Moving to Oahu (Honolulu, Hilo, Pearl City: for sale, real estate, oceanfront)

[bittersweet]

Hello! My boyfriend and I are moving to Oahu in August, and we are looking for apartments in a safe area in central oahu. I know everyone on this forum has been asking similar questions, but we would appreciate any advice. We are a young couple and we have no kids. I'm Filipino, and he's caucasian. Right now we live in a studio loft apartment, so we really only need a one bedroom. We're willing to pay up to 1500 but something cheaper would be ideal. We also have decided not to take our cars, so something close to a busline would be nice.

Also, what types of jobs are most abundant? I work as a manager at Abercrombie and I know I have a job lined up, but I am wondering what other types of opportunities are available. We are both college grads. He majored in Physics at VCU, and I majored in Japanese studies at UVA. Are there a lot of temp agencies? Is every job in the service industry? How much money do you think we should have saved up before we go?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by bittersweet

Hello! My boyfriend and I are moving to Oahu in August, and we are looking for apartments in a safe area in central oahu. I know everyone on this forum has been asking similar questions, but we would appreciate any advice. We are a young couple and we have no kids. I'm Filipino, and he's caucasian. Right now we live in a studio loft apartment, so we really only need a one bedroom. We're willing to pay up to 1500 but something cheaper would be ideal. We also have decided not to take our cars, so something close to a busline would be nice.

Also, what types of jobs are most abundant? I work as a manager at Abercrombie and I know I have a job lined up, but I am wondering what other types of opportunities are available. We are both college grads. He majored in Physics at VCU, and I majored in Japanese studies at UVA. Are there a lot of temp agencies? Is every job in the service industry? How much money do you think we should have saved up before we go?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

First of all, I highly recommend that you peruse Toni Polancy's book, entitled "So You Want to Live in Hawai'i: A Guide to Settling and Succeeding in the Islands." As for living in central O'ahu (Wahiawa, Waipio, Mililani) without a car, it might be less than ideal (depending on where your jobs are located).

While every job in Hawai'i is not in the service industry, the majority of them are and most probably don't require a college education.

In terms of how much money you need to save up before you come to Hawai'i, I'd recommend saving as much as possible. Some folks are perfectly content living in a tent on the beach and eating from trash cans, while some aren't content unless they're living in an oceanfront mansion with a personal chef, maid, and chauffeur. Having money saved up gives you more options.

[bittersweet]

hey thanks for replying. i have already purchased toni polancy's book. it's a good read. my bf and i are both beach bums and content living a relatively simple life. we're looking at living in hawaii as a once in a lifetime experience. (i studied abroad in japan a couple times and i see that as the same kind of once in a lifetime experience). also, how much saving is as much as possible...i've read anywhere from one month's expenses to 6 months, and how much do you think that is? maybe 3 or 4 grand a person? a friend has recommended living in pearl city or aiea. what do you guys think about that?

also, my sister is also moving to hawaii w/ her husband, so we won't be completely alone. it's nice since she can go to the commissary! my brother-in-law is a helicopter pilot and is going to be stationed in kaneohe. they're looking for a house right now, and they have two elementary school aged children. any advice for them?

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by bittersweet

hey thanks for replying. i have already purchased toni polancy's book. it's a good read. my bf and i are both beach bums and content living a relatively simple life. we're looking at living in hawaii as a once in a lifetime experience. (i studied abroad in japan a couple times and i see that as the same kind of once in a lifetime experience). also, how much saving is as much as possible...i've read anywhere from one month's expenses to 6 months, and how much do you think that is? maybe 3 or 4 grand a person? a friend has recommended living in pearl city or aiea. what do you guys think about that?

Pearl City, 'Aiea, and Salt Lake are all relatively affordable and fairly safe areas. If you have a job at Pearl Harbor, Pearlridge, or downtown Honolulu commuting from those areas isn't too bad. Housing, food, utilities, and insurance will probably be your biggest expenses. Let's assume that you find a semi-furnished place for $1,400 per month (or $700 per month per person). If you shop carefully and don't dine out much, $300 per month per person should cover food. If you aren't a Costco or Sam's Club member, it's worth it to join. In some cases, utilities are included when you rent an apartment or condo, but if not, add another $300 per month per person for (electricity, water/sewer, basic cable, basic telephone service, and high-speed internet access). Health insurance and renter's insurance will probably run about $500 per month per person. Altogether, that's about $1,800 per month per person for basic living expenses.

First month's rent and a security deposit on a $1,400/month place will run at least $2,800. In addition, it will probably cost around $200 in fees and assorted charges to establish utilities. Transportation, clothing, entertainment, and other expenses will probably run another $3,000 or so. Thus, the "initial expenses" involved in getting to Honolulu and renting a place will probably cost around $6,000 (or $3,000 per person).

Three month's living expenses should be enough to cover you until you get established on O'ahu, so that's $1,800 x 3 = $5,400 per person for living expenses. So let's see per person, "initial expenses" + "3 month's living expenses" = $3,000 + $5,400 = $8,400. While you can probably shift a few budget items around, $8,400 per person should be enough to keep you and your boyfriend from joining the ranks of the homeless on O'ahu. If O'ahu proves too expensive, the Hilo side of the Big Island is a more affordable option.

Originally Posted by bittersweet

also, my sister is also moving to hawaii w/ her husband, so we won't be completely alone. it's nice since she can go to the commissary! my brother-in-law is a helicopter pilot and is going to be stationed in kaneohe. they're looking for a house right now, and they have two elementary school aged children. any advice for them?

I knew somebody had to be connected to the military when I read "central O'ahu" in that earlier post. Are your sister and her husband looking to buy a house or rent a house and what's their budget?

If you, your boyfriend, your sister, your sister's husband, and their children could all share a 3 or 4 bedroom house like many local families do, that would make living on O'ahu fairly affordable.

[LovinMaui]

Originally Posted by Jonah K

Pearl City, 'Aiea, and Salt Lake are all relatively affordable and fairly safe areas. If you have a job at Pearl Harbor, Pearlridge, or downtown Honolulu commuting from those areas isn't too bad. Housing, food, utilities, and insurance will probably be your biggest expenses. Let's assume that you find a semi-furnished place for $1,400 per month (or $700 per month per person). If you shop carefully and don't dine out much, $300 per month per person should cover food. If you aren't a Costco or Sam's Club member, it's worth it to join. In some cases, utilities are included when you rent an apartment or condo, but if not, add another $300 per month per person for (electricity, water/sewer, basic cable, basic telephone service, and high-speed internet access). Health insurance and renter's insurance will probably run about $500 per month per person. Altogether, that's about $1,800 per month per person for basic living expenses.

First month's rent and a security deposit on a $1,400/month place will run at least $2,800. In addition, it will probably cost around $200 in fees and assorted charges to establish utilities. Transportation, clothing, entertainment, and other expenses will probably run another $3,000 or so. Thus, the "initial expenses" involved in getting to Honolulu and renting a place will probably cost around $6,000 (or $3,000 per person).

Three month's living expenses should be enough to cover you until you get established on O'ahu, so that's $1,800 x 3 = $5,400 per person for living expenses. So let's see per person, "initial expenses" + "3 month's living expenses" = $3,000 + $5,400 = $8,400. While you can probably shift a few budget items around, $8,400 per person should be enough to keep you and your boyfriend from joining the ranks of the homeless on O'ahu. If O'ahu proves too expensive, the Hilo side of the Big Island is a more affordable option.


I knew somebody had to be connected to the military when I read "central O'ahu" in that earlier post. Are your sister and her husband looking to buy a house or rent a house and what's their budget?

If you, your boyfriend, your sister, your sister's husband, and their children could all share a 3 or 4 bedroom house like many local families do, that would make living on O'ahu fairly affordable.

Those amounts are pretty accurate. I would add to some things and subtract from others but in the end the totals sound about right.

You also have to factor in the cost of moving. You have to keep in mind that you are going to have to pay to ship any items as well as your plane tickets. If you don't take anything with you and try to sell a large portion of your current furniture on Craigslist, you can actually make a good chunk of money. If you are planning to move into an unfurnished place you will also have to add buying furniture into the costs...

Also keep in mind that utilities are super expensive here.. especially electricity!!! I just looked at my last bill and the rate was $.28/kwh!!! I know people who run the AC in their 700sf apts and their electric bills are $450/month!! We don't ever run our AC, but we did test it by looking at the meter, running it for a while, then looking at the meter again and found out it costs $.85/hour to run our one small window AC. Sheesh... we sweat a lot!! Oh and expect to pay a deposit when you go to hook up your electricity. It is based on the previous tenants highest 2 months in the past year. If you get into one of those places where they paid $450/month, expect to pay a $900 deposit.

And don't forget about family obligations... being in a place where you are a very expensive flight away from family means if anything goes wrong with a family member you could have to shell out for a last minute flight. I have friends who have had to go back twice in the last couple of months, once for a death and once for a graduation. Also not being able to afford to go home for the holidays is a real bummer.

I am not saying you can't do it, because you can if you set your mind to it, save a ton of money and do A LOT of planning. Good luck!!

[cynmkolohe]

The Honolulu Advertiser (http://classifieds.honoluluadvertiser.com/osform/MVCCService?osform_template=/honolulu/branding/REindex.html&publication=honolulu&category=Classif ieds - broken link) (Classifieds)

This is a link to one of the local paper's real estate classified ads...allows you to select zone then specific area within that zone. May help with comparisions of available rentals.

[bittersweet]

we have been looking on craig's list/facebook, the honolulu advertiser, rentalsillustrated.com, etc to compare apt. and furniture costs. the internet is a great thing! if you know of anymore sites, please let me know. we also already purchased our plane tickets! august 14 is the day, and w/ the initial expenses price quote, i feel confident we'll be ok the first couple months moneywise. we have been saving since we got back from our vacation to hawaii, and we'll make a decent amount from the sale of our cars. thanks for the head's up about the outrageous utility deposit though! it reminds me of being in japan.

as for my sister, she said that they only want to pay 700,000 or lower for a house. her husband will be driving to kaneohe, so something that is a commutable distance would, of course, be ideal. the military is putting them up in a hotel for a couple months so they can look for a house once they arrive. we're just trying to get ideas on what would be good areas to look at. also, the school thing is a big issue. she's been researching private schools. are there any good public schools on the island? are the elementary schools ok? should she wait until they're older to put them in private school? also, she works as an accountant. how feasible do you think it will be for her to continue working as an accountant once she arrives?

as for family, they're visiting for christmas. my parents actually used to live in hawaii, and my sisters were born there. my bf's parents are the ones who are taking the move pretty hard!

thanks for all your help!

[hawaiimomma02]

Originally Posted by bittersweet

Hello! My boyfriend and I are moving to Oahu in August, and we are looking for apartments in a safe area in central oahu. I know everyone on this forum has been asking similar questions, but we would appreciate any advice. We are a young couple and we have no kids. I'm Filipino, and he's caucasian. Right now we live in a studio loft apartment, so we really only need a one bedroom. We're willing to pay up to 1500 but something cheaper would be ideal. We also have decided not to take our cars, so something close to a busline would be nice.

Also, what types of jobs are most abundant? I work as a manager at Abercrombie and I know I have a job lined up, but I am wondering what other types of opportunities are available. We are both college grads. He majored in Physics at VCU, and I majored in Japanese studies at UVA. Are there a lot of temp agencies? Is every job in the service industry? How much money do you think we should have saved up before we go?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I am born and raised in HAwaii for 20 years and I just moved to Oahu a year ago with my ohana from Molokai and I hate it traffic,traffic and traffic....Expensive housing...Rude People and not cheap at all...$1200 for a studio nope not affordable..

Save Alot Before Moving to HAwaii

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by bittersweet

we have been looking on craig's list/facebook, the honolulu advertiser, rentalsillustrated.com, etc to compare apt. and furniture costs. the internet is a great thing! if you know of anymore sites, please let me know. we also already purchased our plane tickets! august 14 is the day, and w/ the initial expenses price quote, i feel confident we'll be ok the first couple months moneywise. we have been saving since we got back from our vacation to hawaii, and we'll make a decent amount from the sale of our cars. thanks for the head's up about the outrageous utility deposit though! it reminds me of being in japan.

I figured that you already had your plane tickets; however, so some of the "transportation budget" can be used to rent a car (if needed) to facilitate your search for an apartment or condo.

Originally Posted by bittersweet

as for my sister, she said that they only want to pay 700,000 or lower for a house. her husband will be driving to kaneohe, so something that is a commutable distance would, of course, be ideal. the military is putting them up in a hotel for a couple months so they can look for a house once they arrive. we're just trying to get ideas on what would be good areas to look at. also, the school thing is a big issue. she's been researching private schools. are there any good public schools on the island? are the elementary schools ok? should she wait until they're older to put them in private school? also, she works as an accountant. how feasible do you think it will be for her to continue working as an accountant once she arrives?

Finding a decent house for sale near Kane'ohe for under $700K might be a little difficult. Fortunately, the H3 makes commuting there from more affordable areas like Mililani, 'Aiea, Pearl City, etc. doable. The best public schools on O'ahu are located in East O'ahu (Kahala, 'Aina Haina, Hawai'i Kai, etc.); however, they aren't as good as the public schools in a well-managed school district in the continental U.S. Folks here pay a premium to send their kids to Punahou and 'Iolani for a reason.

Considering the housing market on O'ahu, it might be worthwhile to rent a place in Hawai'i Kai for a year or so. As for working as an accountant, there are jobs that are available, but the pay probably won't be as good as what your sister's making now.

Originally Posted by bittersweet

as for family, they're visiting for christmas. my parents actually used to live in hawaii, and my sisters were born there. my bf's parents are the ones who are taking the move pretty hard!

thanks for all your help!

Hopefully, your boyfriend's parents will get over it.

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by hawaiimomma02

I am born and raised in HAwaii for 20 years and I just moved to Oahu a year ago with my ohana from Molokai and I hate it traffic,traffic and traffic....Expensive housing...Rude People and not cheap at all...$1200 for a studio nope not affordable..

Save Alot Before Moving to HAwaii

If I were from Moloka'i, I'd probably hate living on O'ahu as well. The Hilo side of the Big Island is much more affordable and worth considering before moving to someplace like Las Vegas.