The rental market is fairly good, rents came down after mortgages came down from the real-estate bubble bursting. Just look around on craigslist for what’s available. The standard way to rent is to get a cheap hotel or vacation rental for one or 2 weeks, and then visit the places in person. It’s better for the landlord and renter if you don’t try to work remotely. For purchasing, the prices have come down from the peak, but that doesn’t mean houses are cheap. The low, low end came down from 400K to 300K, and that’s a place with issues. Also, renting out as a B&B or vacation rental is strictly controlled by the county, you need a permit and those are now limited to avoid turning residential areas into transient lodging. So that one part of your plan is unlikely to work.

Thanks for clarifying on “houselots” versus “homesteads”. I am just looking at “home for sale” on the internet and even though there is sometimes map reference, it isn’t a detailed terrain map. Also, I got the term”rim lot” from those ads. What can I tell you?

Our visit last May was the first time we just started aimlessly driving inland to see things. It was a very rainy two weeks so it was hard to tell what “normal” might be inland from the east shore. So I really appreciate your comments about where it might be rainier. That is why I’m not real wild about the North Shore beyond Kilaeua although I have been there on very nice sunny days. It just feels wetter.

As our next trip to Australia (going sometime this spring) approaches, I think the logic of living in Hawaii is bringing my husband around. Just the thought of 24 hours of travel makes you tired. I’m not really worried about him. We’ve got at least four years and he’ll come around. I mean, I got a new Honda Pilot and you can put your own pictures on the navigation screen (like a screen saver) and he put pictures he took in Kauai. And he doesn’t complain when I tell other people I want to retire to Kauai. One step at a time.

I have read some books about moving to Hawaii and they do indicate that elder services are available on Kauai now and improving. So we’ll be O.K. I would like to think we don’t need to worry about it for thirty years.

You have been so kind to explain things to me and answer my questions. I’ll be in touch if anything else comes to mind.

Many thanks!

KIm

The information I gave you was for the Wailua Houselots, which are up to a mile inland between the ocean and the Sleeping Giant “mountain.” The Wailua Homesteads are a different neighborhood, 2-4 miles inland, behind the Sleeping Giant. The Homesteads get less sun because they are often under the clouds that form as the wind blows moist ocean air up over the terrain. That also makes it rain more, probably 80-100 inches/year against 60 in/yr for the Houselots. Most areas of the Homesteads get the tradewinds, though little valleys or behind the Sleeping Giant may not. Mosquitoes are a bit worse because it is wetter there, though it usually depends on how far the house is from a stream and whether it is exposed to the tradewinds. One inconvenience of the Homesteads is the extra 10 minutes driving to the main road whenever you go to or from anywhere.

The other big neighborhood in Kapa’a is Kawaihau, which is along Kawaihau Rd, inland of the “old town” of Kapa’a. It is more like the Homesteads (cloudier, wetter, longer drive), though the lower parts are closer to the ocean and not as bad.

I’m not sure what you mean by “crater,” the only houses built in any crater on Kaua’i are some condos in Poipu. Rim lots occur anywhere there are houses next to a steep river valley. The most prominent “rim lots” on Kaua’i are above the Wailua River on Kuamo’o Road (near the Wailua Homesteads), and above the Hanapepe river in Hanapepe and ‘Ele’ele.

Hurricanes travel east to west in the Pacific, in a belt mostly south of Hawaii. So when they do hit Hawai’i they come from the SE quadrant. Iniki was traveling due north, when it passed over Kaua’i in 1991, but direction and landfall location don’t really matter because the winds are circular. I think the storm surge was worst on the south shore (Poipu and Kekaha).

I’m glad you are a careful planner, but when you say something like “the idea is to have care come to us in our home,” you need to make sure such a service is available on Kaua’i.

It sounds like your husband is compatible with the activities available on Kaua’i and travel around Hawai’i. But island fever is something like sea-sickness: you can’t imagine it and you won’t know you have it until you set foot on a boat. Your husband has visited here 5 times and he says it’s too small. Try to figure out if he’s just criticizing the idea of moving to Hawaii, or if he really felt limited. Note that the Big Island, while just as isolated, does have more open space and feels a lot less limited. It also has more land available and much cheaper, but often not as close to scenic areas as on Kaua’i.

Lawai is a nice area between the lush and wet hills in Kalaheo and the drier South shore of Koloa and Poipu. It seems to be a nice mix of sunshine and rain, not too far from the coast. But again, it depends on which part of Lawai, because there are some streets inland of the main highway that will be wetter because they’re in a valley.

Anyway, I appreciate your comments about healthcare, but we are generally of good health. In spite of the fact that my father is a doctor, I avoid them except in cases of extreme necessity. Think about it, doctors make people sick. When you go to the doctor, they are always looking for something to be wrong with you. I am a Financial Advisor so we got long term care insurance many years ago, but the idea is to have care come to us in our home, not go into a facility.

My husband’s primary hobbies are surf fishing and photography. Can you think of a better place to do those things all year round than Hawaii? And, there are multiple islands to see as well as California as a fall back. He won’t really get island fever. You have to understand, we don’t go anywhere now except an annual vacation and an occasional night out. We are really boring!

Actually, as the dollar loses value and the price of gas goes up, the cost of going to Australia goes up significantly. The first time I went in 2003, it cost about $1000 from Jacksonville to Melbourne. The coast for a trip this year will be over $2000. The cost from Melbourne to Kauai in 2010 was 1000 and it is the same now. But more importantly, my daughter and her family will never come here (Jacksonville) to see us because the airfare alone for 4 people is over $10000 from Australia; to Kauai is half the price. Otherwise, we will have to do 24 hours of travel every other year for the rest of our lives. This is why Kauai makes sense.

I don’t know if the house swap thing will work since we have Golden Retrievers that must come with us (yeah, I know about the process to avoid quarantine), but we might consider renting. After the housing debacle, I’m not sure it makes sense to buy anyway. Our current home has only dropped in value by about 40%. We’ll see. As I said, we’ve got like 4 years to wait (unless I win the lotto – ha!ha!).

Thanks for your information on Wailua Homesteads and mosquitos. What you think about the Lawai area – not the new multi-million dollar subdivision and golf course? I want to have a garden and fruit trees.

Kim

Personally, I’m not a big fan of living close to the ocean (within a few blocks) unless you have the view yourself. If you live inland without the view, the only advantage is that you have a shorter walk to the shore, and you still have the disadvantages of price premium, salt spray corrosion, and flood zone (tsunami or hurricane surge). If you do like to get out and walk the shoreline everyday, then it can be nice, but walking a bit further can save you lots on your mortgage. For example, the lower part of the Houselots are an easy walk to Wailua beach, but not thought of as an oceanfront neighborhood–or at least the markup isn’t as bad. The upper end of the Houselots has easy access to the Nounou East trail on the Sleeping Giant, which is very nice for walking, too.

The Houselots do get nice tradewinds, though more in the upper areas because lower down by the ocean they are slowed by land and vegetation. The upper parts of the Houselots are about 300′ elevation, so they get nice breezes and better views. In the lower areas, it depends on the house and its orientation. Mosquitoes are inversely proportional to the wind, in particular because there is standing water just inland of the beach (around the Coco Palms area). So there are more mosquitoes and less wind in those areas close to the beach, and less mosquitoes further up. Mosquitoes can be a problem in wet areas like that, but we tend to have the smaller ones here, and I don’t think they are anywhere as bad as what I hear about in Florida.

I would be very careful about island fever for your husband, since he is already showing reluctance at the idea. Island fever is both a physical limitation and a state of mind. Even if you don’t drive far in FL, and you drive everywhere on Kaua’i (and believe me, there are tons of nice little places to explore), you can still have island fever because of how you feel about being isolated in the middle of the Pacific ocean. And while Austalia is closer geographically and flights are shorter, it may still be less expensive to fly from Los Angeles. The same goes for exploring the Pacific: Tahiti is the closest destination, and it’s just as far as the mainland (2500 miles) and tickets are twice as expensive (not to mention the price of lodging). So you are mostly limited to the Hawaiian islands–again there is plenty to explore, but it really is one of the most isolated landmasses on earth. I would take an extended stay on Kaua’i first, to make sure he is comfortable with living here.

Another thing to think about when retiring to Kaua’i (or Maui or the Big Island) is that health care is limited here. We have one or two of most specialists, but not all. The hospital can do surgeries, but anything major (triple-bypass) is sent to Honolulu. It takes a while to get an initial appointment and find a doctor you like, and doctors often move away if they get island fever themselves. And finally, long-term care and nursing homes are limited here, and very expensive.

In the end, you have to balance the advantages and disadvantages, be honest about your desires and anxieties, and if you’re still positive, do a long-term stay where you can still go back at little cost. For example, consider a 6-12 month house swap.

Kim

As for your truck and finding places to stay, look at craigslist to get an idea. The truck market is always fairly good in Hawaii, lots of people seem to have the money for them, but I don’t know if that means it’s better to sell on the mainland and rebuy here. It costs over $1000 to ship a car to Kaua’i, and gas is $4.20/gal here so factor that too.

A very good place to read about and ask questions about moving to Hawaii is the Hawaii forum on the City-Data website. I’ve been following it for a while, and the general consensus is:

• Moving to Hawaii is a fairly common dream for mainlanders.
• You need a job offer in writing, local family or big savings ($10K-$15K) to successfully move and get established.
• It is costly: unless you have a special skill, you will likely only find small jobs and spend all your savings in your first months.
• If you are barely surviving month-to-month, and always worried about the next paycheck, it’s hard to take time to enjoy being in Hawaii.
• You need the right attitude here: the culture is predominantly Asian, which means emphasis on community and respect, not individuals and boasting.
• 9 times out of 10, it turns into a 2-year adventure, then people move on for whatever reason (no job/no money, don’t fit in, miss mainland friends and family).

I don’t want to discourage you, but I want you to be aware of everything that’s involved. If you’re determined, a hard worker, and culturally adaptable to Hawaii, you can succeed here. And you should be aware of the risk of moving back later, including the cost involved for that, and how much that will cost you overall in savings and missed time establishing your life on the mainland. But if you have the right attitude, you can make it work, whether short term or long term, and still have a great time. Just be aware that some people get into money problems, and it’s no fun being stuck in Hawaii without any friends or family.