"Hi there, or Aloha,

My name is Deborah, I think I have questions you might not have had before. It's a different situation then yours as far as moving there to paradise. I visited there once for only 3 days at Waikiki, and that was enough for me. I have been wanting to move there for many years before I had ever been there, I thought it was a fantasy to ever go or live there. I'm very determined to live there, and I will live there. It's just taking care of the obstacles, that's going to take more then the average person who wants to move there. 


I'm a 50 yr old about to be empty nester, I have 3 grown kids. My youngest is about to finish high school and go into the Air Force. They know because of my health issues, the islands are the best climate for me. My doctor agrees strongly, it would be a way to get off my meds that are slowly killing me. 


So my biggest dilemma, is good old Money ! I'm on state disability here in Ca. So I have a lot of work ahead of me. I want to be able to buy not rent, and it seems there's a lot of kinds of assistance for disabled, low income etc. for some things. My goal is to move there within the next year, if not sooner. I need to find out about how to qualify for the home buying assistance programs there, through the HUD or section 8 programs. So I'm not sure if you have any info or know anyone with that kind of info ? 


It's a little harder doing the research from another state, but I will find a way. Before I go on any further, I didn't want to bombard you with all my info if you don't know anything about these type programs ? So please drop me a letter when you have a min, and let me know if there's any help you or someone you know can tell me where to start with this kind of situation. I love your page with all your info, I have it booked marked. So I can keep using it for references, and to get ahold of you.

I truly am forever greatfull for any help or leads you can direct me to help me to live a happy life like you."
--Deborah W.

Aloha Deborah,

I'm not familiar with the different public assistance programs in Hawaii, so I did some research and have included some links that should at least get you headed in the right direction.

Section 8 and Assisted Living
(I'm not sure if you want to live in Honolulu or an outer island. Honolulu is like any big city, while the Big Island is more rural and has a reputation as "The Healing Island". I've included links to both.)
www1.honolulu.gov/dcs/section8overview.htm
www.hcdch.hawaii.gov/faqs/section8.html

Aging and Disability Resources
www.hawaiiadrc.org/

Family Programs
69.94.124.155/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80&Itemid=1

Here is a link for the Big Island assistance:
www.hawaiicounty.gov/office-of-housing/

Good luck!

"Hi I wanted to ask you a few questions and would appreciate any feedback you have. I am a 25 year old single mom and my dream is to live in Hawaii (Hilo in particular). I want to move by the end of the year, and I am currently saving up enough to move, get a place, and have transportation money to get my son from daycare and to find a job. I want to have enough money for a cushion until I can get these things taken care of. I know it may sound hard and I do not know anyone from the island but I want to live there, that is all I can say. What should be my steps when moving there? How much should I save? And what is the best part of the island to live without having to gouge out my pockets for a place. I looked up some places and they were not too bad. So basically it will just be my son and I moving. I don't know where to start."
--Savannah P.

Hi Savanah,

With your spirit and desire to live in Hawaii, I am sure that one day it will happen.

The most challenging part of your scenario will be finding a job. Hawaii is very tourist dependent. While Hilo is less dependent on tourism, because of the economy, jobs are hard to come by. I would recommend that you apply for jobs before you make your move, that way if you are hired, you will have a better idea where to live so that you are close to work. There will be more jobs on Oahu, but the cost of living is much higher.

If you plan to save up money to live on while you look for a job, estimate $600/month for rent (although you should look at the local papers to get an idea how much rent is: $100/month utilities, $300/month food. If you live in Hilo, you can get around by bus. So if you live frugally you could probably get by on $1000/month, just for the basics.

When you're ready to move, contact a property manager at a real estate office to help you find a place to live. They can help you get settled and make you r transition much easier. My property manager is Tammy Medeiros at Clark Realty Property Management and she is really nice. 

It will be tough making the move and not knowing anyone. You won't have that support network of family and friends when you get there, so join a church or a canoe club and try to establish friendships as soon as you can. Maybe take some classes at the community college.

My last piece of advice is to take more money than you think you will need, because everything moves much slower in Hawaii (and costs more). Also, checkout the PunaWeb forum. They are happy to answer your questions, too.

Good luck!

"My husband and I have been thinking about moving to Hawaii. We live in Delaware and every winter I get to hate it more and more. We are 20 minutes from Philly and a couple of hours we're in NY, but the thing is we have no desire to go there. We are 2 hours from the Atlantic Ocean, but we drive 8 hours to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, because the over development in the lower DE counties have caused traffic nigthmares and major pollution to the waterways, not to mention the air. Right now we are renting a house, and we do want to buy, but if we buy here, we'll never leave. We also have two boys ages 8 and 11, so schools and a good community with kids is important to us. I guess I'm wondering if we can realistically attempt this move being here and not having any connections in HI?"
--Carla A.

Don't let the fact you don't know anyone in Hawaii prevent you from making your move. We moved here without knowing a soul, and we know other people who have done the same thing, so it is possible. Part of the reason we moved here was the quality of life, and it sounds like that may be an issue for you, too.

I know of a family that moved here, bought some land, and set up a tent to live while they made money to build a house. That's one extreme. A decent house on some land might be around $275,000. East Hawaii certainly has the most affordable housing in the islands. Unemployment is at 2.8%. If you or your husband have a business or would like to start one, you couldn't find a better place to relocate.

I know families that either home school their kids, send their kids to private school, or send their kids to public schools. The advantages of each are probably the same no matter where you live.

If you haven't been to Hawaii before I would recommend a trip to see if this place is for you. Things move much slower in Hawaii. The cost of living is higher. We don't have the variety of stores available here that you will find in Honolulu.

Everything has its advantages and disadvantages. You need to carefully weigh the impact moving here will have on your lives. If the good outweighs the bad, then your shouldn't hesitate in moving here. It's a great place to live.

"Hi! My name's Chelsea and my boyfriend David and I have recently been thinking about moving to Hawaii. Your website has been quite helpful; it's nice to know there are people out there willing to help people like us out!

My main concern about moving to Hawaii is finding a place to rent/live. Also, I understand that the cost of living is higher on the islands than it is here, in Oregon, but I don't really have a frame of reference. We would be living as modestly as possible, at least while we get settled. I guess my main questions for you would be: how much money do you think would be appropriate to have saved up before we move and how hard is it to find a rental. I think we would be looking at Oahu, since there's more business there... but I don't really know! I just really want to live in Hawaii! Thanks for your time."
--Chelsea

We know how you feel about just wanting to live in Hawaii. Vivienne and I first visited Maui about 10 years ago and as we were leaving Vivienne said she wanted to live here some day. We visited each island and tried to imagine actually living there. We finally ended up on the Big Island near Hilo primarily because it was most affordable. Fortunately we also fell in love with the place so we've been very happy here.

Each island is different. I don't know which islands you've visited but before you make the big move you should visit each island and see which feels the best for you. It's true Oahu has the most jobs, but it is also the most expensive, housing-wise, both buying and renting. And I hear they have wicked rush hour traffic. Visit the online versions of the local papers and check out Houses to Rent and the Help Wanted sections. Oahu has The Star Bulletin. Locally we have the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.

It probably wouldn't be very hard to find a rental. My main concern would be employment. If you or your boyfriend could find a job before you move out, that would be ideal. Check the Help Wanted ads and start sending out your resumes.

Good luck!

"Why did you choose the Big Island?"

The East side of the Big Island was the least touristy of all the islands we visited. Since we don't have any world-class beaches here, all the tourists flock to the Kailua-Kona area. That means we have the best of both worlds -- we live in a small community with that "small town" feel, yet we are only 2 hours away from all those beautiful beaches, and without all the traffic and congestion that a tourist area brings with it. Prices are still fair at the Farmers Market -- papayas are 7 for a dollar, pineapples are $2.50, $1 for a bunch of bananas. Real estate is a still a bargain here, too. Hilo is what I imagine Hawaii was like 50 years ago.

Ever since we've moved here, we have always felt welcomed. The Aloha spirit is alive and well here.