What’s the best way to move to Hawaii?
GenshiYagyu asked:
My wife and I plan on moving to Hawaii in a year or two. I plan on spending a year to get residency and going to graduate school at UH. I have some savings (around 15 grand) and don’t plan on getting a car. Is it possible to get approved for an apartment before I have a job? Because it’s hard to get a job before having an apartment. How far is the UH campus in Honolulu from Waikiki? Is it bikeable? busable? Anything I can do to prepare ahead of time? I’m motivated but nervous to move someone so pricey. Any suggestions you can give me would be helpful. (No milk-price quotes, please!)
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My wife and I plan on moving to Hawaii in a year or two. I plan on spending a year to get residency and going to graduate school at UH. I have some savings (around 15 grand) and don’t plan on getting a car. Is it possible to get approved for an apartment before I have a job? Because it’s hard to get a job before having an apartment. How far is the UH campus in Honolulu from Waikiki? Is it bikeable? busable? Anything I can do to prepare ahead of time? I’m motivated but nervous to move someone so pricey. Any suggestions you can give me would be helpful. (No milk-price quotes, please!)
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March 26th, 2010 at 5:15 am
Waikiki
To answer your basic question, a plane is usually better than a ship, and preferred by most over swimming.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
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Get rid of most everything you own, shipping it is too expensive. We moved here with just suitcases. Unfortunately, I live on the Big Island, and can’t help with Oahu particulars!
March 31st, 2010 at 6:27 pm
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You can check out the following 1st web-site for housing. It listed most of the properties on sell with status. The rental part is not too current. I purchased my 1st apartment wit 10K down. But that was about 4 years ago. Now, the housing price is too high, especially Waikiki or downtown Honolulu.
If you plan to live further outside Honolulu, you MAY get a lower housing price. But the bus system is not too good for further off town area.
Whether you can get a mortage or not, it is up to the bank to decide. Check with Bank of Hawaii (www.boh.com) or First Hawaiian Bank (www.FHB.com). They are the 2 major local banks.
If you can get a housing from UH while doing your graduate school, that would be better. Probably can save some money.
The 2nd web-site listed the bus information on Oahu (which is Honolulu and Waikiki are on). If you only intend to travel between UH Moana and Waikiki, the bus should be enough for transportation. You can also rent a car once a while if you intend to go around the island or visit more areas.
Biking path is available around UH areas. But it is not complete. You just got to be very careful when there isn’t any bike path. I know of people biking all around in Hawaii.
As for job wise, thats depend on your criteria. However, you can teach in Hawaii Pacific University if you have some specialty. Check out their web-site:
March 31st, 2010 at 8:03 pm
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It costs about $1000 to ship an auto from the West Coast – if you have one that is in good working order, that might be an option for you.
Getting an apartment can be difficult – especially if you’ve never lived there. You will definitely need to be close to school as traffic is bad. I’d contact UH and see if they can help you with the apartment – sharing might be a feasible option as rent is very pricey.
Jobs can be difficult because many employers have been burned by hiring people from the mainland that then turn around and leave shortly thereafter. However, employment can be found especially if you have a skill that is in demand.
If I were you, I’d save a lot more than $15,000 to move. I’d take a good $5,000 and get a short-term apartment (usually you can find one in the $1400/mo range) for a month or two – that would give you time to find a permanent place and a job.
April 3rd, 2010 at 5:51 am
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First, don’t bring too much with you. I’m from Hawaii, I was living on mainland for awhile; moved home and brought too many things back with me; ended up overspending on moving costs. However, you can claim those charges on your taxes. Next, go on which is our local paper here; lots of jobs and apartments for rent here. Or, try; I found my condo on that site. The UH is in Manoa, not too far from Waikiki but Waikiki is a place to party and enjoy, not live at, way too expensive. The UH is about 15 minutes away, almost everything around here is “bus-able” because we have a great bus system here and bikeable too, have bike lanes here all over. Monthly bus passes are $40/adults. The majority of our condos here include washers/dryers. I live near Pearl Harbor, my 2-bdrm condo includes electricity and 2 parking, have washer/dryer, great amenities (pool, bbq area, etc.) but I pay $1800 month. Its costly but has almost everything I need. Keep checking the paper on website; I sent many resumes thru email. If its just the 2 of you, then you can get by for awhile living in studio or 1bdrm, cheaper. Good luck, hope this answers some of your questions. Aloha
April 6th, 2010 at 4:07 am
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I suggest that you live in Manoa Valley. It is minutes away from the campus. Manoa is nice and central (relatively speaking) but retains some country charm. It will be an ideal point of origin for your commute to your residency. Biking has become a bit hairy in Honolulu due to stressed out car drivers and narrow (or absent) bike lanes; but it isn’t impossible. The Bus is fantastic, and they even have a bike rack! I’d be cautious about moving to Waikiki. It’s noisy and very transient; whereas Manoa has a greater sense of community. To find a decent rental, I suggest you look at Craig’s List, The Honolulu Advertiser, The Honolulu Star Bulletin, and The Honolulu Weekly. Good luck!