FREE Hilo Brokers iPhone Application! November 20, 2009
Posted by Kelly in : Featured Listings, Moving to Hawaii, Resources, Updates , add a commentGreat news!
We’ve created a new, customized, FREE, iPhone application that allows you to search hawaii real estate from your iPhone. To download the application, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/hilobrokersiphone
Alternatively, you may go directly to the iTunes store and search for “hilo brokers”.
Click image to download the Hilo Brokers iPhone application!
HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND: Could You Live Off-the-Grid? Part III: Here Comes the Sun October 13, 2009
Posted by Kelly in : Big Island Hawaii, Could You Live Off-the-Grid?, HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND, Moving to Hawaii, Updates , add a commentHERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran
Could You Live Off-the-Grid? Part III: Here Comes the Sun
Turning sunshine into electricity is the most popular way to generate your own power, here, although two conditions must be met. First, you really have to have a good view of the sun all day: no trees or hills shadowing the house. And second, you have to have dough: the initial investment is high, and likely to remain so for the near future. A “family-of-four” will probably need a system costing $30-40,000, including batteries and control equipment.
But electricity from the Hawaii Electric Light Co. (HELCO) costs more than 30 cents per kilowatt-hour, pushing utility bills up into thousands of dollars a year, and the rates will only go higher. So, a solar system should break even in ten years or less. Moreover, the price of photovoltaic panels is slowly coming down, while their electrical efficiency keeps going up. And there are no ongoing costs: once the system is in place, your electricity is free, and your batteries get charged up every day!
Two recent technological developments make solar increasingly attractive. The newest photovoltaic collectors aren’t like heavy picture-frames, with glass on top. They’re lightweight, flexible sheets of plastic that are available either as shingles or as peel-and-stick strips that lie flat, between the ridges of standing-seam metal roofs. And these new materials are more sensitive to ultraviolet light than the glass panels are, so they keep on making electricity even on cloudy days, when there isn’t as much “visible” light.
Two ways to Capture Sunlight:
"Building-integrated photovoltaic" (BIPV) panels adhere directly to a standing-seam metal roof.
Framed-glass photovoltaic panels are mounted on a carport.
If your land is close to an existing utility pole, the Hawaii Electric Light Co. (HELCO) may accept whatever electricity you generate and, in effect, store it for you in its grid. But hey! – this is about living off the grid. And that means storing your electricity in batteries.
The right kind of batteries for home-size power-plants are similar to car batteries, but larger and heavier, with higher electrical capacity (24- or 48-volt, instead of 12). And their installation has to meet building codes (e.g., you can’t put them in the crawl-space under the house).
To keep your system operating at peak efficiency, you will have to take on some responsibilities that have traditionally been shouldered by the utilities. Though you don’t have power-poles to climb, or high-tension wires to string, you will have to perform some regular maintenance tasks, the equivalent of those that utilities ordinarily do, and the cost of which they bundle into their monthly bill.
So, for example, you must ensure that the fluid in your batteries is at the proper level, by topping them off with distilled water, once a month. And as soon as you do that, it’s a good idea to run your backup generator for at least an hour or two, not only to help your batteries stay fully charged, but also to keep the generator itself in top running condition, so it’s always ready in case of emergency.
Go solar, and you also ride the wave of the future. If we in Hawaii are ever going to free ourselves from imported petroleum fuels, we will have to generate more and more of our electricity from the sun.
View Other Posts in the “Could You Live Off-the-Grid?” Series
HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – “The Music Man” Comes to Hilo October 6, 2009
Posted by Kelly in : Big Island Hawaii, HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND, Upcoming Events, Updates , add a commentHERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran
“The Music Man” Comes to Hilo
I’m interrupting my discussion of living off-the-grid to let you know that some of the best local actors and musicians stage a Broadway musical every October at Hilo’s Palace Theater, and this year’s (Eighth Annual) Fall Musical is “The Music Man” by Meredith Willson.
I have a friend who’s a singer and band-leader here, but right now he’s a member of the cast. So I’m going to turn this blog entry over to Hal Glatzer, and let him tell you about the show …
“‘The Music Man’. . . is that the one with ‘76 Trombones’?” Yes it is. And you know that because you have almost certainly seen it before: perhaps in the movies, on TV, or on a local stage somewhere. It was even the inaugural musical for the new UH Hilo Performing Arts Center, in 1974. So, you may think it’s merely a valentine to small-town America, with old-fashioned music. And indeed it is that, too. But like many great works of art, it seems simple on the surface only because it’s complex underneath.
“The Music Man,” which premiered in 1957, is among the cleverest pieces of musical theater in the history of the American stage, and easily one of the best “book-musicals” ever. (In Broadway parlance, a book-musical – unlike a “revue” of songs and skits – tells a coherent dramatic story, with songs that advance the plot and/or deepen your understanding of the characters.)
Into stodgy River City, Iowa, on the Fourth of July, 1912, comes Harold Hill, a con-man posing as a music “professor” who will organize a marching band, and teach the local children to play, so they’ll stay out of the pool hall. Of course, he’s really there to fleece the townsfolk and skip out with their money just as the band uniforms arrive. But unexpectedly, he’s touched by the sadness of a small boy; and he falls in love with the boy’s sister, the local librarian, who sees right though his scam and is all set to bust him.
Meredith Willson had a long career as a composer and arranger for big bands, radio orchestras, and movie scores. He wrote “The Music Man” – book, music and lyrics – at the height of his powers, combining many of the American musical theater’s best components into a single show.
* Memorable characters in a believable situation, inspired by the playwright’s own Iowa boyhood.
* Beautiful love songs, the most famous being “Till There Was You,” which The Beatles also recorded.
* Funny, fast-talking raps – Willson called them “speak-songs” – not only Harold Hill’s grifter pitch “Ya Got Trouble,” but the entire opening scene with a railroad-rhythm chorus of traveling salesmen.
* Four-part harmony numbers that have become “standards” for barbershop quartets everywhere.
* And “double-songs.” Three of the songs in the show turn into six, when a different melody line, fresh lyrics and a change of rhythm form a counterpoint to those that were sung before. In this musical legerdemain, one of those beautiful love songs – the waltz, “Goodnight, My Someone” – is soul-mated to the show’s signature march (you guessed it) “76 Trombones.”
Willson wrote a short book, called “But He Doesn’t Know the Territory,” about how the show came to be. [Long out of print, a new edition was published this year by the University of Minnesota Press.] The title quotes the traveling salesmen’s hapless complaint about their rival, Harold Hill; but it’s also what thespian snobs were saying, in effect, when they predicted that Willson’s debut musical, set in small-town Iowa, would flop on Broadway. It didn’t. The original production won five Tony Awards, beat out (New York’s own) “West Side Story” for Best Musical honors, and ran for more than 1,300 performances.
Our Hilo production showcases great local talent. Jim Thompson is the slick Harold Hill, Corey Paglinawan is lovely Marian the librarian. Steve Peyton is the blustery mayor, with Jeri Gertz his haughty wife. Don Moody is Hill’s goofy pal Marcellus, and Nathan Sullivan is sad young Winthrop. Arval Shipley directs the show, with choreography by Lina Manning; musical director Cheryl “Quack” Moore conducts the orchestra.
Watching these folks in top form, I’m sure you’ll gain a new appreciation for Willson’s achievement. “The Music Man” is a feel-good show in the best sense: you won’t be embarrassed to say it made you feel good.
Evening performances of “The Music Man” start at 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays Oct. 9 & 10, 16 & 17 and 23 & 24. Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m. on Oct. 18 and 25. Advance-sale tickets are $15; $12 for ages 12 and under or for Palace Friends. At the door, tickets are $20 and $15, respectively. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mon.-Fri. Phone the Palace at 808-934-7010 for more information and credit card orders.
HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND: Could You Live Off-the-Grid Part II: (Electric) Power to the People September 25, 2009
Posted by Kelly in : Big Island Hawaii, Could You Live Off-the-Grid?, HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND, Resources, Updates , add a commentHERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran
Could You Live Off-the-Grid Part II: (Electric) Power to the People
In my discussion of catching rainwater, last time, I neglected to mention that in some places it’s possible to draw water from a well, especially if your land is near to places where Hawaii County draws its water. But finding a reliable and sufficient source of water underground is not easy, and on the drier, western side of the island, wells have to be drilled very, very deep. So, you may get lucky. Or not. And the cost of drilling could exceed the cost of a catchment tank. Besides, a well needs a pump – and that means you need electricity.
There are four ways that people here generate their own electricity: fuel, wind, hydro, and solar. I’ll cover the first three now, and discuss solar next time.
- Fuel. By far the easiest way to get power is to buy a generator, keep it stocked with whatever it burns — typically either diesel or propane — and run it until your batteries are charged, roughly six hours a day. With either fuel, you can assume that your electricity will cost a few hundred dollars a month — about what you’d pay Hawaii Electric Light Co. (HELCO), the local utility. Generators are not expensive, but you should balance that low initial investment against the certainty that the price of fossil fuels will keeping going up, even if renewable alternatives like bio-diesel or methane enter the mass-market. (No matter how you make your own power, if you live off the grid you should have a generator anyway, even if it’s only a portable gasoline model, for backup or emergencies.)
- Hydro. If you have a good-size stream on your land, a hydroelectric turbine may be the way to go. The machinery is not very expensive, and you do not need a waterfall, as long as the water level drops at least 40 feet from the intake point down (through a pipe) to the turbine. But the stream has to run year-round, and in a drought lasting several weeks, even some large streams may shrink or dry up. Ironically, the only serious disadvantage to hydro is that under normal conditions you may get too much power from it! Unlike breezes or sunshine, streams run 24/7. After your batteries have been fully charged, any excess electricity can damage your system: it must either be stored (in yet more batteries) or consumed immediately. One fellow I know had to buy a chest-freezer and an air conditioner solely to soak up all the electricity from the turbine in his stream.
- A stream this big could genereate electricity, but only if the water level drops 40 feet or more from the intake point down to the turbine.
- Wind. A small windmill may generate enough power for a barn (or a well-pump) but a windmill sufficient to power a household must be quite large, and hence expensive. On this island, that’s a viable option only if your land is really windy, which you’ll know because your trees are bent over, as they are near HELCO’s “wind farms” — clusters of turbines – -at the northern (Kohala) and southern (Ka’u) capes. On the Hamakua Coast, the onshore tradewinds are not constant; and on the Kona coast, daytime breezes tend to die down at sunset.
View Other Posts in the “Could You Live Off-the-Grid?” Series
Moving to Hawaii May 26, 2009
Posted by Kelly in : Moving to Hawaii, Resources, Updates , 1 comment so far
Moving to Hawaii from anywhere else is obviously something that must be done with a great deal of planning and strategy. It is not the same as moving across town or even to another mainland state. The logistics involved are huge. To make your move easier, using a professional moving company is the best way to make your move, but it is also the most costly. There are a variety of ways to save money. One is bringing as little as possible to Hawaii. That is not always practical, sometimes you just want your art and furniture or your favorite sports equipment to come along with you.
I have met some people who sold all but the most precious things they owned and moved to Hawaii by using the United States Post Office as their mover. This is obviously the least expensive option, but don’t forget that when you get here, you will have to furnish your new home, have clothes to wear and cooking tools, electronics and appliances. Those things are available in Hawaii, but not always with the same variety and pricing as on the mainland. If you do decide to ship things, using the USPS is the best option. If you can fit things into a large flat rate Priority shipping box, the goods will arrive from the mainland in a week or less. If you have to go with Parcel Post or Media Mail (great way to move your books and CD’s) they could take as long as 4-6 weeks to arrive. The post office supplies free Priority Mail boxes and you can print postage labels from your home computer. If you won’t be at your home to accept shipments, you can send them c/o general delivery to your local post office and pick them up when you arrive.
If you choose the “do it yourself” method of moving, you need to contact one of the shipping companies that provide containers. Matson is probably the largest container shipper with reliable rates and frequent ships coming in and out of all ports in Hawaii. Another large carrier is Young Brothers. Both of those companies ship cars but we will talk about that in a separate post.
If you are considering a moving company, there are some that specialize in Hawaii moves and one of the most used companies for moves to Hawaii is West Point Relocation. Aside from them, most full service moving companies can and do ship overseas. For instance, if you have a typical 3 bedroom mainland home, you can expect a price of between $20,000 and $30,000 to have a full service door to door move from a West Coast Port. This would include packing and crating services, loading the containers, shipping the containers and then unloading, assembly of furniture and some unpacking and uncrating. You can also ask for a discounted bid if you are doing your own packing, but keep in mind that the professionals use higher grade boxes and ones that are made to stack 14 feet high to fit into containers. Get at least three bids and be sure you are comparing “apples to apples”.
Occasionally there are logistical impasses that may require your goods to be shuttled from your home or to your new home. Check with the moving company and be sure to tell them anything that will effect the move such as extra flights of stairs, narrow door ways, winding, dirt or bad roads and driveways where a container may not be parked close to the house. If you do this you will not have a surprise bill.
When choosing a moving company, be sure you are using one that is well established and that you can check references. Because of the economy, some moving companies are closing their doors and the less reputable ones are using day laborers and cutting corners. You want to be sure that the crew that works with you are employees of the company and that they are bonded.
How long will it take for your goods to arrive? Typically from the day they are loaded at the port, they could take between 2 weeks to 6 weeks to be delivered with the average at about 3 weeks. You may want to pre-ship some household goods to your new home so that you will have some of the necessities you need to live while waiting for your goods. If you are not having a full service move, you should be able to have your container in your driveway for as long as 5 days for unloading. Remember, this container is about 5’ off of the ground & does not have a lift, so you will need to rent or make ramps.
There obviously has to be some criteria for thinning out your possessions unless you have a large budget. Basically, if it is electronic and older than 5 years, it is probably better to replace it here. Some furniture does not do well here, leather and anything with metal on it is going to have some issues in the Hawaiian climate if you do not have central A/C going most of the time. The same goes for your leather shoes, “stainless steel” items that are not of the highest grade and books. Some art work may need to be re-framed to humidity controlled framing.
If you contact me, I would be glad to put you in touch with some customers who made the move here. Also, there are Big Island online forums like Kona Web, Puna Web and Puna Online where you can ask questions about movers and other related issues to people who have faced the gauntlet as you soon will. Remember, Hilo Brokers will also be here to assist you in making your move easier.
Huge Library of Hawaii Aerial & Scenic Images May 14, 2009
Posted by Kelly in : Big Island Hawaii, Hawaii Travel, Resources, Updates , add a comment
We now have a HUGE library of aerial and scenic images for all the Hawaiian islands posted and available for viewing. This includes the Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Molokai, O’ahu, Kauai, Niihau, Kahoolawe, Kaohikaipu, Kapapa, Lehua, Manana, Mokapu, Mokolii, Mokuhooniki, Mokulua, Moku Mana, Molokini and Okala. We also have whale, surf and ship photos!
All of these images are presented in a very easy to navigate sorter. Choose your Island from the Island Overview Map, then choose your view. Or view as a slideshow from any image view.
You can view directly using this link or by going to www.Hilo-Brokers.com and clicking the “Resources/Coastline and Scenic Photos” link.
All images provided by Brian Powers and www.hawaiianimages.net (and high quality images are also available for online purchase if you find one you like).
HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – What Are Those “Hairy” Fruits? January 23, 2009
Posted by Kelly in : Big Island Hawaii, HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND, Updates , add a commentHERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
What Are Those “Hairy” Fruits?
We can’t grow cherries in Hawaii – it’s just not cold enough in the winter. (Not that we wish it were any colder. This past week, Hilo felt an all-time low of . . . 58º F!).
But a family of sweet tree-fruits with small pits does very well here, and one of them, which is in season right now, is probably the most other-worldly-looking fruit you’ll ever see.
First, though, let’s talk about the most famous member of this family. It’s is the lychee (”LIE-CHEE”), which some people call litchi-nut (”LEE-CHEE nut”). But lychees are to litchi-nuts what grapes are to raisins.
Lychees come ripe in the summertime. In Hawaii, you can buy them at farmers’ markets; on the Mainland, they’re in “Asian” produce stalls. Many years ago, dried litchi-nuts were a popular dessert in Chinese restaurants; but they’re rarely served nowadays, because (like cherries) lychees do not lose their flavor or texture when they’re canned, and thus give you a good idea of what they would taste like if they were fresh.
The skin of a lychee is red, thin, and rough like a golf ball. The fruit originated in Asia, and almost certainly had a large pit when it was first cultivated; some varieties still do. But 20th century agronomists developed varieties with small, shriveled pits within fruits of the same size, which have more sweet meat per pound. Many farmers’ market vendors will tell you which variety they’re offering, and the big-pit versions may be cheaper.
A related fruit, also from Asia, is the longan (”LONG-gone”), whose season generally follows that of lychee. Longans are smaller than lychees, but the seed is proportionally larger. The fruit is also sweeter, although some people consider it cloying, or excessively fragrant. The skin is brown or greenish-brown, and somewhat brittle. Local farmers have developed techniques for boosting longan production, and thereby extending the season into the cooler months.
In the past few years, however, Hawaii farmers have increasingly planted a related fruit, from Southeast Asia , called rambutan (”RAHM-boo-tahn”). Compared to lychees, rambutans are larger and elongated, the seed is more firmly attached, the fruit is not quite as juicy, and the flavor is more subtle. But the biggest difference is that rambutans are . . . well, hairy. Curly bristles surround the skin, making it look like the egg of an alien creature. The skin itself is also thicker and tougher – you’ll need to nick it with a knife, to start peeling it away.
Rambutans are gaining in popularity for several reasons. On the tree, that thicker skin offers better protection against insects and diseases, and in the markets, it helps to give the fruit a longer shelf-life. The season for rambutan is also offset from the others: it starts after lychee and longan have run their course, and peaks in the cooler winter months.
So look for lychees and longans later in the year. Right now is the time to enjoy rambutan!
HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Seeing Hawaii When You Aren’t Here October 6, 2008
Posted by Kelly in : Big Island Hawaii, HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND, Hawaii Travel, Updates , add a commentHERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran
Seeing Hawaii When You Aren’t Here
People have a tendency to see what they want to see. And if you want to be in Hawaii, don’t be surprised if more and more things start you thinking of Hawaii.
I don’t mean the ads and articles in travel magazines. Whether you’re a longtime subscriber (to what I heard a frequent-flier call “travel-porn”), or just back-date browsing in a waiting-room, those articles and ads are deliberately intended, designed, tweaked and polished for the purpose of making you think about coming here.
I also don’t mean “Hawaii 5-0,” or “Lost,” either. Nor the mystique of “tiki” that has likely propelled a million visitors into the Pacific. Ever since Trader Vic’s first opened, thousands of bamboo-torches have lit up back-yard bars. And upscale establishments with superficially thatched roofs (like the Tonga Room in San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel) have been popular for decades.
No, not those things. It’s little things I mean. You’ve just seen a mai-tai on a passing tray, and suddenly you think of the first mai-tai you had on your first visit to Hawaii. There’s a palm-tree on the breast-pocket of someone’s sport-shirt, and you remember looking up under a real one, to see if the nuts might fall. (Actually, in Hawaii’s public parks, coconuts are removed so they don’t.) Your menu has a less-familiar Hawaiian word, like “haupia,” and because you know that means there’s coconut in it, you start wondering what an airline ticket costs now. Maybe it takes only hearing or reading the word “coconut” . . . ?
There’s a wonderful feature in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin’s online edition called “The Search for Signs of Hawaiian Life.” People send in digital photos from all over the world — pictures of mainly (and literally) SIGNS: for restaurants, shops and other businesses that somehow echo things Hawaiian. There isn’t much surf on the Adriatic coast, but here’s a picture that a friend took, just outside of Dubrovnik, in Croatia. Makes you want to hang ten, doesn’t it?
Incidentally, in light of my recent blog asking if you are ready to live here, a new book may be a cautionary tale. It’s called “Off the Grid Without a Paddle,” by Lynne Farr, who moved to the Big Island with her husband before they had really checked the place out.
HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Overnight Accommodations September 25, 2008
Posted by Kelly in : Big Island Hawaii, HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND, Hawaii Travel, Resources, Updates , add a commentHERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran
Overnight Accommodations
When it comes to picking a place to stay, whether you’re on vacation or searching for a home, there are almost too many choices here!
RESORTS. Many visitors want a resort experience, with a (full or modified) “American plan” under which all or nearly all activities and meals are included in the room rate. The Big Island’s resorts are on the coast of South Kohala: green oases in the district’s otherwise black lava landscape. Golf courses are abundant, but (compared to resorts on Maui and Kauai) the beaches are small and are typically augmented with swimming pools and ponds. Typical of the South Kohala resorts is the Waikoloa Beach Marriott.
Most resort hotels are mid- or low-rise buildings, with function rooms for conventions. But there’s one prominent exception: guests at Kona Village stay in thatched huts, called hales, that are fully modern inside, but (deliberately) have no phones or TVs.
HOTELS. Hilo doesn’t have resorts, but it does have a string of hotels on Banyan Drive, with extensive views of the bay and the ocean. The tallest are the Naniloa and the Hilo Hawaiian; a smaller alternative is Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel.
Close to Downtown Hilo, the Dolphin Bay Hotel and the Wild Ginger Inn are modest in size and price.
There are dozens of small hotels in and around Kailua-Kona; but for a truly “local” experience, there’s no place like the Manago Hotel, in Captain Cook: a family enterprise for over 80 years.
B&Bs. A Bed-and-Breakfast is, essentially, someone’s house with nice guest-rooms. If you don’t want the all-inclusive resort experience, and don’t need the guest services of a hotel, then a B&B is ideal, especially if you want to stay in a town with no other kind of visitor accommodations, such as Pahoa, Volcano, Naalehu, Honokaa, or Hawi. Start your search for a B&B at the Bed & Breakfast Online website.
Probably the most celebrated (and, arguably, the most beautiful) B&B on the Big Island is Shipman House, in Hilo, originally the Victorian mansion of a prominent local family, where Queen Liliuokalani and author Jack London were house-guests.
Vacation Rentals. If you’re going to be here for more than a week or two, consider renting an apartment. You’ll be on your own for all meals, with kitchen facilities ranging from plain to fancy, and for housekeeping, with services ranging from full to none.
These accommodations are easy to find and compare, especially on the Konaweb site, or at the VacationRentals411 website, both of which cover the entire island.
And if I may make a suggestion . . . do consider my own vacation rental apartment in Hilo, which I call the Lehua Honeymoon Suite.
…
HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND – Makai or Mauka? September 5, 2008
Posted by Kelly in : Big Island Hawaii, HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND, Updates , 2commentsHERE ON THE BIG ISLAND
By Kelly Moran
Makai or Mauka?
Would you rather live by the sea, or on a hill?
On a coral atoll, everywhere you could possibly live is close to the ocean; but on a high island like Hawaii, you can live so far from the water that you might not even see it! Everyone who has the choice is either a makai (seaward) or a mauka (uphill) type. Which are you?
Living makai is what most people probably imagine, when they contemplate moving here. It’s almost stereotypical: swaying palms, seashells at your feet, that bracing salt air . . . . Being right on the water, or close to it, gives you the calming sound of the surf, and those cool breezes that are so welcome on hot days. Actual ocean frontage, of course, is typically the most expensive land. But sea views – from anywhere – are always in demand, and the greater the expanse of ocean you can see, the more desireable will be that property.
Just remember that, unlike the older Hawaiian islands, the Big Island has very few sandy beaches, and no one with an oceanfront lot has a truly “private” beach. By law, property owners have to provide – or at least not block – access to their section of the shoreline from the ocean or from the adjacent coast, and the public is entitled to be there, to swim, fish, etc., right up to the high-water mark. That said, though, since most of our coastline here is rocky – some of it actually being sea-cliffs a hundred or more feet above the water – there isn’t too much foot-traffic along most of our shores.
If there’s a down-side to living on the ocean, it’s the ocean itself. Salt spray fogs your windows, and leaves a crust on your furniture and clothes; it will also wreak havoc with unshielded electronics. Building-codes are particularly restrictive at or near sea-level, too, because your house is vulnerable to damage from storms, and (it must be said) from tsunamis.
Still, here are some potential makai properties to consider:
40’s Vintage Plantation Home with Million Dollar Views
Architectural Masterpiece with Private Beach on 13 Acres
*Virtual Tour*
Rare Hilo Oceanfront Estate
*Virtual Tour*
2 Oceanfront Acres with Panoramic Coastline Views
*Virtual Tour*
Oceanfront Paradise! Over 1/2 Acre, Panoramic Bay & Kaloli Point Views
*Virtual Tour*
What about living mauka? Land uphill, even with a distant ocean view, is typically less expensive than property of the same size close to the water. And mauka lots are generally bigger, too, so you may have more privacy. The temperature drops approximately three degrees (F) for every 1,000 feet of elevation, so summer days will be a little cooler, no matter how high up you go; and winter nights, if you’re in, say, Waimea or Volcano, can be be quite chilly – though quite a few houses there will have thicker walls and possibly even a fireplace.
If you want to live in the woods, you’ll have to be uphill, where there is a greater variety of trees that also grow taller and closer together than they do near the ocean. Maybe you prefer the wide-open spaces: the farm- or ranch-lands are all uphill. Many mauka parcels are almost flat, especially if they were formerly used to grow sugar cane; they can serve as a “blank canvas” on which you can create your own landscape from scratch.
The down-side to mauka living is mainly about distance: everything is a car-drive away: the beach (of course!), but also movies, festivals, and shopping. If you have to commute to work, and especially if gasoline stays as expensive as it is right now (over $4 a gallon), living uphill will be a bit costly.
Nonetheless, there are some wonderful mauka properties available, right now:
Panoramic Ocean, Mountain & Stream Views – 6 Acres
*Virtual Tour*
Cozy 2BR Home on 7.9 Acres – Private & Serene
*Virtual Tour*
Diversified Ag Business with Home on 20 Acres
*Virtual Tour*
8.3 Acres – Panoramic Mountain, Ocean and Hilo Bay
*Virtual Tour*
So wherever you choose to life, you’ll certainly agree that there’s no place like home on the Big Island!
