Fern Forest Ice Head Warzone (Hilo, Volcano: buying a home, neighborhood, buying)

[MikeyMike11]

Originally Posted by Grassyknoll

I have no doubt your account has some basis in fact. But to be honest it seemed to be very sensationalized and a bit fear-mongerish. Take what you hear about some of the rural areas with a grain of salt. I live in Oceanview and there are residents in other parts of the island that describe OV just like you do Fern Forest. After 6 years here I can say, that in my experience, it is really no worse than living in rural Northern California.

I sure hope it is sensationalized. Maybe these stories were made up for me specifically to drive Haole away, I can't be 100% certain, but these were white people who were telling me these stories. I would personally love the opportunity to rise my family surrounded by nature, but not crime. I almost even considered buying some land, sitting on it, and letting FF figure it out over the long term, but it has seemingly gotten worse.

[MikeyMike11]

Originally Posted by KohalaTransplant

You have so many rants going on, perhaps you forgot what you were ranting about earlier in this thread.


Good luck in your search. But. I don't get the sense you will be very happy here on the Big Island

So many rants? Like what? Me posting news articles? YOU are the one trying to change the subject, while I've stayed on point with my "rant". I was extremely disappointed with FF, but have since moved on. I actually spent a lot of money in my J1 period doing my "due diligence", and this is my finding. I also understand no one cares what my "opinion" is, and so this is more for other buyers to come check out before they buy something sight unseen. I have made friends out there, and like I said, many many good people live out there, and I'm sure they are sick and tired of this ****. I plan on staying friends with these people, helping them in any way possible, and supporting them, but venturing into that subdivision just isn't high on my list of things to do now.

Again, do you live in FF? Why are you still deflecting my statements saying I have "all these rants"? It's been one single rant about crime in FF. Maybe you are misinterpreting something?

I like a few other parts of the BI, and look forward to being a productive part of the local community. But as a Dad, I could never put my family in a situation like what's going on in FF.

[MikeyMike11]

Originally Posted by Nik4me

The link above I have to comment on:”arrested while playing with turtles “? So cute.
The cult members look hot! Wonder if it is one of the criteria to be allowed into a cult.
Is that the reason for a national security threat? Too hot to handle? Or is it defecating under the trees?

On a serious note.
I understand that you like the climate and the costs of the place, but don’t like the locals shenanigans.

Well, you get what you pay for: nobody owes your anything, including “the law and the order” you grew up accustomed to on the mainland- due to your well run police or well armed populace or due to the remoteness of your place.


Forget all PC about the diversity: stay with your own. All homogenous societies and communities which value the community and adhere to an unspoken code of behavior towards each other seem to fair very well in all aspects of life, and especially when the disaster strikes.
You will be happier and feel safer in the long run.

It is when we have too much mixing- we can not understand and can not tolerate our fellow man- leads to all unpleasant things.


If the locals can tolerate the behavior you describe- then just stay out of it if it sounds intolerable to you.
Let the thought of Fern Forest living go. Perhaps, the whole Hawaii idea is not right for you... Look elsewhere...

Thanks for your response, and I think you are correct. But I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking I don't like diversity, because that is false. I actually grew up in a place like FF, but have been "running away" from that sort of situation my whole life. It was a very diverse environment to grow up in, but riddled with crime and drugs. I now live in a very "white" area, but in my little microcosm here, we still have friends who are Asian, African American, and Latino. So minorities are not the problem, and in fact, all those news stories I linked to show people of all colors.

I have not quite forgotten about FF just yet. It really is beautiful there, and perfect climate for us, perfect lot sizes (although the square lots are rare), and far out enough from a city, to where I don't have to worry about traffic, or noise for the most part.

[MikeyMike11]

Originally Posted by terracore

Now back to reality. Do you know where the island's meth comes from? Most of it is delivered through the US Postal service. No hollyweird stories required. The clown feeding you these tall tales is having a pretty good laugh at your expense, and now that you have shared them, everybody else is too.

I see, so you are just disagreeing that meth is cooked there, that it is a dumping ground for stolen cars and goods, and that there is a problem with violence. Statistics don't matter to you, and you think it's funny that this is happening.

Anyone with a family, with a logical mind, will read this and come to the same conclusion. But you are having a laugh? What a disgrace, when people are being killed because of drugs out there.

While you're busy "having a laugh", here are some facts for you to consider:

"The prevalence of meth use in Hawaii is astronomical. Positive drug tests for meth in the Hawaiian workforce is 410 percent greater than the national average. Furthermore, no less than 90 percent of all federally sentenced drug cases in Hawaii involve meth." https://www.narconon.org/blog/how-di...n-we-help.html

While it does seem that the lack of pseudoephedrine precursors for the production of meth is why no meth labs have been busted since 2004, perhaps the data is a bit out of date now? I don't claim to know what is driving the explosion of meth AND heroin on the BI, but can only tell you from what I hear from people who live there. Maybe things are changing for the worse?

[hotzcatz]

Originally Posted by MikeyMike11

<SNIP>
I have not quite forgotten about FF just yet. It really is beautiful there, and perfect climate for us, perfect lot sizes (although the square lots are rare), and far out enough from a city, to where I don't have to worry about traffic, or noise for the most part.

Perhaps moving to Hawaii and renting for awhile may help you choose a good spot. I've met loads of folks who made a list of criteria based on their mainland experiences and found 'a perfect spot' based on those criteria. Yet, once they moved to their bit of 'perfection' they noticed that their criteria had some serious downsides that weren't apparent until they lived there.


FWIW, I've noticed it can be quieter in town than out in the country, especially in the big Puna 'sub-divisions'. Folks in town realize there's neighbors nearby and live quietly. Folks off in the scrub don't see their neighbors and make a lot of noise not expecting anyone nearby to hear it.


Off in the middle of nowhere, generally you get to catch water which requires a catchment tank, pump, filter, etc. Even then, many folks don't drink their catchment water but haul drinking water in from roadside spigots.


Off in the middle of nowhere now has cell reception, at least, sometimes and in some areas. Go to the exact lot you're considering and try making a call from there before deciding it is accessible from there, though.


Power still may or may not be available. If it isn't and someone moves next door, expect to hear generators running all the time.


As far as traffic, if you lived in town you'd not have to play in traffic to get supplies. I can walk to the grocery store, hardware store, park, post office, library, swimming pool, dentist, main street, etc., etc.


Just be careful what you wish for, you may get it.

[Gobobeach]

I found this post and had to respond. I have lived in Fern Forest for 11 years and have never had a problem with any of the warzone you talk about. And yes, I am white and originally from the mainland. Yes once in awhile you hear of drug activity or a break-in, but that is everywhere. In fact, the only time I had a break-in happen to me in Hawaii was when I lived in a very nice neighborhood on Oahu. They broke a window and helped themselves in broad daylight.
I have many friends in Fern Forest and other subdivisions in the area. Some Hawaiian, white, black, etc. It's a true melting pot and everyone gets along. People look out for one another and there is real community. I know more of my neighbors here then I ever did living in more crowded places on the mainland and even Oahu, even though my neighbors are farther apart here.
I think sometimes the issue is that mainland people come here and try to change things to be like a mainland neighborhood instead of embracing and respecting the local culture.
I plan to retire here. It's a great place to live.

[terracore]

Originally Posted by Gobobeach

I found this post and had to respond. I have lived in Fern Forest for 11 years and have never had a problem with any of the warzone you talk about. And yes, I am white and originally from the mainland. Yes once in awhile you hear of drug activity or a break-in, but that is everywhere. In fact, the only time I had a break-in happen to me in Hawaii was when I lived in a very nice neighborhood on Oahu. They broke a window and helped themselves in broad daylight.
I have many friends in Fern Forest and other subdivisions in the area. Some Hawaiian, white, black, etc. It's a true melting pot and everyone gets along. People look out for one another and there is real community. I know more of my neighbors here then I ever did living in more crowded places on the mainland and even Oahu, even though my neighbors are farther apart here.
I think sometimes the issue is that mainland people come here and try to change things to be like a mainland neighborhood instead of embracing and respecting the local culture.
I plan to retire here. It's a great place to live.

You mean there is no Puna Walter White? No chemical smuggling 5,300 miles in a rubber dingy from the Philippines to a boat ramp that doesn't exist, protected by an arsenal of 15 hand guns with maximum 10 round capacity that were stolen and sold off 7 years ago?

[squatty]

According to information I could find out there, Hawaii does not lead the nation in Methamphetamine use. https://www.kait8.com/2020/02/21/ark...e-study-finds/

[terracore]

Originally Posted by squatty

According to information I could find out there, Hawaii does not lead the nation in Methamphetamine use. https://www.kait8.com/2020/02/21/ark...e-study-finds/

That's because you are not following the OP's logic. Hawaii's use of meth is a rounding error compared to the nearly 100% of people living in Fern Forest that are cooking and using it. FF is likely a meth exporter, supplying Arkansas with their meth supply. Locals call it the "meth triangle": Meth precursors arrive via rubber dingy from the Philippines and are delivered to a black sand beach on the Big Island with dangerous surf conditions that exists where the 2018 eruption wiped out the boat ramp. Under the cloak of darkness, the last remaining hand gun almost fully loaded with 8 rounds from a store theft 7 years ago protects the Fern Forest Cartel as they unload enough precursors to make 1 gram of meth (they needed the rest of the space on the boat for fuel and food/water).

Deep in the darkest jungles of FF, the precursors are cooked down in a leaky off grid shack and 1 gram of low grade, urine-colored meth (at least, they SAY it is meth) is scraped off the bottom of a Mr Coffee carafe. The Fern Forest Cookers quickly smoke most of it, leaving a parmesan-cheese sized granule available for resale on the Arkansas market: the third leg in the meth triangle. With the ten cents worth of profits on the exported meth, the cartel is able to fund their meth business at a mere $4,000 loss per dingy trip, leaving them no option but to steal everything available in FF.

And THAT'S why Puna has the highest crime rate in the universe.

[jlandmark]

Where in Fern Forest did you almost purchase a lot?