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Greetings from the Pacific Northwest. We live in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains where it averages 80 to 100 inches of rain per year and one may not see a day of sunshine for a month or two.
We have visited the BI many times and would like to move there some day soon. On-line property searches can only tell you a small part of what is really there. HPP has caught our eye as being affordable and relatively close to Pahoa and Hilo. We especially like the looks of a couple of lots in the lower one quarter of the park. However after reading quite a few posts here, we are confused to say the least, as we have never seen the park.
It sounds as though the roads are on a par with what the pioneers used for their covered wagons, knocking wheels off of four wheel drive vehicles, there is no mail service and a two year to a life time wait for a PO box, the park is over run with thieves and hoodlums, and the mosquitoes are so thick one could cut them with a knife. This is just mentioning a few of the negative posts.
We could use a little insight from a few park residents, such as,
is Paradise Dr. paved from beginning to end. Is it possible to ride a bicycle, or walk, without getting run over? Are there any solutions to the mail situation, such as a mail service store in Pahoa? Is there any bus service in the park? Maybe a park and ride near by? Is the crime any worst than any other area? Don`t care about the skeeters, we have them here too. Any yurts in HPP?
Thanks for any help, Little Bill
I don't live in HPP, but I looked at numerous properties there when I was searching last summer.
No, Orchidland's roads are bad. HPP lateral roads are just cinder, but not deep ruts.
Paradise, Kaloli, and Makuu are paved, as is Beach Rd between Paradise and Kaloli.
However, unlike mud, red cinder roads are very dusty especially when people drive at the speed of a paved road, which many do. And the cinder dust blows with the wind.
Yes there is a lot of theft, if a place appears to have good pickings and be unprotected. There are worse definitely worse areas for crime; there are areas with more domestic abuse, assaults, addiction, and violence. That said, HPP is a good place for people who live in poorer more crime-ridden neighborhoods to go looking for nice things to steal. The lots are big enough to where the neighbors might not notice. OTOH it is easier to see what's up with an HPP lot than a 3 acre lot which might have invisible dogs.
I wouldn't want to bike on the cinder because of the dust, and the paved roads are narrow. Of course it's possible to bike without being run over, but there's also no guarantee you won't be run over. I wouldn't bike on Hwy 130 either; it's scary enough in a vehicle.
Bus service inside the park, I don't know.
You should NOT consider buying property without spending time here checking it out. You never came to Puna on any of your visits? It is quite different from the rest of the island. There's no way that written words or pictures can convey the feeling of the place the way your physical presence would. Also you need to experience the weather in a variety of conditions, both rain and shine.
I don't know about the mail. There are mail services around. In 2004 my son rented in the park and got a box with no waiting, but maybe times have changed.
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You might want to look at Leilani Estates instead, it's a much nicer subdivision six miles further from HPP.
Aloha,
John S. Rabi, ABR,CM,CRB,FHS,RB
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"
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We rented in HPP for six months & bicycled the roads every day & walked our neighbors dog many times a day while there, on the roads & along the shoreline. It is a good idea to rinse off the bike (or dog) after a ride, esp. if you ride down by the shoreline. The roads are OK for a 2WD (thats all we have), some can get a little rutty after a wash, but the road crew does maintain them. (Shower, Kaloli, Paradise, & Makuu are paved going shoreword (Shower is a shorty road) 28th is paved all the way & Beach is partly paved. That said, all is about to change (maybe) on which is paved...
We did not notice any crime down in the neighborhood we lived in, with neighbors even leaving doors open & such. HPP is soo large that it is impossible to say anything very inclusive. It has a number of very different neighborhoods, each with its' own feel. (even mosquito density can vary by location)
If you can, it is worth it to rent in an area you are thinking about to get the feel of the neighbors...but you may not be able to...
We were looking to buy in the park, but found a house more convienent to Hilo. We applied for a box while there, & found out we got it 6 mos after moving into Keaau (with street mail service).... Some people have mail boxes at Pahoa Post office, some at Keaau PO, some at Hilo PO, some get their mail from the counter using 'General Delivery' for years (we have street service, but some of our neighbors prefer to go & get general delivery even in Keaau Town!) there are also private mail box service stores in Pahoa & Keaau.
There is only school bus service within the park, the HeleOn buses will stop along HWY 130, but htere is no 'park & ride' area (yet). There was one Yurt in HPP & a couple in Orchidland, the main complaints I have heard is mold growth & need for more ventilation.
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A lot of HPP residents raging on things is in a want to make things better. if your planing to move or buy here dont do it with paradise in your mind, its just a place with its ups and downs, if your looking at a place walk around the neghborhood on a saturday nite. i live on 3rd st in HPP and this is were i plan to stay and cant imagin any place else id want to be ( unless i win the lottery or something)
The devil is in the detail
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I live on 3rd. I bike w/ my toddler or push him in the jogging stroller every day. I don't worry about cars down in my area because traffic is lighter. However, we have had to change routes a few times to avoid being harrassed by loose dogs. We usually go down to beach road. The cinder roads are not a problem for our cars nor are they difficult to bike on. The only time I notice dust is when it hasn't rained in a while which is infrequently. However, it must still be floating around because my windows need washing a lot. I like the location of the park since I am relativley close to Pahoa, Kea'au and Hilo. One thing to consider is the availability of shade on any lot you choose since it seems to be a few degrees hotter here than in lower puna. My house gets hot in the summer but my son's school on 26th, which is very shady, is much cooler.
David
David
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HPP. Don't live there but I own there. That won't stop me from expressing an opinion. The appeal of HPP is that it is Lava Zone 3 (theoretically less lava-prone than zones 1 and 2, and insurance is less expensive and more available) and it is closer to Hilo.
When I describe it to people here, in Southern California, I say it is a subdivision in name only. It is a vast, primitive conglomeration of one acre and 1/2 acre lots (occasionally less) full of different climatic zones and sublocations, and homes that range from shacks to resorts. Realtor John Dirgo said something worth remembering on this forum (I paraphrse): Get to know not just your neighbors, but the neighbors a few blocks away, too (noise issues). By and large, people who buy or rent there are seeking the same thing: a peaceful home in Paradise. The crime rate is actually pretty low, but larceny is big problem throughout Puna, including, and perhaps especially, HPP. Leave a lawnmower out....and kiss it goodbye unless your property is fenced and guarded by vicious dogs. These are roving mauraders. They are not dangerous. Just larcenous. And the police drive their own cars, with little strap on blue lights, and they will not come when you call. They aren't paid enough to actually respond.
That said, I have never spent anything but a beautiful, quiet night there. It is not perfect, but as Grace Jones said, it's perfect for me. In Puna, the primitive is the pull. It is also the downside. Two sides of the same coin. You can find an incredible place in HPP and bargains abound.
For me, the closer you get to the ocean, the better, because it is drier and, well, you know you can see the damn thing. Insurance rates are higher. As for walking, I think the side streets are actually pretty walkable, although as noted above, there is an issue of loose dogs. This is an issue throughout Hawaii by the way. The perpetrators do not see dogs as potentially deadly instrumentalities. If there were two things I could "fix" in Hawaii with a wave of a wand it would be this: 1) the larceny (get your own, or I will share with you if you ask!) and 2) the mistreatment of animals.
The other thing I would fix is the nonsensical notion that you should not come to the islands to change bad things. Gotta leave 'em the way they are or you are a cultural interloper (that's supposed to be a bad thing). Anyway, HPP is a confused, completely unmanaged rural Hawaiian/Haole hodge podge of misfits, Federal witness program participants, lower, middle class, and upper middle class families and loose dogs and larcenous visitors.
I hear Leilani is nicer, but up there, the grounds smells like sulfur, as if George Bush himself had just visited!
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Aloha,
I like HPP. Its nice not to have to deal with an owners association that wants to run your life and choose the colors of your house. The roads can get bad sometimes, pavement is in the works. We fix the road ourselves sometimes when it gets bad. If dust it a concern, buy a lot on the east side of the road. Theft happens in some parts of the park. I own a lot on a street where some very lazy people like to leave trash or old cars. For the most part life here is good. Don't be afraid of HPP.
A hui hou,
Daniel R Diamond
Daniel R Diamond
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I am renting in HPP and for the most part, love it. I agree with everything that has been said about it - it's a mixed bag. I do have a question regarding fire protection: there's no county water except on the street closest to 130 (which explains the absence of fire hydrants in the rest of the park) and I understand from a friend that the fire department must rely on catchment tanks in the event of a fire. I could see this as problematic in the event of a drought. Any thoughts?
(PS - hi Glen! great post 
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Kim, HPP has their own fire station & it has a pumper truck that does arrive with water, but they may need more. That is why almost all insurance & mortgage co. require at least 10k gals....of course during a drought (most likely time for brush fires) when almost every ones tank is low, would mean that you may not have enough water to stop the flames...something to think about if you normally let your tank get down near empty during drought times... (a friend in Honaunau has a house that actually has a fire suppression catchment....not hooked to the main house water system, but they also have 20+ acres of Kona coffee to look after...)
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