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Hi All:
My name is Dusty and I've been monitoring your postings for about a year and find them thoroughly interesting, sometimes amusing but always informative. My husband (Danny) and I will be moving to the Hilo area in the first week of January 2007. We have no house and no temporary rental thus far. What we have are two birds-a conure and a white fronted amazon. They're not large.
My husband is a CPA who is selling his share of his partnership and sort of retiring early. I am a former financial analyst. We both like camping, hiking, kayaking (although we won't be bringing our kayaks), sailing, DIY, gardening, and on and on. I am a Master Gardener here (which is Fairfax County, Virginia; about 10 miles outside Washington, DC, and I plan to become involved with the program in Hawaii.
But, I will have a lot to learn about the plants in Hawaii as the plants are so different.
We were in Hilo last November and stayed with Marke and Jerry at Art and Orchids and decided we really liked Orchidland Estates, so that is where we will probably buy. At this point I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed with all the things to be done to get ourselves and the birds to Hawaii. I really would appreciate help with the following:
1) How to ship and who to ship with? I have a quote from Victory Van Lines of over $10k just to ship, plus extras for packing and storing our stuff. This company says that we have 6,800 pounds of stuff. I think that is way too much as we are taking very little furniture and no vehicles--mostly tools and household stuff. So, I think the quote is too high. We are also getting a quote from We Ship Express. Anyone know them? I know your members have recommend Matson, and I will get a quote from them too.
2. Should I send some stuff by mail, rather than ship it? This will be difficult since we don't have a temporary address yet and I hate to rent a place unseen just to get an address.
3. Do any of you members have recommendations of a place to stay for maybe three months that will take the birds, be furnished, be large enough to store stuff ( if we don't have our stuff stored) and rent for under $1,000 per month? It really doesen't have to be great, and I'd really like to go as cheap as I can, but I can't live without a hot water shower and plumbing.
4. Is there a mail forwarding place in Hilo area that will accept packages if I mail some stuff?
5. Should I pack our belongings myself instead of letting the mover do it?. My current quote is $1,200. How roughly do they handle these containers?
6. Do you know anyone coming from our area who might want to share a container? Unless we get a rental that can hold our stuff, we won't be shipping until say February. The current quote for storing our stuff is $240 per month plus a one-time warehouse handling fee of $272.
Well enough for now. Hope some of you will be kind enough to provide some input.
Thanks,
Dusty
Edited by - Rob Tucker on 06/24/2006 17:51:14
Posts: 1,679
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Hi Dusty,
The fist thing to fugue out is how much stuff you really need to bring. If you can fit it all into a large U-Haul truck you could just continue the adventure by driving to Oakland California and ship your things through PakMan movers. This is what Cathie and I did. It wasn’t across country (only about 400 mile north of Oakland) but it saved us a bunch.
When we got to PakMan, they pack all our stuff into 7’x7’x4’ shipping boxes (it took 3 for our things) and those boxes went into a container with other crates. Once they got to Hawaii a company on this end brought them out to the house and unpacked them. Not one thing got broke in the move.
It cost about $3400.00 for PakMan for the three boxes and they were heavy as I’m a woodworker and brought all of my tools. It was amazing to watch them pack the crates, not one wasted inch.
Royall
What goes around comes around!
Posts: 45
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Aloha D and D,
We are moving soon from Colorado; I'm coming over in about three weeks to start a teaching job and hubby Mark will follow when the house here sells. I'm definitely at the stressed out stage right now finishing all I still need to do. You are right to be planning early.
I used the Postal Service to ship my teacher files and books over so I'll have them when school starts, most were able to go media mail which takes at least three weeks. Six boxes averaging 30 lbs cost about $160. I am lucky enough to have family on island to ship to.
I have been packing household items we'll be bringing in plastic or cardboard containers myself, scrounging bubble wrap and going room by room. I've also thrown away/given/donated a lot of stuff. Even with the weeding out, we will about fill up a container.
We are renting a truck to get stuff to S Calif to my folks and will then pack a 20 foot ship's container from Matson. From her door to our eventual rental in Puna our bid was $3500 for the 7 x 8 x 20 container. Like Royall we have a lot of woodworking equipment but are not bringing much furniture. We shipped one car over last year and Mark will bring our truck when he comes (I am sending near constant prayers to the house-selling gods that it will be soon). We used Pasha out of San Diego and it cost about $900.
We are saving quite a bit by packing and driving our stuff down to Calif ourself. Using movers would have cost us over $10 grand from here in Steamboat; we would rather use our own sweat equity (and that of our much younger nephews who will help out for a future place to stay in Hawaii).
Best of luck, this is a great forum to get questions answered!
Linda in CO, Big Island bound
Posts: 6,214
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Dusty, we shipped most of our stuff over (81 boxes, hubbies tools & computer stuff probably = 30 of those) by parcel post (we decided not to ship furniture, as most of ours was 1. antiques that would not weather the move easily 2. or 20-30 years old, and was time to replace 3. or really more cold climate than tropics) from Chicago area for about $800 last summer. We, too, moved without a permanent address, everything was addressed to "Our Name, General Delivery, Hilo HI 96720. The Post Office here as some people that have been getting "General Delivery" for years. There are a couple of rules, it must be picked up within a certain time frame (I believe it was somewhere between 2-4 weeks), any Post Office can supply you with the rules. We also had our mail forwarded to "General Delivery", as we had to wait for a couple of months on the wait list for a PO Box (that is a very short wait for some of the Post Offices here!) If you pack your stuff for a shipper, they probably will not take any responsibility for damage.
So, if you are going to mail your stuff, it is not a real problem, it took between 4-6 weeks for the boxes to arrive, with one lone box that took much longer. Definately keep a tracking list of the boxes (& DO NOT pack it in one of the boxes as my darling hubby did!) so that you know what is here, what is coming & what is missing. We had only 1 box that had damage, but htat was truly our fault, we forgot to pack it properly, just had placed the items, and ansetmindedly sealed up the box. This also brings up the fact you must be very dilligent in your packing. We used double wall boxes, carefully packed any breakables, & went an extra step, all big boxes were lined with heavy 3mil plastic bages, then very carefully packed (books & such were even bagged in smaller quantities, then the final bagging) this was to minimize any potential for moisture damage & pest infestation. These boxes will literally be bounced & banged across the ocean, pack them with that in mind.
We had a rental in HPP, 2 bedroom, near the ocean that fit your description last summer, BUT FOR 6 MONTHS. I highlight this, because anything less is treated as a vacation rental, and has higher taxes, and usually higher rent. The current renters did not have a rent increase, so barring a huge change in property in the next few months, the rent is doable, (the birds may limit your selections, also make sure you check on the import requlations for them)
Hopefully this isn't too long & fuzzy,
Aloha, Carey
Posts: 116
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Joined: Apr 2006
hello all
Time for introductions. Marj and I and family were on the BI two weeks ago shopping for land and through John Dirgo found a place in HPP. Current plans are to move in 5 years which allows us time to downsize, etc.
We define ourselves primarily by our avocations, art and theater. We have been involved in theater for 20 years and for 10 years have been the Spice of Life Theater Group, an authentic medieval traveling troupe. Our premise is that everyone is an actor. So, we read plays more or less continuously and , on meeting people, (you, too, John) try to cast them in plays. When we have a perfect cast, we con the people into performing, find a venue, (a supperclub usually) marj does the promotion I do the directing, the play goes on, We charge a little more than the cost of the meal and the profits after expenses, royalties, a pittence for the actors, is donated to charity. In the past ten years we have put on over 40 productions involving 100+ actors and donated 10,000 dollars to charity and, most important, had fun. Our complete breakapart stage, lights and curtins fits in the back of a Ford Explorer and we can put the stage up in less than 1 hour. Have stage, wiil travel. We have performed many times at old folks homes, at high Schools and, mostly, supper clubs. We do all kinds of plays as long as they are entertaining. marj and I used to be on stage a lot but now mostly just work on production and let other people have the glory.
In art, We are Teotwawki Art Glass and we make and sell Art glass jewelry. We make the glass ourselves and mount it ourselves and sell mostly at juried art shows in Wisconsin but did do very well in New York. You can see our stuff (and buy it) at Wisconsinmade.com
On moving to BI we want to continue these activities so if any of you have a yen for the sawdust stage feel free to contact us. We'll put on a play with you as the STAR!
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OK, Lee, so after meeting me, what character in a play did you see me as?
John Dirgo, RA, ABR, e-PRO
Island Trust Properties, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
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John
Marj says it's a little hard to tell with that black eye thing going on 
Posts: 116
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john
Marj says either Boyd Middleton or Len Hoch in Lanford Wilson's "Book of Days"
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Wow! Thanks for the replies. It certainly gives me some things to ponder while I am creating ads for "Craigslist" and the local papers to dispose of our accumulated goods.
I especially appreciate the info about the mail. We do have books, clothes, crafts, etc. which could easily go by mail. I just need someone on this end to send them. We don't have family in the area, so we will have to impose on friends.
Also, the info about a 6 month or longer rental will help. My experience traveling with the birds is that most landlords don't consider birds to be "pets". They are more concerned about fleas, so with a little persuasion, they will usually rent to us.
I'll have to think about driving across country. I can't see me at the wheel of a big u-haul, but you never know.
Bye for now and thanks again.
Posts: 58
Threads: 5
Joined: Jul 2006
Aloha, I'm Cindy (as you can see from my very clever handle), and I am a former Punatic who can't wait to get back to the island. Well, maybe I haven't yet earned the rights to that name. I first moved to the BI in 1988 after a visit to Kauai. I've since lived on the BI three times (believe me, this time I'll be kissing the ground at Hilo Airport - my second biggest fear in life is not making it back).
My first time on the island (1988), I lived in Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Beaches, Hamakua (Nino`ole with outdoor showers) and Hilo - and taught at Waiakea High and a treatment center for adolescents. My two now grown children attended Keauu and Hilo schools. Second time - lived mauka Kona for a short while in Holualoa with my then 5 y.o. I enjoyed the area - except for the drives down into Kailua. Last time – 2002 - lived in Orchidland with my now ex husband. I cried when I left and when the plane touched down at Portland Airport. But it was the right thing for us at the time and led to work that through a series of events has enabled me to move back.
This time around, there won't be the job worries, since I've finally broken free of geographically dependent work and can work wherever I can plug in my computer and modem. Budget's a concern, but Puna's comparable to where we live now (Ashland, Ore). And I really like the vibes I'm picking up on at your forum :-) More friendly, more conscious, alternative, fun etc. than the other forum in general. We're kind of misfits, and I feel like we'll fit in! (My son enjoyed reading the thread on Hawaii's future.) He's 14, homeschooled, so school isn't a location factor either.
But, and it's a big but, he's very much into the computer/Internet and very sensitive to noise (more human and machines then nature, but I don't know about the coqui), and the only beach he can really body surf/boogie board at is on the other side - Hapuna. Aaron, whom I met on the "other" forum has been a huge help in sorting out where we can get the highest speeds, and the highest speed DSL (he's used to 1 Mb UPload here) isn't happening in the Puna subdivisions. It's in Waimea, but with my budget, I doubt I could find a nice home to rent with some space around it far from the highway that allows pets (our three cats will be ready to go with us in November, no quarantine, and we'd love to get a dog later), etc. His Website building and my work don't require super fast download, but his main hobby is online gaming. With Roadrunner cable, we'd have better than we had here up until two months ago, and here he has no outdoors outlet like in Hawaii with the ocean. And with renting, nothing's set it concrete.
I just want to be in Hawaii and for my son to happy there. I miss it everyday. I remember quiet mornings in HPP, nothing but the sound of doves and the breeze blowing through the Ohias. And the ocean, the slower pace, and the people. One of the reasons I moved from Rogue River here to Ashland was the long-time hula halau here, but my teacher moved back to Oahu. I also moved here because like Puna, Ashland, is a very open minded place and relatively gentle place - accepting of all ethnic groups (I'm haole and Jordan's Hilo born mixed plate), lengths of hair on boys, political differences, and has a grocery store the size of Keaau's Sure Save,that offers nothing but natural and organic. A friend from Oregon who lives in HPP described it perfectly. She said Puna, like Ashland, has a strong metaphysical community, but it's more down to earth. Perfect!
I saw Hapa here last winter! That was the highlight of my winter. Like Puna, and the BI in general perhaps, lots of people who seem to be, well more aware, are moving here. My gut feeling is it has a lot to do with Peak Oil, the "new age," that is looming/dawning, and that people know there's community here that they can connect with to make the very best of the coming changes (community gardens sprouting up, etc). Maybe that's part of why I moved from the other side of the valley to Ashland, and why I feel I must get us back to Hawaii soon. Here or there is good, but I'm afraid of getting stuck here and not be able to get back, if that makes sense.
I don't have any "real" physical connection to Hawaii, but my grandmother passed on her love for the island to me. She had family there from the 40's and she and my grandfather bought property in Nanawale (my mother unfortunately sold it after they passed)
My son and I are interested in alternative energy, tree huggers, animal huggers, etc. We both like photography. He loves the ocean and flying (started paragliding here), but other than that isn't outdoorsy. I love nature, take great pleasure in the simple things (except those B52's..I'm truly phobic in that area and so is he, so that's going to be an adventure with no one to get rid of em for us like before). I want to learn to kayak and see more of the dolphins in the wild - Kealakekua Bay I'm guessing. If we move to Puna, I'll be driving a lot to Richardson's and Hapuna frequently, like I did before, so I hope eventually I can get a bio-diesel car or hybrid. Omg I wrote a lot! I'm sorry! Thank you for being there because I'm learning so much. And I'm really sorry for writing so much, but it's after 2 a.m. here and I've put off making the leap into your forum for over a couple weeks now.
A hui hou, Peace,
Cindy
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