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The information below contains some things to think about and links to resources if you are considering moving to Hilo, Hawaii. It has information about moving your pet and some advice if you are planning to build or buy a house on acreage in the Hilo, Hawaii area, and it includes links to statistics about the County and State of Hawaii to support your research about the Hilo area.
Moving your Pet to Hawaii Hawaii has special rules about moving pets in order to protect the residents and their pets from introducing disease to these remote islands. All dogs and cats must comply with Hawaii's import requirements which are administered by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. By planning in advance you can obtain a direct release of your pet without having them go through a quarantine. There are some breeds of non-domestic cats and dogs that are prohibited in Hawaii such as wolf, dingo, bengal, and others. And there are rules for other types of pets such as birds, fish, turtles, horses, and livestock. Here is information about importing cats and dogs to Hawaii. Here is information about importing livestock including cattle, horses, birds and poultry, sheep and goats, swine, semen and embryos, turtles and tortoises, and other animal species to Hawaii. There are also rules about importing plants, insects, fish, invertebrates, microorganisms, and non-domestic animals to Hawaii.
Before Buying Acreage or Farming in Hilo The lush landscape of East Hawaii drives many city-folks from the mainland to buy acreage to surround themselves with the beauty and peacefulness of Hawaii. Some are compelled by the colorful flowers, delicious vegetables and fruit to take up farming. Before shelling out your money for acreage, or even a large yard, consider the following: Yard Work and Acreage Control: The Hilo yard size should be proportional to your passion for mowing, trimming, and weeding. Labor is expensive and hard to find in Hawaii. It is not like the mainland where you can get five bids to cut your lawn or trim the trees. Many locals have created lava front yards to minimize their yard maintenance overhead. Lack of yard maintenance can quickly cause problems like drawing in loud coqui frogs and crawling bugs, plugging drainage ditches, covering walkways and driveways with weeds or algae, and creating areas with standing water. Tropical fruit trees, bushes, and grass require year round attention which can be very intense and exhasting in the hot, humid climate. The year round warm weather in Hilo means a year-round growing season with no break from gardening, farming or lawn maintenance. We know of folks that have become lost on their 1 acre property due to the fast growth of trees and foliage that obscured their view and changed previously used landmarks. Though there are rules about the types of pesticides and herbicides that can be used in Hawaii, not using them can result in out of control growth and pest invasions. Mowing, weed eating, bug control, algae cleaning, trimming, and harvesting are time-consuming and very physical tasks that should be considered when purchasing a big acreage property in the Hilo area. Find out how much time, money, pesticide, herbicide and gasoline the previous owner used to keep the landscape looking so picture perfect. Living Remotely in East Hawaii: Remote acreage around Hilo may have limited county services such as road maintenance, water, electric, flood protection, cable, internet, cell service, and police coverage. Leaving the property unattended can be risky and finding someone to care for animals or watch the property in a remote area may be a challenge. We have met many people that bought acreages outside of Hilo before realizing the amount of hard labor involved in maintaining a property and the effort involved in living remotely. Make sure you know what you are getting into before buying what looks like a piece of paradise for an incredibly low price. If possible, rent near the area you are considering buying or volunteer at one of the many farms in Puna always on the lookout for garden workers or advertise your willingness to house sit to experiece living in the area. Before Building or Buying a House in Hilo The perfect house for the mainland does not make a good house in Hilo, Hawaii. We have noticed that people often build their dream house for the climate they just came from rather than researching what makes the best house for Hilo's climate. Hours before the hottest part of the day, when we are still cool from the tropical breezes blowing through our house, we hear the roar of AC's being fired up across the street struggling to pump heat out of their mainland style houses that have become solar ovens. Running AC is extremely expensive in Hawaii as electricity is 4 to 10 times more per KWH than on the mainland. During the rainy season, buckets of water pour out of the sky for long periods of time filling Hilo’s deep drainage ditches to the brim and turning streets into rivers. We’ve watched newer houses built with garages and gardens set below street level instantly fill with water creating the perfect environment for mold, mildew, and mosquito breeding. We are pesky visitors to the bugs’ domain here in Hawaii. You can’t keep them out, you can only make it harder for them to get in and unfriendly for them to stay. We notice Hawaii-style bug proofing is missing from a lot of mainland type houses. Here are some of the attributes we believe should be considered before building or buying a house in East Hawaii
Low over-hanging Roofs: Long overhanging roofs keep the sun from shining directly in the windows keeping the house significantly cooler. The overhangs allow the windows and doors to remain open during driving rain which keeps the house cooler and the air fresher. Any porch or lanai needs to be completely covered or it will literally melt away with constant exposure to the acidic rain and sunlight. If the house is multiple stories, overhangs are needed for each level to provide the same protection from the sun. Structural engineers say that long overhangs are the best design for high winds because they add stability to the structure by taking some of the load off the walls and putting it onto the roof. The length of overhang we are talking about is 5 feet or more. Wind cooling and Energy efficiency: In the summer months the trade winds blow much of the time. A house located so that it gets unobstructed access to the wind does not require AC. It can be raised up on poles or geographically situated so that it is not blocked from the trade winds by hills or other structures. The house needs to be designed so that wind can blow end to end through the house, preferably in all directions. The windows should open fully and have good screens and security latches so they can be left open all day and night. Tree growth can be an issue, causing a wind cooled house with a great view to become completely socked in and miserably humid and buggy. Make sure you have control over the trees, before investing in an expensive view that can disappear. Solar water heaters make a lot of sense in Hawaii, along with anything to minimize usage of electricity or propane. We have a water heater that we keep shut off most of the time and we use solar lights charged during the day as night lights. Mainland style houses are designed for cheap energy which is not available in Hawaii.
Foundation Perimeter: Houses in Hilo last longer with an outside perimeter around the foundation that is gravel or lava. This keeps vegetation from growing up against the house and maximizes airflow under the house. Any damage or bug invasions are easy to spot. Maintenance of the perimeter requires constant patrol and herbicide.
Bug Barriers on the house poles: Pole and pier house construction needs metal bug barriers between every concrete footing and wooden pole to keep bugs from crawling up the poles to get into the house. Bugs can also be kept out by using screens over windows, doors and roof openings. This also keeps out the birds which are plentiful and assertive. The screens have to be maintained as birds and bugs will slowly work their way through them as the metal disintegrates in the environment. The geckos come inside at any opportunity. The benefit by eating a tremendous amount of bugs and can make a huge dent in termite swarms. But they get on any food left out and leave their droppings everywhere.
Crawl space under the House: Having a crawl space under the house creates airflow which deters bugs and minimizes dampness. You can check on the state of the foundation and put down pesticide if bugs show up. Roaches and mosquitoes like damp enclosed spaces and avoid breezy crawl spaces. Post and pier construction is very common in Hawaii because of these benefits. Termite Control: Unlike a cedar home in a forest of white pine, termites in Hilo will eat any wood if there is nothing else to eat, including cedar and redwood. They will also eat books, wooden furniture, and concrete foundations if they are hungry enough. Most people recommend that houses be tented every 5 to 6 years to slow the termites destruction. Using treated wood can help slow them down as well. But, it isn’t a question of if your house will be eaten by bugs but how long you can keep it standing by constant use of bug proofing, insecticide, and replacing parts of walls and floors. Flood Control: Hilo homes have to be prepared for heavy and long term rainfall. The house should be up high, with drainage around the foundation of the house. Any standing water has to be drained so as to not attract mosquitoes, frogs or other nuisances. Gutters need to deal with large amounts of water and put the water far from the house into an area that drains away from the property. Many new homes are built without realizing the amount of water that will runoff during the rains. Garages located below the street, lawns built up without regards to where the water will be diverted, and houses in low lying areas can quickly become flooded. Mold and Mildew Control: Without AC or dehumidifiers, mold and mildew patrol is a constant requirement. We check our walls and behind paintings and wipe them with clorox wipes. Bathroom curtains and mats need weekly clorox treatment and any rugs in the bathroom that get wet quickly mold. Water splashed next to the sink never evaporates, it has to be dried off. Having windows in the bathrooms helps keep the dampness under control. We use dampness absorbing packets (dried clay) in closets and containers to keep mold at bay. Airflow also helps minimize dampness. We know folks with low air flow and high humidity that have had their ceilings turn black with mold. Walls, clothes and pillows can become moldy without acting to keep dampness under control.
Metal Roofs Metal roofs abound on Hilo houses. They reflect the heat, readily deal with rain, are bug proof, fire proof, and can handle the rapid changes in temperature during the day. Though they rust, they can be reconditioned or replaced. We are surprised at the number of mainlanders that build mainland houses with wood roofs which quickly turn green and then black with mold. Rust and impact of Ocean air: Like all places near the ocean, the ocean breezes cause rust and seem to dissolve screens, wires, paint, even wood. Maintenance requires washing and replacing. Much of this information was originally published in our blog "A Hawaii Home in Hilo". If you are thinking about building in Hawaii here is some information on Hawaii House Kits. Banking in Hilo The big mainland banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America have no presence on the Big Island. Some people do their banking online and get cash via ATMs from their mainland banks. If you want a local bank account, shop around. The banks differ in their services, charges, and CD rates. Here are the primary options:
Many folks use local Credit Unions
Trash, Recycling and Giving Stuff Away in Hilo
There is no curb garbage pickup in Hilo, so you have to sign up with an independent operator or take your garbage to the dump. Hawaii promotes recycling but you are on your own finding out where to take it. Hawaii refunds 5 cents (HI5 program) on cans and plastic bottles (you pay a 5 cent deposit plus some at the store to pay for the program). Hilo has numerous places to take recycling including a site at the dump.
The Hilo Transfer Station is located near Hilo airport at the end of Leilani street. Turn toward the airport on Leilani from Hwy 11 and follow the street until you see the sign. Taking trash to the transfer station is free for residents. In addition to being able dump refuse, there are bins for recylcing glass, cardboard, newspapers, and plastics. Green refuse is accepted and on certain days hazardous waste items are collected. There are people available to accept cans and bottles with HI5 refunds as well. Goodwill is located at Highway 11 next to HPM in Hilo and accepts donations all week long. Hawaii and Hawaii County Statistics Before moving to a new community, it is always worthwhile to study the statistics about the place. Statistics can tell you what type of people are living in a county or state, their ethinicty, education, age, income, health, employment, accident rate, and more. Although there is no replacement for visiting a place, statistics offer a view into a location to access the benefits or challenges there may be for you and your family members. The State and County of Hawaii tracks metrics about the population, health, vital statistics, income, education, employment, visitors, and industries. Here are some links to information:
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