cblaisd

www.konaweb.com has a section on "Living In and Moving to the Big Island," but much of the info in the forums would apply to any of the islands.

Just be sure that if you see some information you need to save it. The site has the most miserable and archaic and unfriendly message board platform I've ever seen - particularly for a site that purports to be a repository of information. Repositories that expire in 30 days are fairly useless.

All of that said, it's a good site to get some basics and get questions knowledgeably answered.

sylvia hennesy

Aw, come on, Kona Bob gives good info, like on how to bake bread and find squash!

linsj

Lots of good--and firsthand--info here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hawai...ving-maui.html

It's not all Maui specific.

LIH Prem

you know about the requirements for bringing dogs to the islands, right?

They are very specific, since we there is no rabies here. (specific things you have to do at very specific times to avoid 30 day or longer quarantines for your dogs.)

-David

Anthemflyer

Go to city-data website, then look at the Hawaii thread. There's lots of good advice and most people are helpful. Being the internet, of course there's a few trolls as well. Good Luck with your move.

Tony10s

Bring lots of money
Don't expect a plethora of high paying jobs
A high percentage of mainland transplants, last between 3 and 12 months and then move back to mainland money issues job issues family issues rock fever issues etc
Unless you buy something, your pets may be an issue
Landlords here usually stipulate no pets even in complexes that allow pets
That's the landlords prerogative
Adapt adapt adapt none of the " well back home, we do it this way"
That mentality won't get you far on island
Be polite and respectful and you should be ok

MaximumSisu

Some have recommended the book "So You Want to Live in Hawaii" by Toni Polancy.

CTTS

+1 to both Tony10s and to MaximumSisu. Excellent advice.

Living here is not anything like vacationing here. Educate yourself on the downside, and do not move to any island except O'ahu if you need to work for a living. The employment opportunities are extremely limited, and if you are the entrepreneurial type, be aware that finding competent and dedicated employees is extraordinarily difficult.

All of the islands except O'ahu are essentially banana republics, with a gentry class and plenty of waiters, but almost nothing in between. Unlike the outer islands, O'ahu has a reasonably robust working class, a reasonably competent university system, a functioning police force, a functioning business community, and a functioning health care system. Maui & TBI do not, and Lana'i, Molokai, and Kaua'i have even less.

CenterWaters

If Hawaii is so nice, why doesn't EVERYBODY move there?

I've thought about this question ever since my very first back in 1985(?).
Over the years, I must have visited the islands a couple dozen times.
It's one of my two favourite places on this planet. However, as nice as
it is to travel to, I just don't know why I never bothered to move there?

CBear

Because living there and vacationing there are two separate things.

FlyinHawaiian

Cost of living, lack of well-paying jobs (or jobs in one's field of expertise/interest), lack of affordable housing, distance from friends/family/loved ones, fair to poor public secondary schools, urban traffic woes, etc...

Mary2e

Speaking of the cost of living.... From what I've seen, it is not very different than living in the NY area. The big difference is in employment opportunities, as FlyinHawaiian said. But we're good to look at it more seriously for retirement, since we are moving from the NY area and if we can afford to retire living in NJ, well, we should be able to do it in Hawaii. But we haven't looked at it that closely yet.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

Also if you have family and close friends back on the mainland its a five hour plus flight to see them.

CPRich

Look at the last "best state for business" results. Hawaii was 1st in quality of life, near the bottom in everything else, and dead last overall. Being a great place to vacation doesn't make it a great place to live/work.

Vacations are for splurging and relaxing - you're not worried that the single gallon of milk you bought cost $7 - you're only doing it once and in exchange you get, well, everything else. Doing that every day/week, for everything, and not having the high paying jobs you can get elsewhere - a bit of a different tune.

Maybe when you're retired. And rich.

davesam12

Believe me we have seriously thought about it. When we checked into the Royal Hawaiian the last time the lovely woman who assisted us asked the usual questions/conversation starters - "Where are you from? First visit? First time at RH?" When I honestly told her --17 years of trips and several times at RH that we couldn't remember how many for sure -- we would have to count them. She stopped, looked me right in the eyes and very sweetly and seriously said "oh, you know the Gods are telling you that you need to move here." It melted my heart and gave a lump in the throat.