Is the grass greener in Maui? Contemplating relocating from Saint Paul. (rental car, home)

[Dthraco]

I don't miss winter. Didn't miss it when I lived in Florida either. There is something to be said for wearing board shorts and flip flops year round. It's been 'chilly' here in the mornings, but the ocean is still 74 degrees, quite comfortable in my opinion. Chilly is 68. It took about 9 months to acclimate to the difference in temps. I do make sure to do a reality check when I start thinking I am cold...I look at my slippers and shorts and go...duh shutup.

We sold our house and then moved into a 500sq ft 1 bedroom apartment for about 6 months before the move. This assured us we could get used to a smaller living space. It also bumped up the $$ we saved for the move.

I had a positive experience dealing with Matson directly to ship the car, $1059 at the time. Have never regretted shipping it. The only suprise was that I needed shocks. Mainland freeway driving vs pothole city driving are two different things. I don't recall the roads being all that bad on Maui though. Been a couple years since I was there.

[maui-intoxicated]

Originally Posted by Dthraco

I don't miss winter. Didn't miss it when I lived in Florida either. There is something to be said for wearing board shorts and flip flops year round. It's been 'chilly' here in the mornings, but the ocean is still 74 degrees, quite comfortable in my opinion. Chilly is 68. It took about 9 months to acclimate to the difference in temps. I do make sure to do a reality check when I start thinking I am cold...I look at my slippers and shorts and go...duh shutup.

We sold our house and then moved into a 500sq ft 1 bedroom apartment for about 6 months before the move. This assured us we could get used to a smaller living space. It also bumped up the $$ we saved for the move.

I had a positive experience dealing with Matson directly to ship the car, $1059 at the time. Have never regretted shipping it. The only suprise was that I needed shocks. Mainland freeway driving vs pothole city driving are two different things. I don't recall the roads being all that bad on Maui though. Been a couple years since I was there.

The vehicle thing is a whole other story. I have a 4x4 truck, but I feel that's not practical in Maui after driving there myself. Could I manage..sure but I am kind of on the fence on how to get my car from here to Maui. Do I buy a car here, and drive to a port and then ship, or drive to a port city and buy a car and ship, or just say screw it and drive my truck to a port and ship THAT.

[Futuremauian]

Originally Posted by maui-intoxicated

The vehicle thing is a whole other story. I have a 4x4 truck, but I feel that's not practical in Maui after driving there myself. Could I manage..sure but I am kind of on the fence on how to get my car from here to Maui. Do I buy a car here, and drive to a port and then ship, or drive to a port city and buy a car and ship, or just say screw it and drive my truck to a port and ship THAT.

You won't be the lone ranger, driving a 4wd truck in Hi. You probably should try to determine how much you will have to drive it. Then consider the cost of selling, buying, and shipping another vehicle. If you take a beating on the selling and buying, that cost might pay for a lot of gas, instead, and you would still have your truck. If you WANT to keep your truck.

[Dthraco]

Originally Posted by maui-intoxicated

The vehicle thing is a whole other story. I have a 4x4 truck, but I feel that's not practical in Maui after driving there myself. Could I manage..sure but I am kind of on the fence on how to get my car from here to Maui. Do I buy a car here, and drive to a port and then ship, or drive to a port city and buy a car and ship, or just say screw it and drive my truck to a port and ship THAT.

I don't really follow how a 4x4 is not practical in Maui. Our friends who live there enjoy having two 4x4's...gets them to some great hikes and to see Peahi when it's going off. I see TONS more 4x4 vehicles here than sedans. And like the mainland...they are not really used as 4x4's, more like statements. haha.

The difference here is that the commute is much shorter than the average mainland commute = less gas because you aren't driving it as far. Since the cost of gas is higher, it doesn't hurt as much because you don't drive that far very often.

If shipping the vehicle is right for you...you would probably have to drive it to Seattle and then ship it from there. If you flew out from Seattle to Honolulu, the discount in the flight cost might offset the fuel to make the drive.

I don't regret shipping our car because it is paid for, I know it runs, I know it's history, and about when the next maintenance is going to be due. The thought of selling the car, and buying another one here did not interest me...the value and class of car I am in would be expensive to replicate if I had to sell and replace it. Your vehicle might be different, I don't know.

[TwoByFour]

Originally Posted by maui-intoxicated

Our local vet knows all the needed transport info for more than just a Maui relocation so I am in good hands there.

So its the blood sample from the U, and a quick rabies shot and we should be good to go in a month.

You better recheck with your vet and/or the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. The minimum time between the rabies shots (two are required) and arrival is 4 months.

You should also talk to Hawaiian Airlines about reservations and what they charge. When I flew my dog over, Hawaiian wanted $750. Alaska wanted $100. For either one, you need to reserve a space well in advance.

[Dthraco]

Originally Posted by TwoByFour

For either one, you need to reserve a space well in advance.

That reminds me. Each plane type is only allowed a certain number of pets per flight. Calling months in advance to book them is excellent advice. I don't recall how much it was to put ours on the plane, but it was definitely under $200 each on Hawaiian.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Dthraco

The difference here is that the commute is much shorter than the average mainland commute = less gas because you aren't driving it as far. Since the cost of gas is higher, it doesn't hurt as much because you don't drive that far very often.

I don't know... I've seen grown men cry after filling up their 4X4s at Hawai'i prices.

A former resident posted that he lived 10 miles from work, and it cost him $100/mo in gas to commute in his 4X4 Jeep Cherokee... plus another $100 for weekends.

It all depends on one's personal priorities, of course, but the thought of paying $200/mo at the gas pump is truly obnoxious to me. If I want a 4X4 for an occasional weekend adventure I don't need to drive it every day. I'll just rent one as needed.

To each his own.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I don't know... I've seen grown men cry after filling up their 4X4s at Hawai'i prices. .

I agree. Now that I commute daily I had to bite the bullet and go from a sportscar getting 17 MPG to a hybrid getting over 40 MPG. The price of gas here doesn't make 4X4's or sportscars practical as a daily driver.

[maui-intoxicated]

Originally Posted by OpenD

I don't know... I've seen grown men cry after filling up their 4X4s at Hawai'i prices.

A former resident posted that he lived 10 miles from work, and it cost him $100/mo in gas to commute in his 4X4 Jeep Cherokee... plus another $100 for weekends.

It all depends on one's personal priorities, of course, but the thought of paying $200/mo at the gas pump is truly obnoxious to me. If I want a 4X4 for an occasional weekend adventure I don't need to drive it every day. I'll just rent one as needed.

To each his own.

Oh I am familiar with these prices. It costs me $180/month in gas in MN to drive my truck to work...and when I pull my boat in the summer it's tough to measure how much it costs... all that cost would be transferred to my housing in Hawaii.

Main reason I would not bring the truck is my dog has a tough time getting in/out of the truck because its up so high. I would probably get a V6 that sits low to the ground. A Camaro perhaps?

[aqua0]

It's easy to just focus on what you love about Maui as the motivation to move here. But that is not going to help you balance your decision. What you need to focus on is what drawbacks you can tolerate. Because I know of people who have sold their property, moved here, bought, and resold to move back to the mainland. Maybe the hassles are worth it, but it's prudent to be aware of:

Vog (you may have severe allergies or asthma -- read that post about it)
Cane burning (same as above)
Mold (mostly an upcountry problem, including Haiku)
Isolation, lack of friends (common problem)
Skin cancer (common problem)
100-legged creatures and their 4-8 legged friends in unexpected places
Noise (dogs barking, catfights, all hrs of the night unless you sleep with your windows shut and a/c on)

If you and your wife can put up with dealing with all of these, then I think you are definitely ready for Maui!