Are you tired of the long cold winter months on the Mainland? Do you dream of warmer times, sunny beaches and a more casual lifestyle? You are not alone with those dreams. They seem to sprout like mushrooms when hotel guests are sitting in the hotel jacuzzi, looking out on the wide Pacific Ocean, sipping a Maitai when waiting for the miracle of the Green Flash to happen for them on their best Hawaii vacation.
Remember this is your vacation and moving to Hawaii seems all so easy and without any obstacles. This is just like when we fall in love for the first time. Life is wonderful!!! To discover shortcomings on our new love interest, will follow much later. Let's find the shortcomings for Moving to Hawaii before you packed the container and moved the family to their new home or rental in Hawaii. Over the years of living in Hawaii, we have seen many people come and go. Moving to Hawaii takes the right planning, and making a living in Hawaii, which allows you time to enjoy Hawaii's natural beauty, is another challenge.
Don't ever forget your dreams why you moved to Hawaii! Make your life in Hawaii as much a vacation as possible.
The following Hawaii moving considerations are for people who are not independably wealthy and still want to live their Hawaiian dream.
Moving to Hawaii Dos
1.
Visit the Hawaiian island of your choice as many times as possible, most favorably at different times of the year, before buying property in Hawaii. Maybe, even rent for a longer period like a month to get a feel for island living, the area and its people.
2.
Talk to as many residents in the area where you want to move to: about the community, schools, crime rate, health care, costs of living in Hawaii
3.
Most important, make sure that you have a job when arriving in Hawaii. Hawaii jobs are mostly related to the tourism industry. Yes, there are frequently jobs available at the hotels but for some you might be overqualified and turned down.
4.
If you have children who still go to school, make sure that the public school in the area where you intend to move to is right for them. If you suddenly face having to take your kid out of public school and enroll in private school, that can become your biggest expense ever and may jeopardize your living in Hawaii.
5.
We mentioned before that the Hawaiian islands have a wet side (east side) and a drier west coast. House prices on Hawaii's east coast areas are about half the prices to the west coast. The same applies to house leasing prices.
6.
Consider commuting time for yourselves or your kids. Only Oahu has a public transportation system which works well and is affordable. On the other Hawaiian islands, you depend on your own car for transportation.
Moving to Hawaii Don'ts
1.
Don't buy Hawaii property on your first Hawaii vacation at a spur of a moment. Do your homework using the above Hawaii moving suggestions. A house on the wet but lush and green side of Hawaii, can look very tempting on a sunny, blue sky day but make sure that you can cope with frequent rain. Mold in your house can trigger allergies.
2.
Don't just pack and move to Hawaii without having proof of an affordable rental house for your family. Research carefully the house rental situation on the Hawaiian island where you are moving to. Having to stay at a vacation rental - rents for fully equipped vacation rentals include utilities are much higher than house leases - for some longer time might already challenge your budget before having started living in Hawaii.
3.
Don't commit to a mortgage for your house in Hawaii which is tight and based on two job income. There are no job guarantees in Hawaii either. Make sure you have enough money to pay your mortgage when you get laid off from your job at a hotel. Who ever thought that a big Hawaii hotel like Mauna Kea Beach Hotel had to be closed down?
4.
Don't buy property at a high, as quite a many people did before the Hawaii Housing Bubble burst last year. Your chances to negotiate with seller or realtors look much better these days. Hawaii real estate has become a buyer's market again.
Read also Keoki's article about Moving to Hawaii on Hawaii Affordable Vacation Rentals. It gives you an insider perspective and how we made our dream come true to live in Hawaii. Feel free to ask your questions about Moving to Hawaii or help people with more recommendations to make their dream of living in Hawaii come true.
Aloha, Pua Kohala Coast Vacation Guide
p.s.
Don't forget to submit your post to our 1st Best Hawaii Vacation Blog Carnival. Everything goes: from Best Things to do in Hawaii, Hawaii YouTube Videos, Things to see in Hawaii, Hawaii Trip Reports, some special trip advice for Hawaii vacation. We extend submission till Thursday 8/23/07. We are happy to promote your blog
Resources on Moving to Hawaii
Relocation Information Moving to Hawaii
Books on Moving to Hawaii and more
Why move to Hawaii Mover's Guide Books
Moving to Hawaii Get Moving Quotes
Tags:
8 comments:
You've done a great service to many would-be Hawaii residents with this post. Like you, we have seen many new residents come and go over the years. Sadly, many people move to Hawaii thinking that life will be just like a permanent vacation. It's not. The day-to-day mundane stuff goes on here just like anywhere else.
We find that many people who move to the Big Island from the mainland become very unhappy with the relative lack of variety in shopping and services, compared to what they were used to at their former home.
We also find that some people never are able to make the considerable cultural adjustment. Things about Hawaii that seem exotic and alluring to a visitor end up being the same things that drive them nuts -- and make them feel isolated -- once they move here.
aloha bobbie,
thanks for leaving this great feedback on our 'moving to hawaii' post. hope people who consider moving to the islands are aware of all these facts before they pack. otherwise it can be a tough awakening. before moving, learn as much about hawaii, its people and culture, so you come prepared. anticipate adjustments in your new way of life! pua
Thanks pua. Just read your post about moving to Hawaii and as a longtime Hawaii resident, I think it has some great information for people who are considering relocating to the Hawaiian Islands. Looking forward to reading more of your Hawaii posts. Aloha, Jennifer
Aloha Pua. These are some great tips on moving to Hawaii. I would move to Maui in a heart beat, but for Canadians it is a little more difficult of a proposition. We did, however own two vacation condos there over a period of 12 years. We had quite a few people stay in our condos, while they were in the process of relocating to Maui from the mainland. One couple from San Fransisco, was renovating a house and used our place for 3 months. Ideally if you are moving to Hawaii, I think a person should try living there for at least 4 months. That way you become more like a local than a tourist and then you can really judge if you like it or not. Maui is our second home and we have been fortunate to spend winters there for the last 4 years in a row. It beats the cold in Canada.
I agree with all the comments! People really do need to do their homework and I think you've helped them a lot, Pua. You've certainly given them things to think about and add to their list of things to explore! Thank you for sharing this!
evelyn, great to hear from you as a honolulu resident for joining the discussion about moving to hawaii. i noticed that moving to honolulu is a way to start island life (try it out) because honolulu offers public transportation, many more job opportunities than the other hawaiian islands plus renting a condo is more affordable than a house. again don't move your entire family to hawaii when not sure where to live and how to make a living! aloha, pua
Kohala Coast Vacation Guide
Sorry to dredge up an old post, but just how hard is it for Canadaians to move to Hawaii. I work of shore on ships so jobs are not an issue. I have two young children though, and am wondering if they would be able to attend school legally either public or private. Thank you for the info.
Tom
Nice article on different things to think about before a move to Hawaii. I would also like to point out for all the pet lovers that Hawaii has some pretty strict animal quarantine laws. More information on Hawaii's animal quarantine laws can be found here.
Post a Comment