My husband and I love Hawaii and go there every year either to Maui or Kauai. We miss it so much when we are not there to the point that we are considering moving there permanently.
My husband is in the medical field so finding a job would not be a problem but the cost of living concerns us. Also what are the schools like, we have two daughters.
Any info about living in Hawaii or relocating would be a great help.

You might read this older thread:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...t=0&dirtyBit=1

The cost of living is high, but not shocking anymore to people from places like San Francisco, Seattle, Ny or Boston. Property taxes are low, heating costs very low ( ;-) ), and you don't need winter clothes. On the other hand, transportation back to the mainland for visits can be high, and the public schools can be pretty poor, especially on the neighbor islands.

I think we have the highest percentage in the nation of kids going to private schools. On Oahu, private schools run $8000-$13000 per year and many are very selective; Punahou takes less than 1 of 6 kindergarteners that apply. Kauai has few private options. Maui and BI have a couple- you'd want to live nearby if that would be your choice.

I just met a family last week that moved here two years ago from LA. They had not budgeted for private schools, and their 4 kids are in 3 different schools, so that's been a struggle. Other than that, they seemed to love it...felt that the clean environment, healthy sports, good food and friendly people were well worth the trade of in standard of living.

I had a babysitter a few years back that thought Hawaii was paradise. She dragged her husband and kids over here without much planning, then after two year realized even paradise has its flaws (She forgot you can't just lay by the pool all day when you live and WORK here, they bought a small condo in a lower income neighborhood where the high school was very rough), and dragged them back to California.

I'd do a trial period - rent out your home on the mainland and rent in Hawaii for a while until you're sure you like it here.

I love Hawaii and can't imagine living anywhere else, but it isn't for everyone.

Yes, my spouse's best friend moved to Oahu about 3 years ago (he's a physician) and is very happy. In that short amount of time his home had doubled in price (way to go) and has no complaints. One thing he did say is that schools were about 3 years behind his children's schooling from San Diego. They are now attending the most expensive school and says things are much better. His daughter has already been accepted to NYU and her other choice college so looks like they made the right choice regarding Oahu education. Cost of living is high but the lifestyle is so much less stress than Ca they don't mind. They are asian and look like natives so there was no problem fitting in though it may be different for other ethnicities as pointed out in the earlier post. Hope this helps.

Oops I think Lcuy's link is to the wrong thread but I remember that post from a way's back, it was a good one. I don't think I contributed to that one so I'm not sure how to look it up. Lcuy always has great Hawaii advice

My husband lived there for a year on Oahu for part of his medical training. Finding an apartment was a pain because the real estate market is so nuts there just aren't many rental properties anymore. I also worked in a real estate office while there and I couldn't believe how much property cost. Maui had the most expensive properties, followed by Oahu, and Kauai is starting to climb, too. I hardly ever saw homes for less than $400,000, and we're talking about dinky little things. People would camp out overnight to get in line to get a lottery number to buy into new construction. When an affordable property does pop up, it's snapped up fast and people usually have to outbid each other for it.

The cost of living is high, and I don't know how people with kids can do it. Milk is $6 a gallon! Shopping at Costco helps (although they don't have one on Kauai). As mentioned above it's also very expensive to get back to the Mainland to visit family and friends, although you'll probably feel like a B&B with all the visitors you'll get (I liked that part).

Something to keep in mind about the lifestyle in Hawaii is that the "laid back" attitude that is so nice on vacation can get very annoying when you're dealing with the bank, DMV or other lovely bureaucracies that aren't fun anywhere.

I got a pretty bad case of "island fever" by the time we left. There were weekends where we'd contemplate the entire island for things to do and come up blank. It seemed like a lot of the Mainland transplants were very outdoorsy and athletic. I'm like that a little bit, but you can't hike every weekend.

My husband and I don't have children, but everyone says the same thing about the schools. The public schools are some of the worst in the nation.

Please feel free to post questions in this thread if you have any for me. I liked living in Hawaii, but after a year I was pretty ready to leave.

My son, his wife and their three children moved to Oahu from California a year and a half ago. They love many things about Hawaii, but the cost of living is astounding. Keeping the kids in milk, fruit and vegetables is a challenge. And - they are currently home-schooling two of the children because the public school system that they live in is so bad. They hope to send them to a private school if/when they can afford it.

On the other hand, they love the weather (although their air conditioning is on most of the time) and the people. My daughter-in-law is under 5 feet, with long dark hair and although she isn't Asian, she looks like she fits in with the island population. My son, on the other hand, is six feet four inches, with blue eyes and doesn't fit in at all. All things considered, though, the people have been very welcoming.

I worked in Hawaii quite a bit for a couple of years and knew that I couldn't live there - too remote - but I think my son and his family will stay there because of the friendships they have made in their church and community.

I hope that they continue to do okay financially, because the high costs are a considerable disadvantage.

Whoops, that should be "My husband AND I lived there for a year on Oahu."

I was seriously considering moving there from this desert "paradise" (hahaha) two years ago. One thing I did find out about was that although the cost of living is high- there is a huge trade off that mitigates it - like the other poster mentioned - no heating costs, no winter clothes - add to that the abundance of local fruits, vegetables, seafood, etc that can be purchased through local venues and the free activities that abound. The one thing that sets off the cost of living is that many in the islands have such a different mindset than we have here on the mainland when it comes to "stuff" - they just don't have the desire to acquire more & more stuff - they're happy with less and enjoy a much more laid back and less stressful lifestyle than you'd ever find over here. I still hope to move there someday.

travelinwifey- did your friend's daughter go to Punahou? and is her name Kim?

Well, since you aren't interested in car rentals, maybe this thread is about moving to Hawaii.. ;-)

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34538200

If not, type "retire hawaii" in the search box and you'll see it!

There is a very good "moving to hawaii" forum on www.konaweb.com. It pertains to moving to the Big Island, but the folks on the board are very helpful and have lots of useful info. It is also my dream to live in Hawaii, but unfortunately I do not have job skills that are much in demand (and then there's that pesky bar exam...)

It's true that you need to weigh your entire lifestyle before taking the plunge. for those of us who already live here, it's no problem.

I sit here in my office with a view of Honolulu Harbor every day, and fresh gardenias on my desk from my coworker's yard. When I went to the lei stand on Sunday, I commented on the lovely scent....as the gal rang up my purchase, she handed me some free tuberose to memorialize the scent!

I've learned to shop in Chinatown for good produce prices. And running around the beach at sunset isn't so bad, either!

Hi Lcuy, sorry I am not certain of the school's name and the daughter's name is not Kim Though I wouldn't be surprised if you did know the family through one way or another. They have both a daughter & son, and the daughter is a senior this year

Just to update the message from Merry Travel

A couple of months ago, Costco announced that they are going to build a Costco on Kauai. It will include a gas station That should keep some prices low because of the competition.

But, on the other hand, all super warehouse stores tend to drive some other stores out of business.

Plans are to be open August 2006.

Melissa - I'm so jealous of your office view - but I guess it works out for the best, because I'd spend all my time looking out the window and thinking I'd rather be at the beach instead.

Just a ditto on what everyone else has said so far. I was born and raised here, but lived about 8 years of my adult life on the mainland before moving back home. It took some getting used to once I got back - it is definitely a more laid back lifestyle, and things will only happen/move so fast.

Public schooling here can be pretty poor - I send my daughter to a private school and the tuition is very expensive, considering that I am a single parent not receiving any child support. For me, however, public school is not an option, so I do what I need in order to keep my daughter there.

We moved here in '93. We've never seen so many jobs (not all great pay) and so little real estate. We are looking to buy a 3 bedroom BASIC home anywhere on the island and if we find anything under $600,000 it is gone the next day. Our neighbor's house was $250,000 3 years ago and is now listed for $685,000 - no yard and just your standard cookie cutter home. 1300 sqft

My sister in law moved here last week and got a studio the size of my dining room in Waikiki hooker area for $850 a month and a job that pays $10 an hour.

Then schools are AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL - all my friends that can are moving away or some actually have the families on the mainland during the school year. The problem I find with the private schools is they are all religious and that's not the route we want.

The ages of your daughters and the cultural shock is a big point too.

Other than that it's a lovely place. It's just much harder here than most.

And we live on Oahu and are looking to go to Kauai again. I heard the real estate there is much worse. Kauai is a nice place to raise kids though.

islandmom - while many of the private schools here focus more on religion than others, there are several that are pretty relaxed about it.

Punahou says it is a non-denominational Christian school - but I would dare say it is so in the loosest of terms. I am an alumnus, and I recall religion being limited to going to chapel once every 6 days for a 40 or 50 minute period and a single semester of learning about other religions, such as Judaism, Buddhism, etc.

My sisters attended Mid-Pacific, and I think it was the same way there.

However, if you want a school that has no religious aspects at all (like chapel) - then you may be right, off the top of my head I don't know if there are any.

Punahou, and Iolani, have religious roots, but none of them is what I'd call a "relegious school". both of them have a very diverse student body- both ethnically and in their relegious beliefs...

At Punahou, the kids still do chapel once a cycle, but the focus is typically based on values-both Hawaiian and Western.

Iolani is related to the Episcopal Church, but definitely not a hotbed of religion either. Not sure if Mid-Pac has any relegious ties at all, and Kamehameha schools requires Hawaiian ancestry.

Of course, there are lots of Catholic and other schools as well.

Most people find the problem with the private schools in Hawaii is the price and getting accepted, not the quality of education. I know Punahou is ranked as one of the top 20 schools in the nation.

and I do know how to spell religious...fingers typing faster than the brain..

I checked on those and they all require chapel or such with the school. I'm hoping we can go with La Pietra when she is older.