I sometimes turn email into an article about Hawaii here because:
- It takes time to read and respond to email, when I could be writing an article instead.
- Better to share whatever we’re talking about related to Hawaii so more people can see what we’re discussing.
I received a letter from “Mike” in Connecticut. Mike and his fiancé are considering moving to Hawaii within five years, and wanted to know what I thought about the right island to look at – with some considerations about lifestyle given… Here is Mike’s email to me, and my response.
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Peter (if you do not mind my being presumptuous and calling you by your first name), my name is ____ ____ and I have been fiddling around with the idea of maybe retiring in Hawaii. As having never lived there before and only visited the main island once for business purposes, I have no clue where to look for housing. If you do not mind offering an opinion on the subject, I would like to give you an idea of what I am looking for and a little of our personalities.
Looking for a newer home that will last without much work until I pass on or longer priced in the 300k area or less. If that is not feasible then, a condo may be the next best bet as I do not like making tons of repairs and like my bills to be very predictable.
My fiancé and I are both in the 50 year old range and will not be doing this for about 5 more years but, might be willing to start looking now and if we find something, grab it earlier than the move.
We have a bit of a slower lifestyle and love reading books and spending time on the computer. She loves the beach or sun bathing and I like a good sports bar with satellite TV for watching our favorite teams play.
We both like to shop and walk around in nice areas.
We are not too much into the night life but, would love to have places nearby for live music, a good glass of wine and some great restaurants.
Of course safety and security is a must.
Do you have any opinion on which Island and what area of that island would be the best place to start our search?
Kindest regards,
Mike
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Hi Mike,
Thanks for writing – sounds like a lovely plan to live life in Hawaii!
It sounds to me like Maui is what you’re looking for – but you might have difficulty, no, you will have difficulty to find a place for that amount.
Maui would be my first choice if I was in your situation – and I’d be looking hard to find a place to live that is in that price range, and in a safe neighborhood…
Big Island would also be quite nice.
On Big Island, $300K homes are widely available, and you’ll have to figure out where on the island you would like to live. Sounds like one of the bigger cities would suit you and your fiancé. The main problem I would have with Big Island Hawaii is the vog… volcanic fog. It is not constant, but it is something you would deal with on some level – depending where you chose to live.
BigIsland-BigIsland.com covers vog pretty well – they say this:
Health effects: Health effects from vog exposure vary greatly among individuals. People with pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis are more prone to the adverse effects of the vog. Common symptoms related to Big Island Vog Index include the following:
€¢ Headaches
€¢ Breathing difficulties
€¢ Increased susceptibility to respiratory ailments
€¢ Watery eyes
€¢ Sore throat
Another problem is the great distance between places. At least in relation to Hawaii – there are big distances between things on Big Isle. Everything is spread out – the island is quite big compared to the others.
Best advice – go visit and see whether Big Island is for you – or not. You might like it just as well as you would Maui. If there is something about Big Isle that rubs you the wrong way – try Maui. Oahu has $300K places in Kapolei and other areas outside downtown, so that too – is an option.
Best of luck to you and your fiancé…
Aloha,
Peter Kay
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If you are considering moving to Hawaii and you’d like my take on your particular situation – zap me email and I’ll respond as fast as I can – usually just 24 hours, occasionally in 3-4 days if busy.
Keep in mind that living in Hawaii is different for everyone that plans to make it a reality. There is no one island that will suit every type of person. Hawaii is so variable – weather, people, traffic, costs… that you really have to be there to see the different areas and whether it will work for you. Living in Hawaii is so different from living wherever you are on the mainland USA. Go to Hawaii and experience as much as you can on the different islands, and in the many locations on the island that you’d consider moving to. Figure out your top choices and start looking for a place to live. It might take you a year or more to find the right place to live that fits your lifestyle and budget.
But, when it’s all done – it will have been worth it!
Much Aloha,
Peter Kay
Hello. I want to move to Hawaii and will transfer to a Home Depot so I need to be near one of them. I am seeking a relaxed lifestyle, I don’t want to drive anywhere but bike everywhere, have access to fruit trees, and local mom and pop restaurants. I make about 34,000 a year so I want to live very affordably but rich in adventures. I am a single woman but not into the night life. I prefer outdoor adventures and have a young teenager. Where do you recommend? Thanks
Would strongly recommend you come here for vacation and then see what your options are. At $34k you’ll need roommates at the very least.
Work in Finance in Miami and in NYC. Looking to move to Hawaii.
Need your suggestions please. Also worked in Hospitality. Adapt quickly and looking forward to move ASAP.
Thanks
Hello, Vern,
I am 60 years old and work from Skype as a psychotherapist/counselor for people with eating disorders. Finances are not a problem for me. I need to be where I can have easy access to tree ripened fruit as I am a fruitarian — or my own mini fruit orchard (or a neighbor’s). I like long walks and cool meditation spots. The location is more important than the size or style of home. I prefer to ride a bike or take a taxi. I always make friends wherever I go. I prefer dry to humid. Any suggestions? Thank you…Colleen.
Sounds good Colleen, you might find this in Hawaii. What you didn’t mention is whether you need any sort of nightlife and social activity to keep you busy. And, if you want to be surrounded by people. If you’d prefer a small town feel – Kauai is probably your island. It is not good for taxi but if you lived in town you could bicycle. Kauai has a good bunch of fruit, but what isn’t grown on island is going to be really expensive. Internet is fine. Best of luck, Aloha!
Thank you for your reply. I prefer to be about 15 miles outside a city — a small town, and even semi-rural with some fruiting trees and bushes. Yes, internet is crucial. Most of my social life these days is via the internet and skype.
Hi Vern,
A couple of questions. I have lived in Hawaii twice for short periods. Nine months on Oahu and six months on Maui. I did experience island fever and a little bit of lonliness. I was young my first time there and the second time a couple of years ago. I did experience some of the negatives with the locals, (social things), like takes a while for some to let you in or accept you. I have traveled a lot and lived all over, and I’ve learned that if I am friendly and humble in someone else’s homeland, everything is usally fine. It seems Hawaii is a little more difficult to gain trust from some locals. I am thinking now of returning again for another try. I’ve have always wanted to stay there, but the times I was there, I really never did get set-up well and struggled. Now I know what it takes to make it. I know how to prepare before I go and what to expect once I arrive. I’m a single guy, late 40’s, very outdoor active, hiking and such. I am also in the middle of a nutrition/dietetics degree. I want to go work on an organic farm as part of my education towards my nutrition degree. I am looking at living on either the Big Island (Hilo, Puna area) or on Kauai, near some of the organic farms away from the tourist. I will continue working on my degree by online classes. I visited the BI for only two days, so I have a little idea what it is like. Never been to Kauai. I want the healthiest place to live in all aspects, (air,water,stress levels, cost of living and friendliness of people including the locals). I also want a place with a lot of great hikes and bike trails. I don’t care for the rough dry areas like the Kona side, I prefer the lush, green dense forest places as well as open very green pastures. The less traffic, crowds and tourist is best. I don’t have to have all the modern conveniences, but I will definitely have to have high speed internet, for my online classes. A friend told me about Puna, the hippie thing sounded attractive, but Kauai sounds like better hiking and less crowded. But affordability sounds better on Hilo. I would greatly appreciate your honest opinion about which Island might suit my needs the best. I am also a Christian and I would like to do things with singles if the church has events.
Sincerely,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your note – a lot of great information in there for other readers of the blog.
I think moving to Hawaii as a single person, can be especially challenging. For economic reasons, most people in Hawaii live with someone else – whether a spouse, partner, or friend of the same or opposite sex. Why? Economic reasons, it’s just so expensive to rent housing that you can cut your rate in half by living with someone. Singles in Hawaii appear to find a partner quickly – maybe for this reason. There are very few single people living in Hawaii, and that is especially true on Maui, Kauai, Big Island. On Oahu – there are plenty of singles, plenty of colleges, and there are a lot of young people and older people that remain single. Some still live with their parents.
It is crucial for singles moving to any island in Hawaii to really put themselves ‘out there’ and meet other people. I wouldn’t consider myself a social person – much. Once I have friends and people I like to spend time with – I love to be with them. Putting myself out there in situations to meet others, is not enjoyable to me so it takes me a long time to meet others I mesh with. Playing sports does it for me usually, as I love to do so many things. Hiking in Hawaii I met many people on the trails, so I could go alone, and meet people and then see them again on another trail, soon we were friends. I joined the Hash House Harriers – that insane drinking group with a running problem. I met a couple people there I enjoyed spending time with outside of hashes. I biked a lot – and met people that way. I ran a lot – and met people that way. Etc… Though I didn’t necessarily “want” to, I went with co-workers on the weekend when they had get togethers at Ala Moana Beach. Usually other people came too – so I met other people that way.
You say quality of air, a lot of great hikes, trails, green pastures, less traffic and crowds, are important things, as well as finding a church… I think Kauai sounds like it fits that. Problem is – singles on Kauai? I doubt there are very many at all. I’d say VERY few. So, that’s your challenge I think. Maui would probably work for you, but you’ve been there and didn’t mention you liked it enough to stay. The hiking is best on Oahu, believe it or not. Plus there many singles there. Why not live in the Kaneohe area of Oahu? Kailua? Waimanolo? Big Island too – few singles, and the air quality not all that great with VOG. Most of the island is VERY dry, and hot.
So, I don’t know if I helped at all… just throwing things out there.
Best of luck to you Mike,
Aloha!
Vern