06-03-2006, 09:12 AM
We were in Nanavale in February and had no problem with any flooding there. The rain was very heavy at times, but the ground dried quickly once it stopped raining. The biggest problems with flooding in Hawaii this year were on two other islands, Oahu and Kauai, both of which sustained severe damage in some areas due to flooding.
We had catchment water, and there was never a problem due to insufficient water in the tank (part of the joy of living in a rain forest). We did have problems with access to water at times because of a defective pump, but that was a defect specific to the house we had rented and not one inherent to catchment systems.
As for buying land vs. a buying a house, there are several issues for you to consider: Do you want to live for an extended period in a temporary home while your house is being built, or is it more important to you to move into your house more quickly? Do you have the ability and time to do a significant part of the work on the house for yourselves, or will you need to hire contractors for most or all of it? If you have decided on the location you want, are any existing houses currently for sale, and if so, are any of them the type you want? How important is it to you to be able to have a house that is designed exactly the way you want it to be?
If you decide that you do want to buy an existing house, in addition to checking Harry Pritikin's list or dealing directly with a local realtor, you may want to ride around the area on Sunday afternoons and look at some of the Open House opportunities being advertised. It seems that no matter where you go in Puna on Sunday, sooner or later you will pass a sign advertising an Open House somewhere nearby.
Howard
We had catchment water, and there was never a problem due to insufficient water in the tank (part of the joy of living in a rain forest). We did have problems with access to water at times because of a defective pump, but that was a defect specific to the house we had rented and not one inherent to catchment systems.
As for buying land vs. a buying a house, there are several issues for you to consider: Do you want to live for an extended period in a temporary home while your house is being built, or is it more important to you to move into your house more quickly? Do you have the ability and time to do a significant part of the work on the house for yourselves, or will you need to hire contractors for most or all of it? If you have decided on the location you want, are any existing houses currently for sale, and if so, are any of them the type you want? How important is it to you to be able to have a house that is designed exactly the way you want it to be?
If you decide that you do want to buy an existing house, in addition to checking Harry Pritikin's list or dealing directly with a local realtor, you may want to ride around the area on Sunday afternoons and look at some of the Open House opportunities being advertised. It seems that no matter where you go in Puna on Sunday, sooner or later you will pass a sign advertising an Open House somewhere nearby.
Howard