Those that have moved to Hawaii | FerrariChat

Those that have moved to Hawaii

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by Mera, Aug 12, 2016.

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  1. Mera

    Mera Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2005
    768
    Milwaukee, WI
    Full Name:
    Rodney Dickman
    We are looking to retire and move (probably to the big island) to Hawaii. We want to move into a larger condo complex on or very near the beach. My question is: Those that have retired and moved to Hawaii - did you consider anywhere on the mainland first? I hate the idea of southern CA. To be on or near the beach is terribly expensive. Plus it is so well populated. Florida and SC? I like the idea that many in the condo complex and in HI in general are retired. Most do not get up and go to a day job. So much to do there. We are going this January to look things over. It has been my life long dream to retire and live on the beach in HI and never have to wear shoes and pants ever again. :) I just can't see anywhere in the southern mainland worthy. If the Cayman's were USA I would look there maybe. I want to stay in the USA.

    Thanks
    Rodney & Lynn

    Sold the 348 last year. Bought a 87 Buick GN with 10,000 miles on it and all original. Great old geezer car.
     
  2. Nate Johnson

    Nate Johnson Formula Junior

    Nov 7, 2006
    370
    USA
    Hi Rodney, I'm Nate. My parents stay on Oahu part of the year, so I have heard all about Island life for many years. My wife and I go over there once a year or so. I don't wear shoes or a shirt, except for Mass (and then, only shorts and shirt, no shoes). My dad is not blessed with my olive complection, so he has to wear a shirt and hat. The pace of life is slower than the mainland, but it can be hectic if you live in a major city like Honolulu.

    It is an expensive place to live if you want to be on the beach and eat out a lot. Property taxes are pretty high. The island of Hawai'i is an awesome place. If you love being on the island, then being on the mainland won't make you as happy. If you feel like you can get into the pace and culture, then Hawai'i is unlike any other place to live. That said, my parents liked Clearwater, FL as a second choice. I would probably rent a place on Hawai'i for an extended period of time to see if it's your thing. You'll either fall into the rhythm or you'll be trying to move up your return ticket (I have a family member that hates being 'stranded' on an island)!
     
  3. Glassman

    Glassman F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    I gave it a shot.....sold my business and retired to Kona. I couldn't stand it. I hated it there. I'm back in Montana now and way happier..........but minus a wife. Anyway I have a 1 bed condo for sale in the Kona Coast Resort, top tier with garage. Ocean view, walking distance to the beach. One block from Keahou shopping center and a KTA grocery store. This is located on the south end of Alii Drive.
     
  4. AbarthDave1

    AbarthDave1 Formula Junior

    Nov 7, 2015
    328
    Marietta
    I would suggest maybe renting for a year first. My father(rip) and his wife moved to Kona in 89.
    He passed in 08. It was still pretty quiet and low key in the first few years he lived there. Just a few years before he died he was complaining how it would take him 45 minutes to get from Kona to Captain Cook. Lots of traffic now and it lost it's charm. That was 10 years ago. That was his opinion of course. That was specific to living in Kona.

    Dave
     
  5. Mera

    Mera Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2005
    768
    Milwaukee, WI
    Full Name:
    Rodney Dickman
    I think I'll find out a lot the 9 days we are there this January. We will stop at various places and talk (a lot) to people that have retired and moved to HI and hear their stories. I want to think HI is the place for me. But who knows. Maybe after that trip I'll think differently. I've never been to HI because I was afraid. Afraid I would never want to come home. But now I can stay (soon). Maybe we should spend some time in FL also? FL does have a lot of beach frontage. The southern east coast? Georgia has a lot of bays off the ocean that must be pretty nice. Places like Hilton Head Island etc. Moving up towards Norfolk is also very nice. We would be on the water though no matter where we end up going. I have time. Maybe around 4 years before we leave and move somewhere. So now is getting to be the time to try and make these decisions.

    Thanks
    Rodney
     
  6. zudnic

    zudnic Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2014
    1,896
    Vancouver
    I like HI. My Dads cousin lived on Maui for years. I believe its the most popular spring break location for Vancouverites. The drawback, its islands far from the mainland. Things can get expensive. Plus getting to the continental US can be pain. On the good side, they do have nice roads for the most part. Car collecting can be done.

    Personally, I like the coast of Texas. Reasonable real estate prices. Low cost of living. Only drawback for me is distance from Vancouver.

    Not a fan of FL. I like California. I just don't like their state income tax.

    Arizona is an excellent state. Just not close enough to the Ocean.

    The U.S. has too many choices, you can almost live anywhere and have good and bad.
     
  7. Mera

    Mera Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2005
    768
    Milwaukee, WI
    Full Name:
    Rodney Dickman
    #7 Mera, Aug 15, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2016
    I'm still thinking HI is the place for us to be. The beach in the gulf would be nice but after a while it is just the beach and does not offer that many things to do like HI does. I've never been to the gulf coast near Houston. So I can't say what it is like there weather. I'll be retired. I may look for some part time work to keep a little busy. Ideally we would be in a condo complex on the beach within a few hundred yards of a large hotel would be cool. I could get on my scooter and cruise the shoreline. One condo complex I looked at on the big island with Google earth showed a paved walking path from the condo complex to the large hotel maybe 200 yards down the beach. I want to be around people. I would never consider a house there. Too isolated. If I was younger I would only want to buy a house. I still want to say we will be on the big island. Maui may be nicer but the big island might be plenty nice for us. We will rent a furnished unit when we first get there and it will be easy to move around some before we buy a condo. We won't have many possessions to move. We could fly to Maui at some point early on and stay there for a week or so to look around. I do not think we would consider any other island. Just Maui and the big island.

    Thanks
    Rodney
     
  8. Mera

    Mera Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2005
    768
    Milwaukee, WI
    Full Name:
    Rodney Dickman
    We will be there for about nine days in early January. If we find it interesting enough and worth the effort we could fly to Maui for a few days during those nine days. Once we start talking to the locals we will get a feel for what Maui has. Maui is smaller and costs more. So I want to think the big island is for us.

    Rodney
     
  9. Kravchak

    Kravchak Formula Junior

    Oct 17, 2005
    850
    Northeast
    Full Name:
    Ken
    My Wife and I have been talking about doing the same thing for the last 31 years, I'm getting close to retirement and i have been told the the Big Island is the best choice for retirement in HI. Florida, in my opinion, Sucks 6 months out of the year and the bugs are as big a VW beatles...

    I am really curious if you find anything and will probably use all that you find out for my retirement in the next 3 years... ( I can go now but dont want to)
     
  10. schwoo

    schwoo Formula Junior

    Jun 22, 2013
    845
    Florida
    Full Name:
    Marquette
    Amelia Island Florida - best kept secret. Thy have a Ritz Carlton, Omni resort, excellent restaurants, close to Jacksonville airport, no state tax.

    We have a beautiful beachfront home and absolutely love it!


    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk
     
  11. Gran Drewismo

    Gran Drewismo F1 Rookie

    Jan 24, 2005
    3,778
    Idaho
    Full Name:
    Andrew
    I just visited there (and Florida) for the first time this year. Wonderful area and the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is superb!
     
  12. Randy R

    Randy R Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Jul 23, 2011
    334
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    '14 Cal 30 TDF/Tan
    #12 Randy R, Aug 15, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2016
    We've been vacationing at the Kona Coast Resort annually for about 15 years. I could easily see us settling in Keahou, however we love our home in Northern CA, and we want to travel more, so settling in Kona is not really in the cards for us at this moment. There are definitely "commuter hours" on the hiway to avoid, however if you're in no rush, there is really nothing like putt-putt'ing along Alii drive. The big island is well named, in that there are many things to explore in day trips or even overnight trips. One time we visited the Volcano, we crashed overnight in Hilo, so we could enjoy sunset at the Volcano and NOT have to drive back to Kona until after a good night's rest. Personally, I would avoid the big resorts north of Kailua, unless you have big money to buy a big home. They are nice to visit, but I would not want to live there - I think they are too isolated and too far away from the "locals". Enjoy your vacation!
     
  13. Glassman

    Glassman F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed Silver Subscribed

    I love that Pizza place in the Keahou shopping center. The Gluten free is great. So is the Sushi place across the walking mall.
    Killer Tacos in old industrial is fantastic, and that place in the shopping center by the Post Office and Starbucks........I think its called Bali....we just called it the Eifel Tower is so good. Just don't ever look in the kitchen, and be careful with the plastic squeeze bottles of hot sauce, get the wrong one and you are screwed for a couple of hours. The Tai place by the Kona Brewery, and behind the Firestone tire store is fabulous. I can't remember the name but everyone I know who lives in Kona calls it the Firestone. And if you like mashed potatoes and gravy with any meat you can imagine, the Pine Tree is the spot.
     
  14. Mera

    Mera Formula Junior

    Aug 13, 2005
    768
    Milwaukee, WI
    Full Name:
    Rodney Dickman
    My wife is Thai. She moved to the US when she was around 12. Got off the plane in the USA in the middle of winter in sandals and had never seen snow or cold weather. So she is going back to a climate that is like her childhood. Very little food is too hot for her. When the waiter/waitress asks her how hot she would like her plate on a scale of 1 to 5 I say she would like a 6. She will be happy if she can find hot peppers and such there.

    I'll be curious to see what we can get in a condo at our price point. I want to look at condos in the $425-$450 range. My ideal number would probably be around $425. I've looked on line but it is hard to really see what is what. Once we are there we will look at some and we will get a feel for what we can get for that money. We will rent a furnished condo or apartment when we first get there until we find what we are looking for.

    My idea is if we run low on funds in the years ahead we sell the condo and rent. If I live long enough to run low on those funds we move back to the mainland. :)

    Rodney
     
  15. Kravchak

    Kravchak Formula Junior

    Oct 17, 2005
    850
    Northeast
    Full Name:
    Ken
    Never been there, worth checking out, no state income tax...
     
  16. mtate4442

    mtate4442 Rookie

    Sep 27, 2016
    1
    London
    Full Name:
    Mike
    Hey! Contact these guys https://tranio.com/usa/hi/ They don't seem to have a lot of houses in Hawaii, but they do have partners there, so you might find some options. The thing is they offer a free consultation about local real estate taxes, prices, how to get a loan etc so why not to use it
     

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