Vivienne and I (along with our two dogs Wally and Molly)
made the move to the Big Island on August 27th, 2003. It was the
culmination of not only a dream come true, but also much hard work and
planning to make our move as smooth as possible. By writing down our
experiences on this page we hope we can help other people as they get
ready to make the big move. Please send us email if you have any
questions about moving to Hawaii and we'll post our answer here for the
benefit of everyone. Mahalo! Oh, and if you find this information
helpful, please click on some of our Google advertisers to help support
our site.
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First Things First -- Finding Your Dream Home
If you're
planning to move someplace, naturally you should find a place to live
first. Generally there are two ways to go about it. One way is
demonstrated by a family we hosted in one of our vacation rentals. They
bought one-way tickets from their home in Chicago and stayed with us for
six months while they found a house to buy. The other way is our own
approach to finding our dream home. We planned a 10 day vacation/house
buying adventure in April, 2003. We searched the local MLS listings and found about 10 homes we
wanted to look at during our visit. We contacted a local Real Estate
agent, told her what we were looking for and gave her the MLS numbers we
wanted to look at. It's important to tell the agent you're working with
what you are looking for in a home because they might show you something
that you missed online. That's what happened to us. The house we ended
up buying was found by our agent. It wasn't on our list because it was 4
square feet smaller than the criteria we were searching on in the MLS
listings. A good agent is imperative!
By the way, an update on
the family that stayed with us for 6 months: They purchased a new
construction home that was set to be completed on July 5th, 2005. As of
December 27th their home still hasn't been completed. Update: They
moved into their new home Spring of 2006
Finding a Good Real Estate Agent
If possible use a Real
Estate agent referred by someone you trust. Your agent will be your eyes
and ears in the buying process, especially important if you still live
off-island. We used Denise
Nakanishi and we recommend her highly. Mention our name and she will
send you a relocation pak if you are thinking of moving to the Big
Island.
The seller has accepted your offer, now what do you do?
Here is where good planning becomes critical. First of all, what is your
time-line for moving to Hawaii? For us, our home closed escrow in early
July but we didn't make the move until late August. We could have moved
in July but decided to wait until August because that was when our dogs
were allowed into the State. Knowing your move date affects all your
other planning so make sure you have a good idea when that will
be.
If you have pets and you want to bring them with you, you have to deal
with Hawaii's Animal Quarantine Laws. Of all the things
we had to do to get ready for our move, dealing with the quarantine
regulations was the biggest headache. I'll get more into this subject
below.
On one of our first visits to Hawaii we received this advice from
someone who had just moved there: "Sell everything you have before your
move because you always bring too much." Let me echo that advice. You
can buy everything you'll need here so there's no need to ship all your
belongings. Before we moved we got rid of 95% of all that we had. The
biggest thing we shipped was our car, but we did that only because it
was less than two years old. The rest I shipped Parcel Post in 35 boxes.
Remember that Parcel Post is the cheapest way, but also takes the
longest. About 4-6 weeks. So what I did was first rent a PO Box at the
Airport Branch Post Office (808) 933-3019. Give them a call and they
will send you an application for a PO Box. The Keaau branch was closer
to our new home but they didn't have any boxes available.
Once we were assigned a PO Box, I started shipping boxes to my new
address. The Post Office will hold onto your packages for several weeks,
so don't start mailing your boxes more than 2 months before your move. I
would ship 2 or 3 boxes at a time so it was easier for me to manage
getting them to the post office by myself. When we arrived I made sure
to rent a van because I knew I had a lot of boxes waiting for me at the
Post Office.
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Shipping Your Car
When we shipped our car in 2003 there
was only Matson and it cost us $995 to ship to Hilo from Long
Beach. Recently a new car shipper, Pasha, started servicing the islands
and the cost has gone down slightly to $899. We shipped a minivan but we
found out we couldn't stuff the interior with boxes because of the
liability issue. You can track your car's progress across the ocean via
Matson's web site. I don't know if online tracking is available on
Pasha. It took about 3 weeks for the car to arrive. It was hard to get
an accurate arrival date because they say your car might not get on the
next ship out, depending upon how many other cars are being shipped,
both from the mainland, and also from Honolulu. It was a happy day
indeed when our car arrived. A company you may want to check out is American Auto Movers, especially if you don't live
near the west coast.
Bringing Rover on Over - Hawaii's Pet Quarantine Laws
Give
yourself at least 6 months to comply with Hawaii's strict quarantine
laws. Up until June of 2003 Hawaii had a 30 day quarantine of all pets
entering the state. Legislation was passed allowing what they call
airport release - if all of Rover's paperwork is in place you can take
your pet home with you from the airport. If not your pet has to stay at
least 30 days in a certified kennel for rabies observation. I've blocked
out from my mind most of the requirements so I can't tell you exactly
what you need to do. Full information is available here.
Questions from some of our
readers...
Update - January 19, 2013
"Hi there, or Aloha,
My name is Deborah, I think I have questions you mite 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!
"School. We are planning
a move to the Big Island in a couple years (I am a big planner...making
sure that we have all our ducks in a row.). My big concern is schools.
I know there are some decent private schools on the Big Island but what
about public schools? From my research there is one good public school
on the Hilo side and one on the Kona side in a district just inland and
south of Kona. Am I wrong about this? Should I forget the Hawaii
public schools and focus on private?
Any help as we get our lives together for this move would be appreciate.
Oh, our boys are six years old, FYI."
--Bart B. Aloha Bart,
We don't have kids so this advice comes from information we have gathered from things we've read, and feedback from friends who do have kids in the public school system. The Hawaii public school system rates very low nationally. There have been stories written that local employers complain that kids who graduate aren't adequately equipped in the basics to be good employees. There may be some challenges with initial acceptance by the local kids of a student from the mainland. There is bullying, although I don't know how it is compared with other school districts.
If I had kids, and knowing what what I've heard, I would either home-school them or put them in private school. Two that I have heard good things about are Malamalama Waldorf School and St. Joseph School. Here are some good links to websites on private schools in Hawaii: www.hais.org/pages/4241_Home.asp
www.privateschoolreview.com/state_private_schools/stateid/HI
Here is a resource on Hawaii public schools:
www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/Schools/
Update -
February 12, 2012 "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: http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/classifieds/rentals<
/a>) $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 rtransition much easier. My property manager is
Tammy Medeiros at Orchid Isle Property Rentals: http://realestatehawaii.com/rentals/available.htm,
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: http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/default.asp. They are
happy to answer your questions, too.
Good luck! |
Update - June 23, 2008
For all
of our friends who have stayed with us at our vacation rentals and
haven't heard yet, Vivienne and I are now in Denver, Colorado. I will be
attending the University of Denver in the Fall, so we've relocated to
Denver temporarily. We have turned our vacation rentals into long-term
accommodations and turned over the daily management to Tammy at
Prudential Orchid Isle Property Management (808.935.5422). Running our
vacation rentals has been an incredible experience, and we have enjoyed
visiting with everyone who has stayed with us. If you are interested in
a long-term rental, please check this site for availability.
Update - March 13, 2007
We recently had a single
professional woman arrange to stay in the Canoe House for a month. She
had taken a job in Pahoa and had only arrived on the Big Island two
weeks previously and was staying at another vacation rental. When she
came to look at our rental she complained that the first place she
stayed at wasn't described accurately on the web, and the house was
infested with fleas! Our rental wasn't available for another week but
she agreed to rent it at that time.
A day before she was supposed to move-in, she calls us from
Massachusetts to cancel her reservations because she had moved back
home. She was unhappy with her new job and her car was hit by a drunk
driver and she couldn't take it anymore!
The point I want to make with this story is it is very crucial to
have some sort of support network in place when you do something big
like move to an island in the middle of the Pacific. We were there. When
we moved we didn't have any friends or family here to help us. I
imagine if this woman had stayed with us from her initial arrival to the
Big Island, we could have acted as her support network and perhaps
reassured her, been her friend and given her the support she needed. Her
experience probably would have been totally different and she would
still be living her dream in Hawaii.
"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 it's 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.
| | "Thank you so
much for all of the great information. My main concern is my two little
Chihuahua's. If I have all of their paperwork when we arrive in
Honolulu, they will be directly released from the airport, avoiding the
quarantine process all together? Then after the dogs have direct release
from Honolulu, they are free to fly to The Big Island? Thank you so much
for your time."
-- Ashley M. When you arrive in Honolulu
your pets will be taken to the quarentine area at the airport where
their paperwork will be looked at and, as I recall, they will examine
your pet's ears for mites. This is where you would pick them up. They
should be available for release about 30 minutes after your plane lands.
Once they are released they are free to travel anywhere in the Islands.
You will need to check-in your pets again for the inter-island flight.
I've heard you can use a carry-on kennel for small dogs and keep them on
your lap during the flight. Check with Hawaiian or Aloha for more
details. |
"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 and the Honolulu Advertiser. 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 bannanas.
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.
"My Fiance`e and I are moving to Hawaii in about 1 year and a
half. We are coming to visit in a few months to see what island we want
to live on and wondered if there was something we could do to help us
see the different islands and compare them before we move. Is there a
tour trip or anything like that available? Also if we want to find a job
before we actually move there where would we look? If you have any info
you can send me or websites I can visit I would really appreciate it.
Thanks for your time!"
-- Kristi F
I don't know of any tour groups that visit each island, but that's
something you can easily arrange yourself. That's what we did before we
moved here. Financially we found the East side of the Big Island to be
the most affordable in terms of housing. You may want to look at housing
costs to help you determine where to look. A Google search for MLS
listings for each island should give you a place to start. Housing sales
are a bit slow right now so you could probably get a good deal.
The most jobs are on Oahu, but you can check the job listings for our
area in our local paper: Hawaii
Tribune-Herald.
"We want to stay in Hilo at the beginning of our vacation
(February) in one of your rental homes. Maybe you can recommend
something for us in Kona for the last part of our vacation (10 days
total). Thank you,"
-- Jeff and Kathy D
For your visit to Kona, it depends on your budget. We prefer the
Kohala Coast. It's where all the nice beaches are and it's about 45
minutes from Kailua Kona. Our favorite hotel is the Mauna Kea. It's an older hotel but it feels like old
Hawaii, and the beach is to die for. I think we paid a couple hundred a
night. Kailua Kona is more touristy, but we like the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, which is on the
edge of Kailua Kona so it's easier to avoid traffic. It'll run you about
half of what the Mauna Kea would.
February is a great time to come. It's our rainy season but don't let
that stop you. The temps will be comfortable.
Here is a
great article from Pacific Business News
about the labour shortage on the Big Island. Great news if you plan to
move here.
A great way to make friends and become a part of
the community is to join an outrigger canoe club. We're members of Kamehameha
Canoe Club, and we're always looking for new paddlers. It's a lot of
fun and a great way to get in shape. No experience necessary.
If anyone has other questions you would like answered, please send us an email and we'll
answer it here.
Mahalo!
Darrell & Vivienne Houghton
