Hello, I am from Maui (now living in Tokyo for the time being) and I thought I could offer you some advice (my family and many friends still live there). This is not meant to sound like some kind of negative speech but is a condensed version of the REAL truth that you probably wont hear anywhere else.
There are no "better places" to live in Maui. Its all wonderful. I just depends on what you want and maybe where you work. There is no public transportation in Maui, you will need a car. I take that back, there is some new bus operating on a very limited route but like the others that have come and gone because of the costs, it likely wont last long. Its only been running for a few months now. It doesnt go to all the major living areas. Even if you can walk to work it is highly unlikely you will live also close enough to walk to a supermarket or anywhere else you want to go.
It sounds like you want to be very close to the ocean. Well anywhere you go can never be more than 3 miles (as the crow flies) from the sea. Places on the beach are EXPENSIVE. In the last few years the property values have more than doubled and likewise the property taxes went up so rentals are expensive on the beach or not. To get a STUDIO apartment on the Westside, across the street from the beach in an older building you will pay $900 or more. That is considered reasonable these days. On the beach, $1500- $2000 for a studio or semi-studio. Away from the beach, you may find a studio for $800 - $1000. For a 1 bedroom, you can start at $1200 and sky is the limit from there. A 2 bedroom or a house? You will pay $1500 to $2000 minimum and $3000 minimum or more to be on the beach in a house, actually, $3000 would be a deal for being on the water. Even if you are in the older tract homes up on the hillside in Lahaina, which is a VERY local neighborhood and you will most likely not feel welcome in at least in the beginning, you will find nothing under $1000 if you are even lucky to find that. You may find less of the "local" vibe in South Maui. There are more mainland transplants there. And for what you get, for anywhere you will live, be prepared for a real change in the way you live. It is island style. The place will not be new or have the same level of "interior" you are used to in Chicago (unless you pay ALOT and live in some of the places on the golf course on the Westside or south in Wailea). There is a 99% chance you will not have airconditioning anywhere you live and there is no winter in Hawaii. Even if you try to find something cheaper in South Maui (Kihei), you and your friend will likely both have to work 2 jobs to pay the rent and still be able to eat.
Also if you dont like the outdoors living indoors with you sometimes, youd better think about that too (large flying ****roaches that normally stay outside, the DREADED Hawaiian centipede that WILL get into your house no matter what you do and sometimes crawl into bed with you and you just hope you dont get bit, geckos which are mostly welcome and big hopping cane spiders, to name the most common visitors). You likely wont read about any of these things in the guides you may find in some of the links others have posted or on websites advising about moving to Hawaii.
Jobs are not hard to find but you will have to work hard for the price of living in Paradise, it cost 2-3x the national average to live in Hawaii. Things are more expensive, all things. The jobs are mostly ALL travel industry related. You will likely work in a hotel, a restaurant or maybe at a shop selling goods in the tourist areas. You could get one of these kinds of jobs the first week you are there, but it wont be a career. It will just to make ends meet. Almost everyone I know in Maui works 2 jobs and 6 days a week, including my 63 year old mother. I would be shocked if you could set up a job before arriving, it just doenst work that way there. Also many employers are reluctant to hire "newcomers" because they just dont last. The average turn over for people such as yourselves is 18 months, I mean, from the time they arrive to start living their dream in Maui till the time they run back home.
Its possible to find a place to live right away if you have money. If you are looking for reasonable or cheap, it will take time. You will most definately have to lower your standards and typically people move 3x's or more in the first year or two looking for the right place. I
It is getting more and more difficult to be accepted by the locals. You will have a better time of it if you are of Asian decent. Sorry to say, but that is the way it is. Maui is like a small town and as more and more Mainlanders come with money and buy up the properties/homes, the local people can no longer afford to live there. It's actually a very sad situation in Maui right now. There is not enough housing and any only very few new construction can take place because the lack of land and because the very tight regulations that take years and years to get through. Its not attractive for builders, they cant make money.
Also I dont know what age you are but its kinda boring for younger people. There is relatively no nightlife. There is only one live music place (aside from the concerts that are at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center from time to time). Even Front Street in Lahaina peters out by 11pm on the weekends (there is one place there that alot of later night drinking and dancing on a small dance floor goes on nearly every night).
I would suggest to you Oahu or even the big island, like Kona, for someone new to the islands. Unless you are a hard worker, have alot of cash to go thru in the beginning, dont mind some discrimination you are likely not used to and are into a life that has alot of contact with the outdoors, welcome or not, then you could save yourself some trouble if you re-think your idea of Maui or give it some good thought.
Have you even ever been to Maui? A trip to assess the situation would be a good idea, still, you dont know how life will really be while just on a vacation. Everyday life there is just like anywhere else, full of problems and joys. You will not feel like you are on vacation everyday, but of course, the scenery is spectacular. Some miss the city though. We only just got a Costco, a Borders and a Walmart in the last few years. That was and is a big deal for Mauians!
Also, you should read the Maui News to see for yourself what kind of jobs are out there and the housing situation. The Maui News is the only paper and really the only way to find a job and a place to live in Maui.
www.mauinews.com
One last point, if you want to fit in to the community you should know something about Asian cultures. Hawaiian culture is a mix of Hawaiian and lots of Asian cultures. If you dont, your presence will be uncomfortable to many, though they might not say it to your face. It can be quite a shock to some and you could feel isolated.
Some people dont mind all this, dont mind the tradeoffs and fit in well, but mostly the locals are the ones who are used to this kind of life and will be there for the long run.
Aloha,
Mauitdn
Help...Moving to Maui
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Originally Posted by NikkiCole4579
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