Recently got into the market in Hawaii. $3,500 mortgage for every 400k. Most homes in Hawaii are 1 million for a 3bd 2ba. Rent on an equal property is $3,000-$3,500 a month. Buying is much more expensive than renting but owning in Hawaii will build equity at an “almost” guaranteed 10x over the 30 years. Sit down and talk to core team, they are honest and will hold your hand, no matter how long it takes for to buy.
If you buy then sell you can’t leave the state for like a year or you will be hit with a big-ass fee for it - could be over $100k if you have a decent ROI - BE WARNED! Hawaii is paradise in the exact same way Disneyland makes your dreams come true😑
I always said when I lived in Hawaii… That the best thing about living in Hawaii was telling people that you live in Hawaii. 😉🤙🏻 I also lived ocean front in Kaneohe. The rust on my appliances and vehicles was definitely a “Con”.
Currently recovering from surgery and radiation, you may not get the healthcare you are used to. When you do find the dr who is the right fit, they leave, move, quit. Over and over. You may have to island hop to appointments. Flights and hotels will be your expense. Check on that before you give up your current team.
@@penniewyatt9391 thank you for the insight. Fortunately (maybe not the right word to choose) I went through my ordeal here in Texas 2 years ago. I hope all of this is now behind me. Wishing you a speedy recovery 💪
@@J3ffdrums thanks. If you have mainland family ties, you could always go back and stay with them for a few months if need be. There is sufficient testing and treatment, to get by, but no ‘state of the art’ anything on Kauai.
Visit but I wouldn't move there. Family is here on mainland. I can imagine telling relatives to come out and visit me. " Yeah I might be able to come out in about a year," & they never do. Law enforcement seems to be nonexistent in Hawaii & I'm a Haoli boy
On Oahu, I saw a lot of homes that looked right out of Compton - chain link fence, pit bulls, junk cars, and hoarding. I’m not paying over a million to live in a rat’s nest. If you choose to buy a condo, you get stuck with sketchy land leasing problems and huge HOA fees, not to mention giant bills to keep the a/c running. Good luck !!!!!
One month after retiring and moving into our dream home on the Big Island, the nice neighbor's not so nice daughter moved in on them - with her two very large loud pitbulls. After four years of nonstop night and day without end barking/torture, I finally cracked. It took us another two years to sell the home at a loss because of the dogs. It wasn't the poor animals fault. They were in a small pen in their own filth (the stench was unbearable) and never let out. Many dogs there are chained or penned their entire lives.
You're probably exaggerating for effect, but when we moved to Hawaii in 1996 the housing market was bad. We moved to a new neighborhood in Kapolei and at least two of the homes on our small street sat empty for more than a year before somebody moved into them.
My grandfather was in the US Navy (1898-1904) Spanish-American War & visited Hawaii in 1900, when the last Queen was still alive! It's too bad that he didn't buy some property then! Ha Ha! p.s. I'm 78 & have visited Hawaii three times, i.e. 1979, 1991 & 2003 & can't believe how much it's grown!
even back in 1975 Cali was an overcrowded rat-race. So we moved to Honolulu,( thought I'd died and gone to heaven)-cheap rent, cheap everything back then. Union construction tradesman- Stayed 30 yrs. Made good living, saved money, retired age 55, sold up, moved away. But not back to the US mainland. Retired to SE Asia now for going on 20yrs. Two of the best decisions in my life: leave Cali for Hawaii/retire to Thailand to live out my time on earth in comfort.
Sooner or later, there will be a bunch of farangs living in Thailand (and they would bring all of their b.s. First World problems to a Third World country). Btw, have you learned how to speak Russian yet?
I was born/raised in SoCal, family moved to northern California in 1979. We had had Hawaiian neighbors in SoCal; they never moved back to the islands. I've lived in Wisconsin for 30 years plus; I'd like to retire soon (with the husband) to some place like Thailand. I read all the online info but am not sure how to get the best info for where is best for us and how we would want to live. I don't entirely trust the "live overseas" websites and magazines.
@@SV-kr9fu farang=ferengi=foreigner.... how did this indo-european word get all the way there? And I'll bet that the Thai like our money.... and we're not the tourist types. We keep to ourselves and don't mind living local.
I wish I had rented first. I bought a townhouse but pretty quickly learned I didn’t like the neighbors, the commute, the vibe. By the time we sold, we were much better equipped to choose a neighborhood. Rented for 8 years because we couldn’t afford to buy in the area. So building equity is not necessarily to road to happiness. Big lesson for everyone living in Hawaii is not the same as vacationing in Hawaii. I love Hawaii but everything said in this video is 100 percent true.
My former in-laws sold their Bay Area home and moved to Hawaii. They didn't have that much equity in their home, but thought they had enough to get a house on Maui. They rented a shoebox apartment, saying they would buy a house in a year. The year became 2, became 3. Then former father-in-law had health problems. He passed away and former mother-in-law moved back to the Bay Area and moved in with my former brother-in-law. I knew when I saw the tiny apartment that they would never end up buying. You confirmed why.
@@floydfarano3284My sister just moved there, and is looking for a home now. I'm honestly curious how long she and my brother-in-law will stay there, considering on Oahu it looks like good homes are priced at $850 and up
Lived in Hawaii for a few years. Loved it very much. I love the food, the culture, the dance and music. I then moved to the Philippines. It is like Hawaii x10 at 1/10 the cost
Back in the early 1990’s, I became frustrated with my Bay Area intensive care nursing job. I had visited the various Hawaiian islands over the years. I loved the islands and the people living there. I took a week off from my job to visit Oahu and the Big Island, with job hunting intentions. I was shocked to discover how poorly paid Hawaiian ICU nurses were. They were making about half the hourly wages I was paid on the west coast mainland. Housing costs were even higher than California real estate, which was already very pricey. I was offered two jobs during my Hawaii nursing job hunt-night shifts in ICU’s, with starting benefits and without the privileges of seniority. I had expected to make some sacrifices in order to start over in Hawaii. But basically, I would have been paid half of what I was earning on the mainland while needing to pay out more than double in expenses. That math was a no-go. I’m glad I did my in-person research before I committed to the move!
Appreciate the Channel. Video made me nostalgic - 8:00 see my old condo in the Salt Lake neighborhood - Century West. I left in 95 and when I visit, everyone says .... "Those were the good old days" - which they were when you look at the Traffic, lack of parking and Cost of Living. Your grocery prices are much higher than the Mainland. I feel for the old Mom & Pops businesses - their overhead is so much higher than before. I feel for your young adults Starting Out. Life in Paradise is getting too expensive. You got to be super smart and lucky with your money to get housing you can afford and hope you got a good paying job paying $100K minimum.
I lived a very good lifestyle on the big island of Hawaii for 23 years. Ocean front very successful, very blessed. Loved it, but decided retirement will be better in Florida, Naples area and honestly I could not be happier, so much better. As expensive as Naples Florida is, it’s still light years cheaper than Hawaii. Hawaii taxes everything and sadly you get nothing for your tax dollars. It all goes somewhere, but not to the residents and native people, and certainly not the infrastructure. Government in Hawaii is a horrible joke. Tax and spend state. Aloha and Mahalo Hawaii, glad I experienced it, just so I could appreciate better. 🤙
Democrats cause high taxes, harmful policies and harmful legislation that cause high prices, high costs. Democrats are the High Cost Party and take that to the bank. Biden promised higher taxes if he wins and that is a fact that Biden had said several times!
Welcome to FL, I'm in Orlando and travel around the state for work, so I get to Naples every now and then. But, I see Hawaii as you do ..even though I have only visited numerous times. Love the Big Island, the ranches and more country style. Wishing you the best living here in FL, it's not North Shore, but you can still hang loose... 🤙 (sorry, that's the closest emoji they had).
I have lived in many parts of the US and have never experienced more property crime or disregard for quiet than here in Hawaii. I have seen mopeds chained to a tree be stripped for parts overnight. Friend has been robbed of his bike twice, while he is riding it. Stereos blasting regardless of whether it bothers others or not are a common thing. Street racing in Waikiki and vehicles with no mufflers is a norm. Angst against mainlanders is palpable. Then there are the trucks with train air horns. I have heard more explosions here than anywhere in my life. Its actually quite ridiculous behavior. Weather though is perfect.
Oh, and let's not forget the neverending fireworks going off every night to all hours. There are laws stating when fireworks can be fired, but if the police refuse to enforce the laws, you're screwed.
I get it we have a neighbor close by that has a " boom box" we can hear it like 2 blocks away shakes the windows when it's close I know it's above decibal levels, my only comfort is knowing that they will soon b deaf ..
I grew up in Haiku, Maui. I lived in Maui until I retired and moved to Oregon and then Virginia. Hawaii has cars that are dirty everyday. Here, if its not pollen season, our cars just don't get that dirty. I left when I had to retire due to disability and my broken down house I owned in Kahului had a mortgage over $500k. Disability led to foreclosure and bankruptcy. Bank wouldn't work with me and instead sold that broken down home for $350k to a Filipino family that combine income and could afford it. It was over $600k at on time when I looked back. Now that Lahaina burned down, most people I grew up with left or got caught up in drugs and many died, there isn't much to come home to Maui anymore. I do have family, but I prefer the freedom of Virginia and have since gotten my myself up above 750 credit score, bought 1.6 acres and raise chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks. I love the place and am able to go on road trips. I could go on and on about how Hawaii has changed for the worst and has been taken over by developers and speculators, but I'm going to go do some yard work and enjoy the beautiful weather here today.
Glad all ended well for you! Do you prefer the cost of living in Virginia over Oregon? Both places seem to have favorable climates and nice coastal areas with Virginia having higher dew points and humidity (like Hawaii I suppose.)
I remember sleeping over a friend's house right on the beach. You wake up with a layer of salt. That layer is hard to remove from electronics and cars.
I grew up in London, moved to NZ for my work, discovered Kailua Oahu and decided that’s my place. Followed condo market for 30 years and finally bought a 2bd condo in 2015. Immediately found a tenant to share, the rent covers the maintenance fee. The property tax is low. I don’t need or own a car, because everything you need is walking distance in Kailua. You don’t need a family cos you make friends on the beach which is 10 mins by bike. I have a very different story from this video. Ps. I managed to get US per res so all is very cool.
Can’t believe you preferred Hawaii over New Zealand! I’m from neither but have visited both (currently in Hawaii) and love NZ, both the place and the people so much more!
That salt spray goes up mauka for a few blocks when the surf is big. Even Kona has bad traffic now. I live 3 miles from where I surf. In the morning before sunrise, it may be an 8-minute drive. Coming home can be 30 - 40 and you idle the entire way. I would add don't buy next to a house with a pool. Especially if it's a vacation rental. Living next to smokers sucks. Like the video. I might add don't move here to change Hawaii. I moved to the Big Island in 91 for what it was. Not what I thought it should be.
My sister was born in Honolulu 1950’s. I retired on Maui 13 years ago and bought a home. Home is a liability until you sell, then you find out if an asset or not. Meanwhile taking money out of your pocket vs money in your pocket every month like stocks or rental property. Maintenance is 3 times or more on a house in Hawaii as expensive labor. Constantly replacing appliances, roof repair, gecko damage, remodeling cost. You’re using investment money if retired for maintenance. Plus last 3 years terrible inflation compounded yearly not ending soon. Average affordable home 1.3 million. You need solar and an electric car cuz of high energy prices. I saved $500/month with solar/ev. Hawaii is not a tax friendly state. Most people live in multigenerational homes like Mexico. 15 people in 2000sf with 7 bedrooms with 6 cars out front. Huge divide rich and poor as not enough money to invest. Working 3 jobs with no benefits vs 1 job with benefits. I remember a beach in front of Sheridan Waikiki in the 60s, but that’s not the case now due to sea level rise. Hawaii is like a ship in the middle of the ocean with all the hazards of a ship. Maui already lost 20% of its beaches with the other 80% threatened by erosion as ocean able to make it over the reef with sealevel rise. Hawaii becoming warmer with more A/C’s installed with increased energy costs. The future with sealevel rise is what cities should we save or not with levies. Tsunamis are something to think about. The closer to the ocean the higher home owner insurance costs. We decided to leave Maui this year and our home up for sale moving to Nevada, the 9th island. The Lahaina fire changed everything. As climate change causing increased fires and other issues. This out of control inflation from all the QE money(another fancy word for inflating monetary system) is wrecking havoc on already an expensive state. One reason people leaving Hawaii, West coast, and New York to tax friendly states with less crimes, homelessness, high taxes, and poverty. More actual Hawaiians live in Nevada than Hawaii. You can own a home, higher salary, and visit Hawaii. Rebuilding Lahaina will take years. No cheap places to rent or cheap restaurants for mainland workers to help rebuild Lahaina. I thought a tsunami would be the first to wipe out a town not a fire. More hurricanes as water warms. It will be astronomical to rebuild cities. Food shortages in just a few days with major disruptions due to disasters.
Remember Hawaii sits in the middle of a bathtub in the ring of fire. Our lifespans are too short to witness how violent Mother Nature can be with earthquakes, tsunami, meteorites, volcanic eruptions, tectonic plates, etc. The past 12 years 2 tsunami warnings in Hawaii recommending to go to higher ground. Many tsunami signs removed Honolulu so as not to scare tourists. We have become complacent just like the Lahaina fire as just another nuisance grass fire until it wasn’t. Hurricanes and Tsunamis not so much you can do unless leave the island. Hawaii known for landslide tsunami cuz of fragile basaltic rocks islands form from. Molokai half the size of its former glory due to a landslide and huge tsunami. Big island with many large cracks. If a tsunami minimal warning and the size of Diamond head. It’s not if but when. Another reason to be up on a hill
Im stunned after reading that I and most people are prob naive as to what the real story is 5-0 & Magn p i prob did worse for Hawaii image than n e thing else thank u for telling it like it is
Sea level rise, sea level rise, sea level rise…. BS! What you have seen is coastal erosion patterns. There’s no sea level rise to note in Hawaii. Other beaches and locations statewide confirm this. Stop piping the fear propoganda… we’re all booked up here.
Nevada would be such a *massive* shock to my system. Maybe less so for anyone from Kahului, or south and west side? I've visited Nevada. I can live in my home state without air-conditioner, but could never live in Nevada without. Near Tahoe could be milder in summers perhaps? I don't know if more affordable though. I was born in Honolulu in the 60s. Have family on the windward side, but my offspring and I had to head over to Maui in the "aughts" to find something affordable to rent in the rural jungle. Rent has skyrocketed steadily since, in every region and neighborhood I could bear to live. Hardest part is how common it is for landlords to not even follow the codes and laws with high rents paid responsibly by good tenants.
Don't forget to check for location of the house on the lot, and the street. Just on the opposite side of the street make a big difference in good living or paying for AC on all the time. (No trade wind)
My first visit to Hawaii I thought I wanted to move there. But upon my first visit to a grocery store, sticker shock arrived. Everything was anywhere between 30-60% higher depending on what you wanted. So folks who don't also incorporate this weekly needed cost into their budgets are going to be woefully surprised. I still love it there, but now I am happy just visiting every few years for a couple of weeks.
Great point, so many people have heard of how expensive Hawaii is, but it doesn't really hit them because they are just visiting. It was the same when I visited Jamaica years ago, everything was way more expensive than in the US.
My wife and I do a lot of farmers markets on the Big Isle, then get the rest at the Choice Mart, if you eat a regular “American” diet it will cost you, the junk food is quite a bit more. Your best bet is to stock up on that crap at Costco, gas too.
One thing that I didn't know before moving to Hawaii is the number of homes that don't have AC and reliance on the tradewinds to cool the home. Then, if you do have AC, how much your energy bill is gonna be if you run it most of the day.
Great presentation thanks. You make many good points. One that a lot of people don't think about until they're confronted with it is the wind. My wife and I are from Oahu, and at one point we lived in Kaaawa/Hau'ula on the beach. It was great, but there's a reason they call it the "Windward Side". The wind is usually direct onshore and it will wear you down. Also, the windward side weather is usually cloudy because of the proximity of the Koolau mountains. I actually preferred living in town on the leeward side as the trades didn't bother me unless they were really blowing. Also, as much as I loved surfing Crouch, my home spots were in MBay (used to surf big NShore but those days are over).
Derek, great comment about how Mother Nature can erode homes that are near the ocean. It’s not just the outdoor fixtures, it’s the roof, it’s the windows, getting sandblasted at times. It’s part of the price you pay to live next to the ocean. Great video. You did good here Derek. Best wishes from Oregon, my friend, Larry
I grew up on Oahu, but live on the mainland now. Being able to live on several acres has spolied me to a point I cannot move back and retire because there's no space and privacy in Hawaii. Living on the islands exposes you to all of everything all the time.
@@DewTime Since lots are often small, your neighbors are often right on top of you, and everything they are doing, you are experiencing. Smoking marijuana, cock fighting, their domestic squabbles, all the meals they are cooking, every time they decide to shoot off fireworks for no good reason, frequent karaoke sessions outside, working on their automobiles, racing their cars or motorbikes up and down the street, their pets running all over the neighborhood unchecked, their dogs barking incessantly at absolutely nothing and everything, etc. etc. If you can think of it, you will experience it at some point. I would strongly suggest that before buying, you visit that neighborhood FREQUENTLY at different times of the day and on different days to try to get an idea what it will be like. I did that when I bought on Kauai, and I still had issues with dog barking that nearly drove me nuts until I got the police and Humane Society involved. And the stray cat problem is positively ridiculous. This is an ecological hot zone, and these idiots are allowing cats to roam around unchecked. It seriously angers me.
My stepsister married a Hawaiin man when she was fairly young. She has told me stories about life there, random Hawaiin women slapping her in the back of the head just while waiting in line at a store, being called "white whore", you name it. She is now in her 50's, still in Hawaii, said that the best part of her life is her husband and kids, but the worst part is having to live it all in Hawaii. She has a lot of Hawaiin friends now, they aren't all racist and filled with hate, so it's better, but she said do NOT bother living in Hawaii if you are not Hawaiin, unless you are RICH as hell and even then, don't mind people keeping you at arm's length socially if they are Hawaiin.
I was born and raised in Hawaii and have never been slapped standing in line. I’m not Hawaiian. Your statements are so untrue for most of us that live here. I love Hawaii. Don’t talk negative about this place.
I've heard similar stories from many mainlanders who relocated to any of the islands. No matter how long a mainlander lives there, they are never fully accepted. Most of the racism is passive-aggressive attitudes.
Correction, living in Hawaii might be tough if you are WHITE. Hawaiians really don’t like white people. I’m a black man living in Hawaii and I have had plenty of hours long conversations with Hawaiians about how they feel about white people and let me tell you it ain’t pretty lol.
For ocean front property, that is true even here in California. We have cliffs that erode in bad weather and floods are a problem along with fires. Every place, even ‘paradise’ has its downsides. People routinely ruin paradise by wanting to take with them or build everything they had in their non-paradise location!
I had friends on the crew shooting Hawaii 5-0. My joke for them was that you NEVER saw the boys stuck in traffic on H-1. I wanted to know where all these backroads were they took from one side of the island to the other!
Oh, you mean the reboot. I was gonna say, back when 5-0 was on, my mom took me on long drives on empty back roads to places all over Oahu. lol Long time ago.
I was stationed at Schofield 97-2000, and lived in Mililani a while. I was searching for beachfront till I saw the waves wash over the roads a few times on North shore (washed out the road completely in like 2000). Then I was fine making the short drive for my surfing 😂
Shipping. The cost to ship things to the mainland or from the mainland can be so much more. One thing I didn't consider, but probably should have, is how many places dont even ship to Hawaii. You go shopping online and then you hit the dreaded "We only ship to the continental US." Also, the time difference needs to be considered. If you're into any mainland sports teams you watch in the morning or afternoon instead of at night. If you trade stocks you gotta be up early in the morning when the market opens. Then, for daylight savings, you gotta adjust your time differences for everything because Hawaii doesn't do daylight savings.
@@bi2stayharris23 turn off dah phone or the ringer! 😆 But yeah, I hate it when I forget and some call comes from the East Coast at 3 am and startles the crap outta me.
Recently been involved in a family estate issue where a house on Oahu was sold. Coming from the rural mainland myself, and having to visit Hawaii a few times as part of the process... you forgot the major thing that will give many shock. The cost of living difference. From my rural mainland (low cost of living) perspective, everything in Hawaii was 150% to 200% (on average) of my expected prices in stores, at restaurants, etc. Everything. Plan for this if you intend to move to "paradise". It costs a lot, daily.
It’s called the “paradise tax” and should be obvious for any island 🏝️. Especially in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Hawaii produces nothing but surf, sun, good weather and beaches. Everything is imported by boat…which makes it expensive. Don’t get me started on “The Jones Act”.
Haha! Yeah, all so true. I never bought real estate when I was in Hawaii. A decade ago, I rented a 1,000-square foot guest house from a wonderful co-worker and her husband for a low $1K a month in Pauoa. I couldn’t save enough to buy property but I was able to invest in other assets that have since gone up in value.
Way, way more than 30%. I would say more like 60-70. There is literally no food in the grocery stores at the beginning of the month. No meat, dairy, produce, etc. it was always nerve racking for us. And on top of all of that, it took about 7-10 days to restock everything.
You are right about all the thieving. They cut my catalytic converter…..WITH A SAWZALL……out and ransacked my piece of crap frontier!🤙makes me think twice about parking in those nice little beach front trailheads
Ocean view homes will be worth more than ocean front in the future. Our dream home is on the cliffs of Diamond Head or Black Point. Elevated enough at 50-100 feet so as not to be in mother nature's way but close enough where you can still smell and hear the ocean. And make out details in the waves and a surfer's shaka. One day...one day.
My sister lived close to the beach and always had damp linens. Bath towels were never dry and were musty. She washed and dried them then bagged them in spacebags
I lived on the Hamakua coast on the Big Island. Constantly battled with mold in closets. I couldn't have furniture up against a wall because mold would grow on the back of it. Also, the centipedes were ridiculous and neighbors with roosters that woke us up at the crack of dawn!!
I rented in Kapolei for 3 years, then bought home on Big Island, been here a total of 11 years. One negative you did not mention is homeless population. The climate is conducive to it and it is a problem. I now live across road from Ocean and yeah, outdoor rusting is real!
I thought Honolulu was LA with a crowded beach. But back in 79 Kawaii was beautiful with only two stoplights on the island and no hotel higher than three stories
Very insightful stuff, appreciate all the great info. We visit every year, and when we retire in 8-10 years we’d love to live there at least a couple months out of the year.
Moved here 1970. Some really dumb things have been done with traffic, namely dumb, dumb bus system. Used to take my girl over an hour to commute to school 10 miles away by bus. I drove her the first 3 miles in my car. Still one more hour left. Look at the freeway. See any busses? Just one bus on the freeway would remove 20 to 50 cars. But, no, gotta build rail that nobody, no, nobody will want to use. Dumb, again, and a boondoggle. This is my home, though, my forever home. You take the bad with the good and deal with it.
Went to Maui in the spring of 2005, when even the cheapest crap white bread was over $5 a loaf. Probably $10 now. Locals went to the grocery with calculators even then to find the lowest prices on everday items. The sadest part were the young women on the beach who were hooking to pay rent. Probably off-islanders who got "stranded in paradise."
I pay $10 for really high quality excellent fresh bread (like a rye), and about 7 for a good fresh loaf of sourdough (local health food stores, not big chain grocery). In 2005 the same bread was about $4-6. I never looked at the prices of cheap crappy white bread (like "Wonder Bread" or anything similar). Organic milk is crazy expensive, worse in some stores than others.
You are correct, Bought a home in Singapore. Same concept, better to buy now than to wait and that was just what I did before inflation kicked in which raised the home prices up further.
Hey I’ll be moving to Hawaii in September, I seen your ad on indeed for a photo/video person. Would love to work with you guys in September. Love watching your videos!
Good job, Your truth is real. The dark side of Hawaii is coming to light as more and more people move in. Its the poor Vs the rich , homeless, so sad. Love Hawaii but it is not the paradise it used to be.
My brother and his wife upon retirement moved 3 years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area to Maui & bought a 3 bdrm home in a great community overlooking the Kaanapali golf course They love living there and have he wherewithal to travel back to Calif. often to visit family & friends. They are both healthy but I wonder if they’ll regret not being close to major medical services if their health takes a downward turn in the future.
I bought my house in Makakilo back in 2011 when I was stationed in Hickam AFB. I received orders for a remote duty to Kunsan AB Korea in 2014 (My family stayed here). I retired from the US Air Force in 2016 and returned to Oahu. IMHO, I think that was the best decision ever. Take advantage of the BAH while on active duty instead of trowing all that money away in rent. Mahalo for the video!
Bro, I am not military, but what you said about your BAH is gold. I have single guy neighbor in the military renting next to me. He has three new cars. Could have combined all of that to at least purchase a townhouse. If he did, he'd at least have some equity to take with him when he's done.
This is excellent advice. From here lived on the mainland for a while, bought here in 2005, so glad I did. Spot on regarding living ocean front. Everything, EVERYTHING in your house is destroyed by salt unless it's plastic. Fireworks are a thing everywhere in Hawaii. It's not so much fireworks it's the bombs.
I’m actually from Hawaii. Lived in Vegas for 23 years. I actually would love to move back but only way I’m doing it is if I’m only able to buy a home straight up. Can’t survive with a high mortgage.
Came to Kauai after Hurricane Iniki in ‘92 to help rebuild the island. I finally bought a house up out of tsunami zone in 2020. That’s more important than ocean front property. My stuff doesn’t corrode as bad away from the beach. Don’t come to Kauai it’s still nice hopefully it stay that way.
The first oops is mistaking Oahu for the Hawai'i experience. You are lucky to find that on the outer islands as well, Choose wisely and even then, the experience might not be for you. We are hardly a part of America and a completely different culture. Don't be on Oahu if SHTF either. It will be chaos in 3 days. Show respect and practice Kina'ole at every opportunity. Aloha.
My wife and I used to talk about moving to Maui and by the 5th time there we stop waxing poetic about it. The last time we were there was 10 years ago gas was $6 a gallon. I remember seeing a pack of cigarettes for $18.95. Neither of is smoke but,that's just indicative of how expensive things are on the islands. She died 8 years ago this July 20th. Boy am I glad we didn't move there when we first thought about it. And then I remember talking to a couple who did just what we wanted to do. Manassas have you ever lived on an island even for 6 months all you can do is drive around the island and I've worked with a quite a few people from the Hawaiian Islands who got off the islands and said the same thing man all you can do is drive around the island and you're limited on what you can make per hour or in salary.
Nice video. I grew up in the border of Kaimuki and Kahala so my home is walking distance from Kahala Mall. It is comparably modern in aesthetics to the homes in Kahala. We do have a carport but we also have a gate to block thieves and intruders. We have a Pomeranian and she stays in doors at all times but there are many dogs in my street that are left outside in their yard by the owners.
In relative terms, Hawaii has always been expensive. Ever since Captain James Cook first arrived, everything had to be imported. In the novel _From Here to Eternity_ author James Jones described how the soldiers were effectively confined to base because, unless they saved up, they usually couldn't afford to go out into town.
One of the best agent introductions, appreciate the candid discussion. I live oceanside in Taiwan. I enjoy it, but also challenges you must know before you buy
I am Swiss, currently living in Burbank CA, tne best small city in the US (my opinion !) I am in my 80s and still travel like crazy ... my motto is: visit and enjoy the craziest places in tne world but have a home in the most stable environment !
In Texas we have the perfect middle class cure to the conversation about car port vs garage and theft. We park our cars in the driveway and keep $100 worth of garage sale crap in the garage. That way our worthless crap is safe and our vehicles are the targets of break ins.
Entitlement is a disease on the islands. Anywhere else on the planet “born and raised” means nothing. In Hawaii, it is an accomplishment, listed on resumes. I’ve been asked by police “How long have you lived on island?” as if that has anything to do with anything. The real issue is almost all locals have not lived anywhere else on the planet. Their fear of leaving the islands, and being stuck with low pay and few opportunities, is transmitted to the tourists, visitors, and new comers as hate, distain, and short fused anger. Finally, the most overused word on the islands is “respect”…..as if any locals have an ounce toward tourists, unless they are taking their money….then it is a big smile.
Staying at Pat's in Punalu'u right now... I am down with the "no shoes, no shirt, no problem" lifestyle. Love to surf....best I ever had was in North Shore just the other day and I have rocked Santa Cruz, bro. Its a hard mental exercise thinking about buying here. I live on a 25 acre ridgetop manse in Northern Cali that borders the forest and I can see from Nevada to the Coastal mountains. Cleanest air, excellent water, no neighbors and absolute SILENCE except for the wind in the trees... Don't think I could give that up - but could dig a bolthole condo out here, though! Oh...the noise...that Kamehameha Highway...my God. Great video and if I ever get serious about looking, I will call.
I’m from Florida currently in Kansas. My boyfriend is in Waianae. He inherited his grandparents condo in makaha valley. Every time I go there it reminds me of rural north Florida where I grew up but with less hand sizes spiders and no alligators or raccoons getting into everything. A lot of the houses with plyboard make it look like my hometown too. I guess to me it’s like home but less dangerous. Less crime, animals, hurricanes, and tornadoes. If my job wasn’t so good in Kansas I’d move. We’re still trying to work out where we should live. He owns that place there and I rent here but my job is better. I also can’t drive because disability and Hawaii has better public transport.
@@movingtohawaii really close to there actually. I’m from a little more east in Esto. My mom’s family is mvskoke and affiliated with the poarch creek in Atmore. Some live around century and some in Spring Hill. How do you know the area?
Accidents happen almost every day on H1! 😂😂 Fireworks go off every other day at the least where we live in Waipahu! A typical house you could buy for $250,000 on the mainland is almost $1,000,000 here. A two bedroom apartment that is decent will cost you $400,000 at the least here to buy. That is outside of Honolulu. It is ridiculously expensive here compared to the mainland. When they say it’s the price of paradise they mean it! 😂😂
I have heard enough from people that went and got out, to know I wouldn't like it. I lived on Galveston Island for a year and that was isolated enough to teach me it's not for me.
you said what I was thinking I've been clicking "like" on comments that are likely to discourage a lot of types of people. 🤣 Used to live over near Pauwela, for a long time. Where I am now is an even better fit for my needs and not saying what part of island it is 😆
@@kristinebailey6554 A lot of people come and find they weren't prepared (financially) and had to leave (or are stuck here homeless), and/or, hated enough things about it and left even if they could have afforded to stay, feeling disillusioned.
Fireworks omg. Kailua-Kona July 4th back in 83 was insanity. Crazy crazy fun. Bottle rockets going horizontal instead of vertical. Aah the good old days✌️❤️
Shout out, Pearl City of the late 60s! When we were kids we ran around the next morning collecting all the fire crackers that hadn't gone off in the piles of red paper that were leftover like snow drifts all ovah the place. In the road, along the curbs, etc. Snow drifts I didn't know about back then, but the simile is obvious to me now. Yeah, some neighborhoods (and islands) way more into the fireworks. An inversion next day can be really bad news.
Live in the far western Pacific and am often in Hawaii. Have been going to Hawaii since the 1970s and the difference between then and now is like day and night. The impact of climate change and poor land use/development choices are blatantly apparent, homelessness and property crime driven by meth addiction appear out of control. While some locals are tolerant, friendly and welcoming, many are not (especially to mainlanders). I was on Oahu last week and had a young local raise their voice at me and call me a “colonialist oppressor.” 🤣
eh noticed he avoids addressing the locals/racism there a lot. i can understand why since he lives there and gotta protect that. but it's real and gotta address the real.
Most the most part, you are addressing problems people can run into Oahu, not the other islands. Other islands have their share of problems, but things there are not the same.
Yes, please mention the permit processing is absolutely ridiculous. The mayor should be held responsible because he hasn’t fixed them damn thing. Have a good day my love All talk no action.
Recently got into the market in Hawaii. $3,500 mortgage for every 400k. Most homes in Hawaii are 1 million for a 3bd 2ba. Rent on an equal property is $3,000-$3,500 a month. Buying is much more expensive than renting but owning in Hawaii will build equity at an “almost” guaranteed 10x over the 30 years. Sit down and talk to core team, they are honest and will hold your hand, no matter how long it takes for to buy.
That seems cheap to rent in Hawaii. In Los Angeles a 3bd 2ba would run you $4500. at least.
If you buy then sell you can’t leave the state for like a year or you will be hit with a big-ass fee for it - could be over $100k if you have a decent ROI - BE WARNED!
Hawaii is paradise in the exact same way Disneyland makes your dreams come true😑
Can you actually own in Hawaii? I thought without bloodline you can only get a 99 year ownership before it reverts to the state
@@ronoconnor8971 That would be Mexico
@@YesYou-zy7kp
Whoa!
I always said when I lived in Hawaii… That the best thing about living in Hawaii was telling people that you live in Hawaii. 😉🤙🏻 I also lived ocean front in Kaneohe. The rust on my appliances and vehicles was definitely a “Con”.
For me, it was telling that I'm from Hawaii. Actually, I left Hawaii in 1953 at age 21.
@@howell7136where do you live now?
@@LeeLiko Retired in Austin after working mostly in Europe.
@@howell7136I've heard Austin is a liberal or Democratic "hellhole", which means that I would probably like it. Sounds like you enjoy it?
@@kbanghart Lots of young people, so yes, a liberal town, but I'm 92 years old. I stay at home most of the time and lived right off the UT campus.
Thanks for being so real. I’m also a cancer survivor. It’s my dream to be a homeowner in Hawaii 🤙
Currently recovering from surgery and radiation, you may not get the healthcare you are used to. When you do find the dr who is the right fit, they leave, move, quit. Over and over. You may have to island hop to appointments. Flights and hotels will be your expense. Check on that before you give up your current team.
@@penniewyatt9391 thank you for the insight. Fortunately (maybe not the right word to choose) I went through my ordeal here in Texas 2 years ago. I hope all of this is now behind me. Wishing you a speedy recovery 💪
@@J3ffdrums thanks. If you have mainland family ties, you could always go back and stay with them for a few months if need be. There is sufficient testing and treatment, to get by, but no ‘state of the art’ anything on Kauai.
Visit but I wouldn't move there. Family is here on mainland. I can imagine telling relatives to come out and visit me. " Yeah I might be able to come out in about a year," & they never do. Law enforcement seems to be nonexistent in Hawaii & I'm a Haoli boy
On Oahu, I saw a lot of homes that looked right out of Compton - chain link fence, pit bulls, junk cars, and hoarding. I’m not paying over a million to live in a rat’s nest. If you choose to buy a condo, you get stuck with sketchy land leasing problems and huge HOA fees, not to mention giant bills to keep the a/c running. Good luck !!!!!
I saw that, too. There is also a real armpit neighborhood around the Maui airport.
Loud neighbors with loud dogs and ten cars are the local people.
Well, there aren't any nice neighborhoods near an airport anywhere. You can easily imagine why. @@broederbond60
One month after retiring and moving into our dream home on the Big Island, the nice neighbor's not so nice daughter moved in on them - with her two very large loud pitbulls. After four years of nonstop night and day without end barking/torture, I finally cracked. It took us another two years to sell the home at a loss because of the dogs. It wasn't the poor animals fault. They were in a small pen in their own filth (the stench was unbearable) and never let out. Many dogs there are chained or penned their entire lives.
@@Galen-864 I spent ten years tortured by moke dogs on Oahu.
The best time to buy in Hawaii was 89 years ago
You're probably exaggerating for effect, but when we moved to Hawaii in 1996 the housing market was bad. We moved to a new neighborhood in Kapolei and at least two of the homes on our small street sat empty for more than a year before somebody moved into them.
My grandfather was in the US Navy (1898-1904) Spanish-American War & visited Hawaii in 1900,
when the last Queen was still alive! It's too bad that he didn't buy some property then! Ha Ha! p.s.
I'm 78 & have visited Hawaii three times, i.e. 1979, 1991 & 2003 & can't believe how much it's grown!
Dis das wy
My great grandfather bought property there in 1912, family has been on Oahu ever since.
Couldn't, I was in my daddy's balls.
even back in 1975 Cali was an overcrowded rat-race. So we moved to Honolulu,( thought I'd died and gone to heaven)-cheap rent, cheap everything back then. Union construction tradesman- Stayed 30 yrs. Made good living, saved money, retired age 55, sold up, moved away. But not back to the US mainland. Retired to SE Asia now for going on 20yrs. Two of the best decisions in my life: leave Cali for Hawaii/retire to Thailand to live out my time on earth in comfort.
Sooner or later, there will be a bunch of farangs living in Thailand (and they would bring all of their b.s. First World problems to a Third World country).
Btw, have you learned how to speak Russian yet?
I was born/raised in SoCal, family moved to northern California in 1979. We had had Hawaiian neighbors in SoCal; they never moved back to the islands.
I've lived in Wisconsin for 30 years plus; I'd like to retire soon (with the husband) to some place like Thailand. I read all the online info but am not sure how to get the best info for where is best for us and how we would want to live. I don't entirely trust the "live overseas" websites and magazines.
@@petuniasevan : Stay in Wisconsin. There are way too many Farangs in Thailand nowadays.
@@SV-kr9fu farang=ferengi=foreigner.... how did this indo-european word get all the way there?
And I'll bet that the Thai like our money....
and we're not the tourist types. We keep to ourselves and don't mind living local.
@@SV-kr9fu only two are a bit too packed with farang- Pattaya, Phuket. Plenty of other better and less expensive options
I wish I had rented first. I bought a townhouse but pretty quickly learned I didn’t like the neighbors, the commute, the vibe. By the time we sold, we were much better equipped to choose a neighborhood. Rented for 8 years because we couldn’t afford to buy in the area. So building equity is not necessarily to road to happiness. Big lesson for everyone living in Hawaii is not the same as vacationing in Hawaii. I love Hawaii but everything said in this video is 100 percent true.
My former in-laws sold their Bay Area home and moved to Hawaii. They didn't have that much equity in their home, but thought they had enough to get a house on Maui. They rented a shoebox apartment, saying they would buy a house in a year. The year became 2, became 3. Then former father-in-law had health problems. He passed away and former mother-in-law moved back to the Bay Area and moved in with my former brother-in-law. I knew when I saw the tiny apartment that they would never end up buying. You confirmed why.
Hawaii is a vacation not to live there.
@@floydfarano3284My sister just moved there, and is looking for a home now. I'm honestly curious how long she and my brother-in-law will stay there, considering on Oahu it looks like good homes are priced at $850 and up
Lived in Hawaii for a few years. Loved it very much. I love the food, the culture, the dance and music. I then moved to the Philippines. It is like Hawaii x10 at 1/10 the cost
And the Philippines has much pollution and trash and more crime
Back in the early 1990’s, I became frustrated with my Bay Area intensive care nursing job. I had visited the various Hawaiian islands over the years. I loved the islands and the people living there. I took a week off from my job to visit Oahu and the Big Island, with job hunting intentions. I was shocked to discover how poorly paid Hawaiian ICU nurses were. They were making about half the hourly wages I was paid on the west coast mainland. Housing costs were even higher than California real estate, which was already very pricey. I was offered two jobs during my Hawaii nursing job hunt-night shifts in ICU’s, with starting benefits and without the privileges of seniority. I had expected to make some sacrifices in order to start over in Hawaii. But basically, I would have been paid half of what I was earning on the mainland while needing to pay out more than double in expenses. That math was a no-go. I’m glad I did my in-person research before I committed to the move!
I think one important thing you missed is pest. Roaches, Ants, and termites. I hate ants in my kitchen. I really enjoy your videos, btw. Keep it up.
Mahalo for the comment!! You’re right. It’s mentioned several times in other videos, but could’ve made another appearance here.
oooh and the centipedes!
That's right! I forgot.
Uku's and bedbugs 😬
Keep your kitchen clean den, no ants.
Appreciate the Channel. Video made me nostalgic - 8:00 see my old condo in the Salt Lake neighborhood - Century West. I left in 95 and when I visit, everyone says .... "Those were the good old days" - which they were when you look at the Traffic, lack of parking and Cost of Living. Your grocery prices are much higher than the Mainland. I feel for the old Mom & Pops businesses - their overhead is so much higher than before.
I feel for your young adults Starting Out. Life in Paradise is getting too expensive. You got to be super smart and lucky with your money to get housing you can afford and hope you got a good paying job paying $100K minimum.
I lived a very good lifestyle on the big island of Hawaii for 23 years. Ocean front very successful, very blessed. Loved it, but decided retirement will be better in Florida, Naples area and honestly I could not be happier, so much better. As expensive as Naples Florida is, it’s still light years cheaper than Hawaii. Hawaii taxes everything and sadly you get nothing for your tax dollars. It all goes somewhere, but not to the residents and native people, and certainly not the infrastructure.
Government in Hawaii is a horrible joke.
Tax and spend state. Aloha and Mahalo Hawaii, glad I experienced it, just so I could appreciate better. 🤙
Democrats cause high taxes, harmful policies and harmful legislation that cause high prices, high costs. Democrats are the High Cost Party and take that to the bank. Biden promised higher taxes if he wins and that is a fact that Biden had said several times!
Welcome to FL, I'm in Orlando and travel around the state for work, so I get to Naples every now and then. But, I see Hawaii as you do ..even though I have only visited numerous times. Love the Big Island, the ranches and more country style. Wishing you the best living here in FL, it's not North Shore, but you can still hang loose... 🤙 (sorry, that's the closest emoji they had).
I have lived in many parts of the US and have never experienced more property crime or disregard for quiet than here in Hawaii. I have seen mopeds chained to a tree be stripped for parts overnight. Friend has been robbed of his bike twice, while he is riding it. Stereos blasting regardless of whether it bothers others or not are a common thing. Street racing in Waikiki and vehicles with no mufflers is a norm. Angst against mainlanders is palpable. Then there are the trucks with train air horns. I have heard more explosions here than anywhere in my life. Its actually quite ridiculous behavior. Weather though is perfect.
We could make an entire video about guessing where you live. I’m going to go with Ewa Beach.
Oh, and let's not forget the neverending fireworks going off every night to all hours. There are laws stating when fireworks can be fired, but if the police refuse to enforce the laws, you're screwed.
Let me guess. You live in Waikiki! Do you know any locals who live in Waikiki?
Weather? It's rained almost daily for months just a couple miles from desert.
I get it we have a neighbor close by that has a " boom box" we can hear it like 2 blocks away shakes the windows when it's close I know it's above decibal levels, my only comfort is knowing that they will soon b deaf ..
I grew up in Haiku, Maui. I lived in Maui until I retired and moved to Oregon and then Virginia.
Hawaii has cars that are dirty everyday. Here, if its not pollen season, our cars just don't get that dirty.
I left when I had to retire due to disability and my broken down house I owned in Kahului had a mortgage over $500k.
Disability led to foreclosure and bankruptcy.
Bank wouldn't work with me and instead sold that broken down home for $350k to a Filipino family that combine income and could afford it. It was over $600k at on time when I looked back.
Now that Lahaina burned down, most people I grew up with left or got caught up in drugs and many died, there isn't much to come home to Maui anymore.
I do have family, but I prefer the freedom of Virginia and have since gotten my myself up above 750 credit score, bought 1.6 acres and raise chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks.
I love the place and am able to go on road trips.
I could go on and on about how Hawaii has changed for the worst and has been taken over by developers and speculators, but I'm going to go do some yard work and enjoy the beautiful weather here today.
Glad all ended well for you! Do you prefer the cost of living in Virginia over Oregon? Both places seem to have favorable climates and nice coastal areas with Virginia having higher dew points and humidity (like Hawaii I suppose.)
I remember sleeping over a friend's house right on the beach. You wake up with a layer of salt. That layer is hard to remove from electronics and cars.
I grew up in London, moved to NZ for my work, discovered Kailua Oahu and decided that’s my place. Followed condo market for 30 years and finally bought a 2bd condo in 2015. Immediately found a tenant to share, the rent covers the maintenance fee. The property tax is low. I don’t need or own a car, because everything you need is walking distance in Kailua. You don’t need a family cos you make friends on the beach which is 10 mins by bike. I have a very different story from this video. Ps. I managed to get US per res so all is very cool.
Everyone needs a family, including you. (Otherwise you would not be able to type because you would not exist.)
Can’t believe you preferred Hawaii over New Zealand! I’m from neither but have visited both (currently in Hawaii) and love NZ, both the place and the people so much more!
That salt spray goes up mauka for a few blocks when the surf is big. Even Kona has bad traffic now. I live 3 miles from where I surf. In the morning before sunrise, it may be an 8-minute drive. Coming home can be 30 - 40 and you idle the entire way. I would add don't buy next to a house with a pool. Especially if it's a vacation rental. Living next to smokers sucks. Like the video. I might add don't move here to change Hawaii. I moved to the Big Island in 91 for what it was. Not what I thought it should be.
Big island beaches suck ass. Everything is crazy rocky
My sister was born in Honolulu 1950’s. I retired on Maui 13 years ago and bought a home. Home is a liability until you sell, then you find out if an asset or not. Meanwhile taking money out of your pocket vs money in your pocket every month like stocks or rental property. Maintenance is 3 times or more on a house in Hawaii as expensive labor. Constantly replacing appliances, roof repair, gecko damage, remodeling cost. You’re using investment money if retired for maintenance. Plus last 3 years terrible inflation compounded yearly not ending soon. Average affordable home 1.3 million. You need solar and an electric car cuz of high energy prices. I saved $500/month with solar/ev. Hawaii is not a tax friendly state. Most people live in multigenerational homes like Mexico. 15 people in 2000sf with 7 bedrooms with 6 cars out front. Huge divide rich and poor as not enough money to invest. Working 3 jobs with no benefits vs 1 job with benefits. I remember a beach in front of Sheridan Waikiki in the 60s, but that’s not the case now due to sea level rise. Hawaii is like a ship in the middle of the ocean with all the hazards of a ship. Maui already lost 20% of its beaches with the other 80% threatened by erosion as ocean able to make it over the reef with sealevel rise. Hawaii becoming warmer with more A/C’s installed with increased energy costs. The future with sealevel rise is what cities should we save or not with levies. Tsunamis are something to think about. The closer to the ocean the higher home owner insurance costs. We decided to leave Maui this year and our home up for sale moving to Nevada, the 9th island. The Lahaina fire changed everything. As climate change causing increased fires and other issues. This out of control inflation from all the QE money(another fancy word for inflating monetary system) is wrecking havoc on already an expensive state. One reason people leaving Hawaii, West coast, and New York to tax friendly states with less crimes, homelessness, high taxes, and poverty. More actual Hawaiians live in Nevada than Hawaii. You can own a home, higher salary, and visit Hawaii. Rebuilding Lahaina will take years. No cheap places to rent or cheap restaurants for mainland workers to help rebuild Lahaina. I thought a tsunami would be the first to wipe out a town not a fire. More hurricanes as water warms. It will be astronomical to rebuild cities. Food shortages in just a few days with major disruptions due to disasters.
Remember Hawaii sits in the middle of a bathtub in the ring of fire. Our lifespans are too short to witness how violent Mother Nature can be with earthquakes, tsunami, meteorites, volcanic eruptions, tectonic plates, etc. The past 12 years 2 tsunami warnings in Hawaii recommending to go to higher ground. Many tsunami signs removed Honolulu so as not to scare tourists. We have become complacent just like the Lahaina fire as just another nuisance grass fire until it wasn’t. Hurricanes and Tsunamis not so much you can do unless leave the island. Hawaii known for landslide tsunami cuz of fragile basaltic rocks islands form from. Molokai half the size of its former glory due to a landslide and huge tsunami. Big island with many large cracks. If a tsunami minimal warning and the size of Diamond head. It’s not if but when. Another reason to be up on a hill
Im stunned after reading that I and most people are prob naive as to what the real story is 5-0 & Magn p i prob did worse for Hawaii image than n e thing else thank u for telling it like it is
There is no sea level rise. Yhis has been debunked years ago.
Sea level rise, sea level rise, sea level rise…. BS! What you have seen is coastal erosion patterns. There’s no sea level rise to note in Hawaii. Other beaches and locations statewide confirm this. Stop piping the fear propoganda… we’re all booked up here.
Nevada would be such a *massive* shock to my system. Maybe less so for anyone from Kahului, or south and west side? I've visited Nevada. I can live in my home state without air-conditioner, but could never live in Nevada without. Near Tahoe could be milder in summers perhaps? I don't know if more affordable though. I was born in Honolulu in the 60s. Have family on the windward side, but my offspring and I had to head over to Maui in the "aughts" to find something affordable to rent in the rural jungle. Rent has skyrocketed steadily since, in every region and neighborhood I could bear to live. Hardest part is how common it is for landlords to not even follow the codes and laws with high rents paid responsibly by good tenants.
Don't forget to check for location of the house on the lot, and the street. Just on the opposite side of the street make a big difference in good living or paying for AC on all the time. (No trade wind)
My first visit to Hawaii I thought I wanted to move there. But upon my first visit to a grocery store, sticker shock arrived. Everything was anywhere between 30-60% higher depending on what you wanted. So folks who don't also incorporate this weekly needed cost into their budgets are going to be woefully surprised. I still love it there, but now I am happy just visiting every few years for a couple of weeks.
Great point, so many people have heard of how expensive Hawaii is, but it doesn't really hit them because they are just visiting. It was the same when I visited Jamaica years ago, everything was way more expensive than in the US.
I don't see groceries as expensive. Only rent and real estate.
My wife and I do a lot of farmers markets on the Big Isle, then get the rest at the Choice Mart, if you eat a regular “American” diet it will cost you, the junk food is quite a bit more. Your best bet is to stock up on that crap at Costco, gas too.
One thing that I didn't know before moving to Hawaii is the number of homes that don't have AC and reliance on the tradewinds to cool the home. Then, if you do have AC, how much your energy bill is gonna be if you run it most of the day.
These are valid facts
Great presentation thanks. You make many good points. One that a lot of people don't think about until they're confronted with it is the wind. My wife and I are from Oahu, and at one point we lived in Kaaawa/Hau'ula on the beach. It was great, but there's a reason they call it the "Windward Side". The wind is usually direct onshore and it will wear you down. Also, the windward side weather is usually cloudy because of the proximity of the Koolau mountains. I actually preferred living in town on the leeward side as the trades didn't bother me unless they were really blowing. Also, as much as I loved surfing Crouch, my home spots were in MBay (used to surf big NShore but those days are over).
Derek, great comment about how Mother Nature can erode homes that are near the ocean. It’s not just the outdoor fixtures, it’s the roof, it’s the windows, getting sandblasted at times. It’s part of the price you pay to live next to the ocean.
Great video. You did good here Derek.
Best wishes from Oregon, my friend,
Larry
Thanks for sharing!
I grew up on Oahu, but live on the mainland now. Being able to live on several acres has spolied me to a point I cannot move back and retire because there's no space and privacy in Hawaii. Living on the islands exposes you to all of everything all the time.
How about big island?
@@movingtohawaii Maybe. Be sure of the surrounding property and what it's used for.
What do you mean by all of everything?
@@DewTime Since lots are often small, your neighbors are often right on top of you, and everything they are doing, you are experiencing. Smoking marijuana, cock fighting, their domestic squabbles, all the meals they are cooking, every time they decide to shoot off fireworks for no good reason, frequent karaoke sessions outside, working on their automobiles, racing their cars or motorbikes up and down the street, their pets running all over the neighborhood unchecked, their dogs barking incessantly at absolutely nothing and everything, etc. etc. If you can think of it, you will experience it at some point. I would strongly suggest that before buying, you visit that neighborhood FREQUENTLY at different times of the day and on different days to try to get an idea what it will be like. I did that when I bought on Kauai, and I still had issues with dog barking that nearly drove me nuts until I got the police and Humane Society involved. And the stray cat problem is positively ridiculous. This is an ecological hot zone, and these idiots are allowing cats to roam around unchecked. It seriously angers me.
I agree, no privacy. Too many STVRs.
My stepsister married a Hawaiin man when she was fairly young. She has told me stories about life there, random Hawaiin women slapping her in the back of the head just while waiting in line at a store, being called "white whore", you name it. She is now in her 50's, still in Hawaii, said that the best part of her life is her husband and kids, but the worst part is having to live it all in Hawaii. She has a lot of Hawaiin friends now, they aren't all racist and filled with hate, so it's better, but she said do NOT bother living in Hawaii if you are not Hawaiin, unless you are RICH as hell and even then, don't mind people keeping you at arm's length socially if they are Hawaiin.
I was born and raised in Hawaii and have never been slapped standing in line. I’m not Hawaiian. Your statements are so untrue for most of us that live here. I love Hawaii. Don’t talk negative about this place.
@@scullysensei "your family's experiences did not happen", oh thanks.
I've heard similar stories from many mainlanders who relocated to any of the islands. No matter how long a mainlander lives there, they are never fully accepted. Most of the racism is passive-aggressive attitudes.
Correction, living in Hawaii might be tough if you are WHITE. Hawaiians really don’t like white people. I’m a black man living in Hawaii and I have had plenty of hours long conversations with Hawaiians about how they feel about white people and let me tell you it ain’t pretty lol.
For ocean front property, that is true even here in California. We have cliffs that erode in bad weather and floods are a problem along with fires. Every place, even ‘paradise’ has its downsides. People routinely ruin paradise by wanting to take with them or build everything they had in their non-paradise location!
I had friends on the crew shooting Hawaii 5-0. My joke for them was that you NEVER saw the boys stuck in traffic on H-1. I wanted to know where all these backroads were they took from one side of the island to the other!
🤣🤣🤣 tell us when you find em
Oh, you mean the reboot.
I was gonna say, back when 5-0 was on, my mom took me on long drives on empty back roads to places all over Oahu. lol Long time ago.
I was stationed at Schofield 97-2000, and lived in Mililani a while. I was searching for beachfront till I saw the waves wash over the roads a few times on North shore (washed out the road completely in like 2000). Then I was fine making the short drive for my surfing 😂
Shipping. The cost to ship things to the mainland or from the mainland can be so much more. One thing I didn't consider, but probably should have, is how many places dont even ship to Hawaii. You go shopping online and then you hit the dreaded "We only ship to the continental US."
Also, the time difference needs to be considered. If you're into any mainland sports teams you watch in the morning or afternoon instead of at night. If you trade stocks you gotta be up early in the morning when the market opens. Then, for daylight savings, you gotta adjust your time differences for everything because Hawaii doesn't do daylight savings.
All legitimate points 💯
Those 4AM telemarketing calls are killer.
@@bi2stayharris23 turn off dah phone or the ringer! 😆
But yeah, I hate it when I forget and some call comes from the East Coast at 3 am and startles the crap outta me.
I live in Ewa, about a mile from the ocean. 12 years and dont have half the problems he mentions
Recently been involved in a family estate issue where a house on Oahu was sold. Coming from the rural mainland myself, and having to visit Hawaii a few times as part of the process... you forgot the major thing that will give many shock. The cost of living difference.
From my rural mainland (low cost of living) perspective, everything in Hawaii was 150% to 200% (on average) of my expected prices in stores, at restaurants, etc. Everything. Plan for this if you intend to move to "paradise". It costs a lot, daily.
It’s called the “paradise tax” and should be obvious for any island 🏝️. Especially in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Hawaii produces nothing but surf, sun, good weather and beaches. Everything is imported by boat…which makes it expensive. Don’t get me started on “The Jones Act”.
Haha! Yeah, all so true. I never bought real estate when I was in Hawaii. A decade ago, I rented a 1,000-square foot guest house from a wonderful co-worker and her husband for a low $1K a month in Pauoa. I couldn’t save enough to buy property but I was able to invest in other assets that have since gone up in value.
Brah keepin it real🤙Like the river metaphor Derek. Mahalo
I stayed on the Big Island for 10 days in March, 2024. A few locals told me that at least 30% of the local population are on food stamps.
Way, way more than 30%. I would say more like 60-70. There is literally no food in the grocery stores at the beginning of the month. No meat, dairy, produce, etc.
it was always nerve racking for us. And on top of all of that, it took about 7-10 days to restock everything.
It was odd to see security guards at the bus stops :-(((((
@@TripsandFeasts1 It is not a safe place to live. We are so glad to be out of there. Oh the stories I could tell.
At least
You are right about all the thieving. They cut my catalytic converter…..WITH A SAWZALL……out and ransacked my piece of crap frontier!🤙makes me think twice about parking in those nice little beach front trailheads
I have lived in Hawaii for years now, and I love your videos!
Ocean view homes will be worth more than ocean front in the future. Our dream home is on the cliffs of Diamond Head or Black Point. Elevated enough at 50-100 feet so as not to be in mother nature's way but close enough where you can still smell and hear the ocean. And make out details in the waves and a surfer's shaka. One day...one day.
Was literally there today with a client!!
My sister lived close to the beach and always had damp linens. Bath towels were never dry and were musty. She washed and dried them then bagged them in spacebags
I lived on the Hamakua coast on the Big Island. Constantly battled with mold in closets. I couldn't have furniture up against a wall because mold would grow on the back of it. Also, the centipedes were ridiculous and neighbors with roosters that woke us up at the crack of dawn!!
Good job discouraging the main-landers from moving there. I don’t blame you
If you are watching Hawaii 5-0 reruns from 1969 - it's not the same. At all.
I rented in Kapolei for 3 years, then bought home on Big Island, been here a total of 11 years. One negative you did not mention is homeless population. The climate is conducive to it and it is a problem. I now live across road from Ocean and yeah, outdoor rusting is real!
I thought Honolulu was LA with a crowded beach. But back in 79 Kawaii was beautiful with only two stoplights on the island and no hotel higher than three stories
Very insightful stuff, appreciate all the great info. We visit every year, and when we retire in 8-10 years we’d love to live there at least a couple months out of the year.
I appreciate your honesty! You are spot-on about all of your topics! Mahalo for your transparency.
The river metaphor was dope 🤙
I've lived all over in Hawaii. Pearl City, Honolulu, Ewa Beach, Maui. Everything you said is spot on.
These are the types of things that people need to know. Thank you.
I just subscribed. I like your no nonsense straight talk. It's what I want to hear.
Mahalo. We keep it real and real skilled 😆🤙🏽
Moved here 1970. Some really dumb things have been done with traffic, namely dumb, dumb bus system. Used to take my girl over an hour to commute to school 10 miles away by bus. I drove her the first 3 miles in my car. Still one more hour left. Look at the freeway. See any busses? Just one bus on the freeway would remove 20 to 50 cars. But, no, gotta build rail that nobody, no, nobody will want to use. Dumb, again, and a boondoggle. This is my home, though, my forever home. You take the bad with the good and deal with it.
Went to Maui in the spring of 2005, when even the cheapest crap white bread was over $5 a loaf. Probably $10 now. Locals went to the grocery with calculators even then to find the lowest prices on everday items. The sadest part were the young women on the beach who were hooking to pay rent. Probably off-islanders who got "stranded in paradise."
I pay $10 for really high quality excellent fresh bread (like a rye), and about 7 for a good fresh loaf of sourdough (local health food stores, not big chain grocery). In 2005 the same bread was about $4-6. I never looked at the prices of cheap crappy white bread (like "Wonder Bread" or anything similar). Organic milk is crazy expensive, worse in some stores than others.
You are correct, Bought a home in Singapore. Same concept, better to buy now than to wait and that was just what I did before inflation kicked in which raised the home prices up further.
Great video! Outstanding analysis of the actual risk of waiting to buy in areas with long records of appreciation.
Hey I’ll be moving to Hawaii in September, I seen your ad on indeed for a photo/video person. Would love to work with you guys in September. Love watching your videos!
*Hawai’i and thank you for talking about this. I am a native hawaiian (Kanaka Maoli) and I appreciate you talking about this :)
Good job, Your truth is real. The dark side of Hawaii is coming to light as more and more people move in. Its the poor Vs the rich , homeless, so sad. Love Hawaii but it is not the paradise it used to be.
My brother and his wife upon retirement moved 3 years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area to Maui & bought a 3 bdrm home in a great community overlooking the Kaanapali golf course They love living there and have he wherewithal to travel back to Calif. often to visit family & friends. They are both healthy but I wonder if they’ll regret not being close to major medical services if their health takes a downward turn in the future.
I bought my house in Makakilo back in 2011 when I was stationed in Hickam AFB. I received orders for a remote duty to Kunsan AB Korea in 2014 (My family stayed here). I retired from the US Air Force in 2016 and returned to Oahu. IMHO, I think that was the best decision ever. Take advantage of the BAH while on active duty instead of trowing all that money away in rent. Mahalo for the video!
Bro, I am not military, but what you said about your BAH is gold. I have single guy neighbor in the military renting next to me. He has three new cars. Could have combined all of that to at least purchase a townhouse. If he did, he'd at least have some equity to take with him when he's done.
This is excellent advice. From here lived on the mainland for a while, bought here in 2005, so glad I did. Spot on regarding living ocean front. Everything, EVERYTHING in your house is destroyed by salt unless it's plastic. Fireworks are a thing everywhere in Hawaii. It's not so much fireworks it's the bombs.
I’m actually from Hawaii. Lived in Vegas for 23 years. I actually would love to move back but only way I’m doing it is if I’m only able to buy a home straight up. Can’t survive with a high mortgage.
I like renting because maintenance is DONE for you, and there is always a handyman around to do something for a Senior Citizen.
where is that happening for you?
Please mention how ridiculous to get a permit to get anything done. It takes years and the more the Mayor gets involved the longer it takes.
Oh, is that why so many landlords build in violation of codes, and rent sky high prices?
Came to Kauai after Hurricane Iniki in ‘92 to help rebuild the island. I finally bought a house up out of tsunami zone in 2020. That’s more important than ocean front property. My stuff doesn’t corrode as bad away from the beach. Don’t come to Kauai it’s still nice hopefully it stay that way.
I recently visited Oahu. Kinda upset me that the locals seemed to be priced out of the real estate market.
That does suck! It’s possible though, just not easy
The first oops is mistaking Oahu for the Hawai'i experience. You are lucky to find that on the outer islands as well, Choose wisely and even then, the experience might not be for you. We are hardly a part of America and a completely different culture. Don't be on Oahu if SHTF either. It will be chaos in 3 days. Show respect and practice Kina'ole at every opportunity. Aloha.
My wife and I used to talk about moving to Maui and by the 5th time there we stop waxing poetic about it. The last time we were there was 10 years ago gas was $6 a gallon. I remember seeing a pack of cigarettes for $18.95. Neither of is smoke but,that's just indicative of how expensive things are on the islands. She died 8 years ago this July 20th. Boy am I glad we didn't move there when we first thought about it.
And then I remember talking to a couple who did just what we wanted to do. Manassas have you ever lived on an island even for 6 months all you can do is drive around the island and I've worked with a quite a few people from the Hawaiian Islands who got off the islands and said the same thing man all you can do is drive around the island and you're limited on what you can make per hour or in salary.
Nice video. I grew up in the border of Kaimuki and Kahala so my home is walking distance from Kahala Mall. It is comparably modern in aesthetics to the homes in Kahala. We do have a carport but we also have a gate to block thieves and intruders. We have a Pomeranian and she stays in doors at all times but there are many dogs in my street that are left outside in their yard by the owners.
In relative terms, Hawaii has always been expensive. Ever since Captain James Cook first arrived, everything had to be imported. In the novel _From Here to Eternity_ author James Jones described how the soldiers were effectively confined to base because, unless they saved up, they usually couldn't afford to go out into town.
Wow, an honest realtor. You don't see many of those.
One of the best agent introductions, appreciate the candid discussion. I live oceanside in Taiwan. I enjoy it, but also challenges you must know before you buy
I am Swiss, currently living in Burbank CA, tne best small city in the US (my opinion !) I am in my 80s and still travel like crazy ... my motto is: visit and enjoy the craziest places in tne world but have a home in the most stable environment !
In Texas we have the perfect middle class cure to the conversation about car port vs garage and theft. We park our cars in the driveway and keep $100 worth of garage sale crap in the garage. That way our worthless crap is safe and our vehicles are the targets of break ins.
🤣
Thank you for this realistic video about the paradise.
Great video, just a clarification: homeowners can't 'defend' their home because hardening the coastline worsens coastal erosion and beach loss.
Correct although I’m not an expert in costal management
Commission breath. That's a good one!
No commission breath!
People move to Hawaii and complain about the rent. They call the locals greedy and feel entitled to pay a rent they feel is fair.
The locals hate us.
Another reason I left.
As a person of no color, that is why I plan on never going to visit Hawaii. Why go where you are not wanted or liked!
Entitlement is a disease on the islands. Anywhere else on the planet “born and raised” means nothing. In Hawaii, it is an accomplishment, listed on resumes. I’ve been asked by police “How long have you lived on island?” as if that has anything to do with anything. The real issue is almost all locals have not lived anywhere else on the planet. Their fear of leaving the islands, and being stuck with low pay and few opportunities, is transmitted to the tourists, visitors, and new comers as hate, distain, and short fused anger. Finally, the most overused word on the islands is “respect”…..as if any locals have an ounce toward tourists, unless they are taking their money….then it is a big smile.
I dont blame them.
@@Wuwei72-o5n So you think hate is a good thing?
Staying at Pat's in Punalu'u right now...
I am down with the "no shoes, no shirt, no problem" lifestyle. Love to surf....best I ever had was in North Shore just the other day and I have rocked Santa Cruz, bro.
Its a hard mental exercise thinking about buying here. I live on a 25 acre ridgetop manse in Northern Cali that borders the forest and I can see from Nevada to the Coastal mountains. Cleanest air, excellent water, no neighbors and absolute SILENCE except for the wind in the trees...
Don't think I could give that up - but could dig a bolthole condo out here, though!
Oh...the noise...that Kamehameha Highway...my God.
Great video and if I ever get serious about looking, I will call.
I’m from Florida currently in Kansas. My boyfriend is in Waianae. He inherited his grandparents condo in makaha valley. Every time I go there it reminds me of rural north Florida where I grew up but with less hand sizes spiders and no alligators or raccoons getting into everything. A lot of the houses with plyboard make it look like my hometown too. I guess to me it’s like home but less dangerous. Less crime, animals, hurricanes, and tornadoes. If my job wasn’t so good in Kansas I’d move. We’re still trying to work out where we should live. He owns that place there and I rent here but my job is better. I also can’t drive because disability and Hawaii has better public transport.
Is your hometown Jay, Century, Cantonment..?
@@movingtohawaii really close to there actually. I’m from a little more east in Esto. My mom’s family is mvskoke and affiliated with the poarch creek in Atmore. Some live around century and some in Spring Hill. How do you know the area?
Not in Kona.
@@bi2stayharris23 what isn’t in Kona?
Accidents happen almost every day on H1! 😂😂 Fireworks go off every other day at the least where we live in Waipahu! A typical house you could buy for $250,000 on the mainland is almost $1,000,000 here. A two bedroom apartment that is decent will cost you $400,000 at the least here to buy. That is outside of Honolulu. It is ridiculously expensive here compared to the mainland. When they say it’s the price of paradise they mean it! 😂😂
Yep, fireworks almost year round, roosters, barking dogs, visitors in Jeeps blasting bass.
Unfortunately, accidents almost every day on a lot of major highways on the mainland too.
MAHALO FOR THIS VIDEO. WE HOPE THIS TURNS OFF PEOPLE FROM MOVING HERE. DON'T MOVE HERE!
I have heard enough from people that went and got out, to know I wouldn't like it. I lived on Galveston Island for a year and that was isolated enough to teach me it's not for me.
you said what I was thinking
I've been clicking "like" on comments that are likely to discourage a lot of types of people.
🤣 Used to live over near Pauwela, for a long time.
Where I am now is an even better fit for my needs and not saying what part of island it is 😆
@@kristinebailey6554 A lot of people come and find they weren't prepared (financially) and had to leave (or are stuck here homeless), and/or, hated enough things about it and left even if they could have afforded to stay, feeling disillusioned.
Fireworks omg. Kailua-Kona July 4th back in 83 was insanity. Crazy crazy fun. Bottle rockets going horizontal instead of vertical. Aah the good old days✌️❤️
Your really good at hosting brotha
Love the River analogy! Well said brother!
Shout out, Pearl City of the late 60s!
When we were kids we ran around the next morning collecting all the fire crackers that hadn't gone off in the piles of red paper that were leftover like snow drifts all ovah the place. In the road, along the curbs, etc.
Snow drifts I didn't know about back then, but the simile is obvious to me now.
Yeah, some neighborhoods (and islands) way more into the fireworks. An inversion next day can be really bad news.
I hear ya. I live in Concord, CA and housing costs are really crazy. A house that just sold in a decent neighboorhood 2 bed 1 bath 650k.
Typically Oahu point of view, each island is quite unique.....
My buddy has been on the big island 3 years now, says he cant wait to get back to Oregon.
Live in the far western Pacific and am often in Hawaii. Have been going to Hawaii since the 1970s and the difference between then and now is like day and night. The impact of climate change and poor land use/development choices are blatantly apparent, homelessness and property crime driven by meth addiction appear out of control. While some locals are tolerant, friendly and welcoming, many are not (especially to mainlanders). I was on Oahu last week and had a young local raise their voice at me and call me a “colonialist oppressor.” 🤣
Never had the urge to go to hawaii. I do like hawaii 5.o.
Great video bro🤙🏾
Before you buy ocean front call your insurance agent.
Derek knows his stuff. His knowledge about finance, listen up. He's got em licked.
Thank you!
eh noticed he avoids addressing the locals/racism there a lot. i can understand why since he lives there and gotta protect that. but it's real and gotta address the real.
Good information. Thank you.
11:03 😂 The interstate highway is hilarious
A good friend moved to Oahu 20 years ago. He loves it. I went to visit him 5 or 6 times. Generally speaking, Oahu is a ghetto.
Most the most part, you are addressing problems people can run into Oahu, not the other islands. Other islands have their share of problems, but things there are not the same.
So true. Mainlander’s think we all have an ocean front view. It’s the paradise only for the rich.
You Are right. I would do anything to be there but I guess reality might be different
Never really had a thing about going to Hawaii and over the years hearing the downsides likely will never go.
Very mismanaged. I lived it. Left Maui 2 months ago.
@@guesswhosbackg6616 tap water where?
Yes, please mention the permit processing is absolutely ridiculous. The mayor should be held responsible because he hasn’t fixed them damn thing. Have a good day my love All talk no action.