Posts: 1,051
Threads: 82
Joined: Apr 2006
I'm with you. My wife and I have found it cheap here as well. We can't believe how cheap the land taxes are in Hawaii compared to say New York. Also we don't have to pay for heating or cooling of our home. Huge savings there. Also we don't need to pay a lot of money for fancy wardrobes like people who work in big cities do. Thankfully we don't have a huge commute either like many on the mainland. We know people in the DC area who commute 1 1/2 ours each way. By the way they pay a lot for gas too - they're really getting nailed with the high gas prices combined with their long commutes. Also Hawaii is blessed in that we can grow all kinds of great stuff to supplement our diets as well as fishing is great and there are no seasonal limitations for most fishing. The list goes on and on.
Dirk I think you enjoy complaining.
Andrew
quote:
Originally posted by JWFITZ
Actually I've found it very cheap to live here, if one lives in reflection of the place itself.
___________________________
Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times".
Posts: 83
Threads: 9
Joined: Feb 2008
quote:
Who wants to work in the elite neighborhood anyway? We are busy fishing, pig hunting and growing gardens. We have food, why do we want to work?
It is gonna get beyond spooky and coming your way real soon. Have you looked at the numbers of available airline seats lately? Down by a hefty amount and they say it will be even less next year. There goes tourism!
November '05 was about the peak of the real estate market wasn't it? I'm figuring somewhere around third quarter of '10 to be the trough, but that's just a guess. It does this sort of thing and it will probably continue to do it but what with the peak oil thing going along with the sub-prime it may be worse than usual.
This island will probably just get spooky, if you really want to try living dangerously, try Oahu. If the barges stop, they can't feed themselves.
This is exactly why we chose to live here!! You hit it right on! Well, except for pig hunting.....We've all got to buckle our belts and hang on for the ride, it'll get worse before it gets better. It sucks that electric and gas are so expensive (across the nation), but at least we all live in a place where we could-not that I want to - turn off the electric and survive - no ice storms here!
Our electric bill is to embarrassing to say how much it is....[:0]!! Conserve, conserve, manage, sometimes I think it would be better if we all lived in grass huts in small communities working together to survive, those days are long gone!!
Posts: 1,779
Threads: 73
Joined: Aug 2006
quote:
Originally posted by JWFITZ
Actually I've found it very cheap to live here, if one lives in reflection of the place itself.
There really is a lot to JW's comment above.
It is not only liking bananas and discovering lots of ways to eat coconut, pumpkin, taro roots and leaves, papaya, limes and lemons, wild pig and fresh fish, etc instead of standard supermarket fare.
HELCO? They cannot survive the coming off grid/net meter wave. Wait 'em out.
Taxes? Make sure you get value for money. Vote. Get informed. Get involved. It actually works... (btw: imho, real estate prices will take tax bills down for years to come, given no change in rate -- of course then the County Treasury will be $quee$ed).
Insurance? That's risk abatement. Lower your risks, including assessed value of material/depreciable assets.
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
Posts: 4,533
Threads: 241
Joined: Jan 2006
My brother's second child graduated from HS yesterday. So SB and I called him last night and said 2 down 1 to go - meaning in a few years all his little chicks will have left the nest for college. He said yah, but where H is living with you and going to UH Hilo - it is costing me 1/3 the price (room&board& tuition) as his daughter will spend next yeat at UNC (room&board& tuition). of course I laughed - but it is true - not just because Auntie feeds him dinner - the tuition is lower, his room is lower (or would be lower if he had to pay rent), and car ins is lower (for some odd reason?)
So yes gas food etc is expensive but.... some things arent.
And HC - your "village" idea !!!! is what I am telling one of my clients doing a subdivision to do. Have a village center so everyone can walk or ride bikes to PICK up there mail, shop, visit with neighbors!
Posts: 2,189
Threads: 295
Joined: Sep 2004
I absolutely do NOT feel priced off the island. Maybe we are all being priced out of our lifestyle in America but life here is still very realistic compared with my old home in Southern California.
We all have to make adjustments, but these adjustments are very possible in Puna. We can grow some of our own food, trade with one another for some goods and services, choose a ton of activities that are mostly cost free, and know that we still live in paradise....
I'm Staying!!
Just another day in P A R A D I S E !!
I want to be the kind of woman that, when my feet
hit the floor each morning, the devil says
"Oh Crap, She's up!"
Posts: 703
Threads: 37
Joined: Jun 2008
OK, Now you're got my attention. Did I read the property tax rate wrong, I thought residential was $8.35 per 1K. If I am reading this right thats $835 on a 100K home. Then if I figure in the age exemption "assuming you like me are old enough, the rate becomes about $167. Now based on what I'm being held up for here, that looks DAMMMMMMM good.[  ]
dick wilson
dick wilson
"Nothing is idiot proof,because idiots are so ingenious!"
Posts: 2,466
Threads: 316
Joined: May 2008
Aren't the tax rates $5.55/$1000 for kamaaina? My tax rate is 8.10 since I don't live in HI, yet. Taxes in Puna are a lot less than Kansas City! I don't know about the insurance.....My insurance on everything here runs well over $6000/year and property taxes are about $8000/year.
Puna: Our roosters crow first
Posts: 1,139
Threads: 42
Joined: Feb 2008
yes, there's o'ahu! can't wait to "bail"! is it me? or does it appear that your HELCO rates are higher on the b.i.? for sure gas is and some food items? our property assessment went down this year. good grief! seems like we have a lot of millionaires in this neck of the woods. can't remember the amounts we pay right now for either homeowner's insurance or property taxes.
what is o'ahu going to do about sustainability? at least i'm trying to grow my own veggies. pig hunting, no thank you[:p] sounds too dangerous to me? i can raise the veggies and maybe some ducks or chickens. maybe even some goats. but, i just can't butcher/slaughter them. i'll leave that to you experts. anyone want to barter? wrong thread.
post script: i bought 2 round squashes yesterday at foodland for $3.99 each. needless to say, i made soup with just one of them and added more onions as a filler. will be returning the other squash today!
malia paha o lohe aku
perhaps they will hear
"a great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."
w. james
Posts: 773
Threads: 83
Joined: Dec 2005
quote:
Originally posted by DickWilson
OK, Now you're got my attention. Did I read the property tax rate wrong, I thought residential was $8.35 per 1K. If I am reading this right thats $835 on a 100K home. Then if I figure in the age exemption "assuming you like me are old enough, the rate becomes about $167. Now based on what I'm being held up for here, that looks DAMMMMMMM good.[]
dick wilson
We also took the homeowners exemption and the long term exemption, and rate even goes lower.
"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings, I look for my dreams and a pocket full of gold" Led Zeppelin
If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it cost when it’s free...now here come the taxes.....
Posts: 703
Threads: 37
Joined: Jun 2008
Thanks Kahunascott makes me feel better, had me pretty worried there for awhile. Thought I had done my homework.[8D]
dick wilson
dick wilson
"Nothing is idiot proof,because idiots are so ingenious!"
|
