corporate move to Oahu and a million questions (Honolulu, Kaneohe: fit in, rental)

[mcris]

Hi!

Long time lurker / first-time poster. I've picked up a lot of information on this forum. So, thank you to the regular posters. I've also seen a few of these on this forum, so I am sorry if this format is a trope or redundant but my husband and I are currently in the process of moving to Oahu and I have a couple questions.

First, a little backstory. My husband and I are 30 and 27, respectively. We are from Miami, FL where we currently live. Previously, we lived in New Orleans. My husband works in M&A for a Fortune 500 company and is being relocated to Honolulu to work on a recently acquired subsidiary. The term of his contract is 3-4 years. He is already working and living in a corporate condo in Honolulu and will be travelling back and forth from HNL to MIA through year-end. I am currently self-employed as an event planner and have to wrap up a few projects in FL through March, making for an awkwardly slow move.

Going to list a couple subjects of curiosity in no particular order:

HOUSING

We are looking for a 2-3 bedroom rental with some green space that is pet-friendly as far under 3k as possible. I would love a stand alone single family home if we can find one. Being close to the beach or close to the mountains would be a big plus but we are flexible on all of these fronts.

We are currently looking primarily at Kailua and Kaneohe, but I am also keeping an eye on Manoa and Palolo Valleys, Hawaii Kai, and as far down the road as Kaawa. Anywhere else I should look? Preferences within all these places? Any I should remove from my list? Recently I also spotted some great looking properties in Waimanalo but I've heard some mixed reviews on the area. Any thoughts or experiences?

JOB

The idea of making a huge life change like this with no job prospect is terrifying. Thankfully, my husband's salary is being adjusted to the Federal COLA so we can get by without my salary but I look forward to finding a new work opportunity stat. I am worried about, what we found to be, a staggering cost of living, even coming from an expensive place like Miami. Some posts on this forum have made me nervous about finding employment. I think I'd like to be applying to jobs at hotels or within event planning companies. Does anyone know if this is a saturated market?

KIDS?

Before this move, kids were on a not distant horizon. We will probably defer a bit to travel and enjoy life in the Pacific but would you discourage starting a family in Oahu? Our kids would probably only spend their infancy on the island, but any thoughts on the baby subject?

TRAVEL

Obviously the other islands. Then, probably Japan, maybe somewhere in Polynesia. Where would you travel if you only had a few years with HNL as your home base?

AUTO

We are having our cars shipped over by the company which I think is crazy but they include it. Anything I need to know about this process? Have heard some grumbles about car registration by weight? Anything weird to know about here?

PETS

Bringing two fat cats along. Already dreading the process. Certain I've long misplaced their vaccination documents but going to dive into this issue post Thanksgiving. I think I should be able to get them quarantine avoidance ready in 4 months, no? Random, but any tips for unruly cats on planes?

Sorry for the mountain of questions, slew of details, and stream of consciousness, but I'm an overthinker and there's just so many things to consider with a big shift like this! We are really excited and loved the 10 weeks we spent in Oahu over his first assignment out there, but there's just so many moving pieces!

If you read all the way to here, I already owe you one!
Thanks for any advice or anecdote you might want to offer

[WaikikiBoy]

It sounds like you have your head wrapped around things pretty well. Just a couple quick random thoughts:

TRAVEL: I've been to both Japan and Vietnam recently. I'd strongly recommend both. Very different but very cool. If you had to choose one over the other, go to Vietnam because it will be much different than Japan and really something you should do since you are so close (relatively speaking). I was in Hanoi, Danang & Ho Chi Min City (aka Saigon). They are each amazing.

KIDS: I see no problem starting a family on Oahu. Just make sure you can find good day care that you are comfortable with if you're working and not taking care of them yourself. But that would be an issue anywhere.

[Amadrid]

Aloha and Welcome!
Well I am going through this process now, but actually relocating to the Big Island. We bought a house and just closed escrow so we are trying to get moved before the end of the year. I'm happy to share how we are doing it so far. We've taken 2 trips to the islands in the past 3 months. We don't have kids but we are moving a dog and I can tell you how that's been.

Traveling with Pets - as someone else pointed out, its way easier for a person infected with the ebola virus than it is to move a pet!!

There was a recent change in the quarantine policy so you dont have to undergo the 120 day period. As of August 15th of this year it was reduced to 30 days but you need to follow the procedure EXACTLY otherwise you could get your cats stuck in quarantine and that can get really expensive.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture website has all of the information you need. It is found at: Animal Industry Division | Animal Quarantine Information Page (Updated)

Basically, you will need to do the following:
1. Get at least 2 rabies shots for your cats at least 30 days apart.
2. Get your cats microchipped.
3. Following the final set of rabies shots, wait 21 days before having the Rabies Titer test done. Once that test is administered, the blood will be send to Kansas State University lab for processing. If they pass, you should get notified by mail in about 30 days from the date of the blood test.
4. WITHIN 10 days of travel, you will need to take your cats to the vet and obtain a Health Certificate, signed IN INK by the vet for each cat.
5. Your cats should be able to travel in cabin in an approved travel kennel. but if you want them to travel in the same kennel, and it wont fit under the seat (probably wont with 2 cats), then they have to travel as cargo. If possible, being cats, I would try to get 1 per kennel small enough to go under the seat in front. Also the vet should advise you not to sedate them because of the changes in air pressure, it can affect their breathing. the kennels have to have LIVE ANIMAL stickers on them.
6. Upon landing in HNL, the cats will be taken to the quarantine area of the airport. You'll have to pay $165 per cat. Make sure that you have 3 copies of your paperwork, one set should be attached to each kennel, you should have a set with you.

If everything is done correctly, you should be able to take your cats with you directly from the airport.

Good Luck!

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by mcris

HOUSING

We are looking for a 2-3 bedroom rental with some green space that is pet-friendly as far under 3k as possible. I would love a stand alone single family home if we can find one. Being close to the beach or close to the mountains would be a big plus but we are flexible on all of these fronts.

We are currently looking primarily at Kailua and Kaneohe, but I am also keeping an eye on Manoa and Palolo Valleys, Hawaii Kai, and as far down the road as Kaawa. Anywhere else I should look? Preferences within all these places? Any I should remove from my list? Recently I also spotted some great looking properties in Waimanalo but I've heard some mixed reviews on the area. Any thoughts or experiences?

I'd reset expectations on some of those locations - such as Kailua, Manoa, and Hawaii Kai. Your budget is not high enough. I'd stay away from Kaawa unless you are planning on never commuting and want to be isolated. Waimanalo is a huge risk - you may find something but not fit in, at all - it is a die hard local community. Palolo Valley - you might find something in Palolo Valley, it isn't particularly nice nor near the ocean. You may want to consider Ewa Beach or Kapolei.

Originally Posted by mcris

JOB

I think I'd like to be applying to jobs at hotels or within event planning companies. Does anyone know if this is a saturated market?

Unemployment is among the lowest in the US here on Oahu - entry level jobs are plentiful at hotels.

Originally Posted by mcris

KIDS?

Before this move, kids were on a not distant horizon. We will probably defer a bit to travel and enjoy life in the Pacific but would you discourage starting a family in Oahu? Our kids would probably only spend their infancy on the island, but any thoughts on the baby subject?

Just get them out of Hawaii before they are school age.

Originally Posted by mcris

TRAVEL

Obviously the other islands. Then, probably Japan, maybe somewhere in Polynesia. Where would you travel if you only had a few years with HNL as your home base?

Polynesia is incredibly expensive. You should also consider Australia and New Zealand.

Originally Posted by mcris

AUTO

We are having our cars shipped over by the company which I think is crazy but they include it. Anything I need to know about this process? Have heard some grumbles about car registration by weight? Anything weird to know about here?

This is a straightforward process.

[ScottStielow]

Originally Posted by WaikikiBoy

It sounds like you have your head wrapped around things pretty well. Just a couple quick random thoughts:

TRAVEL: I've been to both Japan and Vietnam recently. I'd strongly recommend both. Very different but very cool. If you had to choose one over the other, go to Vietnam because it will be much different than Japan and really something you should do since you are so close (relatively speaking). I was in Hanoi, Danang & Ho Chi Min City (aka Saigon). They are each amazing.

KIDS: I see no problem starting a family on Oahu. Just make sure you can find good day care that you are comfortable with if you're working and not taking care of them yourself. But that would be an issue anywhere.

The wife I Just returned from Japan Thursday and agree, We stayed in Tokyo Japan. Lots of good things to see, and lots of shopping, wife enjoyed that! Just keep your Passports updated and you are good to go!
We stayed at The New Sanno Hotel.

[Vhex]

HOUSING
Housing matters a lot where you're going to be commuting to on the island. One of the shocks versus the mainland is that traffic here can be much more frustrating. An hour drive on the mainland, even in heavy traffic, will usually get you 30-45 miles at minimum. That's different in Honolulu where you're moving much slower and covering less distance.

Ewa and Kapolei housing will be cheaper, but if you're working in downtown during normal hours then it's going to be a long commute. Not unbearable, but something to keep in mind depending on how much you get infuriated by traffic.

Also, remember that it's an island, so the "how do I get there" is different from the mainland. Hawaii Kai to downtown (for example) you're pretty much coming in on one road and hitting the freeway before you have any choices on different roads. Places like Palolo offer you a few different routes to get to downtown, while Kailua and Kaneohe are going to be 2 ways in to downtown at best (and usually you're going to choose one or the other). However, regardless of where you live there's not a lot of "alternate routes."

I recommend just taking whatever you can find in your price range at first and then testing some commutes to your (husband's) office by driving out to where you're thinking you might want to live and coming back during normal commute times. That will give you a good feel for your tolerance for the commute. A lot of people that come over live in a small place in Waikiki to start because it's pretty close, has a lot of tourist attractions, and many places are pet friendly and have the minimum duration leases. While I wouldn't want to live in Waikiki myself, it's a good place to start out to get a feel for the island with minimal commitment.

JOB
As others have said, employment is low here, but the market you're in is indeed saturated since we're heavily dominated by tourism. The good news is that Hawaii is a very migratory market when it comes to jobs so there's almost always openings. The bad news is, people tend to want to hire someone with connections to the island because the market is so migratory. It depends on what level of job you're looking for but you can also work with a recruiter to get placed somewhere. I don't think finding a job will be an issue for an event planner. Finding a job you're happy with at the salary you want with a company you like will be harder. But the contacts you make here will help you with that as well.

KIDS
Expect that your money will not go as far in Honolulu as it does in Miami and housing here is very expensive. My wife and I lived happily in a two bedroom condo for 10 years before we had kids. One kid made the condo seem constricting, but our second kid made it so cramped that we ended up selling it and buying a house. For the non-school years, space is really the only concern. We have great parks, beaches, hikes, etc, all of which are great for taking kids out into the outdoors. We have a low crime rate with very low violent crime. Most areas are safe for families.

That said, our school system is not great. Once you get into the school years, costs go way up if you're sending your child to private school. That "money doesn't go as far" thing becomes a real issue here because our private schools are very high priced and your husband's income is likely going to put you out of the range for financial aid. So, as whtviper1 said, you may want to get out of Hawaii before they are school age.

TRAVEL
"Where would you travel if you only had a few years with HNL as your home base?" See the neighboring islands, I wouldn't worry about much else unless you start to get stir crazy. There's a lot to do everywhere in Hawaii and only being here for a few years I'd recommend doing as much as you can on each island.

Japan, New Zealand, Australia, etc are all shorter trips than it would be from Atlanta, but you're still talking about 8+ hour flights.

Travel out of Hawaii, as your husband is probably lamenting on right now, is rough business. (I think to get to Miami you're traveling for 15+ hours if you include stopovers). It's pretty much a minimum 5 hour flight wherever you're going so those trips can be brutal depending on how much you hate being on a plane. And then that cost of living thing means first class becomes a different kind of luxury. The direct flights from the west coast on the mainland are not that much worse than flying out of Hawaii for the places I listed above. So, see Hawaii because it's a short trip -- and if you really want to go to those other places, go for it -- but don't think you have to because you're "close."