Moving To Lahaina Maui - Need Advice! (apartment, rent)

[beautifuljoon]

Aloha. I get it, paradise stops being paradise when you have to work two jobs and live with just the basics. I do that now and don't do anything with all the money left over because I live in an ugly cold town with unfriendly people and have no desire to buy nick nacks to "fill a void". My husband and I have $11,000+ saved up (half of that will be going to purchasing a car on the island) and he will be working as a chef. Total AFTER taxes are taken out we will be bringing in $3,000 (same as we do here). I figure $1,000 for an apartment, then utilities (my company pays for phone & internet)...car insurance, gas and food. That doesn't leave us with a whole lot left over (don't care, I never buy anything anyways). But is it enough? I know there are costs people don't think about and I want to know from someone who lives in Maui if we can live in a 1bdrm apt. and live off a $3,000 salary if we are thrifty people or if I am crazy for even trying? Thank you for your response, It's much appreciated!

[xstonedrocker]

aloha
some famous dood from hawaii said


yes you can

i suggest you get a copy of the maui news and look at classifieds sat or sunday paper for apt .. for 1100 you might even find a 2 bedroom

might not need to spend 5 k on car ...just a thought ..

lahaina to the big box stores is 45 minute drive ...but you do save overall

you might try kihei and commute ...

if you live like a local not a tourist on 3 k you can live ...just be aware of how fast money does go ..

gas is 3.85 a gallon ...so find gas saving car ..
just basics milk runs on avg 4 to 4.50 a gal not 6 to 8
eggs run 6.oo per 3 dz
bread 3 to 5 a loaf

i say go for it cause the sunsets are worth zillions and maui is not a cold weather place

xstonedreocker

[whynot?]

I don't want to say it "can't be done," because I'm sure there are people here doing it. That said, I think the most important this is that your husband has a reliable job offer in-hand before you arrive. Many restaurants have scaled back and not many are hiring. A lot of "scheduled" hours are cut on a day-to-day basis, meaning people go home and don't get paid. A lot of cooks and servers have returned to the mainland in the past year/year and a half.

$1,000/mo might be a little skimpy for a Lahaina rent budget, too. Again, I'm sure there are places out there, but you might find them too tiny or undesirable for other reasons. There are more places than usual available, but I haven't seen any remarkable (non-vacation property) values owing to the economy. Depending upon where you stay while you're looking for a permanent residence, you may also burn through a considerable amount of your intended savings if you don't already have something lined up.

I strongly recommend a pre-move visit to get the lay of the land, preview the job and housing market, and tie up as many loose ends as possible to save time and money when you do move. This may sound extravagant, but the job market is very slack and moving is a very expensive mistake if it doesn't work out.

I wouldn't rent anything in Hawai'i without seeing it in person first. In fact, I'd go on several days at several different TIMES of the day to see what it's like AND try to meet the owner or property manager face-to-face. The more organized you are when you move, the more likely it will go smoothly.

Best of luck.

[beautifuljoon]

Thank you so much for all your advice, I really appreciate it. You both explained things well and it is kind of you to take your time to answer me.

[hotzcatz]

You can probably live in Maui on that amount, but saving up $11K for any purpose after you've moved to Maui might be almost impossible. Extra money to put into a savings plan is one of the things which folks frequently sacrifice to live in this state.

[Kelly4Sun]

Aloha,

My husband and I live in Central Oregon and have been going over to Maui for the last 3-4 years, twice a year if we can. When our daughter graduated from school and moved out on her own, Maui was where we decided to go and that’s where we have been vacationing ever since. My husband and I are in love with Maui and the people. We have thought about moving there one day. My husband and I have owned a concrete company since 1987. We have seen our business go from very successful to barely anything in the last year and a half. I work as a Para Professional in the special education department in a middle school. It worries me that as regular working folks in a devastating economy, I feel as if we may not have a prayer to make a successful transition to Maui. What are your thoughts on this?

Mahalo,
Kelly4Sun

[jayteefoster]

(fyi kelly, you're not going to get any more responses by cross-posting the same message in many threads—the same people read this thread as do the one you started).

[Kelly4Sun]

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. In case you haven't noticed already, I'm new to this forum thing

Mahalo

[orangebird2020]

Try renting a studio in the beginning, they are much more affordable. You can survive on that amount of money by being frugal. Find an affordable rental, stay on a budget, and use public transportation.

[katiebrown00]

What is the average cost of living in Hawaii? I figured it's more expensive in Oahu. I am a RN in dialysis and my company has many branches in Hawaii. Would prefer a more laid back life style. Thanks.