Ten Tips for Prospective Hilo Residents

Just my $.02 from someone who was born in Honokaa and raised in Hilo. . . .

Although I last lived in Hilo over 10 years ago, I still today consider it to be my hometown. I very much enjoy the finer things in life, but my fondness for Hilo has nothing to do with the finer things. To me, Hilo is about the simple things that cannot be quantified. If you keep an open mind, I am confident you will discover this when you move.

Anyway, my top ten tips for those moving to Hilo:

1. To be successful here, who you know matters a great deal. Soooooo . . ., get to know people! Develop a network whether through a professional organizations, student programs, and/or community groups. There is a niche for everyone. The more people you know, the better. You never know who you will meet and the opportunities that relationship may bring.

2. Smile and use the shaka sign liberally. Never give the impression that you believe that you are somehow better than anyone else. Certainly, do not give any indication that the mainland or even Honolulu is any better than Hilo. If you come across as humble and laid-back, Hilo people (that I know) will embrace you. For example, If you drive like you would on the mainland, you will be called derogatory names with racist overtones and may get a bloody nose. If you let people pass in front of you as a courtesy, you will more than likely get a wave or a shaka sign in appreciation, and someday someone will do the same for you. If someone lets you cut in, flash the shaka sign. If you are invited to someone%26#39;s home, bring a small gift or some drinks (beer is the Hilo favorite) or some snacks to either share with or give to the hosts. In the office, bring a box of donuts or cookies for everyone a few times a year. In Hilo, it%26#39;s the little things that count.

3. Avoid multi-level apartments and condominiums. The magic of Hilo living as opposed to Honolulu living is the presence of a front/back yard and the fact that you have a buffer between you and your neighbors. Besides I know of no nice apartments or condos in E. Hawaii. With real estate prices in Hilo (currently averaging about $240,000 for a single-family home) being the lowest in the state, single-family living is still readily available (unlike in Kona) and relatively affordable (unlike the rest of the state). Be aware that Kurtistown is like a suburb of Hilo and that you will need transportation to and fro. Except during the morning rush hour when public schools are in session, the drive will be about 15 minutes each direction.

4. Get air conditioning and a clothes dryer, if possible. Most of the time the fresh island trades that have been blowing across the Pacific without touching land for 2,500 miles is great. However, there are days when the humidity, or even worse, the vog, will make it unbearable. Without A/C or at least a dehumidifier, everything in your home will feel damp. Without a clothes dryer, you may not be able to get your clothes completely dry for days if Hilo is in the throes of one of its many wet spells. Also important, have your A/C professionally and regularly maintained to prevent mold and allergens.

5. When the time is right for you, buy real estate. Even if you ultimately don%26#39;t spend the rest of your life here, it%26#39;s a great investment. For example, in 1975, you could buy an acre of land (mostly lava rock) for $3,000 in Puna (Paradise Park), which many consider to be the wild wild west of the state. In 1995, you could buy the same piece of land for the same price. In 2005, that same piece of land was selling for $30,000 for an aggregate gain of 1000% over 30 years or an average annualized growth of 33% per year (I hope the math is correct), which is much better than the S%26amp;P 500 or most other forms of investment.

6. Get outdoors. Enjoy the natural beauty and wide range of outdoor activities that the Big Island has to offer. In no other place can you build a snowman made of real snow and then go surfing in the ocean all within an hour of each other.

7. Get used to the rain. If you can count on one thing in Hilo, it%26#39;s the rain. Have an escape plan: (a) drive to the Kona/Kohala side; or (b) catch a flight to another island. For the time being, interisland fares are ridiculously low; sometimes as low as $19 per segment. Take advantage and see all of Hawaii before one of the inter-island carriers fold up and the fares spike yet again!

8. Enjoy the many great hole-in-the-wall eateries serving local comfort food (see my previous post). I always crave the okazuya%26#39;s and local plate lunch places in Hilo - all with great selection and very reasonable prices (in comparison to Kona or even Honolulu). The great thing about a ';working class'; town is that the prices remain relatively reasonable. Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Thai - they%26#39;re all there - and better yet, they taste as if they were home-cooked. Another secret - if you like Ahi - Hilo always has some of the freshest fish in the state at the most reasonable prices in the state.

9. Travel out-of-state at least once each year. Avoid island fever. To really appreciate Hawaii, you need to be reminded what it%26#39;s like to be away from the islands and contemplate the very reason why you moved here.

10. Remember that Hilo is still a small town, despite it%26#39;s designation as the second-largest city in the state. Don%26#39;t expect to find the same variety of large chain stores as you would on the mainland or Oahu; and don%26#39;t expect to pay the same prices as you would on the mainland. There is no luxury shopping or even fine dining (maybe one or two exceptions) in E. Hawaii. Also, don%26#39;t expect the same salaries as you would on the mainland. After all, we all have to pay for the price of paradise.

Ten Tips for Prospective Hilo Residents

Wow.....

Hiloboy.... I tip my hat to you for your perfect , in almost every respect for your excellent outline

I hope visitors and potential residents will read it twice before they come to Hilo.... heck any where on the big island. It should be required reading on the plane... with a test afterwards... (and ya got to get a passing score%26#39;%26#39; or you are transfured to Oahu)

I read it 3 times it was that good.... and each time appreciated as the 1st time. I read it.

No kidding, flat excellent in every way.

HD...

Ten Tips for Prospective Hilo Residents

I love to read everything about the East side of the island, it%26#39;s like my second home. However, I guess you have not been here lately! Forget the $240K house in Hilo, there are just seven homes listed under $350K now. I agree with you about the land investment in lower Puna. It%26#39;s the fastest growing district in the State of Hawaii, they expect 50,000 people to move there during the next 10 years. I bought land in HPP in 1995, it was $30K. Prices eventually dropped to the $10Ks by 1999 but quickly recovered and selling from $50K up now. I wouldn%26#39;t be surprised to see the land prices double in HPP and Leilani Estates during the next five years.

Wonderful post, hiloboy. Your tips for fitting in are tops.

I%26#39;m chuckling about the clothes dryer. Hey, I have a few things that would shrink in the dryer and sometimes I only have to hang them out for two days! (under roof but in the breeze, of course. Forget anything drying hung up in the bathroom).

PS. My husband%26#39;s trick for drying his aloha shirts that can%26#39;t go in the dryer is to put them on hanger and hang them on a ceiling fan blade, where they go round and round and dry pretty fast.

PPS.

TT speaks truth about the home prices. 240K is available but you%26#39;re talking a real fixer. In HPP one can get a brand new spec home in the 250--400K range ... but that%26#39;s Puna.

Because of the attractive prices, the rush hour is real now. The other day I was driving back from Kapoho at 5 pm and traffic coming from Hilo was pretty much stopped to a crawl on 130 between Kea%26#39;au and HPP.

PPPS

We use a dehumidifier occasionally but are blessed with a house built to ventilate very well. We don%26#39;t have A/C. We live in a single wall redwood house with no insulation and have a HELCO bill roughly $300 a mo with no A/C, so it%26#39;s just as well.

Hiloboy,

From one Hilo Boy to another – nice job. I still bring a small gift when going over to someone’s house – my mother taught me well, and I am the de facto social coordinator at work. It is the small things that count.

Words of wisdom in most places in Hawaii but especially in Hilo: “Never give the impression that you believe that you are somehow better than anyone else.”

And yes, while others may say you won’t get a bloody nose; I will admit as a teen in Hawaii I would run you down and purposely pick a fight if you cut me off in a way I thought was intentional. Of course I am now embarrassed by my actions, and regret the naked aggression being a young male growing up in Hilo MAY foster, as it did in me. I now warn people about how to act in Hawaii, specifically Hilo because just a few years ago (ok, more than a few) I WAS that guy. I WOULD and DID get into a physical altercation with someone for something they said, tourist or local alike. And YES those people are still there. Does this mean Hilo is dangerous? No. Does this mean your advice is very sage? Yes. I only admit to my past because there are still those who will say you are trying to scare people off from visiting, which I know is not the case.

If we are ever in Hilo at the same time, I’ll buy you a beer and a chicken stick plate from Nori’s.

Good luck and happy travels!

I found this post so interesting and thoughtful. I am really interested in the social aspect of your post, and how ';outsiders'; could fit in more quickly. Every community and town has it%26#39;s own ';social rules';, I learned this even from moving from one Chicago Suburb to another. I can imagine how important it would be for Hawaii newcomers to learn these rules quickly, based on it%26#39;s history. I love that you took the time to write this and I hope it will help many people who are thinking of such a move.

';I am really interested in the social aspect of your post, and how ';outsiders'; could fit in more quickly.'; Quickly?! That will never happen, not even if you marry a local. It takes at least five years to learn and adopt to the mentality of the locals. The biggest challenge for the ';outsiders'; is to learn not to judge and to accept the local culture, traditions and history. I learned a lot in 20 years here, like don%26#39;t laugh when you hear that the offerings to Madam Pele should be gin. Don%26#39;t laugh when you hear ';big is beautiful'; and don%26#39;t judge people for not wearing designer T-shirts and living in coffee shacks. It%26#39;s not easy for the visitors to leave the ';mainland attitude'; home and the East side of the island is not very tolerant. Do you think Hilo is difficult?! Try lower Puna!

HD, TT, and Epolynch,

Thanks for the kind words, but the three of you deserve the accolades for consistently contributing your time on a regular basis. If I%26#39;m lucky, I%26#39;ll post once a month. The three of you post just about everyday.

Glad to hear property values have remained steady or even appreciated in E. Hawaii. I%26#39;m even more elated that we decided a few years back to maintain a family home in Hilo and didn%26#39;t sell it.

Too bad about the traffic. I%26#39;m usually there on weekends and holidays. Hope it doesn%26#39;t become like Kona, or worse yet, Honolulu.

I meant this post as a reply to tribal321 who is contemplating a move to Hilo, not as a stand alone post - oh well, I hope he finds this. (Please ignore the horrible grammar and typos - no time to edit.)

Aloha,

Hiloboy

Oops, hit the submit button too fast . . . Please add this to my previous post:

KK, I forgot you. Accolades to you as well.

Echolynch, sorry I misspelled your name.

your more than welcome .... your positive honesty is a breath of fresh aiir.....

It is I who truly respedt the candor you put forth.....

I hope our visitors read and digest your potent advice.

How to fit in..... well if a one want to fit in he or she must be prepared to wait 5 to 10 years......it is not a quick process.... nothing like the Mainland.... things, Like the sage TT said move very slow .

Without ethnic roots here ... it will be an earned respect.... slow and careful.... one step at a time Oh, and very small steps taken.

HD

I can%26#39;t thank all of you enough for all your insight and honesty. Unfortunately, I%26#39;m getting flagged for breaking the rules and not keeping my posts strictly about travel and have moved into the topics of relocation and real estate.

I have read all of your responses over and over and check almost everyday for more. I never expected this to be an easy move or to fit in right away but as it approaches I can%26#39;t help but welcome the challenge and change.

I%26#39;ll be in Hilo in two months with open heart, mind, and soul.

Respect %26amp; Love