My wife and I visited the Big Island, Kauai, Oahu and Maui back in Aug 06. At the time we talked about moving there for a year before we have kids. Figured it was pipe dream or left over happy thoughts from the vacation told her lets wait half a year and see how we feel.

Well its been about 9 months and we still feel like making the big move. Since 2004 we've moved 3 times so moving is normal for us. I'm 27 and wife is 26. In a few months I'll be done with my marketing degree but that doesn't mean I need a marketing job in Hawaii. Wife is a physical therapist and she'll be looking for that kinda work. Figured I would just work whatever job I found. Her mom lived on Oahu for awhile in the 80's but now shes in Cali. Her mom is in cali and her sister is in Japan so family holidays dont happen.

-Not sure which island to look at probably Oahu.
-So since we've decided we are still serious how hard is it to move there?
-How much do apartments usually run? We currently have 2 bed 2 bath 1100sqft pay $620. We don't plan on taking much of anything with us, no cars just some cloths. Since we only plan to live there for a year.

Sorry for the long post.

I envision a very expensive year for you soon! let's just say there is no way in hell you'd find the same 2/2 for $620 here. that barely covers a room in a shared house. Honolulu is one of the most costliest places to live in the US if not the most or top 3. I think you need to do some research still.

Oh no I'm not looking for $620 I was just pointing out its cheap here :)

Yah the prices are about the same as southern California or so it seems. Its hard researching something so far away. I'm looking for 1 bd 1 bath under $1500 I think would work. Nothing ghetto nothing really nice just in the middle our combined income would be 100k a year.

So I guess I need help finding a 1 bed 1 bath apartment.

I haven't been in the rental market for a while, but one bedroom condos in my building in Hawaii Kai (East Honolulu) usually go for $1700+, although I did see one recently for $1450. Two bedrooms are generally $2000+. The grounds here are pretty nice too.

It's not hard to move here, just expensive. You will probably make less $ than you would for the same job on the mainland, you'll pay more taxes, and generally pay more for everything, especially groceries and gas. We have an excise tax instead of a sales tax, so you have 4.5% tacked on at every step of the retail chain. I've heard estimates that say it's equivalent to a sales tax of ~15% or so.

Since I've been in Hawaii I've only lived on Oahu, but my impression is that the vast majority of the really good jobs are here. As you can imagine, our economy tends to be dominated by tourism and retail related jobs. If you're still determined to come here, go for it, but be prepared! Good luck! :cool

A condo with those specs in my bldg will be $3k+. A PT will probably have an income of $50k - $70k on Oahu. If she starts her own place, the sky's the limit.

Btw, belated congrats on getting married. You finally put the red pants to rest?

Good luck with the move......but we don't allow red pants here.

It all depends on where on the island you want to live. If you want to be more towards town, its more expensive. In the ghetto its cheaper. Near town,usually you can get a studio for ~$1000, 1BR for ~$1200, and 2BR for ~$1400. Check craigslist to get an idea of what things cost.

BeastMaster: Thanks. Yah I might leave the red pants in Texas.

Thanks for the info.

So far we agreed some what close to Honolulu and a studio or 1 bedroom. I just dont wanna live in the ghetto. Could y'all recommend area's that are not ghetto. Its hard to tell looking online. I can't figure out travel times. How long does it take to commute to work? Say you work in the city how far outside the city can we move?

Found some PT jobs in the 60K range so jobs are going ok. Found some old toyota 4x4's around 4k so transportation is going ok. Or maybe a cheap BMW.

Thanks for reminding me about craiglist I never use it here but its helping me find stuff there. Wont be moving till August reason I'm starting the research now.

Ballpark prices for town (3 mile ring from Ala Moana Shopping Center)

Walkup - 1bd/$900, 2 bd/$1100 (500/700 sq ft)
Apt bldg - $1000/$1200
Secure condo - $1200/$1400 (600/800 sq ft)
Luxury condo - $2000+/$3000+ (800+/1000+ sq ft)

Other costs...
Gas $3.20/gal (on base)...think more in town
Milk $6/gal is the cheapest I've seen in town (unless you want week old milk)

Commute...
If you're moving here for just a year, try to live close to town/work. You get more for your money the further out you go in certain instances, but you pay for it in the commute. I assume you're moving here for the lifestyle, if so then you probably don't want to spend 20% of your day commuting.

I have a friend who rents a 750sf studio in a secure building in Diamond Head for $1250, so there are hidden gems out there.

I just spent a week in Kauai and have the same feeling...I'd drop what I'm doing for a year and do something fun in hawaii for a while. The only thing I could think of while driving around kauai (especially up the canyon) was that I'd pay anything to have my M Coupe on the island for that drive. Some phenomenal roads on Kauai and I couldn't believe most people drove SUVs and Lifted trucks...there is lots of 4 wheeling to do, so I guess I really can understand it.

Yah Kauai is awesome lots of 4x4's. I was surprised how much traffic there was.

We're looking at getting fully furnished apartment so all we need is the cloths we take. Looking at buying a older toyota 4x4 or jeep.

Found some nice looking 1 bedroom and studio's. Wife started talking to some PT places around Oahu so everything still looks good. Only thing that would stop us now is if the PT board doesn't accept her Texas license.

Wonder if my XM radio works there ?

Don't think XM works out here. Did the wife call Hawaii Physical Therapy and Elroy Chong? What's the prices on the 1 bd and studios?

Other costs...
Gas $3.20/gal (on base)...think more in town
Milk $6/gal is the cheapest I've seen in town (unless you want week old milk)


Whoa! Check out Costco. I can't remember what it costs but it sure as heck ain't $6!

compared to mainland grocery stores, ours are generally half the size and twice the price :(

Don't think XM works out here. Did the wife call Hawaii Physical Therapy and Elroy Chong? What's the prices on the 1 bd and studios?

Not sure who shes talked to but I'll check. Who is Elroy Chong?

Not these exact places but something similar I suppose. Studio's I've seen are $800-1100 furnished and 1 bd $1100-1500 furnished. I dont wanna live in a high rise in Waikiki those look like hotels.

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/323401309.html
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/322829579.html

She wants to buy a jeep but how often does it rain in southern Oahu? Hows the 4x4 scene there? I found some 4x4 info but doesn't seem to be alot.

Elroy is a well know RPT in Honolulu. His office was literally SRO when I went there. He had @ 6 therapists working for him and he had a waiting room full of patients. There were so many patients, they overflowed into the hallway.

As for the apts, the 1st one is in a so-so area. The other one is in Waianae, which is not caucasian friendly. It'll take you 2 hours+ to get into town in the morning.

I would look for something like this:
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/307250543.html
or
http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/317684867.html

The Kapahulu area is nice, close to everything but not crazy crouded and loud like Waikiki. You can walk to shopping, restaurants, parks, beaches, etc... And if you end up working in downtown Honolulu it's only ~20 min drive.

A The other one is in Waianae, which is not caucasian friendly. .

You are a true diplomat.

The other one is in Waianae, which is not caucasian friendly. It'll take you 2 hours+ to get into town in the morning.

plus you'll be driving into the sun in the morning and the evening if you're working downtown

I'll let the wife know about Elroy Chong when she returns from San Diego.

I'm glad ya'll are letting me know which area's are bad or 'unfriendly' to caucasians with red pants. Y'all are making planning this trip so much easier.

Since I'll be buying a car/truck/jeep whatever it might need some repairs. So where does everyone take their car to be worked on? Or does someone have a garage I could borrow or pay to use their tools?

Oh yah 87 oct here is $2.85 dunno how much higher y'all are.

Gas is currently $3.12 for 87.

As for working on cars, get a place first and see who's closer to you.

lots of people willing to help out on the boards... especially in hawaii, we are all a big family :)

lots of people willing to help out on the boards... especially in hawaii, we are all a big ohana :):stickoutt

lots of people willing to help out on the boards... especially in hawaii, we are all a big family :)

+1 to that.

Other costs...
Commute...
If you're moving here for just a year, try to live close to town/work. You get more for your money the further out you go in certain instances, but you pay for it in the commute. I assume you're moving here for the lifestyle, if so then you probably don't want to spend 20% of your day commuting.

I have a friend who rents a 750sf studio in a secure building in Diamond Head for $1250, so there are hidden gems out there.

SubDriver,

What's your opinion of Pearl City/Pacific Palisades? Decent? Ghetto? I have a friend (retired military) who lives near the Punchbowl. He said Pearl City is "okay but iffy", in other words, look around, some areas are nice & some are so-so. Pearl City would be perfect for me since I will be working at Schofield.

Bottom line, I would like to keep my commute to 30 minutes or less (I refuse to live on post.) Is that even doable from Waikiki (let's say Fort DeRussy/U of H area)? My friend said it would be no problem during off-hours (i.e. non rush-hours), but cutting it close during rush hour. For the same reason he advised against Ewa Beach; the area is decent and growing, but Ft. Weaver Rd. is a bumper-to-bumper disaster during rush hour (again, this is second-hand information, not my personal experience.)

Last question (to anyone)~ why wouldn't XM or Sirius work there? Since it's satellite based, shouldn't it work pretty much anywhere? Or am I having a dumbass moment? :thinkerg

If in fact it doesn't work there, I need to cancel my Sirius....

I gotta satellite broadcast image from XM. XM only beams to the main 48 states and bleeds over into Mexico and Canada 'some'. But Alaska and Hawaii are way out of their range. Think of it like a flash light beaming into the darkness. They could however put a terrestrial repeater on Oahu :) We should write them.

This link talks about Sirius in Hawaii.

http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/sirius-gets-fcc-clearance-for-alaska-hawaii-correction-clearance-was-not-granted.html



I found a place that will ship a car from LA to Honolulu for $975. Maybe I"ll just ship something out for me and buy a jeep for the wife. Says it takes 2-3 weeks.

This link talks about Sirius in Hawaii.

http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/sirius-gets-fcc-clearance-for-alaska-hawaii-correction-clearance-was-not-granted.html



I found a place that will ship a car from LA to Honolulu for $975. Maybe I"ll just ship something out for me and buy a jeep for the wife. Says it takes 2-3 weeks.

Thanks for the link...guess I will be dumping my Sirius in July. :( Now I just hope the broadcast stations in Honolulu are better than the crap they have here in KC.

Yah the prices are about the same as southern California or so it seems.

I think more.


Milk $6/gal is the cheapest I've seen in town (unless you want week old milk)


:eek: :eek: ...is this a mutant genetically perfected cow?

I think the cost of living in main city is on par with manhattan if not more. Lots of stuff have to be shipped over from outside hawaii.

Thanks for the link...guess I will be dumping my Sirius in July. :( Now I just hope the broadcast stations in Honolulu are better than the crap they have here in KC.

I listen to what's known as classic rock, and there's a grand total of one (1) classic rock station on Oahu. I always have a few CDs available just in case their song selection is not so good... :cool

What's your opinion of Pearl City/Pacific Palisades? Decent? Ghetto? I have a friend (retired military) who lives near the Punchbowl. He said Pearl City is "okay but iffy", in other words, look around, some areas are nice & some are so-so. Pearl City would be perfect for me since I will be working at Schofield.

Bottom line, I would like to keep my commute to 30 minutes or less (I refuse to live on post.) Is that even doable from Waikiki (let's say Fort DeRussy/U of H area)? My friend said it would be no problem during off-hours (i.e. non rush-hours), but cutting it close during rush hour. For the same reason he advised against Ewa Beach; the area is decent and growing, but Ft. Weaver Rd. is a bumper-to-bumper disaster during rush hour (again, this is second-hand information, not my personal experience.)

I lived in Pearl City for 17 years. Lots of older folks, where kids have left the nest, etc. Palisades is kind of ghetto. Pearl City proper depends on your neighbors. If they're the old retired couple, no problem. But you do get young punks roaming the streets at night. My mother's house was broken into twice in the last 3 years.

DeRussy to Schofield in 30 minutes? LOL not during peak traffic. It took me 10 minutes just to get to the freeway from Waikiki. From there, AM traffic westbound is SLOW until the Vineyard exit.

You may also consider Waipio (the subdivision, not the peninsula) or Mililani.

SubDriver,

What's your opinion of Pearl City/Pacific Palisades? Decent? Ghetto? I have a friend (retired military) who lives near the Punchbowl. He said Pearl City is "okay but iffy", in other words, look around, some areas are nice & some are so-so. Pearl City would be perfect for me since I will be working at Schofield.

Bottom line, I would like to keep my commute to 30 minutes or less (I refuse to live on post.) Is that even doable from Waikiki (let's say Fort DeRussy/U of H area)? My friend said it would be no problem during off-hours (i.e. non rush-hours), but cutting it close during rush hour. For the same reason he advised against Ewa Beach; the area is decent and growing, but Ft. Weaver Rd. is a bumper-to-bumper disaster during rush hour (again, this is second-hand information, not my personal experience.)

Last question (to anyone)~ why wouldn't XM or Sirius work there? Since it's satellite based, shouldn't it work pretty much anywhere? Or am I having a dumbass moment? :thinkerg

If in fact it doesn't work there, I need to cancel my Sirius....

Sorry about the delayed response. My experience is not representative as I lived in military housing on the Pearl City peninsula, which effectively is a gated community on the waterfront. So it wasn't bad. I looked at buying a house in the Palisades, but for the money the neighborhood was just too inconsistent. Really nice restored 1960's homes next to POS houses with boats/cars up on cinder blocks in the overgrown front yards. Not good for resale...I recently bought a new house in Ewa Beach, and I don't run into traffic as I work from 0530-1400. It takes me 25 min door to door to Pearl from about as far down Ft Weaver as you can go. If I get stuck at work past 1500, I just go all the way down to Kapolei on the H1 and cut back to Ewa via the old Barber's Point NAS and it only adds an extra 10-15 min to the commute. They are supposedly widening Ft Weaver in the next year to 3 lanes in key sections (there really are 2 lights that hold everything up, otherwise Ft Weaver is pretty smooth even at peak times), and over the next 3 years they are supposed to be completing Kapolei Parkway and an East/West road that will intersect with the H1; purportedly these improvements will alleviate traffic, but I doubt it as more people keep moving down here (nice houses for not a lot of $$ compared to the rest of Oahu).
Just my $0.02