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LIVING IN MAUI
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WAVEDAVE



Joined: 22 Aug 1997
Posts: 143

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:41 pm    Post subject: LIVING IN MAUI Reply with quote

JUst came back from my second trip to maui, lots of fun and wind. I have been thinking of living on maui, it feels so right and I even had a teaching opportunity but what really scares me is the cost of living in comparison to what teachers make there. What a bummer. Any advice on income opportunities there? or is starving part of the equation
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dsgrntlxmply



Joined: 16 Jun 2010
Posts: 255

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's too easy to fall in love with a place, and to stay that way on the second visit. Give yourself another visit or two. Allow yourself an episode or two of skepticism.

Read:

So You Want to Live in Hawaii, Polancy.

The Price of Paradise -- Lucky We Live Hawaii?, Roth et al. (1992, but worthwhile background).

Realize that few places on the planet are more dependent upon petroleum to support the way that people are currently living there, and getting people and goods between there and anywhere else. That might not have too much bearing upon a stay of a few years, but it needs to be considered carefully when weighing the possibility of a long commitment.

Read:

http://www.aroundhawaii.com/business/real_estate/2008-04-dont-come-a-dozen-reasons-not-to-move-to-hawaii.html

and the responses following that article, especially the one from "johnkalani".

I don't live there... I'm still in one of my skeptical episodes.
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keycocker



Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Posts: 3598

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Xcellent accurate link with humor.
It costs less to live here these days because rent is way down. That was always a big factor. The cost of food depends on your taste.
One reason some folks findit costly is because their imtroduction is tourist accomodations.
Another is because you try to import your mainland lifestyle and clone it in Maui. Maui lifestyle should be your reason for coming.
Live in plantation ohana.( single wall likely green)
Shop Costco and meet locals
Eat less do sports more since many are free once you buy gear.
Stop drinking sugar and most alchohol.
Drive a cheap car that gets scratched and sandy at the beach and you dont care.
All these things save money but also may provide a rewarding lifestyle change.
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MalibuGuru



Joined: 11 Nov 1993
Posts: 9293

PostPosted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agree with Keycocker, rents are down 30% and with the advent of Costco and Home Depot, many things are cheaper. Food is and will be more than the mainland, but there are options to save.

However, teaching on Maui can be a tough job. If you are planning to teach in Kahului, God help you. My neice moved over to teach in Kahului and was abused horribly. (she is a pretty, young, and blond) I'd say if you were a tough guy, you'd survive. You might even inspire some guys to straighten out. There are many great kids, and many great schools. Just be careful where you teach.

It takes a special person to call Maui home. There is a commitment to an outdoor island lifestyle. I had planned to live there, but now spend more time in Calif. I find dropping in every few months makes it even more special and refreshes my love and respect for the island. Aloha.

ps..I understand there is a thrivig tech community, with some tech jobs. Yes KC?
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 1:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not finding Hawaii any more expensive than the Bay Area in California.
No heating or A/C bill, driving less, no commuting. Shop Costco and Walmart. No need for a fancy car or clothes. Restaurants are so expensive I never eat out. No island fever for me, I never want to even leave the North Shore but I have seen some people effected this way.
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pzwinakis



Joined: 03 Aug 2000
Posts: 42
Location: Santa Cruz

PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 8:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My wife and I tried to move there two different times.. The reverse discrimination is a little hard to take.. So many rules that don't exist in CA were a bummer.. Keep in mind it is a RURAL place.. Monster trucks.. cock-fighting, localism.. The mentality that goes along with living in the country.. not at all like the Bay Area. Feels like you went back in time - some of that is good.. some of that isn't.

Dealing with the tourists and the traffic was a bit tiring..

That said the water's warm, there's surf and most of the people are very nice. Definitely will mellow anyone out.. Can't beat the environment.. You'll possibly lead a very healthy lifestyle depending upon how much you have to work..

It also seems like a catch-all for certain people that are weird enough that they can't exist anywhere else. Kinda entertaining.. sometimes kinda tiresome.. Granted this was mainly on the North Shore as I could tell.

Even though we didn't stay.. and we spent a bunch of money moving back and forth between the Bay Area and there, it was a worthwhile endeavor for us.

We were looking to buy a business to keep our dream alive. The more we looked the less interested we became. Normal job opportunities didn't offer much.. a full workweek for little money made it less appealing. We came back to the Bay Area where things aren't all rosy, but we could make a lot more money and still recreate a huge amount.

All that said, two short trips there is not sufficient in my opinion to actually gauge what the place is about… The good and the bad.
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I live in a community of mostly Caucasian people, I would never live in a neighborhood of local people. The local people are mostly nice but I would never live amongst them for various reasons.
I pretty much mind my own business here and keep my mouth shut unless it's someone I know.
People are generally friendly but there is a group of assholes known as middle aged surfers, alcoholic carpenter handyman types who came from California 10 or 20 years ago who will tell you how long they have been living in Hawaii and how the newcomers have ruined it in the first 30 seconds of talking to them. Big mouths out in the lineup consumed with hate for SUP's
Frustrated by their failures in life but hey they can ride a longboard!
I generally find the hippies and local people to be much more agreeable than there sorts.
That and centipedes.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2012 11:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personally, I can't stand the heat there ... and I grew up in the deep, humid south before air conditioning. I also prefer Gorge sailing to anything I've found on Maui short of actual waves; the run-of-the-mill chopswell on the Windward shore is not that appealing to me compared to a good day (like today) at Threemile Canyon in very clean swell at least twice as high as the non-wave mishmash off Kanaha/Sprecks. I guess one has to live on Maui and/or sail its serious wave venues to appreciate it beyond short vacations. There must be SOME reasons so many Maui residents spend their summers in the Gorge. The ones I've asked said they just prefer sailing here.
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MalibuGuru



Joined: 11 Nov 1993
Posts: 9293

PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Too hot, and the Gorge is a better place to sail? You'd better start back on the Prozac.

It's one thing to comment on prices and community, but 300 days of sailing on crystal blue waters, palm trees swaying, 86 degrees by day and 70 degrees by night? Not generally humid when the trades are blowing (300 days a year) and a gentle desert on the South side. Fresh seafood, shorts every day of the year, and some of the best restaurants on the planet. Not to mention endless water sports 365 days a year.

There was a reason the sailors of the 18th and 19th century went crazy when they landed on the "Sandwich Islands". You didn't hear any stories like that when the settlers landed in the Gorge.

BTW, the Gorge is nice, but there is no comparison.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was discussing only the non-wave sailing and the heat index. I wear only a wristwatch and shorts (+ a shirt and sandals for special occasions) on Maui, and I sweat pretty much from 9 AM 'til after midnight when not in air conditioning. It was always such a relief to arrive back in New Mexico, even in midsummer.
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