I needed to hear this right about now. I have 3 acres in Orchidland and I’m now debt free but I have been struggling with the new houses being built next to me so I’ve been looking for more land to start over to have more separation. This video has made me rethink that plan. Thanks
@@HomesteadinHawaii Well, for the most part, they take. Little by little, they take out property and our freedom. And then expect us to love them for the crumbs they "give" us. On a positive note. I'm finally getting ready to head over there and start operations on my property. Been waiting 3 years now. Want to thank you again for all the valuable info you've generously given. It's helped. Contacted the solar guy you recommended in your video. I let him know you sent me. Take care and maybe we'll cross paths soon. Until them, enjoy Puna for me while I'm stuck in the 🏜 of San Diego.
Hi Homesteader. I just moved to. HPP, have a small fixer upper house. It was wired but never hooked up to Helco. No line was ever put in from the road. Now I'm trying to decide whether to put in the line from Helco or go off grid solar? There's a fee for like over $5,000 before any line is even run!!
@@missjudyvw Thatʻs why I am on Solar. You have to cost it out. Hawaiiʻs electricity costs are sky high and constantly getting higher. A good solar system with backup generator can be had for $13k. Say it lasts 10 years, with one battery change in between at that price. Thatʻs roughly $110/month. Average Power Company bill... $140 plus $5000 hook up, plus all the blackouts and dirty power sources. Solar just seems better.
I feel like everyone needs a mother nature eye opening when You first move here. So dont knock it until you try it lol. Im from here and kauai Farmer for life.
That was a great discussion. I'm planning on buying land early next year and have been struggling to determine how much I need. Another thing to consider is that the more remote you are on a large plot of land the more consideration you need to give to security. It's not like you can just call the police, or yell loudly to wake up the neighbours if you hear strange noises on your remote 30 Acre homestead.
@@HomesteadinHawaii I was really thinking outside of Hawaii. I'm in the Caribbean. So if I'm close to the city then police or even neighborhood watch is an option.
Yeah dont rely on cops here on the big island. What do they do. Sit on the side of the road vaping and talk story. Your on your own. 6 dogs per acre is my advice. No joke. Youll get fucked up here. Thieves are everywhere but only dumb ones get bit
@@HomesteadinHawaii 😂 in California you only see people that happy if they’re at a weed shop. I like what you’re doing I just don’t know if it’s still practical. Seems like there isn’t much land left down there. At least not modest parcels. Like you said let the land barons manage that. I just want an acre lol.
I was on the Big Island staying in Octogon Bali house on the Hamakua Coast. We needed to come back to Cali to tie up some things. We might be ordering a container home to put on his land! Very soon
Hey Mate! I have been watching the news recently from Down Under and wondering how you are faring with the recent fires!! Please let us know if you are OK. I know from previous videos that Hawaiians are a fairly resourceful and tight team, so I hope that this comment reaches you to let you know you and Hawaii are in our thoughts since we heard the news. Cheers!
We're ok on the big island, but Maui is devastated. The lahui is gathered but the govt gets in the way. It will be interesting to see how it all goes. If anything like the lava, only big money will make out.
As usual, wonderful and thoughtful video. I just picked up,an acre off Oneloa. Stoked to be able to finally get going. Hopefully I will get a chance to pick your brain on a couple things.. bamboo , permit vs nonpermit , and something most don't think of until last minute, water catchment ,placement . Anyways, great video as usual !
You’re absolutely right on this. I’m sitting on 17 hamakua acres and about 4-5 acres is sounding really good right about now! It will slowly get there. But if you do this have a plan!! Like a no shit realistic plan.
Thank you my friend I love watching your blogs, you are always so positive and upbeat. After listening to you now I know that I have made the right decision wanting to move to the Big Island. I think I would like to have at least two acres because I do not want to be jammed right up next to my neighbor, I like my privacy
Orchidland has more acres. You really have to come visit though. The move over is pricey. Most people move back in 2 years. Its not for everyone but for those who make it, its home
@@HomesteadinHawaii I'm selling almost everything I own I do not plan on coming back. You have inspired me, I would love to find a property that someone put a lot of work into it and is moving back to the mainland, a motivated seller. Why do most people give up? Today I really enjoyed your video on making rainwater drinkable.
@@robertt6327 People give up because hawaii is not the mainland. The big island is also not everyoneʻs idea of what hawaii is. It is rugged and raw, the locals take a while to warm up to you. Life is slower paced. It rains a lot. Schools suck. People miss their family or good restaurants. A variety of reasons people leave. I see it all the time, people leaving within a year or 2. Weʻre looking for property now but just waiting for all the covid refugees to skip back to the mainland any day now. Iʻd say a good 50% will end up going back home with hat in hand.
Thank you sir, this sounds perfect. I'm 77 years old with relatively good health by the grace of God. I have been divorced for almost 3 years and I have to tell you that in the states when you are old you become invisible unless someone needs your help, usually financially then and only then does your phone ring. I rarely see my children. I love the outdoors and gardening. I do not need much land, maybe just two acres I do not want to be so close to my neighbors that I can hear them talking at their front door or smell the smoke from their cigarettes. I'm engaged to a 22 year old Filipina that I met 2 years ago. She is a born again Christian like myself and we have the same interest. I look forward to visiting the big island and I hope to meet you. Thank you again.
I really like the videos you put out, but I’m going to have to disagree with you on this one. When a homesteader buys large piece of property, and then just uses a small portion of it, (especially in Hawaii), that leaves the rest of the property to retain its properties, and evolve in its natural evolution. And, that’s something that all native Hawaiian Islanders would appreciate, especially from the persons they consider to be “invaders!” I really think you need to rethink this. Giving advice to keep your Homestead small and “manageable” is one thing, and a good thing. Especially, when you point out the ability of other homesteaders to use all the property that the small plot purchasers didn’t buy. Having 10 homesteaders, each on 5 acre plots, is WAY MORE INVASIVE, (and, potentially DESTRUCTIVE), to “NATURAL, UNSPOILED” Hawaii, than one “5 acre developed homestead” on a 50 acre, (the vast majority of it “UNTOUCHED AND UNSPOILED”), piece of Hawaiian land!
Land is already zoned for things. 1/2 acre zoning here. 2 acre zoning there. 20 acre zoning there. I am trying to encourage people to look at smaller parcels to engage their homestead dreams. What I have noticed on large acreage is folks who try to go off grid, get in over their heads, then make up for the loss by farming illegal rentals rather than appropriately managing their land. Most times they'll clear more space into the wilds to make these illegal ohanas. Or as landowners they will fail to manage the land properly because they don't know what they're doing. Even the wildlands need tending sometimes. These land owners will let invasive miconia become a huge problem rather than mitigate it. They'll ignore the wild boar population and in turn encourage desecration of natural.lands and enhance disease in the local bird population. I'm not saying don't go off grid on 20 acres, but maybe save those larger landholdings for people who know what they're doing (native hawaiians) and stick to your smaller spread where you can make mistakes without huge ripple effects. But I understand not everyone will think the same. I appreciate the discussion here. Thanks for sharing. I'm happy to have my mind changed, its just I've been on numerous consults and the story always seems to stay the same.
You flee the city. Dream of a large acreage homestead. “Buy a cow. Get a goat.” Then realize driving the first t-post in is nearly impossible or worse, alfalfa isn’t commercially grown here in Hawaii. 😂 Hawaii is a completely different ballgame, even for the most successful homesteader from the mainland. For us, it’s been one huge experiment coupled with a pretty large learning curve but definitely worth it. Sean, you said it. Take the necessary time to observe and become familiar with your land. That’s the best advice any true permaculture/homesteader enthusiast should follow before committing to a design. We didn’t go the recommended full year. When the winter rains came and seasonal ponds appeared, we lost a couple beloved trees. Lesson learned. We cannot thank you enough for your videos. So appreciate the time and effort put forth. Mahalo.
Gosh, even more reasons to think twice. Over the long haul it definitely pays to be patient. My property wouldnt be able to tell if I started 10 years ago or 9 years ago at this point.
When we bought our garden I thought that it might be too small for all my plans but when I startet weeding I thought it's much tooo big 😂🤣 We only have 296 qm (3186 square foot ) but we make the best out of it.
That’s awesome… I have a small plot of land in Pahoa & want to develop a mini permaculture place. I’m heading there today (Monday 9/20). It be cool to meet 🤷🏻♂️
Congratulations on 10K subscriptions! Your generosity is wonderful. Please consider putting us on your short list for a free consult. We have 6 acres in Kurtistown and its starting to get a bit much. We have tried to be judicious but need help. Your videos are so helpful! BTW - don’t you drive a white mazda?
Are you able to bike commute from where you live? How possible is it to live carfree where you are? I would love to be able to get myself around without using fossil fuels
That's why I just moved. It took years to find it but we landed on a spot just on the fringe of Hilo in the flats where we can bike to the stores and all the way to the beach which is 4 miles from our house. It's possible, but there aren't many spots like this. Waikiki is really bikeable, but you'd probably only be able to find balcony space to garden there. Hanalei on kaui is nice but you need a couple million for there.
Get one of those tarp canopy setups in addition to a tent and use pallets to keep it off the ground. Thatʻll keep you dry and get you started. Then find a way to harvest and store some water, you donʻt want to have to be constantly going to the spigots to fill up. Good luck
Another excellent video brotha! Thanks for sharing your insight. My wife and I just closed on a square 1 acre lot in leilani estates, and are about to start land clearing/excavating, fencing and building our ohana, be4 building our main house. Would love to get some help in developing a plan before I book with an excavator. Also if you know of a good excavator who works in puna would love to hear about it, mahalo!
Alani bulldozing is one of the best. You can find him online. First clear, try save some natural area, get your fence line flat. Drill fence posts at same time you dig for septic. Spread red cinder for driveway and house area, black for planting areas. Plant fruit trees that are furthest from building areas. Get power.. Start building. Install water tank.. Establish garden when done building. Good luck
I mean for me I wanted more because I didn't want people building close to me. So in reality the extra unused land is there to keep the distance between me.
So jealous of you. I keep dreaming. Is there land that has potential to be connected to the grid? Have like a hybrid . I grew up in Miami. I need my AC or a pool.
1 person can manage an acre of intensive annual veggies. More than that and it’s too much. A lot can be done on and acre. Check out the urban homestead, they do more on less
Thank you for your videos!! I just stumbled upon them. So very informative! I have been dreaming of a couple of acres in Big Island. Is there a best altitude for farming?
@@HomesteadinHawaii thanks for the response! I’m really considering making the move. The thing is, it seems like the only affordable area to buy property is in pahoa, which is a level 2 lava zone. Is it safe to live in this area? I have learned that most banks won’t help you with financing when trying to build a home in Pahoa because it’s too risky
That comment was more for the noobs who move on to big property and f them all up. Id rather live on 100 acres myself but see the value of living close to town for most other people.
@@HomesteadinHawaii I get ya. And let's be honest, I heard that over 50% of the people who move to Hawaii leave within a year. Of those that stay, 50% don't last for year 2, and the same holds for year 3. I was told by locals when we got here that if you last 3 years, you're probably good.
