Moving To Hawaii

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Permalink Reply by Hawaii Web Group LLC on March 22, 2009 at 3:54pm

Hopefully others will contribute, but here's my 2 cents:

As far as I know, the Big Island and Oahu are the cheapest (if you can call any of the islands cheap.) Kauai is probably the most expensive with Maui in close second. As far as jobs, you will probably find the most jobs on either Oahu or Maui.

Working on the islands is an interesting phenomena. If you're new to the islands, you'll find it more difficult to land a job at first (people are afraid of hiring someone that may leave in 6 months, which is a very regular occurence.) But once you've established yourself, you'll find there are a lot of job opportunities. Let me clarify, if you're willing to work hard and show up on time, you'll have people looking to hire you away from your current Hawaii job.

I'm sure with the present economy it's more difficult to find jobs, but it's never been very hard for those willing to put in the required skills and effort. As far as photojournalism, what do you plan on doing? If you're planning to start a photography business, that may be a different ball game entirely. It's a tough time to be beginning a business in Hawaii. Take a look at these Hawaii Business tips in a down economy. Your wife shouldn't have a problem finding a job though (I imagine.)

Hope this helps. Please contribute to Joshua's post here if you have helpful input and live in Hawaii. Aloha!

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Permalink Reply by Ken Fields on March 23, 2009 at 8:47am

Molokai is probably the cheapest, but there's not a lot of work there...:)

It's a good time to buy real estate, on any of the islands. I have a friend who has been looking to buy a condo on Maui for a couple of years. He found one he liked early last year for over $300K and recently bought it for $185K.

Some people come to the islands with a job already waiting; they do a lot of research online, connect with potential employers and actually get hired. Your wife could probably do that because there is a need for qualified HR people. Others come to the islands without a plan at all, live off savings for a while and either get hooked in, or not.

If you go the former route, which island you land on may depend on what job your wife gets. If you go the later route, you can take your chances with whichever island you are drawn to.

Regarding Maui, it is often said that she either embraces you.....or not. There are people here who want to leave but can't, want to stay and can't.....

We all know it's not the best time economically, but there are opportunities. If, as stated, you are flexible, reliable and determined, it can work out.....

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Permalink Reply by Todd on April 1, 2009 at 3:06pm

Hi Joshua,
I moved to Oahu last month and I have found that there is still a lot of jobs if you are willing to show up on time and don't do ICE(Meth). If you can pronounce the name of the streets and different Hawaiian names, you can get any job you want. I think Maui would be the cheapest place to live but places are cheap everywhere right now. Many of the homes and apartments where built in the 60's and 70's and now have wood rot and/or ground termites but at least you still have an ocean view,lol!

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Permalink Reply by Joe Philipson on April 8, 2009 at 2:39pm

Oahu best place for jobs and to live.

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Permalink Reply by Todd on May 15, 2009 at 7:17am

Hello Joe,
I just flew in yesterday and talk about great weather...Oahu has it! I drove over to some friends house last night and surprised them. I had a wonderful time last night. I'm going camping and fishing this weekend with some friends on the North Shore that use rocks for weights and a kayak to take the lines out for big game fish. You fish from the shore and the kayaks are only used to get the lines out with live bait. I've never fished this way before and I look to learn all the ways the locals fish over here.
I still see a lot of "Help Wanted" signs,so there are jobs here if you want to work. You may have to look harder for certain jobs but overall,the prospects looks good...
Good luck Joe and let me know how it goes for you and your move. Mahalo-Todd

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Permalink Reply by Todd on December 23, 2009 at 4:50pm

Hello Joshua,
I wanted to share with everyone my experience in moving to Hawaii. I was the advance party before moving my family over and ended up having some medical issues and had to come back to California last May. It was a mixed blessing of sorts. It's not as easy as hopping onto a plane and say here I am.
Since I did have to return,my wife went another semester at Pharmacy school and just finished. I am moving the whole family the first week of February 2010. I just dropped a couple thou$$$ for the airline tickets today and booked a vacation rental so that we can shop for a long term rental after we arrive. There wasn't any other way of doing this because craigslist and other sites were so riddled with scammers trying to steal your money. For the others,the landlords want to see you personally before renting a place to you. Plus February is when the snowbirds fly in and with the Olympics going on in Vancouver at the same time,many landlords are holding out for the big bucks. It will be cheaper and easier to rent during low season. Many snowbirds have rented their homes out to tourists for the Olympics and heading to Waikiki.
I own a service animal and you could not believe the hoops the state of Hawaii has put me through and don't get me started. Hawaii is the worst violators of the ADA Act of 1990 and they do it openly at that. Hawaii is the only state that asks doctors to violate federal laws before allowing service animals into their state.
Shipping a vehicle isn't easy either. A lot of scams with that one too. Use Horizon to play it safe. They ship your vehicle in an enclosed container away from the saltwater and dirt. Shipping dates are an issue also. Some take only a week and some will take three weeks if your vehicle arrives at all. Shop carefully!
Airlines,boy,where to begin? Hawaiian Airlines probably falls at the bottom of the list,no aloha spirit there. Their baggage fees are unbelievable,$15 for the first bag,$25 for the second and $125 each for bags 3-6 and I didn't even ask how much after that. I will be bringing 8 checked bags unless I figure something out before February. US Postal Service's Flat Rate boxes is the cheapest way to go if you are going to ship anything.
Schools for your kids, they insist on TB tests by doctors in Hawaii only. I guess the rest of the country doesn't have qualified doctors in their eyes. There is two weeks your kids will not go to school.
The bottom line is this,whatever figures you come up with,double that amount and you will be in the ballpark. Take nothing for granted,make every phone call,follow every lead and then do it again. Write down the names of people you spoke to including dates and times you spoke to them. I know that there is a lot I haven't covered yet here. Those will be better in the form of a direct question. So if you are even thinking about moving to Hawaii, please do your homework before attempting this feat. It's just not that easy.

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Permalink Reply by Joshua Kodis on December 23, 2009 at 7:34pm

Thanks, that is some helpful info. After visiting the islands many times I thought it was a dream to live there, and maybe some day I might make the move. I don't think that day will come anytime soon though.

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Permalink Reply by Hawaii Web Group LLC on December 24, 2009 at 9:45am

Ah, so you're starting to figure it out. Hawaii is a wonderful place to live, but it definitely functions completely different from the mainland. It takes a few years to adjust to some of the madness. I think that's why people usually only last a few years here.

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