10 Reasons You Should Call the Big Island Your Home

Why should you call the Big Island your home? There are probably a million reasons that you should move to the Big Island. If I sat here and racked my brain, I think I could come up with at least 100, but where is the value in that? Let me start by telling you some of the influences that were behind me on making the decision to move to the Big Island of Hawai’i.

I was a 20-something who had finished my Masters degree in San Diego. The sequential logic was to finish my degree, and get a job. So that’s exactly what I did. I took a 22-day road trip across the country with my other half and our dog doing interviews along the way.

It was in the last week of the road trip when we were driving down the 1 on the coast of California that I got the call from a company I had interviewed with in Cincinnati, Ohio. I got the job! Yay! Exciting, right?! Or was it…this meant leaving sunny San Diego for the brutal winters that Cincinnati had to offer. Did I mention that it was the beginning of December…I wouldn’t even have a Midwest fall to prepare me for what was to come!

But, with my Analytical Chemistry being my area of work, I had this logical view on what came after education, and that was the work force, wherever it may be. So off to Cincinnati I went.

Now, it was always in the back of my mind that my other half and I would move to the Big Island, eventually. Maybe in 5 years after I got experience. Maybe in 5 years after I built up my resume. Maybe in 5 years after I got sick of the lifestyle that Cincinnati had to offer.

Well, that 5 years expedited, and it was expedited rather quickly.

After 3 months of living and working in Cincinnati, we had decided it was time to start planning the move, and that’s exactly what we did. 6 months later, we had packed our bags, and after selling pretty much everything that we couldn’t bring on the airplane or send over in small USPS boxes, we began the drive to California. (Side note: the drive to California was to ship our Jeep to Hawai’i from the port in Torrance, CA.) A few days later we shipped the car, and a few more days later we boarded the plane for the Big Island!

So what, in all of that, was the biggest drive for us to expedite our initial plan of 5 years to a mere 9 months?

• Option 1: Stay in Cincinnati where I work the mundane 9-5, stuck in a lab, and don’t enjoy life or my other half
• Option 2: Move to Hawai’i, work in Real Estate (my passion), and enjoy all the things Hawai’i has to offer

Why is Hawaii the Place to Be?

Let me elaborate on “the lifestyle” and lay out 10 reasons that the Big Island is the place to go!

1. Value

What is most important to you? Financial Security? Lifestyle? Convenience? Value is measured by a number of things, including your quality of life; Big Island offers nothing short of excellence. Value to your health, 24/7 vacation lifestyle without being on vacation, all the while being the most economical tropical destination to live among the Hawaiian Islands. Oh! And pretty rainbows…will you find the pot of gold?! Nuff said!

Tranquility at its Finest. #PerfectRainbow #FindThePot’o’Gold

2. Prestigious Education

This may not be as important to you at the moment, but think in the future if you are planning to have children. Flip side, if you have had children and they are grown, think about how cool it would be that Grandma and Grandpa live in a place with excellent education choices. Choices so excellent that Mom and Dad might consider relocating for the benefit of not only being closer to Grandma and Grandpa, but having the chance to send the kiddos to a prestigious school like Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela, or Parker Schools in Waimea. Both are accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (2 thumbs up!).

3. Investment Potential in Vacation Rentals

If you are someone who doesn’t want to live here full time just yet, the potential for passive income is very high. If there are weeks, or even months, that you want to be living elsewhere, guess what?! There are that many more people who want to be living right here in Hawaii, and your home may be just what they are looking for in a short term or vacation rental! It’s an endless summer here in Hawai’i.

Endless Summer #ABAY

4. Diverse Microclimates

Hawai’i Island has 11 of the 13 microclimates of the world. What does this mean for you? No island fever (at least that’s how we have felt). If you wake up and it’s raining where you live, load up the car and drive 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour – and you find your day in the sun.

If you wake up and it’s hot and sunny, load up the car and head to Mauna Kea, do the hike, or drive up and wait for nightfall – it will be cool and clear at 9,200 ft elevation. I like to think of it as the “drive 15” island …if you don’t like the weather where you are, drive 15 minutes and it’ll be different!

5. Farmers Markets All the Time Coupled with Organic & Locally Grown Foods in Restaurants

This is a huge plus for those looking to live a healthier lifestyle, which let’s face it, should be everyone! The Big Island offers farmers markets in different areas of the Island almost every day of the week. Wednesdays is the big one by where I live in Waimea, and let me tell you, it is phenomenal.

White Seed Papaya #WaimeaFarmersMarket

Also, a multitude of restaurants (Blue Dragon, Merrimans, Big Island BrewHaus just to name a few of my favorites) have menus that are based on the locally grown foods. You can go to Blue Dragon and know the salad you are eating came from lettuce that was freshly picked a few miles away. You can go to Merrimans and know that someone was out catching the fish you are being offered, that morning! Or you can go to BrewHaus, have a delicious brewed-on-site beverage coupled with fries that are made from potatoes that they picked and cut up just for you!

All in all – the Big Island is a foodies dream!

6. Culture

Rarely in the United States do you find a place with such strong cultural influence. The Islands of Hawaii offer a cultural experience like none other. You can learn a new language, experience new foods, and learn new dances all over the Big Island! E Komo Mai (Welcome) to the Big Island!

7. Hiking

This island is a hiker’s paradise. There is everything from 1/2 mile hikes to 3 day, 16+ mile hikes. This is a great feature of the Big Island, it offers fun and free entertainment for you, for kids, and for pets! (Stay tuned for a Big Island Hikes blog!)

Pololu Valley #HikeMuch!?

8. Great Snorkeling/Diving

The Big Island is home to some of the most gorgeous and accessible snorkeling spots in the world. With the lack of an overabundance of sand, the waters around the Big Island stay clear, which gives you great visibility for snorkeling. There are spots for every level of snorkeler, from 2 step where you literally take 2 steps (made from lava) into this serene water filled with beauty, to more advance entrances that would take a little practice!

9. Green Sand Beach

This is a truly beautiful sight. There are only 4 green sand beaches in the world, and the Big Island is home to one! If you have 4-wheel drive, it is an adventure to take the road out! If you do not have 4-wheel drive, the hike out will be well worth the miles when you lay your eyes on this beauty!

Green Sand Beach #PureBeauty

10. Whales, Turtles, and Dolphins, Oh My!

Alright animal lovers, if you’re anything like my other half, who squeals, cries, laughs, and awh’s like a toddler every time she see’s an animal…the Big Island is the place for you. Ever been on beaches where there are more turtles than people? No? Well, then you are in for a real treat! Because at Mile Marker 81 just a short hike in you will find Kiholo Bay, where the turtles are plentiful, and the people are not!

Whales are also an amazing sight on the Big Island, where the Humpback Whales travel from Alaska every winter to raise their young, right here in our warm waters of the Pacific! You will find me on a whale watching tour more times than I care to admit in the months of December to March! And dolphins, man oh man is it something out of this world to be snorkeling and hear the songs of the dolphins as you swim! I repeat…Big Island calling all animal lovers!

Ready Yet?

So there you have it, future Big Islanders! 10 of the reasons that the Big Island should be where you decide to call home! And when you decide, be sure to reach out to your Big Island contact in the real estate world – me!

…and in the words of Ferris Bueller, “Yup. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”