Author Topic: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?  (Read 42119 times)

daswusup

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I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« on: January 29, 2015, 01:13:32 PM »
Just turned 40. I have a lovely wife and 3 little kids. I have allways dreamed of a move to Maui in order to live my waterman dreams daily and raise my kids to do same. We currently live in Reno, NV. This place is a sportsmans paradise with 4 seasons of outdoor adventure in my backyard. I flip houses for a living and my wife is an experienced ER nurse. i feel like financially, we could pick up and do the same jobs in Maui. My main pursuits in ocean are kiteboarding and susing both at an expert level. I would probably want to land near the north shore Paia/makawao/pukalani area. maybe even kahului as wife world most likely work at hospital.. We go to upper westside often on vacations but dont know much about neighborhoods, schools or commute times on north shore. We would need at least 1500 sqft house to rent with garage and want to spend around $2k/mo rent. Our oldest will be starting 1st grade, so we are looking for a decent school district.
I am an avid voyear on the zone, but have posted little. I have to drive 5 hrs to santa cruz to surf now. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Questions:
1. Why should I not do this?

2. What part of Maui might work best?

3. Am I on crack?

jumpfrom13k

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2015, 01:24:29 PM »
If you have kids that needs to go to school, and if you look white. I'd say Kailua or Hawaii Kai area in Oahu.
I don't know about Maui. I've heard that place is full of hippies, and I hate hippies.

and think about the distance between work and job as well. 20 mile distance at island is not like 20 mile at mainland.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2015, 01:36:03 PM by jumpfrom13k »

PonoBill

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2015, 01:31:09 PM »
PM Mr. Covesurfer. He has a pretty clear idea of what's feasible right now as far as housing costs and Headmount is currently researching the rental market.

Understand that I am 68 years old and don't have direct experience with the school system--I've just looked at the politics and heard the lamentations. I would say the biggest concern is the education of your kids. Quality education is feasible in Maui, but not in the corrupted public school system. There are some great teachers I'm sure, but they are surrounded by a dole system of political patronage. You might luck out for the first few grades, but I wouldn't count on it. There are private schools, and anyone with money sends their kids there, but tuition is eye-wateringly expensive.

On the plus side, if they are blond-haired and blue-eyed they will learn to fight at a very young age.

Of course you can supplement public school with home schooling and resources like Kahn academy, but it's something you'd have to go into with your eyes wide open.
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Badger

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2015, 01:42:04 PM »
Wow, reading that makes New Hampshire seem like paradise.



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headmount

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2015, 02:03:35 PM »
Hippies is a pretty vague word from the late 1960s and as it stereotyped many back then it is even more of an outdated word now.  I've lived in Paia 18 years  and am a long term resident on Maui.  It's really an incredible mix of people here and the majority of what jumpfrom might call hippies live or at least locate around Paia.  But Paia also has a high population of water athletes from all parts of the globe that come for the same reasons you mention. The majority of people even on the north shore, just work and aren't water enthusiasts.   What some call nouveau hippies are actually very few but congregate in groups in various parts of Paia.  They are mostly wayward children to early adults who have come here as part of the various christian cults that somehow bring them from the mainland.  There's a chapel across the street from us that must collect the worst singers in the world we have to hear every sunday.  But the rest of the island is not like Paia.  There are some pockets homeless people that people love to complain about but for the most part, they seem harmless to me.

But on the whole this is a very expensive place to live and that's what really keeps the island population down to around 120k permanent residents and roughly 50k visitors on any given day.  So that's smaller than the population of Spokane WA.  Infrastructure is limited though and roads do become congested at times (around X-mas) and certain rush hour.  If your wife would work at the hospital I'd recommend being as close as possible to her work.  You'll still be within quick striking distance of north shore activities but would guess your wife's occupation carries priority.  Housing is the most difficult issue for you to figure out.  I'd nail something down while you're over there before you pull up stakes.  1500 sqs willl roughly range from 2400-3400/mnth but no matter what the price there is limited supply.  Things to watch out for are neighbors with chickens or loud dogs.  There are many here and they're noisy.

The public schools are somewhat marginal but there are great (but very expensive) private schools.  I know quite a few people that have their kids do homeschool because of these two choices.   PM me if you have any specific questions.

jumpfrom13k

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2015, 02:04:49 PM »
I mean, state of Hawaii is nice if you don't have kids.

Education sucks but 1st through 6th grade, is it really that important?

I only lived in Waialua, Oahu, that's north shore. The school sucks and library sucks, smallest library that I've ever seen, and not a single kid is into education there, but they all surf their ass off when there are wave, and all of them can rip. I've seen plenty of parent who swears that they will move back to mainland when their kid reaches the age to go to middle school.

The school is so small that they have put middle school and high school together in one spot, and seems like it is okay for the kids to smoke cigarettes right in front of the school. Baffles my mind to see kids smoking cigarettes at 2015. Smoking cigarettes are so 1980's.

My friend sent his kid to elementary school by Sunset from Waialua. That is less than 10 mile drive, but by north shore standard anywhere on the other side of Waimea is hell of a distance to travel every single day, morning, and afternoon. I would hate that drive.  Traffic around Waimea gets insane sometimes.

I'd say MOVE to the island for COUPLE years. It will be the best long vacation you've ever have. I loved my 2 years.
Only way to truly see every nicks, corners, and secrete spot of the island is to live there.


Oh, yeah, like the guy^ says, the roosters are ruthless. I've got lucked out and never had to deal with one, but yeah, that should be the very first question to ask, "Is there any roosters around?"

Not that many people stay at island permanently. There are always constant number of people moving in and out. So once you move to island and if you need stuff like furnitures and electronics, searching Craigslist will be the best bet. If you are gonna stay for more than a year, then ship your car over. I've used Pasha and service was good. They all cost around 1000 bucks to ship it one way. Registration cost is a bitch. They charge you by the weight of the car.


Why stuck on Maui? Why not other options like Oahu? Queens Hospital is the biggest one on the whole island system and I'm sure getting a job there might be easier then Maui.

Oahu is nice. Trust me, country living gets old, you'll want your multiple number of Walmart and Costco, movie theater, shopping malls, ect, available to you. Just having Longs Drugs ain't gonna cut it.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2015, 02:15:02 PM by jumpfrom13k »

XLR8

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2015, 02:56:35 PM »
Jump......

It is really that important.  In fact, I believe the importance of early childhood education cannot be understated if one wishes to avoid a number of unnecessary barriers later in life.
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surf4food

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2015, 03:21:25 PM »
If you have kids that needs to go to school, and if you look white. I'd say Kailua or Hawaii Kai area in Oahu.
I don't know about Maui. I've heard that place is full of hippies, and I hate hippies.

and think about the distance between work and job as well. 20 mile distance at island is not like 20 mile at mainland.

About the only place in Maui that's a hippie enclave is Pa'ia and even then they don't make up the majority.  Considering how expensive Maui is, as much as you may hate hippies, the hippies there DO actually work for a living.

surf4food

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2015, 03:30:35 PM »
I don't know about education in Maui, but I have a close friend who is a teacher in Ohau and by her own admission the school system is pretty corrupt and she even admits if she were to move to California (which also has some pretty bad public school systems) she would not get away with the quarter of the shit she gets away with where she's at.  She only picked teaching as a career to have three months off and lucked out getting a position where she is.  That right there should tell you something.  But again, I really don't know much about the system in Maui.

surf4food

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2015, 03:36:00 PM »

Why stuck on Maui? Why not other options like Oahu? Queens Hospital is the biggest one on the whole island system and I'm sure getting a job there might be easier then Maui.

Oahu is nice. Trust me, country living gets old, you'll want your multiple number of Walmart and Costco, movie theater, shopping malls, ect, available to you. Just having Longs Drugs ain't gonna cut it.

Different stokes as they say.  If I moved to Hawaii I would probably opt for Ohau also for all the reasons you stated, but I know plenty of people who think very different from me.  I know some people who moved to remote areas of Alaska with even less than Maui and have not looked back.

standuped

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2015, 04:22:15 PM »
Was going to write a long one, but here are some short points to consider:
You can do every thing you want to do in Oregon; they have these things called wet suits there.
The schools are great; a little liberal quwerky maybe.
The economy is GREAT compared to Maui.
If you move to Oregon and are just killing financially, then give Maui a try for a few years.
Give home schooling a look, did it with my kids and one went to college at 16 the other 17, they have both discovered the cure for cancer and cold fusion using banana peels.
Gerry Lopez moved to Oregon to raise family...
lastly if still dare to dream read the following REALY fast

There was this guy who moved to Maui, He hustled and waited tables, But he couldn't get many shifts so he offered to pay the senior wait staff to let him work their shifts, he did real good and customers loved him and got promoted to manager... then he started to sell real estate, all the while he was raising his family in the waterman ways. this guy's name was Martin, anyway this guy has this son and he has a first name for a last name.... I guess anything is possible.
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headmount

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2015, 04:33:39 PM »
Was going to write a long one, but here are some short points to consider:
You can do every thing you want to do in Oregon; they have these things called wet suits there.
The schools are great; a little liberal quwerky maybe.
The economy is GREAT compared to Maui.
If you move to Oregon and are just killing financially, then give Maui a try for a few years.
Give home schooling a look, did it with my kids and one went to college at 16 the other 17, they have both discovered the cure for cancer and cold fusion using banana peels.
Gerry Lopez moved to Oregon to raise family...
lastly if still dare to dream read the following REALY fast

There was this guy who moved to Maui, He hustled and waited tables, But he couldn't get many shifts so he offered to pay the senior wait staff to let him work their shifts, he did real good and customers loved him and got promoted to manager... then he started to sell real estate, all the while he was raising his family in the waterman ways. this guy's name was Martin, anyway this guy has this son and he has a first name for a last name.... I guess anything is possible.
I agree with this.  Oregon has awesome downwinding which is what the majority of your paddling will be here.  THis recent trend of great waves we've had is the exception not the norm.  Most of the time it's blown out. Plus there's great snowboarding in Oregon.  If you live on the east of the Cascades it isn't so wet in the winter.  It's volcanic and sort of like Maui ... just colder and you have to drive over the mountains to get to the ocean. 

Funny clip about Martin.  His timing was lucky.

standuped

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2015, 04:45:20 PM »
Yea, it's one of those "Kids don't try this at home" deals
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supsurf-tw

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2015, 05:13:57 PM »
There are a lot of "Paradise Taxes" to pay when you live anywhere in Hawaii. Beautiful place but like anywhere there are issues. Small kids....ehhhhhh I wouldn't. Flipping houses can work but you have to understand that hard line mainland people coming over to profit from real estate is not really a great idea in the long run. I know it sounds all romantic and glamorous but there is a dark side so just be aware. I'm coming from a place of experience. 
« Last Edit: January 29, 2015, 05:17:42 PM by supsurf-tw »
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PonoBill

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Re: I really want to move to Maui. Realistic?
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2015, 06:38:27 PM »
I do see a bright side to kids here--they learn to be watermen, at least some do. And if you can pull the scratch together, schools like Seabury are just spectacular. The fact that there are only about 120k permanent residents and 23 private schools should tell you all you need to know. But it's a big tradeoff. I see people come here thinking that the bar is so low for business that they'll just kick ass. They're right, but there's a lot of things holding that bar there. I wouldn't start a business here under any circumstances other than running out of retirement money and not being able to get off the island.

Headmount is right, there's other places that make more sense for kids, assuming you care that they have a good education. Reno is great and the tax structure of Nevada is excellent for business of any kind. Hood River or Bend are both spectacular in every sense. Of course you freeze your ass off in the winter, and that keeps the population low. Which is part of the reason why they're so great.

Maui is wonderful, but you have to come here understanding the limitations. If I were in your shoes I'd be figuring out how to take month-long vacations here. I live here half the year, but if I couldn't swing that financially I'm pretty certain I wouldn't be living in Maui--but I'd still spend time here.
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