Relocating

[Aross326]

I'm thinking about relocating and possibly joining honolulu PD. Looking for some advice on "cop" friendly places to live that are also affordable on a PO's salary. Thanks in advance

[Brav989]

Affordable on Oahu? :eek: :p :eek:

[Nawkternal]

hehehe, I am not a cop but I was from the islands.If you want to work in paradise be prepared to live the cost of "paradise". 200,000 can get you a condo but a single family house in the middle of the whacked out area is around 400,000. Yes these house prices are droping but ITS VERY SLOW. Now the Personal stuff can you handle big a** roaches that fly, Can you handle living in a small island for the rest of your life aka Island Fever, Can you stand the haole movement in the islands (white hate), Time is slow and the culture is different and having a respect for everyone it's like living in a small town.

HPD is a good agency and there subsidized vehicle program is to die for :]. Negatives low pay and low morale but things are getting better they are getting a pretty good raise. But just a warning dont expect to pay your house off or be rich.

Here's a good site to start you off
http://honolulupolicehopefuls.pbwiki.com/

But for the love the islands I don't care if I'm poor and being a beachbum.I really miss the islands. BUT IF YOU DO MOVE welcome to the islands bruddah.

Edit:Expect to live in Waipahu thats where the ICE really hit hard and Its very low class but If you really want to live in a house that is in a decent area better work your butt off in overtime which is always full cause of the oldies who need to pay there kids tuition for a private school since public school SUCKS over there. Sorry if this is put in a bad format or grammer in a rush but pm if you have any questions.

[Bearcat357]

Just to add a few things......

A. Shipping your vehicle out there will run you right around a 1K.....on top of you have to get it to the West Coast (ie Long Beach, Richmond, CA, or Seattle).....that's if you want Matson to ship it....and you drive it. Count on around 1K more if you have someone else transport it out there via truck from Ohio....

B. Household goods.....look at 4K-5K.....depending on how much you have and want to ship..... Matson will let you ship both as a single shipment.....but I am not sure how much that is....and if you even save anything..... And for the record....Matson is the king of shipping out there....damn near everything that comes/goes from there to the West Coast rides on a Mattson boat. I would suspect if you looked for a different shipper than that, it would cost more.......

C. Prices out there are through the freaking roof.....Gas is well over 3.50 a gallon (if not higher) and last I read....milk runs almost 7 bucks a gallon!! :eek: Lord only knows how much beer costs.... When I was there last (about 5 months ago) it was damn near 5 bucks a bottle in most of the hotels.... Going to the store and sitting in your room like a tard drinking a few....then going out may sound strange.....but to save money a lot do that..... :D

D. Houses cost out the butt to rent or own.....kinda like here in DC.....:rolleyes: What you can get in Ohio for 200,000K will get you less than half that.... There are cockroaches everywhere in your house....and it's either them or the geckos....I always opted for the geckos.....:D Plus....some of the neighborhoods would suck to live in unelss you are making some decent cash....or has a wife/significant other that makes good money.....

E. Traffic sucks....as there is no place to go....Morning/Afternoon rush is like out here in DC..... Bus system is great.....but who wants/can do that if you are a shift worker.....

F. HPD gets paid very poorly for the cost of living.......They are now starting out around 44K a year....but the butt nugget Chief killed the 12 hour shifts.....and knocked them back to 8s....which means you can't work as much OT as you use to..... They use to work 3 12s on....and 4 days off....on the 4 days off....they would rock out on OT....and make some decent money..... That's gone....:rolleyes:

G. HPD is woefully understaffed....as they lose a ton of folks every year to Vegas and NW Pacific areas (Seattle/Oregon).....as those PDs come out there and recruit heavily......

H. As stated....if you're white you're going to have a rough time in some places in the City and County of Honolulu..... That's just a fact of life.......Touristy areas are fine....but you go rolling up on a call for service in Wainane.....be prepared.....BTDT..... ;)

I. Hawaii is 5 hour flight from the West Coast....and runs around 1K-2K for round trip......cheaper if you know a couple of months in advance that you need to fly....but if you have an emergency back in the States.....it would suck trying to get home. Thank God I was military and could fly back on the cheap via AMC..... Plus, remember the time change....you leave Hawaii in the evening....you will be flying all night....and half the day to get back home....and burning days off.....

J. If you're a sports nut....you will like UH Sports....but hate the fact that if you want to watch the NFL you will have to get up at 7-8AM on Sunday Morning to watch it live..... If it's a taped delayed game (they use to do that to MNF....though you could find the game live on Monday afternoon if you knew where to go....)....then stay off the 'Net or don't watch SportsCenter....as that will jack your viewing pleasure up.....

K. Island Fever....some folks get it....others (like my dumb ***) don't..... As stated, you just can't hope on a plane and leave.....and after driving for about a couple of hours (depending on traffic) you have circled the island....and you are back at your starting point. That drives some folks nuts....others it doesn't..... I always found crap to do and didn't worry about all that....but some of my friends were gone as soon as they could get out of there....as they like the nice wide open spaces.....and driving for hours and not seeing the same thing......

Before you ask.....I lived there for 5 years.....and have looked at going back and go there about 2-3 times a year.... I have friends that still work there for HPD, Maui PD, and Dept. of the Army as LEOs....

The only way I can go back is if Uncle Sugar PCS's my *** out there (and they might.... :eek: :D ).....but I may end up working for DOD on Guam(though I do want Hawaii but will take what I can get) which is just as bad when it comes to prices........but if they want to pay me GS-12 pay.....I will probably scoot out there for a while...... :)

That's how I am current up on some of the pricing stuff......

Are there pluses to being out there....? Yeap....but you have to take those pluses....and look at some of the minuses that I just typed out....and see if you can afford to do it......

Good luck...

[Nawkternal]

thank you for making a cleaner version hahaha. Mine looks like a piece of turd.

Don't You love those B-52 cockroaches and there mechanics the rats. hehe island fever never had it since i love seeing the same old same old. But at the most people who always wanted to move there live there less than a year or so .

[Bearcat357]

thank you for making a cleaner version hahaha. Mine looks like a piece of turd.

Don't You love those B-52 cockroaches and there mechanics the rats. hehe island fever never had it since i love seeing the same old same old. But at the most people who always wanted to move there live there less than a year or so .

No problem....as I have looked at jobs out there for the last year or so.....and the only way I could make it is if the GOV PCS's my *** out there.....that's the only way.....

I love the Islands....I love the South Pacific.... The people are great.....the land is incredible.....and it's a great place to live........

[Brav989]

Just to add a few things......


I. Hawaii is 5 hour flight from the West Coast....and runs around 1K-2K for round trip......cheaper if you know a couple of months in advance that you need to fly....but if you have an emergency back in the States.....it would suck trying to get home. Thank God I was military and could fly back on the cheap via AMC..... Plus, remember the time change....you leave Hawaii in the evening....you will be flying all night....and half the day to get back home....and burning days off.....

Good luck...
One week ago I booked a flight to the Big Island for the last week of september...$320 roundtrip. Where are your numbers from??? :eek: (it was around $280 to Honolulu) Coming out of Portland.

[Surf]

It is a sacrifice to work and live in Paradise but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. ;)

[Bearcat357]

One week ago I booked a flight to the Big Island for the last week of september...$320 roundtrip. Where are your numbers from??? :eek: (it was around $280 to Honolulu) Coming out of Portland.

East Coast.....DC area..... You fly from Reagan and it's $877-$1000something ...... At Dulles it's $1000 up..... That's buying today and flying in two weeks.....

[Brav989]

East Coast.....DC area..... You fly from Reagan and it's $877-$1000something ...... At Dulles it's $1000 up..... That's buying today and flying in two weeks.....

Ah gotcha...I was going based off this "I. Hawaii is 5 hour flight from the West Coast....and runs around 1K-2K for round trip......"