The Price of Paradise is Rising by the Minute
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8/20/2006
I was born and raised on Oahu, grew up in Kailua which was at that time a sleepy bedroom community boasting pristine beaches and only a few shops. Today, the town just welcomed in a Pier 1 and a Coldstone Creamery, plus the obligatory Starbucks and Jamba Juice next door to each other. The beaches are still great, though this year there were several sewage spills due to the torrential record-setting rains and the beaches were closed. Still, Kailua is a wonderful town, so much so that the median price of a home is inching towards $700K. Ouch!
The price of housing and the cost of living here have finally forced my husband and I to face the reality that we can no longer afford to live in Hawaii. We are planning to move to Indiana!!! Yup, we'd rather shovel snow than continue to pay for the sunshine and surf. We've been working so hard we don't even have time to enjoy life anymore, so we are leaving.
Our other consideration is our 15 year old son. Unless your child wants to work in sales, food-service, or the tourist industry, the career options are very limited here, not to mention the fact that your kid will probably have to live with you until he can afford a place of his own! That happens a lot. No thanks!
I'd rather move and come back to visit my family and friends in the winter---that way, I can easily afford to go the beach as much as I want to!
Abhd | Kaneohe, HI