Move to Oahu,Hawaii? (PCS)?
My husband gets to pick his choice of duty stations and we’re seriously considering Hawaii. It would be at least a 4yr commitment for us.
How much do we need to budget to live pretty comfortably?
How much is the average monthly utilities?
Is it really kid friendly?
We only have 1 car, a Prius but we’re thinking about buying a scooter. Is it best to purchase it in Hawaii or from the mainland and get it shipped in?
About Us:
I’m asian (Thai) and my husband is white so our kids are mixed. We’ve both been to Oahu before to work at Tripler but it was only for 2 weeks. Everyone thought I was local and my husband said he never felt discriminated against. We both liked the way Hawaii felt. My husband by nature is relaxed and doesn’t like stress. I never felt like I “didn’t fit in” on the mainland until I went to hawaii and saw what it was like to actually fit in. It’s silly but I couldn’t believe the feeling I had when I turned on the TV and saw asians on commercials. I spent most of my life in Denver CO.
We are a family of 4, by the time we would go my son would be 4 and my daughter 1.
We want to live/rent in one of the new high-rise condos. Like the Ko’olani, or Capitol Place. So we’re budgeting $2500 for rent. We don’t want to move at all while we’re there. We’ve moved 4 times in the last 4 years.
We want to get by with just one car, we have a Prius, but we’re considering buying a scooter or maybe even a motorcycle.
Based on pay charts we’ll be making around 5K-6K, with BAH and all the extras added in. I’m currently a stay at home mom and we’re trying to budget with one income, but I do have an LPN license that I can fall back on if necessary.
We do understand that it’s expensive so only constructive answers please. No “buy a lottery ticket” or general “a lot of money” answers please. Thanks
Any advice you have that would help would also be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Kakaako is the area that we were wanting to stay in. Because Ala Moana park is right there. Ko’olani is the name of the building in that area, I’m not sure if it shares the name of another part of the island.
Hawaii Homes
March 17th, 2010 at 3:35 am
Hawaii Homes
I think it would be cheaper just to buy a scooter here in Hawaii, and beware of cheap-no name scooters because they maybe cheap, but when they need repair parts can be hard or impossible to find. I think scooters are dangerous to ride and provide no impact protection.
We used a property management company (Captain Cook I think) when we were looking for a place; we ended up with a 6 month lease at Discovery Bay (never had to pay utilities it was included in the rent). I really didn’t like living in Waikiki, so we found a nice small quite cottage in Manoa off of Craigslist. Are electric and gas(propane) for two of us is under $100/month, so it’s hard to say how much your utilities would be.
I wish you luck
Aloha
March 19th, 2010 at 3:21 am
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We are stationed in Hawaii also. Husband is an E3 so we make less than what u are making [ 5K-6K ] and we are a fam of 4. we rented a 2bd and rent was 1600 plus utilities which kinda addes up to 800/month. [ groceries, gas, electricity, insurance, cable, internet] and then theres the extras if you want to go out and eat, movies, or clothes etc … with one car its EXtremly difficult to get around. i had to take buses to dr. appt and with a toddler and pregnant that was not working out. i think we’ll get another one once hubby comes back from deployment. Mostly everything is 2X as expensive as it is in the mainland. BTW we are usmc, so we r in kaneohe.
March 20th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
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Hawaii is what you make of it, if you go there with a positive attitude and respect others you shouldn’t have any problems there with the locals. Over 70% of marriages in Hawaii are mixed so that shouldn’t be a problem either. We went all over Oahu especially to places that were out of the way and never had problems. My husband is black and I am white, our kids fit in fine as well. Our oldest went to a local school and never had an issue with his classmates.
There is lots of cheap places to eat as a family, we ate out quite often and it was under $30 for us. our kids at the time were 5 and 2.
For vehicles you shouldn’t have an issue with just one. You can consider getting a motorcycle as well. If you do then get one there. There is a shop out in Waipahu area called South Seas Cycles that is awesome they appreciate the military 110% and give discounts on purchases.
For renting a place it can depend on where he will be stationed. The traffic going from Ko’olina area, Barber’s Point, Kapolei, Ewa Beach can be horrible in the morning if he is stationed at Hickam or Pearl Harbor. It might not be too bad if he is at Barber’s Point, Schofield or Wheeler. Living out in that area you spend a lot of money on gas and it really takes a bite out of your budget. Utilities have gone up big time within the past year so be prepared for at least $200 in electricity each month. If you are looking at an area closer to Honolulu then it can be hard with traffic in the mornings and afternoons. It will not be too bad but still an issue and where he will be working can be a factor as well. The housing now is a lot of brand new or a few years old so you can also consider that if you look into it. Very nice from what I have heard especially compared to what used to be there.
Kid friendly is definite in Hawaii. That is one thing that is above everything else and that is the keiki. There is lots of beaches to go to that are safe, fun things to do, movies are cheap as well. There is usually programs on the base that can be good as well run through Family Services and the ASYMCA.
Schools get a bad rap in Hawaii but you know when our son was in Kindergarten he was on par with what our friend’s daughter was learning in Washington State. In fact when we moved a year later when he was in Grade 1 to San Diego he was actually ahead of his class. Our daughter went to the top public school in Florida and she didn’t learn nearly as much as he did that first year. As long as you are part of your child’s education you will not have a problem at all.
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:57 am
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You should be able to live all right on a single income. I only make about 40K, with two kids as well. Just be aware that prices for things can be higher here.I am not sure what the rent is from out in Ko’olina, it is nice there, but if he works on base, the traffic will be bad.
Used Cars tend to be cheaper out here compared to say, California, so you may want to get a car since you have 2 children.
Schools out here are not great though, keep in mind.
Since you children are so young and will only be here for 4 years, it shouldn’t be a problem.
One thing is please remember that Hawaii is a beautiful place to visit, as any other place, but different to live. You may get a little island fever, especially coming from a city.
If you ever feel that way, try to remember the winters and digging your car out of the snow, and you should feel happier.
March 25th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
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For a family of four
Food – $500
Electricity – $150
Cable TV/Internet/Phone – $75
Cell phone $ 75 for two Mobi phone, unlimited calls
Insurance – $125 (car and renter’s)
Gas – $150
Buildings to consider for less than $3000
909 Kapiolani
1350 ALA MOANA
HAWAIKI TOWER
Imperial Plaza – oldest, but lowest rents
KEOLA LA’I
Koolani = $2700 for 1150 SF lower floor, $3000 for 1100 SF higher floor
Moana Pacific – best for the money
YACHT HARBOR TOWERS
All the above are 2 BRs
3 BRs start at $2800.
March 25th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
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My dad is in the Air Force and he was there for 4 years, (Hickam AFB) but I only lived there for only 2 years. My parents regretted moving there..and racism is really there if your white. My mom was a stay at home mom..when we lived there, my sister was about 2 months old at the time and i was 9, my brother 7. We went to school at Nimitz Elementary, which has since closed.It was fun for me, but sometimes it just really got old… That was about 5 years ago, but i doubt much has changed. If you move over there you have got to rent a cabin at bellows for a day or 2!
anyway..I think you should do it.
March 28th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Kansieo.com
Check craigslisthawaii for rentals and other stuff.
honolylyadvertiser.com has listings for everything ~
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Good luck… Aloha! E Komo Mai