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Greetings From the Oregon Coast

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  • Greetings From the Oregon Coast

    Hello/Aloha, and thank you to Ryan for approving my membership.

    As mentioned, I live on the Oregon coast, one block from the beach, and I love it here.

    My husband and I are planning a 2 week vacation to the wet side of the Big Island of Hawaii this coming Winter. We will be staying in an adorable little VRBO cottage. We will cook our own food, rent a vehicle (since I own a Jeep Wrangler, I hope to rent one of the same while we visit Hawaii), and explore the island at our leisure, hoping to visit countryside, beaches and Volcanoes National Park, as well as watch the humpback whales during their migration (the big reason why I chose Winter to visit--besides, after the stress of the Christmas season, I'm well and truly ready for a vacation after that!). Other than that, we have no definite plans. Visit farmers market(s)? Probably. Take a helicopter tour? Maybe. Find beaches to photograph? Without a doubt. See if Hawaii might be a place where we'd want to purchase a home? Definitely!

    So, that's it. I've spent several months on a few forums, as well as everywhere else on the internet, researching life in Hawaii and what we can expect IF we chose to move there at some point. This forum is one more resource for us. Thank you for allowing me to post, here :-).

    Irish
    "In the end, only kindness matters."

  • #2
    Re: Greetings From the Oregon Coast

    Welcome. You are lucky to have chosen a vacation destination that has a ton of information on the internet. Hawaii Island is a fantastic place to explore!

    On a side topic, it always catches my notice when I see someone thinking about moving to Hawaii while they are planning their vacation. I've visited a few vacation destinations in other places over the years, but never once thought about moving there while making my sight-seeing itinerary. The "dream of Hawaii" certainly does have a life of its own!

    Anyway, Irish good luck with your planning.
    Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Greetings From the Oregon Coast

      Originally posted by Amati View Post
      Welcome. You are lucky to have chosen a vacation destination that has a ton of information on the internet. Hawaii Island is a fantastic place to explore!

      On a side topic, it always catches my notice when I see someone thinking about moving to Hawaii while they are planning their vacation. I've visited a few vacation destinations in other places over the years, but never once thought about moving there while making my sight-seeing itinerary. The "dream of Hawaii" certainly does have a life of its own!

      Anyway, Irish good luck with your planning.
      I've dreamed of moving to Hawaii for as long as I can remember. Literally. My father was stationed on Oahu (in the Army) in the late '50s, and, of course, my mother was there with him, where they lived on base. My mother was 7 months pregnant with me when my father's service time was up. He didn't renew his enlistment (that was back in the days of the draft, and he didn't volunteer the first time!), and so they went back home to Oregon. I've always felt that I missed out on something special, judging by the way my parents raved about living there, and I've always wanted to do the same.

      Nowadays, of course, Oahu is much more crowded and expensive. I like the Big Island for its diversity, and I have friends who live there who rave about it, too (one in Hawi, and 2 in Orchidlands Estates south of Hilo). With my husband's (low) 6 figure salary and my children all grown up and living lives of their own, not much would stop us from moving there if we actually decide we like it in person. We could certainly afford to purchase a house on the east side of the Big Island, which is the side I like best from what my research has turned up. Only thing we'd HAVE to have happen is DH's employer to allow him to telecommute all week long, instead of the 2 days/wk they allow atm. We can handle the bugs, the high cost of living, the occasional outward displays of dislike of us "Haoles", and not having a lot of glitzy night life or other things of that kind to entertain us. The ocean, certain climate zones, gardening, and the spirit of Aloha definitely appeals to us. We LOVE it here--don't get me wrong--and I'd never sell my little house, here, a block from the beach, but new adventures await, and I want to try Paradise out for size--at least while we're both healthy enough to enjoy it :-).
      Last edited by Irish; April 8, 2015, 06:45 PM.
      "In the end, only kindness matters."

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Greetings From the Oregon Coast

        Irish, welcome to Hawaii Threads.

        O`ahu has become the "LA of the Pacific" as some have put it. Our streets are full of homeless encampments, our afternoon traffic is a parking lot. A recent home would go for $800,000 and up, and they are tightly gathered together in most instances, like a mold or fungus creeping up the slopes to the mountains.

        Kauai is more spacious and rural, but some areas are very expensive.

        The Big Island is vast and spacious, with plenty of inexpensive land to build on.

        I have a 1/4 acre lot in Moanalua Estates near Volcano town, outside the volcano danger zone, above the mosquito zone. Cost me $20K 20 years ago, lots are going for about $18,000 now. We intended to retire there, but that won't happen.

        There are B&B rentals in the area. It is heavily wooded with Ohi`a and Fern Trees. A couple of lots side by side could give you a half acre. Mine is not listed, but it is available.

        The people are friendly and it's a straight shot to Hilo, maybe 20 minutes. It's pretty cool in the winter and mild in the summer. Be sure to check the area out. Best of luck.
        Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!
        ~ ~
        Kaʻonohiʻulaʻokahōkūmiomioʻehiku
        Spreading the virus of ALOHA.
        Oh Chu. If only you could have seen what I've seen, with your eyes.

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        • #5
          Re: Greetings From the Oregon Coast

          East Hawaii has some beautiful spots, and offers cheaper real estate. Just be sure to get a good map that shows the lava zones, and don't let the "heck I"ve lived here 10 years and haven't been run over by lava yet" type of story mislead you into false security. Before buying, check if property insurance is available in the area, and the price of it. OR .... don't worry about it, but only invest as much money as you can loose should a lava flow doom your property.

          No, I don't have property in East Hawaii. I have taken my chances with some rural West Hawaii property that I've had for over 30 years. No lava yet, but I'm fully aware that the bumpy ground on my lot is basically from a flow of decades ago. Over the years, there have been brief periods when insurance was not available.

          You sound smart, don't sell what you already have. Go on an adventure, while not putting all your eggs in one basket (that is on the slopes of an active volcano).
          Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Greetings From the Oregon Coast

            Originally posted by Kaonohi View Post
            Irish, welcome to Hawaii Threads.

            O`ahu has become the "LA of the Pacific" as some have put it. Our streets are full of homeless encampments, our afternoon traffic is a parking lot. A recent home would go for $800,000 and up, and they are tightly gathered together in most instances, like a mold or fungus creeping up the slopes to the mountains.

            Some of the many reasons I wouldn't want to live there. I've already decided on the Big Island, preferably near our friends who live in Orchidlands Estates, or, if we can afford to, north of Hilo somewhere along the coast. We'll be looking for properties of between 1 and 5 acres, hopefully with an acceptable house, catchment and solar systems, and septic and electricity already on the grounds. When we go looking, we'll also have to take into account internet connectivity and phone service, since my husband would be telecommuting from home.

            Kauai is more spacious and rural, but some areas are very expensive.

            The Big Island is vast and spacious, with plenty of inexpensive land to build on.

            I have a 1/4 acre lot in Moanalua Estates near Volcano town, outside the volcano danger zone, above the mosquito zone. Cost me $20K 20 years ago, lots are going for about $18,000 now. We intended to retire there, but that won't happen.

            Volcano town is one of the areas we want to look. The climate would suit my husband and I just fine, and I like photos I've seen of listings in that area :-).

            There are B&B rentals in the area. It is heavily wooded with Ohi`a and Fern Trees. A couple of lots side by side could give you a half acre. Mine is not listed, but it is available.

            I want to be able to garden, so we'll need to check out the soil in the area. I know that a lot of the Big Island is lava under a couple of inches of topsoil. Gardening is a passion of mine, and I would love to have a yard/property that looks like a tropical jungle .

            The people are friendly and it's a straight shot to Hilo, maybe 20 minutes. It's pretty cool in the winter and mild in the summer. Be sure to check the area out. Best of luck.

            We will be certain to! I've spoken with someone on a different forum who lives in the area, and swears by it. If we can find a place with at least an acre, and affordable (between $350K and $450K, most likely, not including a large down payment), it will definitely be a contender!
            And thank you for the advice, insight, and good wishes. I appreciate that :-).
            Last edited by Irish; April 9, 2015, 01:33 PM.
            "In the end, only kindness matters."

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Greetings From the Oregon Coast

              Originally posted by Irish View Post
              We will be certain to! I've spoken with someone on a different forum who lives in the area, and swears by it. If we can find a place with at least an acre, and affordable (between $350K and $450K, most likely, not including a large down payment), it will definitely be a contender!
              With that budget, you'll have more possibilities to investigate than you can shake a kiawe stick at.
              Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Greetings From the Oregon Coast

                Originally posted by Amati View Post
                With that budget, you'll have more possibilities to investigate than you can shake a kiawe stick at.
                Excellent! And yet, if we wanted to live on Oahu, in a SFH, I could barely get a shack for that price. I like rural areas with a bit of space between neighbors, so the Big Island suits me (and my husband) much better :-).
                "In the end, only kindness matters."

                Comment

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