You might think that living in Hawaii is pretty much all sun and fun. Well, yes and no. You need to realize that like everything else in life, there is a trade-off. If you are considering moving to Hawaii from the mainland, do your homework. Here is a brief guide to get you started:
Selecting a place to live in Hawaii
First of all, housing in this state is not cheap. The average rent for an apartment in Hawaii is $2,088. Unless you have a very good, high-paying job you might have to consider getting a roommate. You also need to be aware of the fact that most apartments will be smaller than usual, at an average of 900 square feet. Additionally, you will likely not have a dishwasher or clothes dryer, and your windows will be made up of screens rather than glass. Finally, be aware that the price for a condo in Hawaii is usually $425,000 and the median price for a single-family home is $750,000. There are some situations that can help save you money on your home mortgage; for example, if you are a veteran, you can leverage a VA loan to save up to $304/month on your Hawaiian home.
Should I go with a condo or with a house?
When it comes to living in Hawaii, this is a critical question. Because the cost of owning a home is so high, most people in Hawaii are renters. If you would like to go the homeownership route, realize you will be buying both the land and the home. If you decide to go the condo ownership route, realize you are buying the interior space and some of the common areas within the apartment unit. There are pros and cons for both options.
First, the pros to home ownership would include more privacy, the fact you have control over all property changes, and no condominium fees. One of the cons, of course, would be that home and yard maintenance will be your responsibility alone. Condo ownership will offer you more amenities such as a gym, pool, or a clubhouse. It will offer you a central location and it will often be more affordable. However, you will often have more restrictions and less privacy.
Cost of Moving
Don’t forget to calculate the cost of moving all your family and their possessions to Hawaii. In some cases, it makes more sense to sell your current possessions and buy new ones once you’ve reached the island. It’s entirely up to you, but please realize that it can be very expensive to ship all of your assets, and factor that into your plans.
Cultural Adjustments
Compared to the mainland, living in Hawaii is a whole different game. First of all, you need to realize that many things are different in Hawaii and the adjustments may take some time. For example, there are frequent power outages, there are a lot of traffic jams, and groceries can often be out of stock because many of them have to be shipped from the mainland. You should learn about these differences and be prepared to live with them.
Of course, knowledge is power. If you are still interested in coming to Hawaii, please be aware that we will welcome you with open arms!
After doing some research myself: it appears that East Hawaii on the Big Island is the least expensive area to buy. I entered “Puna” into sites like Zillow and Trulia and found tons of nice homes between 200k and 250k, some even come fully furnished, so the moving part is easy! What’s neat is that it’s still only a max 90 min drive to the touristy resort areas on the Kona side, though I’m attracted to the wilder coasts of Puna myself. I’ve also read that the population on Big Island is much less dense than on the other islands and they say that people really live with Aloha in Puna: open, friendly, no rush, respectful to all cultures, even seniors and us regular, not-wealthy folks. Sigh. I’m still working on the dream.