There are real estate bargains to be had almost everywhere, and that applies to Hawaii as well as the Mainland. Many people have purchased homes for retirement or for a vacation destination in our fiftieth state. The Big Island of Hawaii actually offers more land area than the other islands combined, and there are some very nice areas of widely divergent weather and geography. The SoCal Guru website offers a good comparison between Hawaii and its easterly neighbor California in a number of areas important to vacationers.

You will find the quaint town of Hilo on the east side of the Big Island. It rains almost every day, and this has created a very tropical environment. The major county government departments have their headquarters in Hilo. If you prefer the wetter tropical environment, consider Big Island real estate in Hilo.

On the leeward side of the volcanic mountains is Kona, which is much drier than Hilo. The incoming rain clouds lose much of their energy and water as they pass over the inactive volcanoes that separate Kona from Hilo. That explains why the leeward side at Kona gets so much less rainfall. Most people seem to be inclined to the dry side, since there is more sunshine on average in Kona than in Hilo.

There is some wonderful Hawaii land to be found in the Kona area, where coffee orchards are found at the higher elevations above Kailua-Kona. Prices are way down from their maximum levels in 2006 and you can find some amazing discounts on beautiful estate homes. The feeling is different on the Big Island compared to Maui, Oahu or even Kauai. This might be a good time to look at Kona real estate if you are in the market for a second home.

Filed under: John's Message

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