Sooo thinking about moving to Hawaii any advice??

1. 67

   Sunshiney31posted 14 years ago

   So my husband and kids ,myself and sister are looking into moving to Hawaii.Hilo to be exact we have 6 kids and they are all in love with the idea.So I'm asking for some feedback from anyone who has experience in Hawaii.We would have combined incomes and my oldest is ready to work and wants to chip in as well.We homeschool so that move wouldn't be difficult.So just asking for your feedback ....

   replyreport
   1. 72

      dyonderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Definitely get a CostCo membership. it's in Kona & a bit of a drive from Hilo but it's well worth the investment considering the cost of groceries on the islands.

      replyreport
   2. 49

      flaco619posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I would have to agree with dyonder on this I used to live in Hawaii years ago Hawaii is a nice place to live. they have good food, nice beaches with clear water, lots of sites to see. but the price of groceries are up there

      replyreport
   3. 0

      sandra rinckposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I actually just moved to Hawaii last August.  Here are some tips http://hubpages.com/hub/MovingtoHawaiiRelocation
      
      It has its pros and cons.  Earnest said something about the air, its true.  Sometimes it is hard to breath because of the vog but for the most part it is good. 
      
      You have to drive forever to get anywhere.  Hilo is pretty, at least I think so but it is sorta run down, it rains a lot and it is very humid.  The pros to living on that side however is the better farmers market, the only mall on the Island and better beaches for the kei kei (kids), housing is cheaper but you get what you pay for. 
      
      Electricity and food are really, really, really etc. expensive.  Basically you need to almost double your budget for groceries to get just about the same as you normally would, the same goes for electricity.   
      
      There isn't a whole lot to do but of the things there are to do, most of it is free or fairly cheap.
      
      Let's see...  You home school so the public school system shouldn't be a problem for you.  Here, all the parents say the schools really suck out here. 
      
      Definitely get a Costco membership!  It's fifty bucks a year for the regular or business membership but well worth it. 
      
      Plan on getting your vehicles registered within a month after you get here or you get a ticket.  You have to take your car in first for a safety inspection before you can register at the DMV which is inconvenient but registration is ridiculously cheap. 
      
      It is slow here which is good but if you need something it takes time.  The mail takes extra time to get here.  Oh and you have to check with the post office to see if your new home gets mail otherwise you have to get a mailbox at the post office. 
      
      Overall though Hawaii is great.  I love it here!  It took me a little bit to adjust but it grows on you.  Aloha! 

      replyreport
      1. 0

         sandra rinckposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I almost forgot too.  The Big Island is not like TV.  Most of the Island is very desolate and country like.  Hilo is tropical so with that you get the bugs and stuff.  You should also check a map to find the safest lava zones to live in.
         
         I live in zone 4 but I live in high fire danger.  You will definitely want to get earthquake, volcano, fire and depending on how close to the coast you live, tsunami insurance too. 
         
         Not trying to scare you though. 

         replyreport
   4. 60

      raeann80posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Bring flip flops, lot's.

      replyreport
2. 80

   earnestshubposted 14 years ago

   The air quality ok in Hilo?
   
   When visiting Hawaii once I found it very hard to breath the air. Smelt like sulphur and burned my throat and eyes. The next time I went it was fine, but thought I would mention it.

   replyreport
   1. 64

      Faybe Bayposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Goodnight sweet prince, finally got Karl safe and sound. Sleep soon will follow.
      
      Sunshiney! Love that name, Lots of walks on the beach, for me. And they hold writer's conferences there so don't miss out!

      replyreport
      1. 80

         earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Goodnight sweet Faybe, have a peaceful and relaxing sleep.

         replyreport
         1. 64

            Faybe Bayposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Yeah, he was really trying mostly to scare the kid, but he is well in hand now. Kid will mow the lawn and do chores etc, he says.
            I gave him some good advice and if he can follow it maybe he can teach me what it all means.
            Good night.

            replyreport
3. 62

   Ann Nonymousposted 14 years ago

   Aloha and that sounds heavenly and I think you should ask Elayne or check out some of her hubs if you are not already following her as she lives in Hawaii!
   
   http://hubpages.com/profile/elayne001
   
   Best wishes and hope you figure out what you are to do!

   replyreport
4. 67

   Sunshiney31posted 14 years ago

   Thank you for all your input...Intersting about the sulfur smell and the burning of the eyes.I'll have to look into that definetly..

   replyreport
   1. 72

      dyonderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The Vog (volcanic ash, with all of its subsequent metals, mixed with water vapor) didn't really affect me, but it affects my sis, and affected my son, something fierce. Here's some useful info about it:
      http://www.konaweb.com/vog/index.shtml
      and a daily site map:
      http://satepsanone.nesdis.noaa.gov/pub/ … awaii.html
      Although Hilo doesn't have the degree of tourism the other side of the island has, where Kona and Waikoloa (& most of the jobs) are, a good general rule to follow is that when you see a great deal of tourists from japan wearing surgical masks the air quality is poor
      Also, due to the proliferation of all life on the islands (animal, plant, bacterial, etc.) always take a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to the beach with you; gotta keep all cuts and scrapes clean (even more so than here on the mainland).
      If any of the children enjoy entomolgy, the islands provide a beautiful array of insect life (including cane spiders, flying cockroaches, and centipedes). Also there are no snakes or skunks, but feral cats, jackson chameleons, mongooses, and boars are abundant. The latter make for excellent hunting and eating, if any of your clan are into that.
      One last thing, don't ever sleep with your feet facing the door of your home on the big island.

      replyreport
      1. 67

         Sunshiney31posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Wow thank you for putting so much thought into your response. All of the above gives us plenty to think about. Seriously though what is gonna get our feet if  they are facing towards the door..you've got the kids scared.

         replyreport
         1. 72

            dyonderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            j/k, it has to do with the night marchers; my son (after hearing from the other kids at school) adamantly insisted he couldn't sleep with his feet facing the door as the night marchers would 'recruit' him. Let your kids know I slept with my feet facing the door (son and I had a studio - rent/ electric bills R quite high there) and had no problems whatsoever. The original Hawaiin philosophies are a beautiful, intricate blend of heritage and respect for nature, definitely worth learning about.

            replyreport
      2. 60

         SummerStewardposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         What's up with the feet thing?

         replyreport
5. 70

   ddsurfscaposted 14 years ago

   My youngest son got a job with the newspaper on the main island, and he said he wished he had gone over first to see it and check it out before he made the commitment of moving there.
   One thing he said is that he paid over $1500/mo for a small one bedroom apartment.  Also he said that the weather bothered him because it was the same all the time.  He also said that because of it being an island, and tropical there were uncontrollable rats and roaches that everyone there seemed to just accept.  Huge roaches and there were no places to rent that did not have both pests. 
   He said that is was much more expensive to live than california.  Maybe get a newspaper fromthere and read up on the place you were thinking of moving to.

   replyreport
6. 72

   thisisoliposted 14 years ago

   Definatdely research before you move, good luck though!

   replyreport
7. 0

   StormRyderposted 14 years ago

   I have two friends that have lived there both had a different veiw on life in Hawaii. One lived on Maui and said his first year there was great but then island living got kind of restrictive if you have family on the mainland, the cost of flying back for any family emergencies and such. The cost of living was high and many of the native Hawaiians are quite prejudiced toward non-natvies. The other friend was in the Navy so when ever he got time away he enjoyed living there but didn't have to be in the community and live like a normal resident so all he did was play when he got the chance.

   replyreport
8. 0

   Crazdwriterposted 14 years ago

   I wouldn't move there if you can't stand the thought of being stuck on an island for years and years. I lived on Oahu for a year and am not an island girl...good luck

   replyreport
9. 78

   Rose Westposted 14 years ago

   Definitely visit before you pack up and move. I was surprised to find that living in Hawaii is not quite like vacation. It is a beautiful place and I love it, but life in paradise has is its own difficulties. Pros: beaches, weather, laid-back-ness Cons: bugs, cultural differences, isolation, and expense.

   replyreport
10. 70

    ddsurfscaposted 14 years ago

    I heard the beaches are great, but jobs are hard to come by

    replyreport
11. 76

    pageantgirl31413posted 14 years ago

    Hilo is not my choice of where to live (I lived there). There is a lot of rain and if there is a hurricane, it hits that side. The other side near kailua-kona (also lived there), is sunny most of the time and was my favorite. I would check that out instead.

    replyreport