06-23-2013, 03:27 PM
ericlp has it about right, although I'd think you'd have to spend more like 50-70k to get a place permitted and complete with electricity and catchment water. The big question there is SSPP status of the lot. If it's already payed in full for the lot, then great, if not, expect somewhere around 4-12k just for that. Another 4k to run electricity to the house and another 4-5k for an electrician to wire the house.
I'd also plan on more like $200/month for food, although if you grow some of your own and fish, that can really cut things down. I'd love to know where I can find internet at $35/month in Eden Roc.
Another question is what your skills are. Can you be your own carpenter, mechanic, gardener or any other things that can help keep your costs down?
A friend of mine has a fixed income less than yours and he just spent the last year living at my place in Eden Roc as caretaker while it was being brought up to code. Now he's a master of living cheap, so it's not fair to expect many other folks to thrive, but he's a mountain man at heart so this wasn't really much of a challenge for him. It's really a matter of how much or little you need to live on. He didn't have a car, so he hitched in to Hilo or caught the bus (still a 5 mile hike to catch it). The whole time he was paying down some credit card debts he'd acquired previously.
There are places for rent that aren't expensive. In fact I'll be renting mine out in a few months and would be very happy to get $4-500/month from a stable renter who'd take good care of the place (managing the catchment, taking care of the various plants - especially my coffee keiki). But it's 15 miles to Hilo and it rains a lot at times.
I'd also plan on more like $200/month for food, although if you grow some of your own and fish, that can really cut things down. I'd love to know where I can find internet at $35/month in Eden Roc.
Another question is what your skills are. Can you be your own carpenter, mechanic, gardener or any other things that can help keep your costs down?
A friend of mine has a fixed income less than yours and he just spent the last year living at my place in Eden Roc as caretaker while it was being brought up to code. Now he's a master of living cheap, so it's not fair to expect many other folks to thrive, but he's a mountain man at heart so this wasn't really much of a challenge for him. It's really a matter of how much or little you need to live on. He didn't have a car, so he hitched in to Hilo or caught the bus (still a 5 mile hike to catch it). The whole time he was paying down some credit card debts he'd acquired previously.
There are places for rent that aren't expensive. In fact I'll be renting mine out in a few months and would be very happy to get $4-500/month from a stable renter who'd take good care of the place (managing the catchment, taking care of the various plants - especially my coffee keiki). But it's 15 miles to Hilo and it rains a lot at times.
Me ka ha`aha`a,
Mike
Mike