Hawaiian Beaches, Shores, other Puna subdivisions

[Lucy]

Hi all--

Is H. Beaches in zone 2 or 3? Same as H. Shores Rec.? Where is the dividing line for zone 2-3 in Puna, on makai or mauka side of the Keaau-Pahoa hwy. and over to the Volcano Hwy.
Are the H. Beaches sub. one that has the water problem now with new construction?

Is it drier along the coastline there like it is in HPP or is it more treed and jungle like? I assume that it is more like the same as in HPP the further you go inland it get more moisture. What about flood zones? Yes or no? Is it in one mile approxiametly to be out of Tsunami zone? Is there a point where you are out of a flood zone? Or so you do not have to have flood insurance?
Do you get more mold growth along the coast or is it the same with in all the subdivisions. Where we stayed in HPP right on the water, their place was terrible for mold, but then it could just have been the lack of maintence, but the toilet tanks etc. were solid mold and the tracs in the sliding doors etc. The appliances were all rusted out. Door handles corodided. A few years before though, The guy that helped them there told me, they did have the entire ceiling collapse because they didn't take care of the leak in the roof. But the other buildings too had mold in them pretty badly. The woman who owns it is a nurse too. It has really made me wonder if this is the norm for coastal living there or what?

Do you know if the CCR's limit the pets to 3 in those subs or is it stated the number?
Or does it have no CCR's?

Interested to know more about HPP and Hawaiian Beaches, H. Shores Rec. or whatever is in that area that is available. Is H. Beaches cleaned up as far as the negative things that had made it not so nice a place to be? Are there still pockets of some subdivisions to avoid because of druggie areas?

Wondering about the property in Puna areas. Which of the subdivisions in zone 3 or higher are nicer places to live in your opinion, including safety wise, and are a good neighborhood to within a mile of the oceanside approximately?

I know there are no guarantees, but having lived by a drug dealer in Virginia that the officials serving warrants were always coming to his door and his out of control Rottweiler, then now, next door to the dog killer, I would prefer not to live by one if possible. So I hope to find a neighborhood niche where life is good and somewhat safe and sane. Wouldn't we all? LOL
I am not sure of the other zones because of the insurance issue and would not want to have to move. Then who knows about a tsunami either, huh? Could happen.

Thanks in advance for any and all answers! I appreciate it very much you taking the time to share the information!

Aloha,
Lucy

Having another Great day in Paradise, Wherever that Maybe!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheLanai

[nanasohana]

I have come to really appreciate where we built in Aina Pua, the hidden subdivision.
I have found it is convenient to Hilo, Keaau and Pahoa. Far enough from the highway to not hear it. High enough to be cool but not too cool. Enough rain to keep the catchment tank full but many sunny days also. Not very many homes were built in here and so new homes are being built all coded. There are CCR's to make it a better place to live. Lava zone 3, and great paved roads, regular electric. The ohia forests surrounding us, and tradewinds almost always. Far enough from the ocean so no worry of tsunami. Well its pretty darn good! Now if I just had all my kids and grandkids here it would be paradise I must say.

[Carey]

Lucy, I am pretty sure that the extreme mold you had was a maintenance problem. We rented last year in HPP while we shopped for our house. Our rental was just 1/2 block off the ocean & did not have a mold problem like you describe, nor did any of the neighbors. (rust & corrosion on anything metal YES, but not so much with mold). Hawaiian Beaches/Shores/Rec. has a potential Tsunami Flood zone that is much closer to the shoreline even than HPP, as they have a steeper gradient up from the shore (So not a lot of Tsunami Flood worries there). They also have a nice park area near shore. It is more jungley there, with very dense Hala tree growth on many of the lots even close to the shore.
I am amazed at how this whole area has changed in the 1 1/2 years we have been here. Aerial photos from just before we moved to ones taken this summer show the incredible build up of areas like HPP! (& I do realize by moving here, we have added 2 more to the population!
I do know of a few people that are highly mold sensitive. There are native ground molds here that do bother some people, so if you are sensitised to mold, this is a situation that you must look into very seriously. My main control of mold is to spray down the bath & squeegee after use, pack long term storage items with moisture adsorbing packets (I use crystal kitty litter, cheapish on sale, easy to get & nice smelling, tied up in old hose, in the old Ziploc veggie bags, & in newer zipper bags that I perforate with a pin), & hand the closet dryer bags in the closets.
Coming from the Midwest, this is stuff we had to do in the summer, now I get to enjoy the weather year round, and the responsibility!
Aloha, Carey

[HADave]

I read somewhere that Hawaii doesn't even make it to the top ten list for mold issues, the source was reliable, anyway here is another report that shows a list.

http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/nat.../70201.htm

more info from an EPA source regarding mold that can be purchased;

http://www.realtor.org/prodser.nsf/OpenProd?OpenForm&IN=141-24

As always, hope the info is useful )

Aloha HADave





Edited by - HADave on 10/14/2006 04:29:55

[jdirgo]

Hawaiian Beaches, Parks, Shores and Shores Rec. are all lava zone 2. The approximate dividing line is the Pahoa sign (right by the new Malama Marketplace). At least that's what a couple of insurance people have told me they use.

Yes, its drier by the coast there as well. No flood zones that I know of, and Carey's advice about the tsunami risk is probably accurate.

Mold is a maintenance issue and if the owner keeps things clean, its usually not a problem.

Only Hawaiian Shores Rec. has CC&Rs and you can read them for yourself at www.hawaiianshores.org. There are pockets of problems in all subdivisions, including Hawaiian Beaches and Shores. And its truly "street-by-street" -- you can be in a great friendly welcoming neighborhood and then go 2 streets away and feel really uncomfortable. You can't make blanket judgements about entire subdivisions. Its that variable.

John Dirgo, RA, ABR, e-PRO
Island Trust Properties, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.hawaiirealproperty.com

Edited by - jdirgo on 10/14/2006 10:17:40

[Lucy]

Thank you all for what you have given me, it is SO helpful!!!
You know you all have jogged my mind, late but still yes. I was thinking if the place that we stayed had so much mold, it most likely was from the roof collapse also. I bet the walls got soaked and there is mold there too, because you shut the door up and ewe eek! The ventilation was just on two sides in a 90 degree angle and somewhat sheltered by the trades because another of their buildings was in the way, so not good cross ventilation.
It helps too because I was thinking of a house design with a center courtyard. Now I remember this whole scenario I should remember that lesson well. To not go there without a modification in design. It just would make it too hot. This house was in HPP.

Nancy,
Thank you for your help here, you have always been so kind and thoughtful.
I need to contact you, my PC here is not doing all that it should for Java, so some controls on this PW board I cannot use, one of which is contact members, so I will have to go to another and sign in to write you. Or if it is not an inconvenience to you, sometime I would love to call you. I would like to learn more about Aina Pua, it has always sounded great through your eyes and that peacefulness sounds so wonderful. It is no wonder we mainlanders want to get away from all of this hustle and bustle lifestyle and live where you can be a bit more free. Ever since I left living on Oahu I have missed it. It is coming up on 20 years.

Carey,
I always appreciate your perspective, since you do think out of the box! I will keep those tips that you gave me in mind, it is most helpful to know. Do you know where I can find some published info. about the ground molds there or just more info.?
Do you know of some who are sensitive to it and what they have done? We have that here in TX.. My allergy tests did not come up with me being allergic to it when I had blood work done on it. But I would like to look into it more.
You have a heart of gentleness and serenity that is much more filled with living in paradise, that much comes through in your postings. You seem so happy there living your new adventure!

Dave,
You know you are always an inspiration on how you go to so much trouble to help whoever you can and I appreciate that you took the time to do a bit of my research for me here once again!
I do read all of your helpful instructive knowledge! I will have to order that book. I happen to live where there is lots of mold, tops as far as states go and long ago the insurance co's. took that out of covered risks here for the state of Tx. So mold is always outside here just under the top bark dust layer and can start in a house too if not careful. I had to laugh, I just went and read your one website reference. Something you already knew!
You are one honest gentleman and I appreciate that in you.

Buzz,
Wow you sure do address the issues head on and have some thoughtful information to share that we all might have passed over before. I agree those paints sure can make a difference. Have you added a mildewicide to your paints also? Who would have thought about those cabinet tops and the gecko or lizard friends! Yo, the gecko Salmonella leavings aren't good, but the lizards are beneficial. I like them, just not on my cabinets and counter tops too.
I had no idea that you had so many rentals. What else do you do or is that enough with just having rentals?!

We did stop in one place in HPP towards the ocean area that sold flowers. The guys that owned it said that they spray the entire outside concrete patios and walkways often for mold. Their place was beautiful. Would have loved to have had some or all of those wonderful plants that were there established a long time already. I have noticed most of the concrete outside homes there to have the mold growth on it. Do you have wood siding on the houses in general or any experience with Hardiplank or vinyl siding? What kind of maintenance do they require there? Anyone know? I assume that close to the ocean it is just more no matter which way you slice it, but those do cut down. Any other issues with those two choices? Our thoughts are we could take five years close and up front to the ocean, then might have to back off a bit for maintenance purposes, in another setting. We are getting older and with maintenance issues, want to keep them down to a dull roar, not the neatly manicured lawns and gardens etc. of the hood we live in now.

John D.,
You are a most kind and knowledgeable assest to folks and the community. You are so great at sharing and getting to the facts of the matter. Must be why Carrie and some folks have highly reccommended you!
Thank you for taking the time to let me know your opinion of those questions and the insurance reference is a good one. Those things are hard to sort out unless the state commissioner has set the zopnes on a plat somewhere or some solution like that coordination with the US geological data that is used.

I appreciate it, you folks are all very nice to share when you can, I know I do not say it often enough.

Aloha,
Lucy

Having another Great day in Paradise, Wherever that Maybe!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheLanai

[jdirgo]

I just emailed you a lava zone map.

John Dirgo, RA, ABR, e-PRO
Island Trust Properties, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.hawaiirealproperty.com

[Carey]

Lucy, we do have friends that are going back to the mainland, mainly because she misses the grandkids, but a big part is thatshe is very sensitive to the ground molds (she is the only person here that I know that issues with outdoor mold, others have issues with AC areas - esp. at the University where they shut the system down every night, kinda makes for a great mold breeding scenerio). I have included some research on mold, including an eye opener for the desert secure people.

I suspect that the main ground mold fungi that effect people in Hawaii, as most everywhere, are in the Fusarium genus. This article from University of Hawaii extension lists 24 in Hawaii:
http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/Crop...s_prim.htm

For preservation of books, the Bishop museum has this link
http://www.danielsbooks.org/Preserving%2...ctions.doc

This is from the National Geographic, just to keep all the desert dwellers on their toes:
GLOBAL HEALTH: MINDING THE SPORE — Has that desert vacation got you down, physically? It may be a case of the flu — or it could be something worse: valley fever, a fungal infection endemic to the desert Southwest. National Geographic Adventure contributing editor Jim Thornton explains, "Valley fever is caused by a fungus that thrives in arid, alkaline soils subject to hot summers and few if any winter frosts. During rainy seasons, it grows as a stable ground mold, and its chances of doing harm are low. But when the rains stop and the soil dries out, desiccated spores become aerosolized. Anything that stirs up the dust — including trail running and mountain biking — can unleash a cloud of pestilence." Page 33.

[Lucy]

Thanks for the info. Carey, I appreciate that research!
Gosh, I feel badly for your friend. That is a tough one.
I would never leave Hawaii for the Grandkids! HA I have none,) but I know some do leave because they are missing family. It is a valid thing to think about before one moves over there. Having lived there before and being a military family that has moved a lot, seen a lot of the world, I kind of like that flavor of life. It is an broadening expierence all in itself and I feel blessed to have been able to do that. I can go back for family visits and luckily I could also send tickets to those whom I miss and want them to get a chance to be in paradise for a time. I think though too the key is for keeping in touch regularly. They all know how much I care about them and that makes it easier to be apart. My folks are gone, so it is just us siblings but a large family.
I don't have any kids and so nothing for me to worry about there.

Luckily I have never lived in the desert area so no problem there, but I did research that for my son before he moved to Vegas. Apparently it is even a problem for pets there, especially dogs. Bad part about that one is getting that fungas into your lungs and it never leaves.

Aloha, Lucy
I included some more info on the Valley fever that I found.
Some quotes:
Valley fever is caused by Coccidioides immitis, a fungus. The fungus produces spores that can be inhaled when they get into the air. Spores are hardy forms of the fungus that can live for a long time in harsh environmental conditions such as heat, cold, and drought.

The valley fever fungus grows naturally in soil and Valley Fever is prevalent in the San Joaquin and Central Valleys of California, Southern Arizona,
southwestern United States and in parts of Central and South America.
Recent natural disasters have also triggered a rise in valley fever cases. The central valley of Southern California had a 4-year epidemic of valley fever in the early 1990s after a severe drought. Cases of valley fever also increased in persons exposed to billowing dust released by the January 1994 earthquake in Northridge, California.
An estimated 50,000 to 100,000 persons develop symptoms of valley fever each year in the United States, with 35,000 new infections per year in California alone. In Arizona, the incidence of reported cases was 15 per 100,000 in 1995.
Ref:http://www.dhpe.org/infect/valley.html
http://www.vfce.arizona.edu/VFIH-home.htm
It says it can also go unnoticed. It can cause nodules in your lungs that on xray are not indistinguishable from cancer. Whew look out smokers! Lung biopsies?, Ouch.



Having another Great day in Paradise, Wherever that Maybe!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheLanai