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When you first arrive.. where to live?
#11
"The beauty of living so close, mixed with the reality of the maintenance of living so close were the reality check we needed... "

So True, Carey !!!!
Have previously owned waterfront properties ,......the allure is so hard to fight and then...the reality of the upkeep sets in.
We were Big Islanders, transplanted to the mainland for a few years. we viewed listings via the internet for close to 2 years prior to our move back home. Took two trips staying in several different parts of the Island , including a B&B just down the street prior to making our move . The experience told us that this was the area for us......bought just a few blocks away .......sound of the ocean at night.walking distance to the ocean..no salt spray on everything we own!
Highly recommend the suggestion of renting for about 6 months if you can !!!
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#12
Renting for at least 6 months in an unknown and new place is critical! Three different neighborhoods we considered buying in flooded when we first moved to Houston (1997). Another good idea is to check out a potential neighborhood that you consider buying in during the nighttime as well as day time hours. What good is the perfect house if you have neighbors from hell!? The upside of buying an acre or more is privacy like few places on the mainland can offer (unless you have a ton of money!). Best of luck and enjoy the adventure! So glad I live Hawai'i [8D]

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#13
Email me through punaweb, I might know of something that would work. Post here if you don't get an answer, sometimes it doesn't go through.

Carol
Carol

Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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#14
We expected to buy in HPP when we moved here in 2005, and had a 30 day rental there. Then we tried Hawaiian Beaches, Kapoho, Papaiko, Honomu, Northern Mt. View, South Kona, Na'alehu, Orchidland, and Hilo. 10 places in 3 years MAY be overdoing the whole "rent first, then buy" plan. We finally bought in southern Mt. View and love it. Serendipitously, real estate prices were falling the whole time, and we wound up saving more on the price of our house than we had paid out in rent all that time.

><(((*> ~~~~ ><(("> ~~~~ ><'> ~~~~ >(>
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#15
Lee,
We did that too, although only for about 18 months, then a condo right on the ocean in Hilo for 2 years, until we bought our house in HPP. We DID NOT end up in the part of the Puna where we thought we would when we still lived on the mainland.

Carol
Carol

Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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#16
Yeah... I had envisioned a Green jungle of many "PEACEFUL" "QUIET" Acres when I rushed into buy 2 3 acre lots in orchidland...

Mistake # 200385... I know live on a lush green jungle of .3 acre ... Couldn't be more happier of not having to deal with fire ants / pests and being married to my weed eater and lawn mower....

Smile
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#17
Zillow is a good place to look for rentals and homes for sales, as well as lots in HPP and other area's in Puna. Good luck.
http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Kea...ect/11_zm/
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#18
When you find the area you like best,IMO ,the most important thing to consider is what is next to and around the lot you are looking at. Talk to the neighbors. They will be one of the most important assets. If they can see your house and you can see theirs. That's probably the best security you can have. There is plenty of funky and if you aren't careful you could end up next to a nightmare.

One Thing I can always be sure of is that things will never go as expected.
One Thing I can always be sure of is that things will never go as expected.
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#19
RENT FIRST! Don't be in a rush to buy. Take the time to get to know the place. Fools rush in.
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#20
I had a friend ask me a question today and I did not know... On Kona side, where it's dry and sunny but also hotter all the time, is the air dry like a normal desert or is it humid from being in the middle of an ocean anyway?
Thanks for all the advice, great... keep it coming! I have been keeping an eye out for properties with trulia, same as zillow I guess. We are hoping to find something with a small vacation rental on the property for additional income. Any advice on that front?
... OH and we are hoping to be heading that way before snow flies here, but can't be sure, with a house to move still. Might be next spring, but I sure hope not!! We do not want to be too close to the ocean as I have read on here many times about the problems with salt air, and I like my electronics. My wife is planning to transfer with her walgreens job from here, so we will have that and some other money to get us started, plus I have been self employed long enough to be able to scrape up jobs to get us by till something comes along. Print a few biz cards and away we go.
comin' your way soon!
comin' your way soon!
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