So what's Hawaii like?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I'm still kind of in shock from this. . . I recently responded to a "help wanted" posting from a design firm out of Hawaii - it sounded good and all but honestly I didn't think my chances were very good at getting any serious consideration, much less an offer. It was mostly a "well, it'd be nice - what the hell, I'll shoot 'em a resume" kind of thing.

Well, they just called me and want to fly me out there for an interview, so they're obviously interested. Obviously this would be a huge life change (albeit a good one) and they'd pay relocation (details coming). I've never been to the islands and have no idea what to expect. Any advice?

I know prices will be a tad bit higher than SoCal, but I'm told it's not much more expensive - about 5-10% depending on where you live (this job would be on the big island). Should I start with 25% on top of my current salary as an "expectation", all other things (like benefits) being equal? I typically say 15-20% more to offset the cost of starting at a new place, etc.

What other things should I consider if I get a serious offer? Obviously housing is a crazy situation, but it can't be much worse than L.A.

Wow. I'm still reeling. Anyway - who's got any good advice?

[HardDrive]

It beautiful, but I gotta wonder if you would get cagey from 'island fever'. I had a friend get a job in the Cayman Islands, and it drove him nuts. He got very bored.

[alf]

Big Island is cool, it has a small town feel.

[Z-man]

If I had the opportunity to move to Hawaii, I would. Actually, the last time Mrs. Z-man and I were there (back in 2004), not a day went by when we didn't seriously discuss the possibility.

Hawaii is paradise - it is beautiful, safe (for the most part), but it is expensive. Just about everything has to be imported - stuff like groceries get really pricey. Real estate isn't too bad, but the daily costs are what will take a while to get used to.

The Big Island of Hawaii is not as touristy as Oahu or Maui - so that's a plus in my book. And the Big Island is one of the most diverse of the Islands in terms of scenery - from Mars like barren wilderness east of Hilo (Hawaii Volancoes National Park), to some tropical / resort type areas on the Kona side - you've got it all. Plus at night, you can see the red glow of Mona Loa - the active volcano. And for a month or two, there is actually snow skiing available on the top peaks!! Now how cool is that?!?

If they are offering to fly you down for an interview - I think you should take them up on the offer - and spend at least a week more on the Island to get a flavor of it, and see if you can get used to that lifestyle. And if you need an assistant (I don't know anything about what a design firm does - but I'm willing to learn!!) give me a call - I'll pack my bags tonight!

-Z-man.

[Tobra]

Hawaii is awesome, I would love to live there. Get yourself a house, plant a garden and grow your own veggies, supermarkets are super expensive, as stated above, most stuff is imported.

People talk about boring, but I just don't see it, all the stuff I do here and more is available there. I would not miss winter, even pseudo winter like we get in Cali

[thamlin000]

Hawaii is better to visit, imo. 4 years in Hawaii (Honolulu) was more than enough for me. Too secluded from the rest of the US.

[Moses]

Hawaii is magnificent. Period.

The mornings are breathtaking. You can smell the mangoes. The air is still and the water is calm. And guess what! The evenings are even better!

I would leave my big California home for this modest bungalow in a heartbeat!

[gr8fl4porsche]

I've spent about 7 weeks on the islands over the years. I would move in a heartbeat if an opportunity came my way. You can always move back. Is the job in Honolulu?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Thanks for the responses - I'm looking forward to seeing what they're all about. It's not in Honolulu (which I guess is a good thing), it's more on the northern part of the island in Kamuela.

I should know more in a week or two but it might end up being one of those "once in a lifetime" opportunities, which I'm never one to pass up. We'll see.

[motion]

Don't forget your "moon shoes"!

[BlueSkyJaunte]

The Big Island is fantastic. Oahu et al are real tourist traps.

I love the mountains, maybe try to do the drive from Kona to Hilo.

If I had my druthers I'd live up in the Waimea area.

[nostatic]

North Shore of Oahu? Do not hesitate...

I'd move there in a heartbeat unless I had to live/work in Honolulu. Waikiki is like LA with none of the good stuff. I prefer Kauai to all the islands, but the north short of Oahu has a nice feel, and of course some of the best surf in the world. If I could work out a consulting/writing/whatever gig I'd move there. But then again, I'd be happy doing water sports and playing music for tourists in the hotels...

[Rufblackbird]

Originally posted by Z-man
Real estate isn't too bad, but the daily costs are what will take a while to get used to.

Well, in recent years, real estate has gone WAY up. Not as bad on the Big Island though, since there's a ton more land (and more being made everyday thanks to Kilauea Volcano). However, since the only refineries are on Oahu, gas prices are up there on the neighbor islands. Just imagine this. A few weeks ago we were paying about $3.50 a gallon for 92 octane on Oahu. Neighbor islands are roughly $0.40 per gallon more (don't know exactly but can find out). Only recently did our prices fall back down to $3.15, where it was at today when I filled up. Any questions, just ask.

[Dottore]

I would also go in a heartbeat if I had some compelling reason to go. A job would do.

We love the big island. Someone said they missed the mainland? Guess what? You can fly to the mainland.

I mean if you can set yourself up in the islands with regular visits to the mainland - you are one lucky SOB.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by nostatic
I'd be happy doing water sports

I was going to make a "Bobby Brown Goes Down" reference but that would've been in poor taste.

[MBAtarga]

Orange Juice was $6.50 for a half gallon back in May.

[charleskieffner]

hell yes i would do it in a heartbeat! and this is why! kona lava tube diving....................not for the claustrophobic! an underwater photo delight!

[89911]

Here is some more information. Although my experience was not the exactly the same as yours, I found that living in an area like yours was similar to a long, long, vacation. It had a beginning of excitement, a middle portion of existing, and a final portion of longing for home. Mine took about 2 years. Who knows, yours make take 20?

The Cost of Living in Paradise is High!

If you are thinking of making Hawaii your home, consider the following facts:

Sources indicate a cost of living ranging from 30%1 above the national average to well over 60%2 for certain family sizes.
In 2006, a family of 4 renting accommodation in Honolulu needs to earn $111,695 or 55% more income to maintain a lifestyle similar to a comparable family earning $72,000 in the continental United States.2


Although the 2003 median income of $71,320 for a family of 4 in Hawaii was higher than the national figure of $65,093, this is still below the amount required to maintain the same standard of living for a family of 4 in Hawaii as elsewhere in America.3


Hawaii's High Cost of Housing and Low Income

A major component of Hawaii's high cost of living can be attributed to its high cost of housing and low income.
In 2005, the State of Hawaii ranked number 10 out of 47 States surveyed (Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were excluded) for having the most expensive housing market based on a 2200 sq. ft. (approx.) single family dwelling with 4-bedrooms, 2.5 baths, family room (or equivalent) and a 2-car garage in a corporate middle-management neighborhood. Hawaii ranks number 47 (bottom of the list) for the most affordable housing market! 4


The national average of the markets surveyed in the above study was $401,767. The survey showed that the 2005 Average Sales Price for the most expensive Hawaii market was $745,454 (Kihei, Maui) and the most affordable was $737,625 (Honolulu, Oahu) - well over the national average.


2005 set record high prices for single family dwellings on the Island of Oahu. The 2005 median resale price of a single family home was $590,000. The 2005 median resale price for a condominium was $269,000.5 The cost of housing on neighbor islands was even higher and higher incomes were harder to obtain.6


In 2004, Hawaii's home ownership rate (proportion of owner households to the total number of occupied households) was only 60.9%, ranking Hawaii as 48th (one of the lowest) in the nation - indicative of widespread speculative investment.7


In 2005, Hawaii's total personal income grew by 8% - the biggest increase since 1990 and the third largest increase in the nation.8 However, Hawaii's 2004 Per Capita Personal Income of $32,606 ranked 20th in the United States, below the national average of $33,041.9
For salary and cost of living comparisons between Honolulu and other U.S. cities, see the Cost of Living Wizard.

Even with 2 adults working full time, rental housing and home ownership are becoming increasingly unaffordable, if not impossible, for the average family in Hawaii.


Cost of Food

Amazingly, Hawaii has less than a seven day supply of many foods, especially perishables. Some 90% of our food is still imported.

In recent years, the cost of food in Hawaii has been offset to some degree with the arrival of major warehouse outlets throughout the Islands (e.g. Costco, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart). However, the Economic Research Institute's 2006 Cost of Living Analyses for Honolulu shows that the cost of consumables weighted to pricing patterns of grocery and drug store chains is as much as 66% more than the U.S. average depending upon family size, earnings level and spending patterns.2

Perhaps 10,000 acres could grow all the perishable food Hawaii needs. Unfortunately, key factors in utilizing these acres are the high cost of some land, tax laws and leasing difficulties, water, labor and transportation.

You just can't grow cucumbers on $95,000+-an-acre land!



Land Availability

Nearly half of Hawaii's 4.1 million acres are managed by the State or Federal Government and of the remaining 50% in private ownership, approximately 20 percent is controlled by seven private landowners.10

Of the total acreage, the State Land Use Commission classifies 95% as belonging to either Agriculture or Conservation Districts and only 5% to Rural and Urban Districts.11

Increasing urbanization and growing pressure from developers to use agricultural land for resort and large subdivision development is likely to continue fueling the high price of housing, food, and cost of living in Hawaii.



America's Health Care - A System in Crisis

The Nation's health care costs in 2006 have hit the $1.9 trillion mark and now consume 16 percent of the gross domestic product.

Half of the people filing for bankruptcy in the United States cited medical costs as the reason. About 75 percent of those filing had health insurance when they became ill.

Currently, 46 million Americans are uninsured and millions more have inadequate health insurance. In terms of health indicators like life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality, and obesity, the United States ranks close to the bottom of the list of Western countries.12



Health Care Costs in Hawaii

As at January 1, 2006, the average cost for HMO (Managed Care) for an individual in Hawaii was $437 a month - for a family $747 a month. The average cost for Indemnity (Non Managed Care) for an individual was $563 a month - for a family $936 a month.2

The 2006 U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Poverty Guideline for a family or household of 4 people in Hawaii is $23,000 a year.13 In Hawaii, approximately one in ten persons were living "at or below poverty level" in 2004. Of those below poverty, 12.4% were uninsured (compared to 4.4% of those above poverty).14

Hawaii Quest is a State program that provides health coverage through managed care plans for eligible lower income Hawaii residents. To be eligible for Hawaii Quest, you must have income not more than 100% of the current Federal Poverty Guidelines.15

In 2004, the percentage of the Nation's population without health insurance remained unchanged, at 15.7% percent.16 Hawaii had a total uninsured population of 5.2% in 2004.17

Beginning in 2006, Hawaii intends to extend Medicaid coverage to an additional 29,000 people over the next six years.8

Many Hawaiians believe that health care is a precious human right that cannot be trusted to the vagaries of the profit-driven market model.



In spite of everything, Hawaii is still a better place to be.
We draw strength from our diversity.
Some of the best people in one of the best places in the world!

[Noah930]

I'd move to Hawaii in a heartbeat. My wife, however, has vetoed it as being too far away from her family here on the East Coast. I even told her I'd be willing to give up the racecars and motorbikes, and she didn't bite.

I think the biggest obstacle for most people is island fever. Can you stand to live so far away from the rest of the U.S.? That's a personal decision. Personally, I think I can. Most people, probably not.

Cost of living is just a detail item. You deal. Everyone there does. Yeah, everything's imported and costs more. But everyday you wake up, and it's paradise.

If you do go visit, I highly recommend picking up the tourbook "Hawaii Revealed," or something like that. It's paperback, blue cover, with a cartoon map of the Big Island on the cover. (There's a separate book for each major island.) Lots of recommendations on stuff to do, restaurants, hotels, beaches, etc. Interesting historical vignettes for cultural perspective. And it'll show you the diversity of the island.

Worst case scenario: you move there, hate the island fever, and move back to the mainland in 4 or 5 years. In the meantime, you've had the opportunity of a lifetime, and you're culturally richer for it.

[charleskieffner]

just imagine being a native of arizona, a diver for 31yrs, always around boats,tired of the 115 degree days, phx now the 5th largest city in u.s. with all the problems associated w/it...................it would literally take me less than a heartbeat to say yes!

have been over 3 times now to big island. spent almost a month one trip. the naysayers above are full of crap. last trip to maui new years, help wanted signs everywhere, land is affordable. big island would be my choice.

your priorities change dramatically when you spend time there, your life becomes far less challenging than in a city. it is the most beautiful chunk of land i have ever seen. knowing locals there really helps. have friend who went over to maui, had no job when he left, fell in love w/it, and is now mgr. of ruth chris steak house maui. makes great bucks, happy as a clam, drives a vespa! sold all his crap when he moved over. stated it was the smartest thing he EVER DID, despite all the naysayers and leaving it all behind.

noah had the best attitude..........try it and if you do get island fever, you will be a better person for it!

being a diver helps.................when man gets bored on land..............man goes UNTA-WATA BRUDDAH!