thinking about moving to hawaii?
lbss10 asked:
Im 22 just graduated from college (4 yr bachelors degree) & decided against grad school. Im thiniking seriously about moving to hawaii instead probabyl not perminantly but for about 2 maybe 3 years with few buddies depending on how things go. Obviously this includes having a job out there but that can be decided after i get there. Ive contacted some real estate agents to get things started but it hasnt helped me narrow down location that much. I originally thought maui or the big island. im a pretty chill guy i surf competitively so being close enough to the beach is necessary. Im looking for some place that i not overrun by tourrists & people can settle in there. i also like to party a lot so nowhere that wont have anywhere good to go. im also 22 years old & would rather live in an area that has a lot of people of the same age/carreer/habits as me & not in a retirement area. I will contact real estate agents but im not looking for any areas that are really expensive either… just small 2 or 3 bedroom houses/apts. Any suggestions on areas to look?
i have enough $ now to last me plane tickets, about 2 months rent deposit (assuming rent is about 650-850 for my share) & living till i get things going&im still saving…also new car so transportation isnt much of a problem i would just rather not drive too far if i dont have to esp. when im new in the area
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Im 22 just graduated from college (4 yr bachelors degree) & decided against grad school. Im thiniking seriously about moving to hawaii instead probabyl not perminantly but for about 2 maybe 3 years with few buddies depending on how things go. Obviously this includes having a job out there but that can be decided after i get there. Ive contacted some real estate agents to get things started but it hasnt helped me narrow down location that much. I originally thought maui or the big island. im a pretty chill guy i surf competitively so being close enough to the beach is necessary. Im looking for some place that i not overrun by tourrists & people can settle in there. i also like to party a lot so nowhere that wont have anywhere good to go. im also 22 years old & would rather live in an area that has a lot of people of the same age/carreer/habits as me & not in a retirement area. I will contact real estate agents but im not looking for any areas that are really expensive either… just small 2 or 3 bedroom houses/apts. Any suggestions on areas to look?
i have enough $ now to last me plane tickets, about 2 months rent deposit (assuming rent is about 650-850 for my share) & living till i get things going&im still saving…also new car so transportation isnt much of a problem i would just rather not drive too far if i dont have to esp. when im new in the area
June 12th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
find a job before you move out here….tough times.
June 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
The first place that pops to mind is Hale’iwa, which is on the North Shore of O’ahu. Obviously the North Shore gets some killer surf and there are dozens of breaks to chose from, including Hale’iwa beach, which I prefer. Hale’iwa is about 30-45 min away from downtown Honolulu, so most who live on the island consider it the country. It is out of the way of most tourists, since the only major hotel down that way is Turtle Bay Resort. The North Shore is super chill and laid back and I personally think it is the most beautiful place on the island, plus the beaches are less crowded and cleaner.
You said you like to party, and there are quite a few party houses up that way; plus since you’d be on O’ahu you can still hit up the night life in Waikiki if it suits your mood. Since Hale’iwa is kind of a surfing town, there are many young people that live there.
And on another note- almost any place in Hawai’i is going to be expensive to rent, it’s just a way of life there. The cost of living is much higher than on the mainland, so take that into account before you jump into anything. However, the more expensive places are in town so since Hale’iwa is out in the country, chances are you will find something cheaper out there.
I hope this helps- if you have any other questions I’d be happy to help you out! Good luck!
June 17th, 2008 at 4:19 am
You’ve got some competing goals, so you’ll have to decide your priorities. One of the issues is that you really need to be here for the better part of a year to plug in, but in the meantime…
You’ll need some money in the bank while you get spun up. I’d allow enough cash for: return airfare; your share of first month rent and deposit (assume you’ll pay for all of it); some beater wheels, unless you’re on Oahu; an extra grand for living while you look for work. Say $3500, minimum.
To keep your budget under control, eating at home is critical. Get to know and love local food. You’ll go broke on steak and potatoes. Stay on foot and bicycle as much as possible to cut car/gas costs. After your first month feeling like you’re on a full time vacation, the realities of living are going to become clear. You’ll find your self working a *lot*, given the wages vs. cost of living. Make a point to look up and enjoy the beauty around you once you’ve gotten into a daily grind.
Socially, don’t be the ugly (I’ll assume) haole. The local boys and girls have had a different growing up experience than you, and they’ve seen a lot of you come and go. Therefore…
Don’t: dump on the way they live; start hitting on the local ***** before you’ve gotten to know some local brothers; advertise that you intend to be a short timer (or many of the resident locals and haoles alike aren’t going to invest much time in getting to know you); crash local parties unless you’re with someone to introduce you; get into meth. I understand you’ll probably imbibe the local herbs, but stay *away* from meth/batu/speed, or there’s an Excellent chance I’m going to end up finding you living on cardboard under a Kiawe tree during my morning jog. Or, if you really push the envelope, end up in a cane field. Not a pretty day in paradise at all.
Do:
If surfing is your goal, there aren’t as many spots on the Big Island. You may be able to find an interesting and reasonably priced rental on the Kona side, but odds are you’ll have to do a lot of driving to get from A to B. The Big Island is Big. IMO, your target areas would be Kailua and points south. North is strictly resorts and ranch towns. Kailua Town has enough clubs/bars to be somewhat interesting, and provide some employment.
I think you’ll do better on Maui than Oahu. There are great breaks on Oahu, but there are a lot of surfers among a million residents, and the rent in Haleiwa and the rest of the North Shore is steep. There’s not all that many places to work in Haleiwa, and most of the rest of the jobs are over in Kailua or Honolulu… not a short drive/ride.
Maui isn’t cheap, and unless you’re a trust fund kid, you will not be living right on the beach. On the plus side, there are plenty of rentals that are a short walk/ride from surf. A bus system is now running that’ll get you to the major towns if your wheels crap out. There are a lot of McJobs available, given the size of the island. But, keep in mind that as of Jan ’09, jobs are starting to vaporize, and the managers are going to tend to stick with people they know.
On Maui, I’m guessing you’d probably prefer in or near Paia (maybe Haiku, Makawao), but keep Kihei in mind for the large stock of apartments/condos/sublet cottages.
If it’s going to be a few months until you intend to move, I’d consider getting the local paper mailed to you in the meantime. It’ll give you a chance to get the feel for where you’re going, and you’ll know some of the local stories so that you don’t seem like such a noob when you’re talking story with a resident. Also, the rental ads are valuable, since not everyone has discovered Craigslist, yet. You can hit all of these on-line, but having a paper to pass around may help **** in some potential room mates.
Maui News subscription, Sunday ed, 13 weeks, $99:
Hawaii Tribune (Big Island), Sunday ed, $24/month
The two big Oahu papers don’t make mainland delivery as easy, you’ll have to call or email ‘em. Or, skip it and read on-line.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:10 am
You are so brave to make such a huge jump! I agree with Jay that Haleiwa on Oahu sounds like a good place for you- it is very nice there with lots of surfing. The only negatives is that it does get crowded on weekends and there are not usually many rentals available. Another good choice as others have mentioned is Maui. There are two main areas that have surfing: Paia and Kihei-Makena beach. Paia area might be cheaper than Kihei. I do have to be brutally honest..you may not have time for surfing and partying once you get here. Most people that live decently well here, either have more than one job or have one really high paying job (at least $100,000 yr.)
I’m not saying to give up on your dream of coming here, just be prepared to work hard for it.