02-27-2008, 03:00 PM
Housing increases pre-bubble affected everyone as to affordability factors. People on the mainland aren't pulling in much higher paying jobs than the local jobs in Hawaii, and if you think you can buy a $65K house in Oklahoma, let me take you through HOVE and show you multiple "unpermitted" houses under $75K.
I think the "grass is always greener" is the catalyst to migrations to anywhere. Someone mentioned Vegas - easy place to get a job, low housing costs, and probably hiring Micky D's at $11 an hour. A 2 income family could afford that brand new $125K 100% builder financed home with 0 down.
If you go farther north past Reno, the gold mines are hiring in at a minimum of $15 to start for unskilled labor and $35+ per hour for skilled labor/management. You can buy an acre of land for $500 and bring in a mobile home complete with a fresh water well and septic tank for about $30-50K.
The reason I moved to NJ was for a great job opportunity that was only supposed to last 6 months. At the end of 6 months they offered me a full-time job, so we moved from the midwest. I am making 3 times what I could in the midwest, and paying 2 1/2 times for what I used to pay for: housing, gas, taxes, etc.
So, it is all relative. You go where you think you can make more money and/or live a better life.
Is Kona so much different climate wise than Reno? Probably not (yes, def hotter in Vegas), but if you already lived in one of the arid areas of Hawaii, the NV climate isn't such a total shock. Culture shock, maybe, but not if you craved "more" action than what you had in Hawaii.
It is like everyone saying that Chicago, NY, LA, Vegas are THE places to be - well, it works on it if it works for YOU. Doesn't everyone want to test the waters at least once in their life.
You can always go home, regardless of what the great authors say.
tluve
I think the "grass is always greener" is the catalyst to migrations to anywhere. Someone mentioned Vegas - easy place to get a job, low housing costs, and probably hiring Micky D's at $11 an hour. A 2 income family could afford that brand new $125K 100% builder financed home with 0 down.
If you go farther north past Reno, the gold mines are hiring in at a minimum of $15 to start for unskilled labor and $35+ per hour for skilled labor/management. You can buy an acre of land for $500 and bring in a mobile home complete with a fresh water well and septic tank for about $30-50K.
The reason I moved to NJ was for a great job opportunity that was only supposed to last 6 months. At the end of 6 months they offered me a full-time job, so we moved from the midwest. I am making 3 times what I could in the midwest, and paying 2 1/2 times for what I used to pay for: housing, gas, taxes, etc.
So, it is all relative. You go where you think you can make more money and/or live a better life.
Is Kona so much different climate wise than Reno? Probably not (yes, def hotter in Vegas), but if you already lived in one of the arid areas of Hawaii, the NV climate isn't such a total shock. Culture shock, maybe, but not if you craved "more" action than what you had in Hawaii.
It is like everyone saying that Chicago, NY, LA, Vegas are THE places to be - well, it works on it if it works for YOU. Doesn't everyone want to test the waters at least once in their life.
You can always go home, regardless of what the great authors say.
tluve