In the equitable distribution of marital responsibilities, finding a place to live is typically my job. I’m the more decisive and opinionated of our pair — big surprise, right? — and I have the requisite stamina for research and follow-through. During our two latest moves, for example (from Los Angeles to Chesapeake, VA, and from Chesapeake to Santa Clara, CA), I found and secured rental homes for us in just two days. We even signed the leases before Brian saw the interiors.
Past experience led me to believe that apartment hunting in Hawaii would be a breeze. Unfortunately, it’s taken a little bit longer than usual…
Our goal: a furnished studio or one-bedroom apartment near Kailua-Kona with a queen-size bed, private bathroom and equipped kitchen. Big bonus for a lanai and/or a view. Budget: $800. (Note: Our budget may sound high to some of you, but it saves us more than 60 percent off of our California rent, so it definitely aligns with our desire for a simpler lifestyle on the road.)
I started our apartment hunt by scouring Craig’s List and West Hawaii Today. The ads were a mixed bag: We saw everything from completely uninhabitable spots with cool landlords, to super cute and affordable studios, to apartments with weird restrictions. For example, one place prohibited us from having any dairy or meat products on the premises. At another, the owner declined garbage pick-up, and wanted us to sort and then deliver our trash and recyclables to the local waste center.
I also talked to some local realtors, but many were unhelpful or discouraging. One agent went so far as to say there were no “short-term” rentals under $1,000. Fortunately he was dead wrong. You can secure a month-to-month rental in the greater Kona area for less than $1,000 (we have), and you can do even better in the Puna district on the southeastern end of the island ($400+). You just have to do the leg work yourself.
Our first full day in town, we saw two apartments, one of which became my favorite. On Friday we saw four more. By Saturday, we had three possibilities in mind:
- My top choice was a ground-floor apartment attached to a family home, also known as an ohana. It’s a small one bedroom/one bath with a double bed and an amazing view of the Kona coastline from several hundred feet above sea level, for $800 including utilities. Brian wasn’t sure about this one at first, though; he rightly pointed out that we might not have as much privacy there as in a standalone apartment.
- Brian’s initial favorite was a one bedroom/one bath with twice the square footage of the first apartment. It is in downtown Kailua-Kona within walking distance to everything, and would be about $200 more per month with utilities. Overall a great apartment, but it seemed a little too similar to the life we left behind for my taste.
- We also considered an adorable studio in Waikoloa Village, forty minutes north of Kona, for $700 plus utilities (almost $800 total). Although I loved the interior, I never understood the location. To this mainlander, it looked like a planned community that never took off. It’s also in an extremely windy area that is a significant drive from everything except the island’s big resorts. If we could have moved the apartment to Kona, it would have been a done deal but alas that was not in the cards.
Each time we thought we’d reached a decision, one of us waffled. We agreed on the large apartment first, but Brian awakened the next day with mixed feelings. Then we agreed to go with the studio in Waikoloa Village, but a return trip proved it was just too windy and remote for our comfort level. By this time, I had thrown up my hands and sent Brian back to the drawing board (aka Craig’s List). Conscientious ponderer that he is, he identified three more apartments for us to check out, thereby ensuring that we’d truly seen everything available in the greater Kona area. Unfortunately, none of the new options felt right either. We kept coming back to my top choice. We loved the location and enjoyed the family during our brief acquaintance, and the apartment was right on our desired budget. So yesterday afternoon, we agreed to go with the ohana and contacted our new landlords to seal the deal. Indecision over. Move in time, now.
Our new view: How gorgeous and inspiring is that?!
In retrospect it’s pretty funny that the apartment we decided on was viewing #2. We only had to see another nine rentals to ensure we had the right one. I’m chalking it up to Brian and his deliberations. Next time, I think I’ll go apartment hunting alone. 
Thrilled we’re done for now…but only a few months until we begin again,
Note: On the Big Island, short-term rentals (aka vacation rentals) can be had for a few days to months at a time. Long-term rentals are generally leased for six-month terms. Recently, however, many vacation rentals have been turned into furnished month-to-month or long-term rentals due to a decline in tourism. If you can swing it, now could be an excellent time for an extended trip to Hawaii. As an example: In one of the realty offices I visited, there was a list of vacation rentals with price quotes in the $2,000-$4,000/month range, but these same rentals were being advertised on Craig’s List for $800-$1,500. What a deal!