06-03-2006, 05:12 AM
Aloha, Lenny. The pest situation has been covered in at least one other thread, but I would like to add a word or two on that, as well as some of your other concerns.
The mice, rats, and roaches can be minimized by keeping your screens and window/door frames tight and by keeping all possible pest food sources as inaccessible and as air-tight as possible. We invested in a large assortment of quality food storage containers, and saw our pest problem drop way off. If the buggahs can't smell food, they are far less likely to try to get in. We check the screens, windows, and doors monthly to be sure there are no entry ways. Also, the gekko is your friend. Yes, I know they creep some folks out, but they eat bugs, and we think they are cute. 'Nuff said about that.
Given all the rain we have, flooding of homes is surprisingly rare. The cracks in the lava rock seem to absorb tremendous amounts of water. Temporary road closures and street flooding are an issue in some areas of Puna, though. You should ask about that before buying property.
Medical care is tough for some, depending on insurance resources. The local Blue Cross affiliate, HMSA, is selling policies in the Hilo area while virtually all the doctors in Hilo who accept HMSA are not accepting new patients. I am told, however, that there are HMSA doctors in other areas of the island who will take newbies. I use Kaiser, and have had good care so far, but it is a strictly controlled HMO with limited choices. Just about all the health care organizations use resources in Honolulu for very difficult or unusual procedures, so travel can be an issue for some.
Finally, do a LOT of research about all your concerns. We made about 12 visits over a period of three years before we bought our property, and kept visiting another two years before we moved. Bought four books on moving to HI (mostly out of date before we got them, BTW.) Spent weeks on-line researching. Despite some predictable culture shock and adjustment pains (folks on this forum will attest that I do gripe sometimes), Puna has been quite good overall.
Good luck and much Aloha,
Jerry
The mice, rats, and roaches can be minimized by keeping your screens and window/door frames tight and by keeping all possible pest food sources as inaccessible and as air-tight as possible. We invested in a large assortment of quality food storage containers, and saw our pest problem drop way off. If the buggahs can't smell food, they are far less likely to try to get in. We check the screens, windows, and doors monthly to be sure there are no entry ways. Also, the gekko is your friend. Yes, I know they creep some folks out, but they eat bugs, and we think they are cute. 'Nuff said about that.
Given all the rain we have, flooding of homes is surprisingly rare. The cracks in the lava rock seem to absorb tremendous amounts of water. Temporary road closures and street flooding are an issue in some areas of Puna, though. You should ask about that before buying property.
Medical care is tough for some, depending on insurance resources. The local Blue Cross affiliate, HMSA, is selling policies in the Hilo area while virtually all the doctors in Hilo who accept HMSA are not accepting new patients. I am told, however, that there are HMSA doctors in other areas of the island who will take newbies. I use Kaiser, and have had good care so far, but it is a strictly controlled HMO with limited choices. Just about all the health care organizations use resources in Honolulu for very difficult or unusual procedures, so travel can be an issue for some.
Finally, do a LOT of research about all your concerns. We made about 12 visits over a period of three years before we bought our property, and kept visiting another two years before we moved. Bought four books on moving to HI (mostly out of date before we got them, BTW.) Spent weeks on-line researching. Despite some predictable culture shock and adjustment pains (folks on this forum will attest that I do gripe sometimes), Puna has been quite good overall.
Good luck and much Aloha,
Jerry