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You may think you're joking and this may be a realistic option for us! Ha!!
Actually i wasnt joking.. I posted in jest as i didnt know if youd take kindly to my suggestion. It really is a viable option. You should see what LOCALS do to live here.
Actually i wasnt joking.. I posted in jest as i didnt know if youd take kindly to my suggestion. It really is a viable option. You should see what LOCALS do to live here.
I take kindly to most friendly suggestions!
Actually it was my original plan. Then I got to digging into school info and it seemed like Hi Kai was the way to go, and we should do whatever we can do make that happen. But if we're entertaining the condo option we might as well be closer to H's work (and potentially mine).
However a 2 BR would probaly offset the private school option, if we felt the need to go that route.
Honestly, it's K-3rd grade.. and I'm a teacher who can work with him at home. How behind could he REALLY get in a "poor educational setting"? Ha! How do the locals fare in public school outside of Hi Kai?!
All public schools statewide are run by the Department of Education. So there's not a lot of difference between Hawaii Kai and Kailua or any other school that would have a similar demographic of students. The funding is all the same, it's just the make up of students which differs.
Actually, if I were sending kids to public school, the ones in Kaneohe or Kailua would be in my choice list about the ones in Hawaii Kai. Although that choice would have been made with some decades old data, so it's probably not valid.
So I know these questions have been asked, and asked again.. and I've spent hours here and elsewhere devouring insight and information. I'm still going to throw out my personal situation and see what more I can learn.
Family of 4 (1 toddler and 1 Kindergartner) moving to Oahu in January. Scouting areas to live and of course schools are a driving factor.
2-3 year gig due to my husband's job. We will look to rent, hopefully 3 BR and our budget for housing (using only my husband's income) is around 3200/mo (give or take a little either way).
I will actively seek employment as well so we will hopefully be able to afford to eat and pay rent. We are prepared to scale down from our already pretty simple lifestyle. I'm ok with this.
Talk to me about Hawaii Kai. Are the schools good? Is there really the community feel that I've read about? Will I feel isolated if I end up working from home? There seem to be a few rentals now that would work for us. Of course we're not looking YET, but I'm trying to plan ahead.
Husband will be commuting to downtown Honolulu for work. From what I've read, I think I want to rule out the traffic nightmare that is Ewa/etc.
Others who've done this - or know someone who has - I'm happy to hear your input! Really it's all about the schools/daycare options/things for my kids to do. Commuting is the #2 concern. Safety as well, but honestly everything is relative as we currently live in a South American country that is considered pretty unsafe and 3 of our immediate neighbors have been robbed at gunpoint and someone tried to break into my car just yesterday. We know unsafe and we are no strangers to being the minority. Anyway, I digress..
I would like to go a step up from our current safety situation and ensure my child will have a good academic transition back to the mainland in 3 years. Thanks in advance for any help!
Hawaii Kai is one of the higher cost areas. It is a nice area. Not sure if $3200 rent is doable in that area? The rental situation is tough but a lot more tough in the lower priced homes. A home at $3200 is a lot more available here than say a place at $1500. I know a nice area called Mililani that you can find better neighborhoods with homes in your price range. The down side? It is located Ewa side. I have friends out there that are renting a huge 4 bedroom for $3500. I hate to say it but unless he can work his schedule to avoid traffic or if you decide to live in Honolulu then commuting is likely. Problem is you don't have a lot of good choices.
As you know I commute every day but I have worked my schedule to make commuting bearable. Let us know what you decide to do?
Hawaii Kai is one of the higher cost areas. It is a nice area. Not sure if $3200 rent is doable in that area? The rental situation is tough but a lot more tough in the lower priced homes. A home at $3200 is a lot more available here than say a place at $1500. I know a nice area called Mililani that you can find better neighborhoods with homes in your price range. The down side? It is located Ewa side. I have friends out there that are renting a huge 4 bedroom for $3500. I hate to say it but unless he can work his schedule to avoid traffic or if you decide to live in Honolulu then commuting is likely. Problem is you don't have a lot of good choices.
As you know I commute every day but I have worked my schedule to make commuting bearable. Let us know what you decide to do?
Here's my two cents. There's really no way to gauge your acceptance of Hawaii (Oahu) and all it offers (both good and bad) until you come over and live here. I suggest, if there's any way possible, you don't cut all mainland ties for at least six months after the move. Keep yourself a safe landing spot there in case it all goes bad. I say this because visiting or vacationing (even seasonally) in Hawaii (especially Oahu) is NOT like living day-today in Hawaii. It'll take at least three months, minimum, to get grounded and determine if it's okay for you and your family to make a life here. A lot of the negatives are horror stories that may not bear any relation to the life you might live, or they may, depending on your acceptance of some culture shock and a lifestyle that's bound to be way different than you're used to.
But, again, that all comes down to: the only way to know for sure is to just do it!
A lot of the negatives are horror stories that may not bear any relation to the life you might live, or they may, depending on your acceptance of some culture shock and a lifestyle that's bound to be way different than you're used to.
But, again, that all comes down to: the only way to know for sure is to just do it!
I agree. Isn't everything relative?
I can tell you that we live in a foreign country now where the lifestyle is a challenge. We're used to that. So while the challenges that Hawaii will bring may not be the same, they may actually be welcome changes!
Overall we're excited. I don't expect to be met with the paradise that we experience on vacation, yet I don't want to come in with a negative mindset either. We're pretty much there for a few years whether we want to be or not; might as well try to make it great.
That said, I agree that the commute described previously sounds pretty horrible. Even the "good" commute.
It's not located Ewa side by any definition. You might as well say Mililani is "Honolulu side"
You REALLY don't know what your talking about. I doubt you even live here.
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We are prepared to scale down from our already pretty simple lifestyle. I'm ok with this. 
