House in Hawaii (Hilo, Keaau, Pahoa: insurance, new house, landscaping)

[gringlesphere]

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...59520298_zpid/

Hi, just dreaming of one day where I can live in Hawaii. I came across the listing above (there are other similar) where the house is around $600K; I'm wondering how can a new house in Hawaii be in this range (what I would consider affordable given my current income).

Is there something I'm missing? Is this an undesirable part of Hawaii or something?

[Arktikos]

That's in Paradise Park. 1 Acre lots. Lava hazard zone 3 and a lot of traffic congestion getting in and out of the subdivision are the major negatives IMO.

Average annual rainfall is over 100 inches, a very good feature for filling your water catchment tank considering there is no public water available. Some people might understandably balk at the rainfall, assuming it implies a very cloudy climate similar to the PNW. Not in the least. The vast majority of the time it's partly cloudy skies.

[Grassyknoll]

Originally Posted by gringlesphere

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...59520298_zpid/

Hi, just dreaming of one day where I can live in Hawaii. I came across the listing above (there are other similar) where the house is around $600K; I'm wondering how can a new house in Hawaii be in this range (what I would consider affordable given my current income).

Is there something I'm missing? Is this an undesirable part of Hawaii or something?

You can buy a pretty nice 3/2 in both the Puna and Ka'u districts for around 400k. If you have a job you can telecommute to or are retired, yeah, it's paradise at a discount. But if you have to commute for work, that could get old.

[gringlesphere]

Thanks both.

I'm looking at retirement and want to have a garden and fruit trees. 1-2 acres is probably all I would need.

What's up with the rock landscaping?

[Grassyknoll]

Originally Posted by gringlesphere

Thanks both.

I'm looking at retirement and want to have a garden and fruit trees. 1-2 acres is probably all I would need.

What's up with the rock landscaping?

It's on a volcanic rock in the middle of the Pacific, youbworknwithbqhat Madame Pele gives you

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

If you are seriously thinking of moving to the BI, then you need to come spend a week or two visiting the various parts of the island. Things like climate, availability of county water, proximity to shopping and health care, etc.

Grassyknoll successfully gardens on what was basically all lava when he moved. We have a mix of lava and a bit of soil where we are. Other places have great soil.

Regarding the rock landscaping on that house, it was probably the easiest for the builder to do to make the yard look finished.

[terracore]

Originally Posted by gringlesphere

Thanks both.

I'm looking at retirement and want to have a garden and fruit trees. 1-2 acres is probably all I would need.

What's up with the rock landscaping?

Most of the land in that area has very little soil. A lot of people do have lawns but it takes something like 17 dump truck loads of fine cinder per acre to make it happen. The developers put down the "rock landscaping" to make it look nice without investing a lot of money. Left untreated that will be an invasive weed forest in no time.

That house is new construction with higher end finishes. You can get a 3/3 on an acre or more for a lot less money if living in new construction isn't a requirement.

Most people here find that they have more land than they need. Four+ growing seasons per year and no winter to kill stuff off means it's tough to keep the jungle and invasives in check. Most of the lots here are long and narrow. Because back in the day the land was cheap but the roads were expensive.

HPP is one of the more densely populated subdivisions in Puna where most of the lots are 1 acre plus. It's very popular and the prices are a little higher than some of the other subdivisions. It's about 30 minutes from Hilo and 15 minutes from Keaau or Pahoa. There is a small commercial area in Orchidland Estates across the highway from HPP with restaurants, gas station, convenience store, and the Orchidland General Store which has hardware, groceries, a deli, liquor, etc. You wouldn't want to build a house shopping for building supplies there but if you're almost done with a project and realize you need a few more 2x4's it's better to pay a few dollars more per than driving all the way to Hilo for it. I liked HPP when we were home shopping but we wanted at least 3 acres and Orchidland was a better fit for us.

"Is this an undesirable part of Hawaii or something?"

That depends on what you are looking for. To me the most undesirable part of Hawaii would be pretty much anywhere on Oahu unless I had an unlimited budget. But for many folks, living in a "big city" on a rock in the middle of the Pacific is what they are looking for. There are a lot of Puna detractors on city-data. But Puna has been the fastest growing part of the state for at least a decade. Maybe us Punatics are onto something? Either way, the only way to find out is to come visit before you get serious about buying anything. There are plenty of VRBOs or AirBnBs or whatever in HPP and elsewhere if you want to be fully immersed.

[gringlesphere]

Thanks Grassy, Dreaming and terracore.

Lots of helpful insights for me.

As retirees, my wife and I have very little requirements. Basically, just need a 2/2 or 3/2 (for when kids visit for example), but otherwise, don't need anything fancy. Main priority is to be able to garden and have fruit trees, so good to hear that it's doable.

The house I posted was just an example of something that I thought would fit our needs; we'd prefer to be more in country-like setting than city-like.

We certainly do intend to visit and get a feel for things before buying.

[terracore]

Originally Posted by gringlesphere

Thanks Grassy, Dreaming and terracore.

Lots of helpful insights for me.

As retirees, my wife and I have very little requirements. Basically, just need a 2/2 or 3/2 (for when kids visit for example), but otherwise, don't need anything fancy. Main priority is to be able to garden and have fruit trees, so good to hear that it's doable.

The house I posted was just an example of something that I thought would fit our needs; we'd prefer to be more in country-like setting than city-like.

We certainly do intend to visit and get a feel for things before buying.

A few more things to consider- most homes in Hawaii are smaller than the mainland. Some of that is because building supplies are more expensive, but also some of it is because living in Hawaii means spending more time outside. Most houses here on the East side are also uninsulated. So sound travels easily, and that can make a small home seem even smaller, especially for families with kids. Builders cut corners in a lot of ways to make homes affordable. You can expect many homes to have tiny bedrooms, tiny bathrooms, and few closets. But like I mentioned, if you come to Hawaii and spend all your time indoors, you're doing something wrong. I got my fill of indoor time during the winters I spent in Alaska.

[napaunui]

Avoid the high hazard volcanic zones; insurance is available, but very expensive.