Hawaii Life - General Discussion

[NYGirl]

Editor's Note:

Discuss Hawaii Life Here!

 

Our wonderful moderator Wendy has graciously allowed us to put the "Life" topics in here since they are on HGTV AND very similar to House Hunters.  Thanks again Wendy.

[DownTheShore]

Yes, thanks!

What I find surprising is how dull most of the houses shown are. They are either cookie-cutter developments or else basic boxes, especially on Oahu.

I always laugh at the happiness of the homeowners over discovering all the fruit trees they are going to have on the property. I wonder all the time what they do with the excess produce?

[ByaNose]

I always think it's funny that most of the places picked are dumpy condos because the budgets are so low. I've always heard how expensive real estate there is and most of HL people have $150,000-$200,000 budgets. That's gets you something on the mainland but apparently in Hawaii not so much. I was going to buy a place with my Powerball winnings. Alas, I didn't win and I'm still stuck here in Philadelphia under 2 feet of snow. LOL!!!

[chessiegal]

I've seen plenty of HL shows where people have enough money to buy a decent place - $500K or more. You can get a house for less on the Big Island (Hawaii). I'm interested because I like Hawaii, especially Maui and Kauai, but it takes sooo long to get there, plus the cost of goods. The Caribbean appeals to me more, as it's a short plane ride from the US (and not out of the question to get there by sailboat if you're up for an adventure). I really enjoy all the "Life" shows. So glad we have a forum! Thanks NYGirl and Wendy.

[AlleC17]

I live on Oahu, and the prices are outrageous.  The median cost of a single family home is $700k, and you are not getting anything wonderful.  The west side has slightly more affordable options, but they have the worst traffic.  I think we were either number 1 or 2 in the nation for worst traffic.  If there is an accident, a 45 minute drive becomes hours.  I am very, very glad to have been able to buy on the windward side years and years ago, as I would not be able to afford to buy now.

 

Even prices on the Big Island and other neighbor islands are getting up there, and there are less jobs on those islands too. 

[Vivigirl10]

I'm fairly certain it was an episode of Hawaii Life that I saw awhile back (but there are so many copy-cats now!).  It was a young woman who was basically unemployed....she practiced some sort of "fire arts" entertainment that you see at concerts.  While she wasn't looking at anything fancy, i still wanted the backstory as to how she could afford ANYTHING at all?!  She had a scruffy looking boyfriend tagging along with her.  All I could think was that she was parent-financed living the life of a bohemian/hippy with a nice secret bank account. 

[AlleC17]

They had new episodes of Hawaii Life on last night...since I live here its extra fun to see the houses.  I did laugh when the second episode of HHs said something about no 'brake lights here' or similar, when discussing Oahu traffic.  They obviously have not tried going to the west side ever.

[AlleC17]

I guess not many people are watching this, lol.  The bend, Oregon wife had super, amazingly annoying vocal fry.  i just wanted to throttle her, and how she always made a statement, followed by right?  'The back yard seems ideal for our family, right?'  'The open floor plan is what we were looking for, right?'  She was working my last nerve.  not sure why I didn't immediately erase it.

[laredhead]

AlleC17, I watch Hawaii Life and have my DVR set to record all new episodes.  I love to see the beautiful tropical plants and the different styles of some of the houses.

[chessiegal]

We watch it all the time too. I'm glad they're doing new episodes, and since they are the ratings must be good. Maybe not enough snark worthy happens for comments.

[AlleC17]

Glad other are watching!  I enjoy seeing the homes and prices and laughing since I bought my Windward Oahu house a long, long time ago, when such things were still a  little affordable. 

The one thing that always gets my eyes rolling is when the Oahu (its usually the Oahu HH) complain about neighbors being right on top of them.  Yes, your neighbors will most likely be in spitting distance.  This island is small and overly populated, so what exactly were you expecting?  While there are still a few places with actual space and yards larger than postage stamps, sadly those areas are shrinking all the time.  :-( 

Edited November 8, 2016 by AlleC17

[ByaNose]

I will say that $250,000 doesn't seem to buy you much in Hawaii. So much for me buying a cheap condo for $50,000. Drats!! LOL!!

[AlleC17]

LOL  Uh, yeah, especially on Oahu.  :-)

[chessiegal]

New episodes at 8 pm EST tonight. We so enjoy this show. We've both been, but not together. My husband spent 6 months in Honolulu as a federal prosecutor trying a human trafficking case. He stayed at the Hawaii Hilton Village, and eventually earned enough points to get upgraded to their better rooms. He only had 1 day off in all that time (got to come home 3 times). One morning a woman got on the elevator with him, looked at him dressed in his conservative business suit, and said "I'm so sorry!". He'd love to go back, but last year and this we're concentrating on parts of Europe we've never seen (which is most of it).

[ByaNose]

I'm looking forward to tonight's show, too. I've never been there myself. I'm only 52 so I have time, right? LOL!!! It does look paradise but all I ever hear how expensive it is too live there. The food & gas prices could kill you from what I've heard. That said, when I win the lottery I will buy a small beachfront condo. Nothing too big but a little getaway. I think Hawaii Life seekers usually start @ $250,000. I'm always shocked what little they get for the money but I guess the price you pay for constant sunshine.

[chessiegal]

The cost of everything arriving by air or boat - not cheap. I hate to fly, and it is such a long flight from the East coast, but so worth it if you haven't been. I enjoyed every minute there - Oahu, Maui, and Kauai (my favorite).

[Kohola3]

I must be the only person on earth who absolutely hates Hawaii.  Hate the climate, hate the tourist areas, hate the traffic, hate the prices. I see nothing "paradise" about it.

Now, Alaska, that's a whole other thing....

[ByaNose]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

I must be the only person on earth who absolutely hates Hawaii.  Hate the climate, hate the tourist areas, hate the traffic, hate the prices. I see nothing "paradise" about it.

Now, Alaska, that's a whole other thing....

I could see visiting Alaska. Especially, taking an Alaskan(sp?) cruise. I could see living in Hawaii. As I  have gotten older I prefer the warmer client. I'm not crazy for the 3 months of cold/snow weather in Philadelphia so I know I couldn't live in Alaska. To each is own. That said, is Alaska cheaper to live then in Hawaii? Is the price of food & gas just as crazy? 

[Kohola3]

38 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

Is the price of food & gas just as crazy? 

Yes, in certain areas.  But, lord, is it gorgeous there.  And I'm a born and bred Michigander so I am a winter lover.  Alaska is my paradise.

[chessiegal]

I hate winter. I was born and raised in Eastern PA with all 4 seasons, and I'd be happy not to see another winter in my life. Give me warm temps every day of the year.

It's clear we could move to Hawaii because most of the homes they show are less than what we paid for our house, but it's too far from family. Many retired folks here near Annapolis have homes in the South. We've discussed it, but are reluctant to leave our forever house.

[MsTree]

7 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I must be the only person on earth who absolutely hates Hawaii.  Hate the climate, hate the tourist areas, hate the traffic, hate the prices. I see nothing "paradise" about it.

Just an observation, but I find that interesting considering your user name sounds very Hawaiian.

[Kohola3]

You are correct, MsTree.  It is Hawaiian for whale. I have done 5 rotations of humpback whale research there.  Love the whales, hate the tropics.

[truther]

I watched one episode last night -- they looked at three houses in the 600-700k range.  They put in a low bid, about 100k below asking price IIRC, and then announced at the end of the ep that they didn't get the house so oh well, we'll keep looking.  The whole thing was a complete waste of time!

[ByaNose]

9 minutes ago, truther said:

I watched one episode last night -- they looked at three houses in the 600-700k range.  They put in a low bid, about 100k below asking price IIRC, and then announced at the end of the ep that they didn't get the house so oh well, we'll keep looking.  The whole thing was a complete waste of time!

It's weird that they do (air) episodes with people not getting the houses. They are already supposed to be in escrow beforehand. I guess they want to show the other side of house hunting. That said, it's doubly fake. It's fake to begin with since they are supposed to be in escrow for HH and I assume it's the same for Hawaii Life, right? Then it's doubly fake because they knew the potential homeowners didn't get the house.

[truther]

57 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

It's weird that they do (air) episodes with people not getting the houses. They are already supposed to be in escrow beforehand. I guess they want to show the other side of house hunting. That said, it's doubly fake. It's fake to begin with since they are supposed to be in escrow for HH and I assume it's the same for Hawaii Life, right? Then it's doubly fake because they knew the potential homeowners didn't get the house.

I agree.  It makes absolutely no sense.  It's like turning down these Hawaii houses because they're not close to any ski resorts, or because they're not within driving distance of her mother's house in Tennessee or something.  

[Kohola3]

Well, the offer they put in was ludicrous. I said right away that the sellers would laugh at that. clearly a fake from the get go.

[laredhead]

I have noticed that many of the houses shown have rental units.  Is this the norm in Hawaii?  

[Kohola3]

Many houses have what is called an ohana (which means family) which is traditionally used for visitors.  However, most of them are now used as rental units in popular tourist areas.

[AlleC17]

many houses do have ohana units, and many people are using them to rent as illegal B&Bs, which drives up prices even more.  Less inventory for long term rentals are available when people use them for more lucrative short term rentals.  Its a mess.  Shipping thing in does add to the cost, but prices are higher because retailers can get away with it.  It is very costly here.

I loathe the winter, so the climate doesn't usually bother me.  The past several years tough we have had way high humidity in the summer.  When I moved here in 1989, the summers were hotter, but cooled by the trades.  the trades have been disappearing lately.

Now while this and all the HH shows are fake, I didn't understand why they had the Maui realtor tell the HHs to lowball on the offer.  As soon as I heard that offer, I was pretty sure they wouldn't get that home.   The realtor would know better.

[ByaNose]

3 hours ago, AlleC17 said:

many houses do have ohana units, and many people are using them to rent as illegal B&Bs, which drives up prices even more.  Less inventory for long term rentals are available when people use them for more lucrative short term rentals.  Its a mess.  Shipping thing in does add to the cost, but prices are higher because retailers can get away with it.  It is very costly here.

I loathe the winter, so the climate doesn't usually bother me.  The past several years tough we have had way high humidity in the summer.  When I moved here in 1989, the summers were hotter, but cooled by the trades.  the trades have been disappearing lately.

Now while this and all the HH shows are fake, I didn't understand why they had the Maui realtor tell the HHs to lowball on the offer.  As soon as I heard that offer, I was pretty sure they wouldn't get that home.   The realtor would know better.

And, when you low ball is there no counter offer? Is the deal done? I'm not in real estate so I have no idea. I even thought the offer was an insult but I thought they would get a counter offer and a happy ending. Alas, it was not meant to be. Aloha, indeed. 

[chessiegal]

36 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

And, when you low ball is there no counter offer? Is the deal done? I'm not in real estate so I have no idea. I even thought the offer was an insult but I thought they would get a counter offer and a happy ending. Alas, it was not meant to be. Aloha, indeed. 

Yes, the seller is under no obligation to counter offer. They can just say no thanks. That happened to us on the sale of our last house,. Several weeks later we got into a bidding war and sold for full price.

[MsProudSooner]

On 11/13/2016 at 5:40 PM, Kohola3 said:

I must be the only person on earth who absolutely hates Hawaii.  Hate the climate, hate the tourist areas, hate the traffic, hate the prices. I see nothing "paradise" about it.

Now, Alaska, that's a whole other thing....

I've never been to Hawaii but I've always contended that people are either 'beach people' or 'mountain people'.  I'm definitely a mountain person.  A sweaty environment isn't my idea of fun!  

[Ohwell]

Mountain person here. *raises hand*

[AlleC17]

I actually like both and am happy to be able to view Mt. Olomana from my back yard as well as be a 5 minute drive to the beach.  :-)  Of course, you still sweat even in the mountains here unless you are on Haleakala or Mauna Kea etc.  lol 

[laredhead]

AlleC17, another thing I'm curious about considering the humidity there, why don't more houses in Hawaii have A/C?   Is electricity expensive?  I have seen episodes where it looks like there is a breeze most of the time, but I have also noticed that even with the breeze, the humidity seems high and the participants are perspiring or at least they look a bit damp.  I live in south Louisiana (no breezes for the most part) where humidity is very high, and have vacationed many times on the Gulf coast where there is a breeze, but A/C in both locations is a must.

[AlleC17]

A lot of newer places have a/c. and lots of people get it installed.  When I first moved into my house, I honestly did NOT need it at all. The trades kept everything nice and cool, with a few days needing the ceiling fan.  The past few years have had major disruptions to the trades.  I haven't installed a/c ...yet.  lol

Edited November 16, 2016 by AlleC17

[SPLAIN]

On 11/7/2016 at 3:43 PM, AlleC17 said:

I guess not many people are watching this, lol.  The bend, Oregon wife had super, amazingly annoying vocal fry.  i just wanted to throttle her, and how she always made a statement, followed by right?  'The back yard seems ideal for our family, right?'  'The open floor plan is what we were looking for, right?'  She was working my last nerve.  not sure why I didn't immediately erase it.

I watch it all the time. I even DVR the episodes so I don't miss any new episodes. I don't have a lot of snark at all about this particular show. I enjoy watching the scenery and looking at the places I have been when I visited Hawaii.

Quote

I must be the only person on earth who absolutely hates Hawaii.  Hate the climate, hate the tourist areas, hate the traffic, hate the prices. I see nothing "paradise" about it.

Now, Alaska, that's a whole other thing....

When I have visited Hawaii, I didn't experience the humidity that some have mentioned. I have been to Florida. Now that is the worst humidity I have ever experienced. I like Hawaii, but I love the Caribbean much, much more. I love sandy beaches and clear waters.

Question, where in Hawaii can one find sandy beaches? The ones we visited on our trips have rocks and coral which hurt my feet.

Edited November 20, 2016 by SPLAIN

[Lawgiver]

I've been watching this with my two boys; we went to the Big Island and Maui for spring break earlier this year. My sixth grader has decided he wants to go to the University of Hawaii, my second grader said he didn't want to move to Hawaii, he NEEDS to move to Hawaii. If only...

[pep4]

Kept laughing at the 'Zona stoners couple on Kaua'i.  The dialogue was so obviously forced, it was like watching 6th graders in a school play.  I guess rather than doing retakes to get something more authentic sounding, HH producers just mailed this one in.  Did they say where he was originally from?  I was guessing it was a Canadian accent.

Edited November 29, 2016 by pep4

[Mittengirl]

Was that the episode with the guy with the billy goat thing on his chin?  And the Chinese characters tattooed on his neck? God that is a stupid look.  And he was a helicopter mechanic, wasn't he?  I sure wouldn't want to put my life in his hands.

[ByaNose]

12 hours ago, Lawgiver said:

I've been watching this with my two boys; we went to the Big Island and Maui for spring break earlier this year. My sixth grader has decided he wants to go to the University of Hawaii, my second grader said he didn't want to move to Hawaii, he NEEDS to move to Hawaii. If only...

C'mon! It's for the children. LOL!!! I remember a guy I went to high school (class of 83...I'm old) and he said he was going to college in Hawaii. It was the first time I ever heard anyone talking about going there for college. That said, I think he only went as far as California for college. He's a big doctor so I think he turned out okay. LOL!!!

[pep4]

Lulz, yep, billy goat gruff was that Kaua'i episode.

[Lawgiver]

I've been binging on these through xFinity. The one where the database manager kept saying wine-thirty was so irritating! It's like they decided that was the most hilarious thing ever, so she and her friend repeated it 800 times. I really am surprised at how cheap some of the homes are. I was expecting high prices. And how in the world can a retail manager for a luxury brand, and a single mother to boot who will have to hire either a nanny or put her son in daycare, afford a waterfront home costing $550K??? 

[ByaNose]

Last night had two shows with reasonable budgets and nice homes. I do wonder how many homeowners actually have people visiting them all the time? The homeowner always count an extra room for family & friends who will be visiting. It's the usual line on all of the real estate shows where an extra room is needed for visitors. I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and no one ever stays with me. Maybe, I'm not a fun person. LOL!!!

[Mittengirl]

I don't know you, but I would be much more likely to visit you in Hawaii than Philly.  And probably stay for a longer time.

[ByaNose]

2 hours ago, Mittengirl said:

I don't know you, but I would be much more likely to visit you in Hawaii than Philly.  And probably stay for a longer time.

Ouch! LOL!!!!

That said, I don't fault you for that. If I knew someone in Hawaii and they asked me to visit I'd hop on the next available plane. It does look beautiful there. 

[Lawgiver]

I really love seeing the pale homebuyers get progressively more and more sunburnt as the episode continues. I guess people aren't used to such a strong sun! 

[Nysha]

I think it makes more sense to have a spare room for visitors if you're living in Hawaii than it does if you're living in France or Italy. My dad and stepmom go to Hawaii every year. They have a time-share, and the last 2 times, one of my siblings and their families have gone with them. If I lived there, I'd try to find a home that either already had a spare bedroom/bathroom or could be remodeled to include them.

[AlleC17]

20 hours ago, Nysha said:

I think it makes more sense to have a spare room for visitors if you're living in Hawaii than it does if you're living in France or Italy. My dad and stepmom go to Hawaii every year. They have a time-share, and the last 2 times, one of my siblings and their families have gone with them. If I lived there, I'd try to find a home that either already had a spare bedroom/bathroom or could be remodeled to include them.

It depends:  while i had many visits from my mom and dad before they passed, only one of 4 brothers has visited.  They have kids, and the airfare is expensive when you are paying for 3 or 4, but I guess that would hold true for anywhere off the continental US.

[truther]

Caught an episode of this show the other day where they looked at a bunch of houses and then, at the end, the Hawaii Life owner or whoever he is came on and said they bought a different house altogether.  It was so unbelievably lame.  Especially considering the whole thing is just a glorified infomercial, I'm actually kind of surprised HGTV keeps this show on the air in such a good timeslot.