You are making assumptions and you know what they say about assumptions. Peter, I appreciate your blog and am an avid follower. Receiving honest feedback from others has been very helpful. Mahalo Nui Loa. My current percentage of this is very low, only because of who lives in my area.
It matters not a jot to me the colour of their skin or their culture. And it does ask a racially-related question. Interesting take, and I completely agree with the rock in the middle of the ocean assessment. The fantasy that they Hawaiians care about seniors is total bs from my experience. I have store clerks who go out of their way to avoid helping me. This is a foreign country living under the American flag.
These are good reasons for people who work regular jobs. We sold our house in LA and were able to buy a house in Kauai for much less. I like country living and Kauai is beautiful country. We moved to Kauai to escape the extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, traffic, mass shootings, vaccine deniers and general science-opposing idiocy.
Most people we meet here are kind, open, friendly and interesting. Some people are deliberate jerks, rude, insulting but they are only making themselves more miserable. If I stole your house, and told you to sleep on the grass, then would you have any resentment or feel like a victim? If not, then, we can try it. Second, Hawaiians before the Haole did sleep on the ground. Third, they fought, killed and ate each other frequently. Fourth, woman were generally treated as second class citizens.
In the future, you might want to knowledge up before you spew your racist and ignorant viewpoints. Hawaii is the last place I would live. My daughter got a divorce and requested to move herself and her 3 girls back to the mainland to be closer to family. And provide proof the cost of living was much lower.
She found a job and housing and provided all the documents, lower cost of living, school and their ratings etc. But her relocation request was denied by the Judge saying just because you want to be closer to your family and the cost of living is cheaper, the move would not benefit the girls in any way. He flat out disrespected our family. She was devastated. My daughter was denied her Ohana. The judge and custody evaluator were outwardly biased and the trial was a sham.
They are holding my daughter and her girls hostage. She lost her right to move home to family. Seems like much of what your article talks about applies mostly to Oahu.
Same for Kauai. The Big Island is our buffer during hurricane season something you left out so I would never want to live there. The other stuff, though, I would argue is either structural high costs or cultural and is relatively similar. This article is spot on and I wish I had seen it before we purchased a vacation home in Hawaii late last year.
We still live on the mainland and the home is in need of upgrades. Everything you describe Peter is true. We are Haole, and we cannot get anyone to service us to do repairs or upgrades in our home. We have called, and called, and followed up, and people have come by in April, and we are still waiting for our quotes — more than 2 months later. You call to follow up on the quote and they tell you they will call you back, that never happens.
You call them back and they pretend like its the first conversation you are having with them even though you asked and spoke to them 6 times before in the past two months. They give you the runaround, and pretty much laugh in your face. To me that is not the spirit of Aloha at all but extremely bad Karma. We have called other providers, and same thing.
We are at a point that we are considering paying and bringing our own licensed crew from the mainland to finish the work. The reason is, if we continue at this rate, we will never get to enjoy our investment and it will take 10 years to finish the work — and maybe longer.
And who know if by then we will still be around, We are not spring chickens. My wife is in tears nearly every day in despair because we have worked hard all of our lives to try and make this small bucket list, dream come true. Thank you for your article, it comes to late for us but hopefully it will head warning for others because Hawaii is definitely not the paradise that everyone thinks it is. Your situation is exactly what I teach people to avoid and is what my Islander Ohana program is all about for others considering making such a big move.
Thank you for this article, it gave me a lot to think about! My husband and I are 25, no kids, I work remote and my husband is a young contractor. My husband is not Hawaiian but Korean and he grew up visiting family and friends in Oahu.
We were under the impression that the Housing market is expensive but vibrant? Is this true? Great questions, Bethany. I invite you to browse the content here and on the YouTube channels where we also talk about Hawaii real estate in depth. If you entered a correct email address looks like it you will start getting my newsletter which will help get you on track to make this happen, or not!
This list is a joke lol. Sounds like the author just had a terrible personal experience but okay. This is merely a list of why you should not move to Honolulu! Hawaiia is compromised of other island choices than just Oahu! Everything on this list is basically the opposite on big Island. People are sweet, minimal traffic, plenty of space, lots of road trips and weekend adventures. Not a fair list at all. As you can tell by the many comments negative and positive comments posted here, I generally speaking will repost most comments but not all.
Your email address was flagged as spam and your comments were blocked — not by me. I happened to catch this one. Watch the video on my YouTube channel: can you afford it and is it worth it. There has always been power in population. Every population of culture has racist tendencies. I will close and just say that I am white and what I see is world wide culture on the islands.
We just came back this week from a week vacation. Everything you said I felt would have said in your exact words! Excellent description you did. There was not a single store that the prices were cheap. The place is beautiful. It also appeared there were hundreds of empty hirise buildings. The people seemed nicer than the Bay Area and the drivers much more polite.
I could see people working jobs to support their families. I forgot how big Honolulu is probably about the size of Los Angeles. Vacation come and go yes. Live there no. I believe prices are high to make up for less sales. I still liked my vacation. Thank you for giving me the reality check. Some things on the list do not worry me.
I am a naturalized American citizen, born in Brazil. My husband is American and my son was born here, but we lived for 7 years in Rio and he loves diversity, we call his group of friends the UN.
But some things do make me worry, like health care, and affordability. Also tsunamis and earthquakes. I am used to hurricanes in FL, where we know beforehand and leave if needed. On commercial fishing boats. We just like being home relax and enjoy the winding down of life we r 53 and 55 my wife still likes to work bartender…. Thanks have a great weekend!
Richard aloha!!!!! Go to my YouTube channel and search for the video Hawaii can you afford it and is it worth it. Watch that and let me know what you think. We retired to the Big Island in October It has been a big adjustment and I felt depressed and anxious most of the time. Costco, Target, and Walmart all have prices comparable to the mainland and like the mainland, you wait for the sales.
It is crowded, but not so different from any major city. Middle class living is at a level lower here. For the first several months, I would pull out the cushions on the sofa and chairs on a weekly basis looking for those darn eggs, because if they break, they leave a bloody mess. We went through and really sealed our house.
People will be downright mean to you and for no reason. I stood outside a butcher shop waiting to pick up my Thanksgiving turkey, standing 6 feet from the guy in front of me who was getting waited on at the time. He turned around and gave me a sour look. The people nearby were horrified. He was dark and I look like I came directly from Iceland with my pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Talk about racism.
This was not a one-and-done either. It will likely happen to you if you do not look like a local, so you have to get used to it. And the road rage here is terrifying. Forget about waving or throwing a shaka. True, most people who live here will appreciate it and let you in.
Others will hold their hands on their horn, flash their bright lights at you, and drive up and back on your bumper. Then there are the trucks and motorcycles with the illegally enhanced exhaust systems who will rip your eardrums, even at a. So be prepared that this is NOT paradise.
If you can tolerate the bad and keep it in perspective, it will go a long way to helping you to adjust. Just remember to be kind to everyone ;. Hi Karen, do you have family in the Mainland?
How was it living on the Big Island during the pandemic? We are considering retiring in the next 5 years and looking at the Big Island as a possible place. Living on the Big Island during the pandemic was a sobering experience since everything was shut down and for a good reason.
I take it you are also from the Mainland. May I ask where? Hi Karen, we all live in California. I can only imagine how harsh it was during the pandemic. Being separated from my children under that situation makes me pause. I grew up on Oahu as a haole and actually feel I benefited immensely from the diversity and the lack of white privilege. By growing up in Hawaiian culture, I learned how to relate to anybody all over the world. And the part about Hawaiians not being American? People here are the best part of America and an example of what the future looks like.
And yes, check your history. Hawaii was illegally confiscated by business interests on the island and the push of America in the Pacific. And who celebrates statehood in their state? Your lucky to live in Hawaii. Yes, there are challenges, but it is the state in the US, hands down.
I think you are commenting on the wrong article. All I read was racism at it best Hawaiian style. This is quite accurate but not all of the reasons apply to all of the islands and there are more reasons the author did not touch upon.
I have lived on the Big Island for 12 years. Healthcare is in a crisis on the Big Island. Newcomers arrive here and find no doctor will take new patients. Electrical costs are x higher than on the continent because Hawaii is the only state that generates electricity with expensive diesel. Skilled workers are scarce. Need a plumber, contractor, electrician?
You will pay premium prices, if you can find one at all, for typically below average work quality. Ordinary shipping costs to the continent are crazy high. Think you can rely on Amazon Prime free shipping. A handful of families and old timers control these islands and they are self-serving. One was already in operation ports were being constructed.
Of course, they claimed it was all about the environment. I was hanging out with friends on the CA Central Coast and some surfers standing nearby were loudly complaining about Haiwaii.
The young white guys were so shicked. I cracked up, almost in hysterics. Absolutely doubled over with gut busting laughter. I have GOT to move to Haiwaii!!! The young men did not get it at all. And why should they? They directly benefit from these things, largely unconsciously, every single second of every day.
The hate in the mainland US is literally boiling over right now. I have lived in a few areas of the USA that are majority minority populations — places that are incredibly diverse ethnically and racially. White neighbors in New Orleans wanted to know me. That was the draw! Not — oh I really want to live on a tropical island and — wait! As someone who regularly fears for her safety and her life living in the mainland US, I find the complaints in this article and thread about being a minority in HI pretty lame.
When I see the numerous unarmed black people murdered by cops it tears my heart out. Rachel, I am very sorry for what you have to go through. As Don Lemon says, we need to make friends with all races so we can better understand each other. Probably not in my lifetime, but hopefully soon. It is an interesting experience in Hawaii. We have hapa family there. I understand why they hate what I represent.
Some of us were born with the aloha heart. Marla, you sound like a racist. In fact, white people are killed far more often than black people despite the latter committing far more violent crime. Your virtue signaling is laughable at best and atrocious at worst.
No, you would not have been shot if you were black, checking your sons car. Keep your racism elsewhere. I feel bad for your employer that hires a racist like you. I feel sorry for folks like Rachel, subjected to racism their whole life to the point where they themselves would perpetuate the sick and sinful concept that others deserve to be treated poorly because of their race aka racism.
I hope she can find the path to her better self rather than be envious for revenge against others simply because of their race, her apparent desire for a race to the bottom rather than the top. Others of us subjected to lifelong racism and bigotry have the opposite reaction, we seek the best for others, not for things to be equally bad.
I must say, though, I really appreciate when people that judge others by their skin or other immutable attributes speak out, it makes them easier to identify. That has got to be the best response to the racist-based expressed hurt of others. Absolutely extraordinary! Thank you so much for sharing that! Insightful article! Part of the reason I moved to Hawaii was because it feels alot like living in another country.
But we have several native Hawaiians friends that I made prior to moving here that have been very welcoming, even if my husband is a haole. Back home, just my couch cost that much.
And sometimes, I do all 3 in the same day. Oh and my back yard here is incredible. If you read even the comments, you passed the test.
I came across this site while looking for voices of actual residents and transplants, and considering my own future plans. I realize this is several months old, but I think this is worth highlighting. Rather, she would prefer to live in a place where white privilege was held in check, like a majority minority state like Hawaii.
I think some of the following commenters interpreted the lack of empathy she expressed toward their hurt feelings as condoning the treatment that had hurt them. People who have suffered pain may not express this in the most positive ways, that should not take our focus off of the very real causes of pain. Many of the comments regarding racial discrimination appear to be rooted in personal interactions. These are a symptom of deeper institutional ills plaguing and dividing our society.
I see Hawaii as a bellwether of what the US might be like as a majority-minority nation. This is a great blog. I moved to Hawaii from California in and lived there through my growing up years Honolulu and Kaneohe , then got a teaching degree and taught in Hawaii for several years before meeting my wife, who taught in Mililani.
When she moved back to the Mainland, I moved with her. We got married and had a bunch of kids, but always dreamed of going home. I have a lot of friends in Hawaii who continue to send me job leads.
I have applied for jobs, and have gotten offers, but none were economically feasible for us at all. The cost of housing is the main kuliana. I miss the life I had in Hawaii, the music, the culture, the scenery, the food.
Where else could Frank Delima tease and stereotype popolos, portagees, haoles, pakes and flips, and no one gets uptight about it? She serves up local-style music, dancing, and great food. Hundreds of former Hawaii residents come to enjoy the vibe, mingle, eat local food, and get little taste of home.
And why are all these folks in Texas when many have their families back home in the islands? Like me, I suspect the answer is just basic economics. Rachel, your bigotry may be presently politically sanctioned, but you are still owned by your own bigotry and base emotions, not to mention lack of any historical knowledge. It may feel good to feel and talk this way but ultimately you are becoming an ever-smaller person. Do better. Rachel ,IAM very sorry for what people have put you as well as your family thru!
Sometimes a fresher!? Start helps ,me being in the is Navy I learned that people are the same color, accent ,height, weight,I judge people on their character, dignity,and compassion!!!
If everyone was blind? Hopefully maybe this helps a bit! May you and your family have happiness and peace as you move towards you goals!!!! Good luck Richard. As a Hoale born and raised on Oahu, I had one of my only trips to the mainland this summer. All I can say is that Rachel spits facts. People of color are looked at the same way I am looked at on the islands. So many privlidged white come here and act like they own everything, then they run crying home cuz some local hit em with the facts.
When you get cans thrown at you, racist remarks screamed at you, and someone chasing you down a street, then you can talk. Rachel had every right to tell these privilleged boys off. Respect to her. I live on the big Island, I am a nurse. People read these comments about how there is no white privilege, that is true.
The few African Americans or Black citizens that I have provided care to also are treated unkindly. The islands are beautiful but the general population, is not.
I lived on Oahu for 5 yrs. Had to move away get an education BSN. Now been on the big Island 2 yrs. They would rather hire a local without knowledge or skills.
I have lived here since We are part of the forestland which is less than 20 feet behind our home We have a small undeveloped lot with a 2 bedroom cabin that is not up to code. We have what is called a temporary power pole and internet. As with most of the folks who live in Tiki Gardens our household water is collected rainwater. It is free. Our drinking water comes from the water stations which is also free. I have indoor plumbing, which we installed ourselves. I build whatever I need, and I can make any changes that I want to my home.
Add on to the structure or remodel. I have 3 dogs, 2 cats that keep the rats away and 2 chickens that give my all of the fresh eggs that I can eat. I have everything that I need and am very comfortable. There is a huge meth and alcohal problem here on the Hilo side of the Big Island. Yes, it is expensive living here, but then it all depends on what you are accustomed to your style of living. No where is perfect. But everywhere is wonderful when you are happy. Thank you Peter!
We are in the process of looking for a home in Hilo. The only negative I have been able to find is the insects, like cockroaches. They treat me like a local, which pleases me. Mahalo, Angelic laughter. I live on Oahu — in Waipahu -what used to be one of the toughest neighborhoods on Oahu. That all has changed. I asked someone once — what can I do to fit in here?? Thank you for writing this article Peter! You are spot on with every point and more folks should be aware of these dynamics before moving to the islands.
I lived in HNL for many years in the very desirable Kahala area and worked as a professional musician. You have to like sun, heat and high humidity all year round. The humidity improves with trade winds, but there are long stretches of time with no trade winds and the mugginess becomes unbearable.
Food goes bad quickly because of the humidity so you end up throwing things out, yet another expense. The warm weather also means you wear summer clothes all year round; sounds exciting at first but boy do you ever get sick of the same season and wardrobe. I was happy to move back to the mainland again! The example was set by the mainland.
Mahalo…i will save my time, energy, money, heart-ache, frustration, future suffering in paradise and buy a bigger home for 10 times less the amount in flagstaff AZ. Thanks for the article, Peter. Thinking that perhaps after retirement living there for 6 months of the year or more and then going back to the mainland for the rest of the time.
Thanks for the article I know young lady lives there with some roommates she came home to visit and told me the cost of living she in college she back and she loves it there. Thank you for the info. I would visit instead. I have a vacation home on the Big Island, near Keaau. It is not crowded and compared to the SF-Bay Area the housing is reasonable, even good in some places.
I must say the food prices are high. The people here are all very friendly for the most part. Brian — how far is the closest good swimming beach, stores, etc.? We always visit the Kona side of the island Hapuna Beach.
My understanding is that side of the island has better beaches, comparatively more expensive. I have heard that white people get beaten up just for being white.
I am wanting to move to Hawaii as a paramedic but i read so many stories about white people being accosted. It all depends on your attitude. I have had no problems. Treat everyone with the respect they deserve and you will be treated the same. One note, Island time is slower than California time. Your right, the Hilo side does not have a lot of beaches. Much of it is volcanic cliffs dropping 10ft to the water.
Around Hilo proper are several sandy beaches. Also, close to Hilo is Richardson beach which is a nice spot. If you follow the coast highway north of Hilo their are a couple spots where rivers empty into the sea and these are very nice beach spots. Going south of HPP about 10 mi there is a new beach formed from the recent volcanic activity. I felt at home, and the best version of myself when I was there. Glass door and Salary. Some days I have doubts that I can make that move.
Katie, I hope you have fun…. I accept that, but just amazed that is where things have come in some places. In Colorado you could be surrounded by mountains with 10 acres and sf for that, in Maine or Kansas you would have a acre farm with houses barns for that amount. Just consider the market and the way regs are moving and what that could do to the market, timing in the next 3 years will likely have a huge impact on cost, then inflation relative to the market and wages will have a huge impact as well.
I hope you find a great place in HI and I hope you get a better deal than you expect! Its also known as, getting away from right-wing nutjobs. This is definitely a necessary reality check for me. Dreaming is good! Watch the videos I have on the YouTube channel. Thank you, and much respect, for the information that you share. When I arrive I will leave my bias and expectation at the border. Hatch R-UT , Nay. Everything Peter commented is true.
Culture is very different, and I have experienced unbelievable rudeness without basic etiquette in some locals. Once person told me to go back where I came from. Visiting is a lot better than living. Its very frustrating dealing with irresponsible vendors and services. There are still very nice simple and kind folks but the other half is scary. Once a person told me to go back where I came from.
Very informative piece, I live in Chicago and have visited HI for vacation but this blog post has changed my mind on entertaining the idea of applying for jobs in Honolulu. Thanks for taking the time to share this! Pretty much all American history books acknowledge that the Hawaiin monarchy was illegally overthrown and the US government issued a formal apology for it.
All the reasons 14 listed are perfectly valid. I could add at least one more based on some of the comments. Specifically medical care, or rather the availability of it depending on where you live.
You have found a good General Practitioner. GPs and nurses are very valuable, underpaid and underrated everywhere. Are you prepared to work more than one job for months or years to make ends meet? Groceries, insurances, health costs, etc.
Additionally, flights, rental rates, and accommodations are more affordable. Be sure to do your research on crime in the various areas of the island you choose. Also, be very aware of the condition of the education system in Hawaii. This, of course, is costly. We also want to advise people about the pests that live here, particularly centipedes and other bugs.
Expect them in Hawaii on a regular basis. Our best advice when moving to Hawaii: Keep things as simple and minimalistic as possible. Sell what you can back home, and come with as few possessions as humanly possible.
Furnished apartments are common here due to the fact many owners use them as rentals. To bring all of your furniture etc. The only major item we often recommend people ship is their car. Plan far in advance on this and be prepared to have a quarantine period for most pets if they are not completely up-to-date on their vaccinations and you haven't kept very meticulous vet records.
Oahu is the most populated of all the major Hawaiian Islands. With nearly one million residents, it is home to Honolulu-- the state's capital-- as well as Waikiki and Pearl Harbor. Oahu is probably the most popular island to move to because of the job opportunities and salaries tend to be higher here.
The bulk of jobs here are tourism-related retail especially , though there are a lot of government including military and civil construction jobs as well. Many people say Oahu is one of the most beautiful islands in the chain, and like all the major islands has a windward and leeward side. Do your research about the neighborhoods on the island and, as always, we highly recommending finding a local realtor who can help you with finding a place to rent or buy.
Maui has a pretty busy pace overall and has grown up a lot in recent years in our opinion. But jobs and the economy here are not Oahu, and job searching can be frustrating at times on the island.
Tourism-related jobs remain the most common occupation, followed by civil work-- like construction-- and agriculture which remains fairly common on the island. Maui has more diversity in geography than Oahu does, and you can live in a variety of different locals. Upcountry Maui is dramatically different than living along the Hana Highway for example — both culturally and climatologically speaking. Kauai , perhaps more than any other major island, has a small-town feel to it. Dramatically different than bustling Oahu and Maui, Kauai is home to only around 70, people.
Kauai, like Oahu and Maui, is economically fueled primarily by tourism and civil-related jobs. Kauai is unique in that most residents live fairly close to the coast, as the bulk of the interior of the island is highland swamp and impassible terrain. Its population is actually the second-highest in the state at nearly , residents, but when you consider how spread out everyone is, it feels a lot more like Kauai than Maui or Oahu. Tourism is the main source of jobs here, followed by agriculture and civil-related jobs.
The bulk of work tourism wise is located on the western side of the island along the busy Kona Coast. No island has the diversity in geography the Big Island has, so definitely do your research before selecting an area.
But naturally, jobs are harder to find here and traffic is surprisingly bad on the Kona side due to the fact that many people commute starting at 3am-6am from Hilo on the eastern side to work on the West Coast where the tourism jobs are located. Just remember, "be prepared" should always be your motto when making a move here. Doing your homework and knowing as much as possible will pay off in the long run. Be sure to read our Moving to Hawaii Checklist article for even more moving to Hawaii tips.
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I didn't go to high school here, and I'm fine. As a general rule, the longer you live here, the longer you're likely to live here. Meaning, if you just got here, your chances of moving back home are very high.
Depending on the area, it might be an old single wall construction home, meaning there are no studs in the walls, and the house was built in the 's. Mine was built in Your yard might be smaller than you're used to, especially in town metro Honolulu , and the dirt may be bright red.
But it's a small island that isn't growing, and there is nowhere to expand, so the prices will probably keep rising forever, as more people want to live in paradise. Almost everyone who bought Hawaii real estate 10 years ago has half a million in equity. The renters have nothing.
If you want to make a million dollars someday, buy real estate in Hawaii. It's country up there, very rural, and very peaceful. It will hopefully always be a lot of farmland and just a few houses, but you get a lot more land on the North Shore, you get to surf bigger waves, and you get to be farther from town.
Unfortunately, our local government thinks that affordable housing solutions include building luxury condos for foreign millionaires who leave their 2nd or 3rd home condos vacant, so there is a massive housing shortage. That's good for Realtors like me, but it makes the cost of living in Hawaii go up, which means an investment in Hawaii real estate is likely to be one of the best investments you'll ever make.
Limited land supply and nearly unlimited demand. The solution is simple and politically unlikely - to heavily tax the foreign investors who leave their properties vacant. Unfortunately, that will probably never happen, so buy Hawaii real estate, because prices will likely go up forever. People ask me if I surf everyday. Yes, almost. They think I sit on Waikiki beach and type my blog or handle my escrows, etc. Sometimes, yes. Most days I stand at a desk in my office, which is across the street from the ocean, with great waves, and it's 75 degrees and sunny outside.
Yes, I often work from the beach while my kids play in the water. I often surf between appointments and bring my board to a showing because it's a good surf spot. But a lot of days I have too much work to surf. It's sad. I did just go surf before I wrote this. We go to the beach as a family a few times a month.
We like the North Shore or Ala Moana, and sometimes we go to a little secret beach near our house. There are still plenty of empty beaches in Oahu, and if you buy a house here, I'll show you some of them, maybe even my secret beach if you promise not to expose it.
The point is, you still have to have your normal life, but the ocean can become part of it. The ocean is free, doesn't easily allow you to bring your phone into it, and is pretty much always available, except when the weather is really bad, which is rare. You can paddle, surf, swim, dive, fish, etc. I would guess that far less than half of the people on Oahu every enter the ocean in any given year.
There are thousands of people here who have no interest in the ocean at all, and still enjoy Hawaii a lot. You can hike, play golf, fly helicopters, and do many other things year round, since we don't have any real winter.
In fact we love winter on Oahu, because it's nice and cool, no AC needed. Usually within a few minutes the sun will come out and dry everything off. So stop walking around with an umbrella, you look like a tourist :. You can pretty much count on rain every night in Mililani and on the Windward side, especially upper Kaneohe, around Ahuimanu and Haiku plantation.
Up there it's always wet and everything in your house feels damp. By the way, if you want a little bit cooler climate but don't want to pay as much as Kailua and Kanoehe, Mililani is a great choice for a nice cool climate and has great schools!
There are neighborhoods in Kaneohe where I have literally never seen the ground dry. The rooftops are always wet too.
So you have to think about that when you buy a home on Oahu. Do you like it wet and cool at night? Then consider Mililani, Kaneohe, or upper Kailua. Or do you prefer dry and hot? Ewa and Kapolei are much hotter and dryer than the rest of the island, but homes are cheaper, newer, and master planned with great amenities. Oahu has tons of micro climates, thanks to the many different valleys between our mountain ranges. Hahaione valley in Hawaii Kai is green, wet, lush, windy. About a mile away in Kalama Valley, you will see much less rain, less green, a little less wind, and more heat.
This is why you need a Realtor with local knowledge of the micro climates. If you need a Realtor, I know a guy Yes everything rusts, especially on the windward side of Oahu, which means Kailua and Kaneohe.
Things rust quite a bit in Manoa too, where it rains almost everyday of the year. Everything has to be replaced more often because of the salty, humid air. My bike took 1 year to turn a pile of rust, but at least I got to ride it to the beach a few dozen times. Your car will be dirty most of the time because of rain and wet roads in these areas, especially North Shore.
You probably have to repaint your Hawaii home every 15 years because the sun is stronger out here. Mold will grow in 2 days if you leave anything wet anywhere. It's a tropical island, so there are costs to living near the lush green mountains and the ocean. If you live in an area near the ocean where the wind blows on shore, like Kailua for example, things will rust and corrode much faster than if you live where the wind blows off shore out to sea.
Very often I walk in to a house for sale in Kailua and find that the door hinges and locks are completely rusted, while in Kapolei they might last ten times longer and never see any rust, in part because some people run the AC most of the year in Kapolei, where it is hotter, dryer, and where the wind doesn't blow the salt onto your house. You're going to have all kinds of first world problems living on a tropical island paradise.
If that doesn't seem worth it to you, I would challenge you to rethink your priorities. All materials things eventually fall apart, burn up, rust, get stolen, or you leave them to your kids when you die. Your friends may visit you right away, and you'll have to cart them to the North Shore, to Waikiki, to the Dole plantation, and Kailua Beach.
You'll have less visitors in the second year, until finally you get 1 or 2 visitors a year—forever. You will discover long lost relatives who want to stay with you, because a lot of people love the idea of coming to Hawaii. That's why TV game shows don't give away trips to Nebraska. It's the trip to Hawaii that everyone wants, and we help you make it permanent.
If you don't want to get island fever which I've never had , then just leave once a year and go visit some family somewhere miserable. Every time you come back, Hawaii will feel more and more like home. You might miss what is familiar until you compare it to life in Hawaii in the winter. Once you've acclimated to our warm winters, you won't miss the snow so much as you'll miss your friends, so just invite them out to visit.
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