Sorry, I should have asked on what part of the 3 islands (Big, Maui,Kauai)should we try to find condos. We are on a budget and aiming for a max of $125 a night. We need simple and clean and as close to paradise as we can get on that limited amount.(I know but I can dream.)Names of specific places you'd recommend as well as what areas or specific places to avoid would also be appreciated. Thanks.

Put Hawaii in your title. There is no specific Hawaii board, just a US board.

Thanks.

Are you just looking for a 1-bedroom condo? It will be hard to find anything larger in a 2 bedroom. My favorite island for budget condos in good locations is Maui. I stay in either South Kihei or Maalaea.
In South Kihei for that price range you could find something across the street from a great beach (very short walk). My recommendations would be Kihei Alii Kai or Kihei Akahi. Do a google search, or check www.vrbo.com
On my most recent visits I have really enjoyed the Maalaea area.
It is quiet, centrally located, and most units are oceanfront. There is a good swimming beach/park at the end of the little road.
An excellent agency is
www.maalaeabay.com. They have pictures and virtual tours of all units online.
I have recommendations for the other islands, too, but will post those separately. I love to stay in affordable condos that allow me to enjoy some meals "at home". That way I can travel more often!
(within last year: 2 times Maui, 1 time Kauai; 1 time Oahu. All budget trips; all FABULOUS!)

From your previous post, I see you are in your 70's. There is a nice property called Paniolo Greens At Waikoloa. Its not on the beach, but its a retirement golf resort in the nicer part of the Big Island.

http://www.shellhospitality.com/hotels/paniolo_greens_resort/index.html?$ctxid=_1233923762567

Barbara has some good picks in kihei too. One last idea. one last idea for the budget minded-Every so often there are discounted condo rates available in the Entertainment coupon books.

I have found Kona an inexpensive place to stay on the Big Island. A complex I enjoy there is Kona Makai. It is quiet and has lovely grounds. There is an oceanfront BBQ, benches, etc. As I recall, there is no elevator. If mobility is a problem, you would want a ground floor unit. Here is a website that shows all the rental units, with contacts for each owner's rental agency:
www.konamakai.org
My favorite agency on the Big Island is Prince Properties, but there are other good ones, too.
I love Kauai, also, but always end up paying more for condos there than I do on the other islands. Hopefully, someone else will respond with ideas.

Thank you for your suggestions. I will follow up on all of them and I am still open to more. We will be camping for the next 6 days and as soon as I get back I will check this site and make some decisions.
As I said on a prior site, if any of you are planning a trip to Alaska or Costa Rica I would love to return the favor.

Napili Bay has several inexpensive condos and they are close to the beautiful beach. We're not keen on Kihei as it is flat, dry, dusty and very built up. Napili is just stunningly beautiful and peaceful. There are several complexes, Napili Point, Napili Shores (famous for their macadamia nut pancakes, the Mauian and others.

Hi there! We rented a ground level 1 bedroom condo at Leinaala in Kihei and fell in love with it! The views were just gorgeous. I sat on the lanai and could watch whales for hours (we were there during February). It was very reasonably priced, too. However, some of the lanais looked out onto the pool, which I wouldn't care for. My biggest recoommendation is getting a condo with a view of the ocean. We just returned this past week from Kaua'i where we rented a condo at Kuhio Shores (awesome!). Our condo, as was the one at Leinaala, WAS the destination in a lot of ways! Good luck with your search!

I am checking on Ebo's suggestions now. In the meantime, if anyone knows of a studio attached to someone's house in southern Maui, I would be interested to know about that. We found a few in Kauai and will rent one of those...very reasonable.