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Thinking about moving to Hawaii... Help!
I posted about this on my home board (D&R) and someone suggested I come on over here, so I have a few questions!
We live in L.A. right now and DH is currently unemployed (the market is really bad at the moment). On a spur of the moment idea the other night, DH applied to a few places in Hawaii, and *shock* one of them actually emailed back and asked when he could start. We weren't expecting that, but it made us start to seriously consider this as an option. We've never been to Hawaii but it's always been my dream to go/live there.
My main question is about the housing in Honolulu. First off, that is the most major area in all of Hawaii to live, right? Where the most jobs are located? We would rent an apartment at first (doesn't have to be fancy, a 1 or 2bd would be fine, but not in a bad area) and once we got settled we would try to buy a condo.
We found several apartments that didn't look half bad for around $1k/mo, but I have no idea what neighborhoods are considered "good" vs "bad".
What would be a reasonable amount of rent to spend on a decent apartment in the Honolulu area?
Onto condos... (since I'm assuming we can't afford a house). We would like to stay somewhere around 250k. I found several places in this price range, but again, I don't know if they are all in the ghetto. (is there even a ghetto in Honolulu?) It doesn't have to be big, 1000sqft 2/1 or 2/2 would be perfect.
In addition to housing, I understand everything is more expensive in Hawaii, is there like an average income range a household should earn in order to live comfortably?
Any other advice you girls have would be extremely helpful... this is a huge decision. Thanks!!
Re: Thinking about moving to Hawaii... Help!
most of the girls on this board (like myself) don't actually live in hawaii but got married there...there are a few locals though, so hopefully they will chime in soon (it's a bit quieter here on the weekends)
as someone who has only been on vacation to hawaii, i would say that you do need to consider where you want to live on the island, b/c like LA, there is a lot of traffic and your commute will vary greatly depending on where you live. i don't know much about individual neighborhoods, but i think that's where the local girls might be able to help you...plus have you considered contacting a realtor there to who might be able to help you?
i know that moving to hawaii would be anyone's dream but i also know that it's not like just making a decision to go on vacation there and there are downsides to living there that you need to consider as well... good luck w/your decision!
Jaime & Brent
Oahu, Hawaii | Sept. 9, 2005
My Food Blog - Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats
Living in Hawaii is definitely expensive. Will you be working as well? Most families here are two-income families. Many work more than one job, and some have multi-generational homes to help them afford a house. There are areas that are more "ghetto" than others. My hubby and I are looking for a house in town (Honolulu), and the "decent" places are around $500k+. Of course if you don't mind a major fixer-upper or being farther outside of town, you could find something cheaper. Like mrspresley mentioned, though, traffic is pretty bad.
Condos may be a little more reasonable, but you'll need to pay monthly maintenance fees. I've seen them range from $400-$1000+ a month, depending on the building. Also, one more thing you should be aware of is that some properties in Hawaii are "leasehold", not "fee simple", which means you will also need to pay a lease on the land. I think a lease is usually for 40 years, and if the land owner decides not to allow renewals, you may be out of luck. You'll want to consult with a real estate expert for details...I generally just stay away from leasehold properties. Usually the purchase price is cheaper, but the price of the lease needs to be added and the uncertainty of what will happen in the future makes me uneasy.
I don't want to scare you out of the idea. I love living in Hawaii, but I'm just trying to share the reality that goes along with the dream. EVERYTHING is more expensive.
If you have a question on a specific neighborhood, I may be able to help...just let me know! Good luck whatever you decide to do!
Agree with PPs...definitely consider where your husband will be working when finding a place to live. Traffic is pretty bad if he works normal hours.
It's very expensive - you'll have major sticker shock when buying groceries. Cereal is $6+/box!
I would check Craigslist for rental listings to see what kind of prices there are. I have a house that I rent out (in Kaimuki) but I rent to a friend so I'm not sure if what I charge her is comparable to the rest of the market. If you're going to be living in "town", I suggest Kaimuki, though, it's pretty expensive. I'm biased though - it's home for me. It's safe and most of the families who live there have lived there for many generations. It's also close to everything. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else (except Kahala but it's ridiculously expensive and I could never afford it).
I would avoid Kalihi...there are not so great areas that you wouldn't want to end up in. Let us know if there are specific areas you are looking at.
Thanks! Yes, I would most definitely be working as well. I did notice several leasehold properties while I was browsing the MLS, we won't bother with those. I was a little surprised to find several properties under 250k with an ocean view that didn't look half bad. We don't mind something that needs a little TLC, but it can't be a total dump.
I also noticed those crazy condo HOA fees you're talking about. $900/mo is insane! The higher HOA's were more in Honolulu; it wasn't so bad further north. Hopefully we could find jobs up north where the houses are cheaper and avoid the long commute.
I guess we can't do much until one of these jobs start to look promising. I'm keeping my fingers crossed...
*Butting in*
Don't really know much about living in Hawaii but you may want to try reaching Lori (Nestie: vanceandlori). She's been posting on FB recently looking for possible renters to a particular property.
GL!
Ditto the craigslist recomendation to look for rentals. Housing/rental prices are crazy expensive, esp. for the size/quality of what you get. Traffic can be a nightmare, no doubt. We live in Kaneohe, which is the largest city on the windward side of Oahu, and DH's commute to Hickam AFB is about 25 min each way - by far one of the shortest commutes you can get wihout living right on top of your employer. Cost of living out here is also crazy - even more so than LA. We rented out our extra parking spot for $100 a month - and that was a bargin. Parking in Honolulu/waikiki can add an additional $150-$200 a month onto your rent (sometimes included in condo HOA fees). Also, don't count on you being able to find a job. I have been here since January 2008, and the best I have been able to get is a 14 hr a week job at Macys. No joke. Be sure that you can survive on his salary alone.
And here is my reality check moment. Don't imagine Oahu as paradise. Yes, the island/weather/etc/ is all great, but it has all the same problems as any crowded population center, magnified by the fact that we are on a little rock in the middle of the pacific ocean. As much as we all want to believe that the aloha spirit prevails, I have found that living here is just like living in any other big city, just with better weather and beaches. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy living here (very much so - don't want to leave!), but it has its downsides, too - just be aware.
I recommend the following book: "Culture Shock Hawaii: A Survival Guide to Customes and Etiquette" by Brent Massey - it will give you a good idea about just how different/similar life in Hawaii is as compared to the mainland. I found it to be pretty spot on about many things.
Good luck with your decision!
i live on the edge of waikiki by the hilton hawaiian village. just to give you perspective regarding price and square footage...our condo is 666 sq feet for a 2bd/1ba/2parking, the rent is $2350 and the actual value is ~500k. i work in downtown, so i ride my bike or walk to work everyday. i rarely drive my car, except on the weekends to cruise around. so i save a ton on gas and aslo don't spend much time commuting, which for me is totally worth it. i didn't move here to live somewhere cheap and not enjoy the things hawaii is known for.
what kind of job did your dh get? and where is it located? if you do move, i would suggest bringing as little as possible...container fees are EXPENSIVE as are shippng cars ~ $1200/car.
my dh had a HARD time getting a job...took him a year to find something. not because he's not capable/competent but there's a lot of bs that goes on in regards to getting jobs.
the culture is very different. that may take some getting used to.
also be careful on craiglist...if the price looks to good to be true, it probably is. there are a lot of scams but it's the best place to look for a place.
i would also suggest the city data hawaii forums (http://www.city-data.com/forum/hawaii/). i scouted this site for about 3 months before i made the move and it helped me enormously! they are kinda negative so it helped me prepare for the worst.
we kind of came on a whim and we don't regret it a bit. we love the weather and the activities that come with it. we've never had more visitors!
i love playing tourist so i just grab my beach towel, book and head down to the beach and hang out on the weekends. it makes me feel very grateful to live somewhere where people spend lots of money to come on vacation. watching the sunsets make the move worth every penny!
my job paid for us to come out here so my experience is probably not the norm but if you have questions, please feel free to email me: husky422 at gmail dot com
Thanks girls
DH didn't actually take the job yet, I'm not sure if we could manage on the small salary they are offering, so we might have to keep looking. I have my heart set on it a little bit now so I hope we can make it work... 
LOL...sorry I gotta chime in....I grew up in Kalihi and my parents still live there. It is not the neighborhood that it use to be!!! not being prejudice or anything but It has become low income slum....sorry but that's the truth....so yes stay away from central honolulu...
Kaimuki, Kahala, Aina Hina, Hawaii Kai are good areas
Mililani, Kapolei, Waipio aren't bad but far from Honolulu
Kailua, Kaneohe is where I would choose very laid back but also far from Honolulu
As PP's says ...Oahu is crowded now and no matter where you live expect traffic
Stay away from....Kalihi, Waianae, Pearl City is questionable, Makaha Wahiwa