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We visited your area last month and I've been fairly depressed ever since leaving. Not only is it a beautiful area, but the people and the lifestyle impressed us.
I am currently in the process of convincing my husband that we need to make a plan for how we can go about moving to the area. [  ] He has a very good and steady job here and that would be hard to leave, but I'm thinking that if we just spend the next couple years buying land, building the house and paying everything off on that end, then we could move there and live a fairly simple life on a fairly low income.
I definitely envy any of you that have taken the leap of faith, left behind the main land, and moved there even though you weren't yet retired (we're in our 30s). If anyone can share how they did it, that would be great! Any advice is welcome.
Mahalo!
April [8D]
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We visited for 6 weeks, scouted properties and made some decisions together. Then we returned to the mainland and started making bids on properties via the real estate agent we had set up (my cousin's wife in this case). Once we found, bid and purchased land we wanted, I moved to Hawaii and oversaw the design and building of our home and the beginning of our "rainforest life". Hubby remained in California for two additional years working a well paying job and supporting us both. By the time he arrived in Hawaii to stay, the home was built, the rural lifestyle was begun and he walked into a teaching position. I don't know what kind of work your husband does, but the only three professions I know of that equal instant employment as as a physician, a dentist and a school teacher. Even those require a LOT of looking into licensing issues. The hoops are difficult to jump through. Also, extensively looking at neighborhoods and areas is imperative. There are some excellent buys out there right now but probably living here six months, renting and getting a feel for it would be advised for most. MANY people who try to relocate here don't make it. They have seen Hawaii through the eyes of a vacationer. Living here is tough. Food prices are sky high. Gas is out the roof. Depending on where you locate, the island has as many difficulties as it has charms. People have bought a lot thinking they will farm it, only to realize they bought on 5 acres of rock with NO soil. Or they move to the beach and discover than not only does the salt erode everything an triple speed but it is hot and humid and uncomfortable to many right near the water.
I have absolutely no regrets having given up all the Southern California lifestyle, high tech job, swimming pools, sports cars, entertainment at the drop of a hat, etc.... However, I am also extremely tenacious and don't let the lost battles define me. I instead use everything as a learning experience and move forward. You learn to eat local, to drive less, to make do. You learn how the culture affects day to day living. You learn that as a nice white mainlander I am the equal of a "negro in Georgia in 1961" -- better times are coming but for now, keep your head down and accept the cultural issues as they are.
It's been a hell of a roller coaster ride for us here but I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Just having gotten to know all the wonderful people on Punaweb has probably given us the strength to redefine ourselves, our lives and most importantly, our drastic change in income! Just remember you are coming here to live, not vacation. The money part is the big issue. Now is a GREAT time to buy but many people have been unable to actually move to the place they have purchased because jobs are not available. Be careful, think hard and WELCOME TO PUNA!!
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
Posts: 1,059
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Joined: Mar 2009
We came on 4 separate house-hunting visits. The more we familiarized ourselves w/subdivisions, the more we knew what was for us, and what wasn't. On all 4 visits, we stayed in vacation rentals (houses). Some in HPP, others in Kapoho and Kehena. I highly advise AT LEAST doing this so you'd know what it's like living day-to-day, picking up your own drinking water, taking your rubbish to the transfer station, going to the grocery store, etc. Most people recommended, as pslamont does here, that we rent for a while, but we took the plunge (with the container and all our belongings en route) and bought, and we're glad we did.
Luckily, for us, we're retired (and semi-retired but self-employed) - A quick check with craigslist and the paper classifieds and you'll see how few jobs are available and get an idea of how crappy they pay. BUT if you're an entrepreneur, you just might find your niche. I ditto pslamont about the need for doctors and dentists.
I do not find the food prices MUCH higher than in San Francisco area, but I don't now how they'd compare with prices in Wyoming. I'm sure you know anything shipped in is expensive (packaged food and frozen food, Haas avocados, etc) BUT, housing prices are very reasonable, as are property taxes, esp. in relation to the area where we came from.
At first, living without air conditioning in 85-degree weather was hard, but now, after 2 yrs, I'm totally acclimated, shiver when I go into an air-conditioned store, and love to sit in the shade. I can't get as much done in the yard, say, as in Calif. (due to the humidity), but hey, time is relative, right? We slow down, we enjoy the breeze, we take a break and have a drink and pet the dog.
Anyway, take a few more practice runs before you dive in. Hope to see you walking around Maku'u market at some point!
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aloha april,
after vacationing in hawaii the last six years,(maui and oahu) my partner and i put our house in riverton, wyo. on the market.
we actually sold everything, including our house. by september we homeless, but made enough to pay off morgage, all credit cards.
came to big island for a week, and had found a house we could'nd pass up. we had been looking on-line and had a list of properties we wanted to see. also maybe consider land that already has a house. of course we had a friend who was willing to go in thirds. by the time we had flown back to mainland we we're actually between our offer being accepted and closing.
we knew the only way we would be able to do it was to make sure we didn't have make house payment. as for the cost of living, you have to pay attention to how you shop. have found that if you try to live like a tourist, it's not going work.
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Be very careful, there is lava EVERYWHERE!
Puna: Our roosters crow first
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quote:
Originally posted by EightFingers
Be very careful, there is lava EVERYWHERE!
You're bad EF!! LOL[ ][  ]
Royall
Hale O Na Mea Pa`ani
April ain't afraid of lava. Wyoming is supervolcano country. The Yellowstone caldera stretches some 35-40 miles (Hilo to Honokaa) long and when that baby last blew up it spewed 240 cubic miles of rock and dust into the atmosphere. The plateau swelled about 8 inches between 2004-08 but its tapered off a bit since then.
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