9 THINGS THEY DON’T TELL YOU ABOUT LIVING IN KAILUA KONA HAWAII
Aloha I am Stephen Proski with Real Estate Kailua Kona and Compass Hawaii
If you are looking for Relocation information, tips and information about the Kailua Kona area, then you have come to the right place. Today, I am going to share some things they don’t tell about living in Kailua Kona. Make sure you stick around until the end. I have a bonus item you don’t want to miss.
- Removing rocks, coral and sand. It is against the law in Hawaii to remove any rocks, coral or sand from the state. There is a legend here in Hawaii called Pele’s curse. If anyone removes coral, rocks or sand from the islands you will be cursed with bad luck until those items are returned. So, take heed when considering removing these types of items from the island and make sure you remind your guests when they come to visit
- Wildlife, is it safe to wander around Kailua Kona and the Big Island? Yes! We have no venomous creatures on the island like snakes or scorpions that can kill you. We do have feral pigs that can be a bit dangerous and you typically find them in the hillside areas and tropical forests. So make sure when you are hiking to be aware of these animals since they can be a bit territorial. One creature you will find here that can be a little scary are centipedes, so be aware of this when you move here.
- When you enter someone’s home, be prepared to take off your shoes. This was a hard concept to grasp when I first moved here. You will find it pretty common to see signs posted on the front of people’s homes stating “Mahalo for taking off your shoes? This is an Hawaiian custom of showing respect, so please keep that in mind when you get here.
- Do not touch the sea turtles or monk seals. Monk seals are only found in Hawaii and are an endangered species and federally protected. Sea turtles also called Honu are cherished here in Hawaii and are also federally protected. On the state monitored beaches you may see turtles and monk seals roped off. This is done for their protection, so keep your distance.
- Driving with Aloha, what does that mean? Coming from the mainland and being use to freeway traffic and crazy drivers, driving with Aloha generally means letting people in with a smile or patiently waiting for your turn when at an intersection. This is very common in and around Kailua Kona and some of the less populated islands. Also, you only want to honk your horn in an emergency. Honking of your vehicle’s horn is a sign of rudeness and it could get you into some trouble without even knowing it.
- Bugs. We live on a tropical island with a warm climate year-round so you are going to see bugs. The one pest that is common here and you are going to have to get use to it, are cockroaches. No matter how well you clean your home, they are here and not going away. Some of our cockroaches have wings and fly so please don’t freak out when you move here and find them in your home On the flip side you will find friendly gecko’s everywhere on the island even in your home. They love bugs…
- Road trips. When living on the mainland everyone is use to weekend road trips. Yes, hopping in the car on a Friday and getting away for a few days. Well, that is not going to be the case living here in Kailua Kona. The distance around the Big Island is only 300 miles and we have no highways connecting to the other islands. So, if going on regular road trips with your car is something you like to do, you will be doing your road trips on a plane island hopping instead.
- Electricity here in Kailua Kona is expensive. Hawaii has the highest cost for Electricity in the United States. The average cost for electricity on the mainland is 10 cents per kilowatt hour. On the Big Island our cost are 38 cents per kilowatt hour. Many of our homes have converted to solar to offset these higher energy costs and it is not uncommon to find homes and condos without air conditioning because of our higher costs for electricity. People tend to reply upon our tropical breezed to keep their homes cool as well as ceiling fans
Thanks for sticking around, here is my bonus tip on things they don’t tell you about living in Kailua Kona
- Local Discounts. Yes, there is a benefit of having a Hawaii drivers license or id card once you move here to Hawaii. Many of the businesses here will give you, what is called Kama ‘aina (local) rates if you ask. From hotels, restaurants and golf. It is one of the perks of living here and is generally available on all the islands. I save on average 50% on greens fees when playing golf at most of the golf courss here in Kona.
If you liked the information I shared with you today check out my YouTube channel for more information at: YouTube Real Estate Kailua Kona-Stephen Proski If you have any comments or questions send me an email at stephen@realestatekialuakona.com or call me at 808-300-9393
Mahalo
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