Imagine waking up to cool, crisp air and Mauna Kea views. Waimea is delightfully cool and green. The temperatures at my place range between the low 50’s (on some nights) and the high 70’s at this time of year. They will rise a bit as the summer progresses, but I don’t expect to see highs above 85, and the nights should remain cool. There are cooler places on the Big Island, but none as conveniently located, with schools, a hospital, a theater, and two observatory headquarters in town, not to mention the amazing beaches along the Kohala Coast.
We’re getting a bit more rain at my place than last month-2” so far this month-but when it gets drizzly my daughter, who is not a fan, just heads for the beach-about a half hour away. I’m happy to have the rain. The plants and the ducks love it. The altitude (about 2800’) and rain are what keep Waimea delightfully cool and green!
Here’s a 40 acre listing in West Waikoekoe, which is very close to where I live and should have the same weather:
Here’s a lovely home, on 1.5+ acres, about 5 minutes from town, but with similar weather:
Nohomalu Place, Waimea Home Just Listed- Big Island, Hawaii
This place has a whole house dehumidifier, which keeps it warm and dry even during extended rainy periods.
Generally, our weather changes pretty frequently. Sometimes we’ll have sunny skies, interrupted by brief downpours, and then more sun. Some days will be overcast and cool. Others sunny and much warmer. But you can count on change, and if it isn’t coming fast enough, you don’t have to travel far to find completely different weather!
In the current Waimea area market, it is a great time to sell, but tough on buyers. There is low inventory to choose from and buyers must prepare before seeking property. Because of the low inventory, sellers are getting what they ask for, as long as it’s within reason. Buyers are having a very tough time finding anything, and they are paying top dollar if they are lucky enough to secure a property.
Just How Ruthless is the Hawaii Buyer’s Market?
Property in Escrow: Waiaka Place, Waimea, Hawaii
Some buyers are having a hard time understanding just how tough the current Hawaii real estate market is. This is not a time to put in a low offer, “just to see”. Study the market for just a little while and you will learn that properties are selling very quickly, for list or above.
I have not yet received an offer where a large earnest money deposit would be forfeited to the seller if the deal fell through, but I’m not going to be surprised to see that term.
At this point, if you must sell a home in order to buy a new home (a home sale contingency), you should be prepared to put up a large deposit and be willing to forfeit it should your existing home not sell.
I have sellers who just rejected an offer from a buyer who indicated he was willing to pay far more than the list price but included a home sale contingency. The sellers were able to reject it because another very strong offer had been submitted even before the property was listed on the MLS.
In a Market Tough on Buyers, Prepare!
Buyers who can’t afford to buy a property while still owning another property should be looking into bridge loans. They should also know their budget and share the information with their agent. If financing is needed, arrange it before looking at properties since there won’t be time to obtain it after choosing a property. The sellers will likely go with someone who is paying cash or submits a pre-qualification letter with their offer, so it is best to remove every possible contingency from an offers. They should be prepared to pay list or above.
Truthfully, bargain hunters need to sit this market out. The market is likely to soften a bit as interest rates rise, and cash may once again justify a slightly lower contract price.
Property Under Contract: Naalehu, Hawaii Judy S. Howard Corcoran Profile
For questions and inquiries, give me a call or email me at Judy@livinginwaimea.com. To learn more about me and my background, read more or watch my introduction video here.
Do you require frequent medical visits, specialists, and accessible treatment options? Before moving to Hawaii it is helpful to know your options and prepare for what’s covered by your insurance, what requires inter-Island travel, and alternative healthcare options.
Medical facilities and insurance coverage can be limited depending on where you live and waiting times vary depending on what care you need. There is a doctor shortage on the Big Island, and in Hawaii generally, and when it comes to specialist care (dermatologist, podiatrist, rheumatologist, neurologist, Mohs surgeon, etc.) it is common to drive long distances, fly to Oahu for care that’s covered by insurance, or to pay cash for services on the Big Island.
Why Pay “Out-Of-Pocket”?
While cash pay sounds scary, so is paying a high insurance premium that doesn’t cover services you need. With rising insurance premiums, consider progressive ways healthcare clinics provide efficient and quality care with cash pay models. So, where do you start?
First, know that there are wonderful traveling nurses, doctors, physician assistants, and specialists on the Island that provide excellent care. Some offer partial insurance reimbursement plans, yearly membership benefits, and virtual visits.
Some residents opt-out of traditional insurance and use catastrophic insurance with high deductibles and pay cash for specialized care. If you need traditional insurance coverage, start looking online here to check your options based on income.
Last Things to Consider
Do you require frequent checkups? Dental care, specialized visits, and will you live closer to Waimea, Kona, Waikoloa, or Hilo? Look into clinics nearby and what insurance or plans they take. In Hilo, one of my personal favorites is Mahinakealo Dermatology (because when you live in Hawaii, you need a Dermatology clinic). Marne Carmichael Walsh PA-C provides the most detailed and patient-focused care in the Hilo community. While Mahinakealo Dermatology offers reasonable cash pay options and reimbursements now, the office will take HMSA, HMAA, and UHA at the start of 2021.
In Kona, Elite Smiles Dental has a discount program for individuals and families with a small yearly fee. In Waimea, Iris Integrative Health has successfully created an affordable subscription healthcare model clinic utilizing western and naturopathic medicine.
There are three main hospitals in Hawaii: North Hawaii Community Hospital Queens Medical Center in Waimea, the Kona Community Hospital down South, and The Hilo Medical Center on the Eastside of the Island. Urgent care clinics are also commonly used for quick care and family medicine concerns.
There are many factors involved, so be prepared to make shifts as you consider life on the Big Island. Many local residents are happy with the healthcare quality on Island, but it is best to know your options and avoid the frustration of having insurance that not all offices take because it is “out of network.” So, is there a clinic or doctor you go to on the Big Island? There are many more to mention, so be sure to share in the comments.
Contact me Here to learn more about available listings and information about life on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Many newcomers are unaware that bufos are dangerous pests in Hawaii. I was talking with a friend from Colorado today. I told her I had to get up many times last night because I had a dog that needed to go out. (The dog is fine, I’m very tired.)
She was surprised I couldn’t just let the dog out. In the wetter parts of Hawaii, we have a poisonous toad we call a bufo. Once dogs learn about them, they leave them alone. But you can lose a dog if it gets too much of the toxin in its system before it figures out not to bite them. https://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/frogs/canetoad.shtml
Bufos tend to hide in dark, moist places during the day, but come out at night. That’s why I always have my dogs on leash, and always have a headlight pointing right in front of the dog, if one needs to go out at night.
Of course it is possible that your pet will discover a bufo even during the day. They are very common in the wetter parts of Hawaii, day or night. But they tend to stay still unless disturbed during the day, so dogs don’t find them particularly interesting.
My vet told me years ago that the toads produce a neurotoxin from glands close to their skin. He said that if I saw a dog frothing at the mouth, I should immediately rinse its gums with as much running water as I possibly could.
Of course, you also want to get your dog to a vet, or a vet to your dog, asap. Since getting a vet to see a dog very quickly in the middle of the night is difficult, and rinsing out a dog’s mouth with jets of water is almost as difficult, I err on the side of caution! This is definitely an inconvenience, and counts as one of the disadvantages of living here. http://yrh.ewp.mybluehost.me/2019/08/06/the-pros-and-cons-of-living-on-the-big-island/
Interested in photo voltaic in Hawaii? Hawaii is well situated for those wishing to turn the sun’s energy into electricity. Even if you chose to live in an area which is frequently cloudy-like my home-you can live a fairly normal life without being tied into the electrical grid. Or, if you live in a spot that is served by HELCO, the electric company, you may be able to tie into the grid. Here’s where to find more information about tying into the grid: https://www.hawaiielectriclight.com/products-and-services/customer-renewable-programs
Living off grid
I have been living off grid for over twenty years. The technology has improved a great deal in that time. I have a basic system, and an excellent photo voltaic technician, and the experience is almost invisible on most days. I don’t use as much power as some other households might consume, and every once in a while I am completely stumped when my system stops working, but I am happy living off grid
There are much fancier systems, in much fancier homes! Some seem as though they would require an electrical engineering degree (or an on-site technician) to keep working properly. I think that in any off-grid home, the occupant must have an interest in at least the general theory of how the various components operate.
Grid tie ins
HELCO has gone through several iterations of its grid-tie in program, with each becoming less generous than the previous one. I recently sold a small house in Luala’i, Waimea, that had 20 photo voltaic panels and a monthly utility bill of $22. That home had the benefit of an older contract with HELCO, and the occupants could use almost any conceivable amount of electricity and still not owe more than the base amount.
There is a plausible explanation, however. There was such a rush to photo voltaics that the remaining customers were left shouldering too great a share of the overhead costs. I don’t think the utility chose the best solution-discourage photo voltaic-but that is the path they have chosen.
Ready? Not so fast!
Many people dream of building a home in the middle of some gorgeous pasture, with views to the ocean and space to roam. Photo voltaic systems play a part in many of those dreams. Some think they might rent out cottages on the land to generate some additional income. Hawaii has recently clamped down on vacation rentals, see http://livinginwaimea.com/2019/03/30/hawaii-county-restricts-vacation-rentals/
Photo voltaic in Hawaii, yes! Maybe with a few more draw backs than you would like, but it is definitely feasible in Hawaii. Generating income from vacation rentals on agricultural land, nope. Building multiple dwellings on agricultural land, almost certainly not. Getting the benefit of the very low assessed value on agricultural lands without actively engaging in an agricultural, probably not for long! The County audits use, and will change your property tax classification if it does not find agricultural use. See http://livinginwaimea.com/2019/03/29/kohala-ranch-property-taxes/
