friend. Great housing options (price-wise and character-wise) and great infrastructure. Could there be more? Sure, but we've got everything we need here - wind power, solar power, fresh water and clean air. Well, maybe not so much the last thing in KK
Thanks RugbyDave for the detailed and excellent description of the Big Island!
No problems man - I grew up between Fairbanks and Hilo and talk alot about my homes in real life to people (not just on message boards). I find myself having little 'spiels' that are almost memorized at this point, but there's just so much beauty on our island that its hard to describe and easy to get off on a tangent.
I just had to throw a shout-out to the BI because it shouldn't be kicked off the list for 'being boring'
Oahu: studio and 1 br rentals are $900-1100 (primarily unfurnished) for decent places in decent areas. Some are actually part of a family house (with separate entry) or may be a detached unit behind a house. May have to share kitchen or bathroom or may only have a hot plate - pretty bare living with limited privacy. The big hurdle for you is your term. Most want long term renters. Rent may be much higher for a short term situation or you may have to settle for a clunky place in a clunky area.
Oahu is probably best place for variety - everything from mainstream shopping and entertainment (bars, restaurants, theaters, etc.) to tons of beaches and hiking. Other islands are less developed. UH main campus is located here - where you will see college bb games.
Be very careful of online ads for rentals. I realize that is just about your only way to shop but my experience is that 90% of those ads are total scams, particularly because of the draw of Hawaii, paradise, etc. They usually give themselves away by featuring really nice places at really low prices. Try Honolulu Star-Advertiser (local newspaper) online, fewer ads but much safer.
Be very careful of online ads for rentals. I realize that is just about your only way to shop but my experience is that 90% of those ads are total scams, particularly because of the draw of Hawaii, paradise, etc.
One way to test this is to just ask for proof that they are the owner. Don't be afraid to ask man - if you get a sneaking suspicion that something's awry, listen to it. I realize I'm painting in broad strokes but FF brings up a good point, and it has been a problem on the islands recently.
Thanks Frugal Friend. It would almost be worth getting an unfurnished place with a 6 month lease every winter and buying some cheap furniture on Craigslist. And then just selling the furniture when the lease expires and I leave to go back to Seattle for 6 mos, and then doing it all over again every year. Or even finding a unfurnished rental that is month-to-month lease.
You could probably also find a nice friend to help you store your few furniture pieces over the 6 months. I'm currently enjoying a friends chameleon couch (something I couldn't afford) while she spends a few months with her family in Minnesota. Just a thought.
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