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My husband and I are thinking of moving our family of four (we have two little ones) to Oahu. My husband would be attending school full-time in Honolulu and we'd be receiving $2700 for housing. He also receives disability pay and one of us would probably also work part-time. From what I've looked at online so far, it looks like there isn't a huge amount of available housing in the area, because it's so small I assume. But is it reasonable to think that we'll find a two bedroom apartment or house with a yard (or patio) when we get there? We would rather not be spending the whole $2700 for housing each month, it would be nice if we could pocket some of that. I'd really appreciate any input! Thanks
To answer this one needs to know what part of Honolulu you want to live and how rough around the edges you want the place to be. Expect to pay the $2,700
My husband and I are thinking of moving our family of four (we have two little ones) to Oahu. My husband would be attending school full-time in Honolulu and we'd be receiving $2700 for housing. He also receives disability pay and one of us would probably also work part-time. From what I've looked at online so far, it looks like there isn't a huge amount of available housing in the area, because it's so small I assume. But is it reasonable to think that we'll find a two bedroom apartment or house with a yard (or patio) when we get there? We would rather not be spending the whole $2700 for housing each month, it would be nice if we could pocket some of that. I'd really appreciate any input! Thanks
Some (not all) landlords will pass on 4-person occupancy for 2-bdrm units. You may want to consider a smaller 3-bdrm as an option. You didn't mention if the $2,700 would include utilities. If you're renting a house and run AC you will expect to pay about $400-$500 in utilities for the family on top of the rent (water/sewer, cable internet, electricity). If you live in town in anything you wouldn't consider a tear-down you will definitely be spending the entire $2,700 (incl utilities). However, rent can be a bit cheaper if you don't mind sitting in traffic every day. You'll find cheaper rent in older condos in town too... if you can lock in a 2 bdrm.
Generally the farther ways from downtown Honolulu is cheaper, but not much. The Salt lake area has a lot of Townhouse/ condos, in the area, and its centrally located in between downtown and Aiea/Pearl City area.
Here’s some real estate information for you to get some ideas. I just asked for townhouses condos rentals. You can probably expand to the salt lake area to see any price changes. Do not rent site un-seen. Go check out in person. Some of the pictures do not show everything. I'll try to find out a reliable real estate company later on. Homes and Condos/Townhomes for Rent in Honolulu HI - realtor.com®
Some Townhouse associations pick up the water, sewer, garbage pickup, and association fees. The owners pay the fee. I rent so I do not pay what I just listed. But you will have to pay Electricity, Telephone, cable and Internet. If you bundle your telephone, TV/Internet. It will help with cost. Hope this helps out a little.
Best of luck in your search.
Last edited by ScottStielow; 04-27-2014 at 11:51 PM..
Generally the farther ways from downtown Honolulu is cheaper, but not much. The Salt lake area has a lot of Townhouse/ condos, in the area, and its centrally located in between downtown and Aiea/Pearl City area.
It's important that you compare apples to apples... because most homes in town are older, much older than those in Aiea/Pearl City/Salt Lake. I've seen people ask why homes in Ewa Beach are so expensive to rent when the traffic is so awful... it's because many of these homes are much newer with split air conditioning, upgraded kitchens/baths, etc. When you are comparing apples to apples (i.e. take two identical 1,500 sf 3bdrm homes, one in a desirable area in Nuuanu, Punchbowl, Makiki or Manoa and one in a desirable area in Salt Lake, the Salt Lake home will generally be about 20-25% cheaper to rent than the other closer to town neighborhoods. But if you took the same exact home and put it in lower Kalihi, (which is actually closer to town than Salt Lake) the rent for the Kalihi home might be 15-20% lower than the home in Salt Lake. So while proximity to the urban core (Waikiki/Ala Moana/Downtown) is a huge consideration when it comes to rental cost, there are a lot of very depressed neighborhoods in or near the urban core which will rent at a big discount over homes that are relatively nearby. As little as two blocks can mean the difference between a desirable neighborhood and a sketchy one. If you don't mind sitting in traffic an extra 30-60 minutes/day, you could save a bunch on rent if you stay outside the urban core. It really comes down to how you value your time and what your tolerance level is for sitting in traffic (and how fuel efficient your car is). Some people don't mind it... for others it drives them bonkers.
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