Discovery Harbour Subdivision, Kau, Big Island - what you should know before moving there (fit in, transplants)

[DH_Nirvana]

Just as an FYI regarding health problems and the remoteness of Discovery Harbour. Medic 11 (paramedics) are based in Naalehu, which is 5 miles away. They can get to DH probably faster than an ambulance could get to you in a congested city environment. Kau Hospital has won awards for their emergency services, specifically their ability to stabilize and transfer to the next level of care. Kau Hospital also has a primary care clinic with two doctors and one Nurse Practitioner. I'm not pitching for Kau Hospital but anyone considering moving to Kau needs to know that we do have emergency services readily available. DH also has an adequately staffed volunteer fire department who are CPR trained. In closing..........as I have said in my other posts, my husband and I ABSOLUTELY love living in DH. We are both retired and over 60 and have our share of chronic health problems. If you choose a lot or house that has a good view you will soon discover what living in 'heaven' truly means. The views of the ocean, golf course and Waiohino hills coupled with the perfect weather cannot be found anywhere else at this price.

[ValentinaIsabella]

What you should know if no one else has posted already is....

Appears more daily the new recreational sport on the Big Island is armed robbery. DH Subdivision is not well liked or appreciated by locals. Basically locals think the richy mainlanders came over, bought their land, raised their property taxes and made a bunch of rules to keep them out. I read a few weeks ago or so a post here from someone living in the DH zone claiming they called code police complaining about abandoned properties in the subdivision. That is a big crazy NO NO on the island. Right, wrong is indifferent to a local. You never, ever, EVER dare get into someone else's business like that without expecting someday it'll come back on your property or self. Someone's auntie probably took that call at the office. Someone auntie certainly has spread around the island their are troublemakers in the DH calling authorities.

It does not take much to get an already angry islander to pick a reason to target an area. DH is already ripe. Cops on the Big Island do not care about property crimes. They sure as heck are not speeding out to DH for a 911 call.

Tip too, Hawaii has stupid laws about protecting yourself. When you get your house broken into and you will......God help you if you get robbed and try to defend yourself. You will be the one in jail. I have never seen anything like the way the Big Island operates in favor of criminals. And truly cops have no personal reason to protect the DH. Cops are local, DH residents make "California" demands, stay away from the subdivision.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

I wonder if you live here or have in the past, since your profile indicates that you live in Anchorage, Alaska? Are you merely repeating what you've hear from someone?

I think that your opinions represent a small minority of population. I said this for various reasons:
1. If locals hate DH so much, why do so many of them live there? I just did my weekly neighborhood watch run, and counted 42 out of 300 homes that are occupied by Hawaiians (as in born and raised) either as rentals or as owners. And those are just the houses that I know; there are probably at least 50 more houses that may or may not be occupied by Hawaiians.
2. Department of Hawaiian Homelands owns 38 lots in DH. Those are for Hawaiians to built their own house on. And DHHL requires that whoever builds here follow the covenants.
3. I know a lot of locals who tell me that Dh is a really nice subdivision and they wish that they could live there.

I'm kind of confused about your comment about someone complaining about abandoned properties. If I remember correctly, the comment had to do with properties that had been foreclosed on and the banks had not taken them over, so they were falling into disrepair. I don't understand how this is "getting into someone's business". The owner doesn't own it any longer and has no more say in what happens to it.

Regarding crime, yes there is robbery everywhere. I can't remember the last time that there was an "armed robbery", though, in Discovery Harbour. There are some people who cruise the neighborhood looking for vacant homes to burglarize. Our local police officer tells us that having a neighborhood watch patrol the area twice a day is a deterrent. Some other neighborhoods, like Ocean View which has a lot more local residents, have much higher crime than we do.

[hawaiian by heart]

@Dreaming of Hawaii

Just for your info auntie and not meant as stink. Locals are not necessary Native Hawai'ians. Ive seen you confuse this before. Aloha

[DH_Nirvana]

Aloha "ValentinaIsabella",

Sorry that you have such a hateful opinion of Discovery Harbour. I agree with "Dreaming of Hawaii" that many of our residents (homeowners and renters) are Hawaiian or HapaHawaiian and from what I have seen and heard they love living here too. Actually we have a "Cop" who lives here so he does have a "personal reason to protect the DH".

I would really like to know the reference for your comment about the lack of police interest in DH and who the "code police" are. If we could have those websites or links it would be a great point to bring up to the new Police Lieutenant in Naalehu if the HOA invite him to a meeting.

As far as "mainlanders" coming over and buying the land.....etc. Japanese investors developed Discovery Harbour about 40 years ago, and people from Japan are not mainlanders. Actually Japan, although considered part of Asia is really just another Pacific island. Most all of the "Locals" are comprised of some variety of Pacific Islander.

[Buckeye77]

Aloha folks - thanks for all the good info. We are about to list our house here in Central Florida, and once it sells, we are on our way to BI. Still don't know where - we've been there 3 times in the last 10 years. Wife prefers Kona/Captain Cook area (the spendy areas, of course), I prefer Hilo side of Island. DH kinda splits the difference, and we do like the general area. Depending on how quickly our Florida home sells, we may or may not be able to shop for a home before we move, which means we will have to rent while we look (or build). Lots of things to work out!

As a side note, I'm fully recovered from the pesky little quad bypass surgery I had last summer.

Mahalo,
Hoot N Annie

[DH_Nirvana]

Aloha Hoot N Annie,

You will love living in the Big Island of Hawaii, no matter where you choose. Both those areas you mentioned have good and bad reasons to live there, as do all the areas on the island. However, the two big things you should think about that are specific to Hilo and Captain Cook/South Kona are lots of rain and Coqui frogs........and OMG the Coqui frogs are terrible. Discovery Harbour, by the grace of God and Pele, doesn't have Coqui frogs. We do have some residents that think they have heard some up by Kamaoa Road, but in my personal opinion I think they are hearing the "chirp" of Hawaiian owls looking for food at night, or some other bird. If there were Coqui frogs up by Kamaoa Road we would definitely have those little buggers here in DH in no time. We generally don't get enough rain (about 30 inches a year) to support their little frog lifestyle.

Another small bit of information you may need to make your decision is "water".......catchment vs county. DH is 100% county water and very affordable. We are billed every other month and the bill is usually $55 - $57. Just a note......speaking of water, we have had more than average rain this year due to Fausto and Wali remnants.

Good luck in selling your Florida home and making your decision on where to live on the BI.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Hoot N Annie

Depending on how quickly our Florida home sells, we may or may not be able to shop for a home before we move, which means we will have to rent while we look (or build). Lots of things to work out!

You really would be well advised to rent a while before you buy or build. There are 1,001 differences between life in Hawai'i and life in Florida, some trivial, some major. And there are also a lot of differences between living in the different parts of the island, and your particular list of wants and needs and expectations is different from other people's, so it can be difficult to sort everything you need to know to make such a big decision without hands-on experience. That's why you see so many people bailing out on living in Hawai'i within a couple of years, because it is just so different than what they expected.

Good luck!

[imagtek]

DH has some of the best combination of weather on BI. I almost moved to Mark Twain (nearby) myself but the lots were too pricey and I wound up living cheap in Puna. Just remember that you are on Mars and bring your own 'life' with you. Walking alone into a rural bar with only a couple of other local patrons, into their own thing and not open to newcomers, gets old real fast. But if you are self contained and just need sun and sea and sky, its got it.

Someone should also mention the Christmasberry infestation in that area. A really nasty shrub that forms dense thickets that it takes a bulldozer to clear. Poisonous too. Do not stand downwind of the burning stuff and certainly do not mulch with it. It WILL make you sick if you get it on you or breathe smoke from it.

An earlier post about seriously minding your own business when it comes to 'shabby' properties and dealing with locals, etc. is spot on. Hawaiians are a very tolerant bunch of people, very friendly. But do not cross them. They do not suffer fools or people meddling in their personal space. A lot of history there. As far as someone harming you, the probability of it being a native Hawaiian is near zero but there are plenty of sketchy mainland types around you need to watch out for.

[Buckeye77]

Aloha to All -
imagtek - thanks for the info on Christmasberry - never heard of it before. Google time! Our Florida house is on the market, had multiple showings, etc. One big issue is bringing our 2 critters (Hoot, an 8# toy poodle and Annie, our 16# Shih Tzu). Our vet has already started the blood testing/etc protocol, but it looks like most airlines don't let you take small pets in the cabin. I guess I'll let our travel agent work that out. We do usually splurge and fly first class, not sure if that makes it easier or harder. It also looks like we may have to take different flights.

It's been over 90 every day here for at least a month, and even with our own pool, it is just plain stinkin hot. Discovery Harbour is looking better every day!

One more thing -- how do you pronounce "Na'alehu"? I guess I need a Youtube video....

Mahalo!