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Advice on Moving to Honolulu from San Francisco
Hi Nesties!
I am new to this board, so hi there. After getting married on Maui this past February I have been looking for work all over the place. I have been laid off from my job with the State of CA for almost a year. I have an interview next week for a job in HI in Honolulu which would be for at least one year of a Term contract. My hubb is unsure of moving to HI and leaving his job here even though he is underpaid and not into his job. My question is if we can both get jobs, would it be a good idea to try this move and what should I leave in storage and what should we bring. We don't have kids, we rent, I have a medium size dog that I have to bring with me (40lbs). In general, I don't know where to start if I get the job. We would have to sell our car and get a new one over there. Is this difficult to get a car, is it hard to find a furnished apartment, how much is rent? ARRG! Any help would be appreciated.
Fawndog
Re: Advice on Moving to Honolulu from San Francisco
Moving to Hawaii is a big deal - and will be more expensive and time consuming than you can imagine. My husband and I moved here this January from Ohio for his job. Based on my experiences, here's some advice for you:
1. Only move if you can support your family on just the one salary. The job market is really tight here, and often it's difficult to even find a part-time job. Don't assume that your husband will be able to find a job! I have been here 8 full months and the best I have managed to even get an interview for is a part-time job at Borders (bookstore).
2. The cost of living here is really high, especially rent. No joke. We pay $2000 a month for a small two-bedroom apartment in Kaneohe. In honolulu we were looking at similar places that were going for $2500-$3000 a month (unfurnished). And don't expect fancy digs for that price, either. For this apartment back in Ohio I wouldn't pay more than $550-$600 a month. The farther away from town your home is, generally the more affordable the rent.
3. Traffic is as bad or worse than anyone says it is.
4. Transporting a car isn't all that expensive. We shipped ours from ohio and it was only $2,200. Much cheaper from cali! That said, cars (new at least) are in good supply.
5. Your dog: all animals must undergo a quarentene process. You would need to start this process 4-6 months out from your move date if you don't want your puppy to be stuck in a kennel. The goal is to prevent rabies. Here's more info: http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info
6. Also regarding your dog: places to rent which accept pets are few and far between. We only had 5 locations that we were seriously considering (we have 2 cats). Furnished apartments which accept pets are even harder to find, and you can expect to pay a large pet deposit in addition to the higher rent for a furnished apt. Check craigs list, oahu, for places to rent to get an idea as to prices.
7. As for how much you bring. Depends on how long you think you'll be here. "stuff" is really expensive, but so is shipping... We didn't bring any of our furniture, and just mailed the rest (a container from Ohio was going to be about $10,000).
It's a big decision. Good luck!
Hi!
I just made the move to Honolulu from Seattle a year ago this week! I had a job in hand that paid for my relocation and housing for a month while I looked around. My husband had a REALLY hard time finding a job. He literally just landed one a few weeks ago, we had only anticipated him being out of work for about 3 months max...this decimated our savings. The job market is really tough out here especially if you don't know anyone.
We brought our two cats with us. If you are contemplating the move you better get started on the quarantine yesterday! It takes at least 120 days from the time the animals get their titer testing done before they are allowed into Hawaii. If they come before that they have to stay in the quarantine facility here and they charge like $15/day for 120 days!
This website was extremely helpful to me: http://www.city-data.com/forum/hawaii/
Getting a furnished apartment will be super easy! As will getting a vehicle. People are constantly leaving here so they have to sell their items dirt cheap.
My rent is $2350 (for a tiny 2 br/660 sq ft apt) BUT I live right in Waikiki by the Hilton Hawaiian Village and have an ocean view. Cruise around on craigslist and you'll find there are pretty decent rents right now. You might have a harder time finding a place with a dog, especially 40lbs. Not too many pet friendly buildings. Landlords are having a hard time getting their places rented so you may be able to negotiate with them.
I'm assuming your job is downtown? If so, consider where you want to live...traffic here is awful. We decided to live in town and pay the higher rent over commuting...I walk or ride my bike to work.
I guess my question to you would be, why do you want to move here? We wanted a change in lifestyle, tired of the Seattle rain...wanted to be outdoors in nice weather. We have had to make huge sacrifices to be here...for us it's worth it but I know it's hard for a lot people to make the adjustment.
You only live once and this is the time to do, while you don't have kids or a mortgage! We had to get renters for our house in Seattle but other than that no real obligations so it was semi-easy to pick up and move.
Let me know if you have any questions...I know it's a daunting move but definitely worth it IMO. husky422 at gmail dot com
Hi there!
I am from Hawaii, but lived in DC and the Bay Area before settling back here. Three years ago, I moved from Oakland to Honolulu. I'll share my experience with you, but of course, things are probably not exactly the same these days.
1. Rent: DH and I now own a home, but when I moved, I looked into the local rental market. In Oakland, I lived in a nice area (near Piedmont), in a large one bedroom in a secured building, with covered parking. I paid $900. There were rentals in that price range here in Honolulu, but they would not have offered nearly the value. At the time, I could probably only have rented a studio, and a small and dingy one at that, for that price. Like pp said, check out Craigslist and the Honolulu Advertiser (there's an apartments section under classifieds) to get an idea of what's available.
2. Car: I shipped my car via Matson. I owned a Jeep and it cost about $1000 and took about 2.5 weeks to arrive. You will need a car here, as we don't have a convenient public transportation system like BART. Shipping might save you money, but if not, there are plenty of cars on the island that you could buy -- used or new.
3. Jobs: Since Hawaii is a pretty small community, knowing people can help out a lot with employment. When I moved home, I was able to arrange for a part-time, then full-time, job with contacts that I had at the university. Now though, I have a good friend that is currently unemployed, and she has been out of work and actively looking since December. She is well-educated and has a great resume, but nothing has worked out thus far -- now, she's back in school for a master's and still looking for a job.
Because you currently live in a high cost of living area, Hawaii prices may not shock you too much. Unlike the Bay Area, though, wages here do not keep up with the cost of living. DH and I both make significantly less now than we would doing the same work there -- I'd guess about 30% less.
To be honest, I'm not sure I would make such a big move if your job is only guaranteed for one year. I love living in Hawaii, and while many things cost more, there are lots of things that don't. I don't spend money on cabs, fancy dinners, bar hopping, nights at the theater, or a lot of the other city-ish things I used to do. Instead, we go to the beach, hike or BBQ with friends. Nonetheless, it is a huge transition, and I think I'd want to be more secure in the long-term prospects before committing. Good luck to you!!