Cheap Land in Hawaii?

The Big Island does have some fairly cheap real estate in places. Is there such a thing as paradise on a budget?

[@mikecentex]

For a guy who doesn’t work in real estate I think you’ve covered a great deal more due diligence than most Realtors could ever think to explain. And this is coming from a guy with 30 yrs full time experience in RE. I wouldn’t buy land on the island without you checking it out for me first!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thank you Mike for the good words. Aloha

[@DukeTheSPO0K]

This is by far the best video I have seen about property on the Big Island. THANKS!!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You're welcome. Probably helps that I'm not a realtor!

[@evolveandgrow174]

Some great advice. Thank you for taking the time to make this video ❤️

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Your are very welcome. I generally go gardening but I had a lot of questions from viewers. Aloha.

[@cameronjames8914]

This is amazing info! Thank you for sharing brother! (And all else involved)

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Sure enough, hope it helps along your journey. Aloha

[@randallanthony1794]

thank you for the insights into big island.i was there for first time a few years ago.loved the friendliness of the people.wanting to move there..background in video and film and farming.more video than actual farming but willing to learn

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The conversion of energy into food stuff around the home environment is very practical idea. Everything in the entire universe is energy but only the conversion to food supports human life. Most places in the US are as good as others for this but Hawaii does have a special culture, long season and beautiful setting. We could love the place to death. If you come adopting the local culture is essential. Aloha

[@hebergarcia8873]

This is a gold mine of information. Thank you so much

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kahoaalohamalalis8841]

I really like your discussions on video, both here and when I was back in the Mainland. It's probably because I can relate to what you're telling the people who watch you. As you mentioned, people here on this island can be in your business. I'm here to see how well you explain this place to everyone else. It's fun.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I'm certainly no expert on the subject. I just happen to live here and own property. I never had any desire to live here, it just happened and i didn't protest. Perhaps that makes me well suited to answer questions because i have few illusions about Hawaii. It is what it is.

[@kahoaalohamalalis8841]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 'Ae, it is what it is. And sometimes it can be stunning and even stupefying. Sometimes both.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@kahoaalohamalalis8841 I do stupefying quite well.

[@johnydoe8636]

GreenGardenGuy1 Aloha I’m going to live in Hilo for 1-2 years to experience Hawaii and to attempt to look for a small but quality piece of land. What would you say a decent piece of what you’ve described would cost something you would consider buying. Thank you and I fully plan on someday meeting you I enjoy all your videos you actually have educated me and inspired me, Ronnie from Connecticut..also good luck to everyone who would love to live in Hawaii....👍🏻❤️❤️❤️

[@rajaiyer79]

GreenGardenGuy1 can you do a video on what brought you to Hawaii? Most people plan for years.

[@JimRucker]

I"ve learned more about living in Hawaii listening to you speak than the 'professional realtors" You touched on everything and any thing about residing on the Big Island. I learned a lot about the different volcanic ash, like A'haha and Poi something.....Thank you for this video

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Pahoehoe, is the smooth and ropey lava that looks like the top of a pan of brownies. A'a is the jagged foamy type. It got the name because Hawaiian walking barefoot on the stuff would say "Ah-ah!" Thank you for the feed back. Realtors sell property. Understanding the nature of land and environment is a completely different business. It was my job as a landscape designer and consultant that gave me this sort of focus. Aloha

[@bjohnson2003]

I'll just build a guest house on the corner of your lot.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I'm a terrible neighbor. I tend to spread chicken poop right in the middle of your Sunday afternoon BBQ!

[@young1471]

Great info. Thanks you so much...

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Sure enough.

[@NoWastedCalories]

Hi Bill, arsenic maps are also available. The piece I was looking at had soil but was an old farm. I had the extension office test for heavy metals and such and the piece of land had superfund levels of arsenic contamination. Probably from the sugar cane farming days. This was the property on Enos Rd.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Yes, after you mentioned this I did some research and it appears that the old sugar cane lands had used some type of arsenic based herbicide. Most of this is up the Hamakua coast but there is a small stretch following hwy 11 from Keau'u to Kurtistown where cane had been grown too. Contamination on the field soil isn't as bad as locations where the chemicals were stored. The contamination on field soil is generally light enough that native iron will bind the arsenic and keep it from moving. There are other good reasons why a person might not want to purchase old sugar lands. Most of the people I know up the Hamakua Coast with these lands say they are completely burned out and hard to grow on. Aloha

[@pattipipes246]

Thanks Bill very informative

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Aloha.

[@SteamrollerSteve]

I’ve been traveling the US in a big sprinter van for the past 5 years now, and still there’s no place better than Hawai’i I’d like to set roots in. I’m a glassblower of 20 years, now doing distribution and sales of the product full time, figuring to do this another 3-5 years, save, and make my move to the island when it’s a good time, after extensive research. You have some great tips and I would like to talk sometime. Thank you for all the great info!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Glass is a major artisan industry here in Hawaii. There are a few glass blowers but more people who pour and mold. This place found me, I didn't find it. Works well that way, I have few illusions about it.

[@SteamrollerSteve]

GreenGardenGuy1 my glassblowing days as a living are done after making a tens of thousands pieces. Now it’s just for fun. I tapped into distribution of the products, it’s a great living, and life is very good, I feel very blessed traveling and selling to stores full time and able to see everything our country has to offer while experiencing culture and making friends. But it leaves me with an empty feeling. I’m not doing much to contribute to society selling mostly imported products. I feel I’m just chasing the dollar to feed my own dream of being a gypsy. Like you, this found me as well, I just tailored things and worked hard to create my own independent life. For a number of years now I’ve been looking to homestead somewhere far from the Southern California rat race I was born into. Hawaii big island just steals my heart when it comes to being able to do this. I’d like to have a more fulfilling life by contributing to society in a much more positive way. I’m looking forward to being a part of something bigger than catering to myself. And I’m looking forward to the peace of mind that grounds my soul each time I go there. Again thank you for the info you’ve put out there. Hopefully someday I can return the favor and offer you some hand blown goods....

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@SteamrollerSteve My first visit here was a connection too. I felt like I had found a home. What it is that I do with plants and information turned out to be a natural here. The society kind of just folded it's self around me and wouldn't let go. I had no choice, for better or worse I seem to have become part of the culture. Most of the unintentional acts in my life amount to the important ones. Aloha

[@TheRosangela38]

very good and honest video! I would love to live close to people like you :)

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Thanks for watching.

[@nicole-sv1ul]

Thank you for sharing!!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Sure thing, Hope it helped. Aloha

[@grammahoneybunny1712]

Great video. Look forward to more.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I will keep at it as long as the spirit moves me. Aloha

[@grammahoneybunny1712]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thats a good attitude to have. My son is a contractor near Hilo. I'm closing on my house soon at NE Oregon. Plan being buy 3 acres around Hawaiian acres and build a jungalow. I think less is best. I've been full time RV ing 4 years. Big problem. I own 2 F2 Bengals and they dont allow them in Hawaii I see. Any personal info on this? Im a old hippie and believe in simple living, love to garden and fish. I'd be interested in a video on fishing.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@grammahoneybunny1712 I have little information on animal quarantine and prohibitions here. I hear they can be pretty strict. My understanding here is mostly about horticulture. I just had to get special permits to import mushroom spawns. With out the permit it's illegal. I only get out fishing here on occasion. I like my camera gear too much to get that close to the ocean. My tackle suffers enough. Aloha

[@derrickpitter8340]

You get what you pay for! Gotta be so careful buying land, especially for agricultural usage. My plan is to find land to lease for a few seasons so I can get a better feel for what I like working with and how that land works for what I'm trying to grow. An ideal situation would be to lease a parcel off a larger farm or pasture land and maybe buy it if everything works out. Alot of land in Hawaii is owned by people off island so finding those folks who are having a hard time managing large land parcels is a decent place to look. Alot of people are land poor and losing money just from paying taxes on the land. This can be a great opportunity if you can provide the land owner with supplemental income and/or tax exemptions from having agriculture take place on the property. As always, really appreciate your videos!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Most of the land leased around here for farming is from W H Shipman LTD. They own 17,000 acres in Puna. Much of the land has already been cleared. The biggest problem with leasing land from off Island owners is most of the land owned in this fashion is undeveloped. If you can find someone who has acreage suitable for farming without having to clear the land you have it made. I leased 1/2 an acre to a guy a while back but even here you will spend six months fighting back the pasture before you can plant anything. Much of the privately held off shore owned parcels here are covered in weed forest.

[@derrickpitter8340]

Yeah any land leased for cheap will likely need alot of work. This can be a good opportunity though. If the land owner is willing to trade access in exchange for clearing the land and will give you at least a three to five year lease, I think it's a good option, especially if you invest in mobile infrastructure. Win-win for all parties. Just gotta get everything in writing!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@derrickpitter8340 Writing a contract is a great idea for sure. I spelled everything out in contract last time I leased. I wasn't willing to do more than a 1 year lease term though. Shipman does longer terms and some of their land is already cleared. We have lots of Macnuts and Papayas by Mauna Loa and Calavo growing on these lands. When dealing with small plot holders it is sometimes possible to get the land rent free in exchange for keeping the weeds down. I have done this deal many times over the years. It can be win, win. Lease arrangements work much better on crops that are short term like vegetable truck.

[@8675-__]

Actually taxes here are super cheap. Its not NJ or NY

[@-sensibleChris]

@@8675-__ or Texas.

[@MK-ti2oo]

This is great information. My husband was an industrial maintenance guy in our former life but now runs his own handyman business here in NorCal, and I was a mechanical engineer turned permaculturist and we homestead here at 4k ft. in the Sierra Nevada. He tried to talk me into Florida because he's done with cold winters and 8ft snow drops, we visited, I hated it. Too many people, too little open space, too flat. I need mountains to feel at home so we threw around ideas and Hawaii has gradually become our focus. We have the skill and equipment (saw mill, excavator and everything in between) to do almost any clearing, building and growing here in the mountains in Rock and crap soil but we wanted to make sure our skills would be marketable in Hawaii. We do tons of bartering here (northern California is a totally different beast than SoCal) and we're used to a community that has each other's backs and helps out when needed (the town we live outside of actually burnt down last summer so it's been a rough year but the community is great). We were more worried that we'd get there and find no jobs outside of tourism hospitality type things. Not to mention picking the wrong piece of property because we know nothing of the geography etc.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

My guess is you haven't been here. Hawaii does have tourists but it is also a place where Americans live and work. Most skills required in the Mainland are required here too. From hamburger flippers to brain surgeons Hawaii employs them all. It isn't your skill set that matters as much as your marketing approach. I could sell wood stoves in Mojave with the right sales talk. People who want to work in Hawaii can usually do so. Hawaii is okay for the employee but much better for the entrepreneur. Lots of money to be made here if you have the right game.

[@MK-ti2oo]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 you're right, we've never been there so we're just doing our research now and trying to negate or confirm any and all serious concerns we have. We're both more entrepreneurial rather than employee types. I agree you can sell anything with great marketing, we just like to be able to back up the product or labor we offer with actual skill or you quickly become disreputable so we obviously want to assure that our particular skills will be able to provide a decent income once we get there. We're currently planning to come spend a month in January to look at property and actually spend a little time to get some firsthand experience in the area so we're just trying to narrow down where to spend that time that fits our needs for building a homestead while still in an area that we can earn a living. Your videos are great, a wealth of information and I'm watching others that you released now lol. We appreciate the time you've put into them! Thank you!

[@MK-ti2oo]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 do you happen to do any consultation work? My husband just asked if you do that type of thing as he appreciates the ability to talk to someone live or even to Skype or Zoom call with some questions he has.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@MK-ti2oo Hawaii needs all sorts of skills. Being an Island, somethings are hard to find. When my doctor retired I panicked. Finding another one isn't easy here. I make half of my living off Island from internet sales, the other half is made here locally by shoppers. I tend to make more money sitting on my butt and investing in companies. I'm not much of a job guy, I figure if I'm working too hard I must be doing it wrong. Jobs often make me work too hard. The transition was seamless and organic because it was day by day but there is no way I'm doing now what I thought I would do before moving here. What works grows and thrives what doesn't, dies on the vine. The end product is our lives.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@MK-ti2oo Before retiring to my current occupation as farmer I used to consult. I no longer do that sort of thing but I will answer specific questions for people. Use my email; [e-mail]

[@8675-__]

Also you can install a small do it yourself solar system for less than 2k..for a small 2 bdrm 1 bath home....providing electric for everything except an electric refrigerator (get a propane refrigerator)

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

We found it is cheaper in the long run to put top of the line collectors on the house and run everything on the panels rather than having to buy propane and split your fuel. We make enough wattage from the panels to run electric clothes driers, electric dehydrators and keep and electric car charged. I am toying with the idea of a second electric car because we are still exporting power up the grid.

[@melanieedge3943]

I came across your channel looking for advice on Hawaii land. But i too am a gardener who just graduated university in the plant industry :P

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Yes I have a bit of that too, degrees in Business and Horticulture. Thanks for watching, Aloha

[@David53D]

When I lived there in the late 70's women were employed to help process Marijuana weighing it and separating the buds etc as a regular profession.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You mean as an illegal activity. They call cannabis Puna currency here. The first legal employment trimming medical cannabis buds did not occur until 2015 with the dispensary program. Going back to 2000 it became legal to trim your own buds from your own garden. The Covid debt seems to have stimulated a few of the most conservative Oahu legislators to look at legal cannabis to pay the bills. Money rules. Even if they thought the weed was evil they love the money it could make. Debt from a virus could be what frees the weed form the grip of horticultural fascism.

[@aieamassagesupply]

I am so glad I came across your station.... I like and need to hear this because I just got my raw land and I can't wait till I find out about the expense part of the cleaning up the land. I recently was given multiple quotes to demo but I prefer to keep my Ohia trees and I don't want to be working with demo happy bulldozer men who just want the land flat. I am working on Oahu to make sure I can pay it but I am taking it slow and I hope I can see your plants or landscape in your videos. I will continue to watch, thank you.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I can see why a person would want to keep their ohia trees. On the other hand the trees are dying here on the Big Island so you may end up having to clear them anyway. There doesn't seem to be anyway to arrest the spread of Rapid Ohia death. Working around existing vegetation if the land is lava is a very difficult and expensive process. We were lucky. The only vegetation on our property was pasture grass, it was soil under the grass and relatively level. We only had to kill the grass to get planting. We still ended up using a dozer to level for the house and for roads. If you have lava and intend to build, grow crops and ornamentals life is easier when you level everything. Some of the folks who live up the mountain behind me at 4000 feet have some nice native forest with Koa, Hapuú, Ohia and other plants worth conserving. Most property below 2000 feet is covered in weed species that are not worth saving.

[@aieamassagesupply]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 fern acres is my area. Wish me luck... I hope when things progress I will be as happy as u

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@aieamassagesupply Yes, I know Fern Acres it is near me and I know people that live there. It is all lava so serious ground work will be required to get house, roads, gardens and orchards in place. At the Fern Acres elevation the surviving Ohia trees are about the only native plant in the entire subdivision. Most everything else is a weed species. As long as you don't have Albizzia and Strawberry Guava you can probably do as you are intending. If Strawberry Guava is present in good numbers you may have to go to plan B. It is not friendly or easy to kill.

[@aieamassagesupply]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 thank you for giving me something to get my mind thinking about. (checking for Albizzia and guava) I will be up there next week to do a 3 day clean up... local style, just do a bit here and there. lol

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@aieamassagesupply The best suggestion I can offer to folks who are new at this is, if you remove something and open up sunlight make sure you have a plan for what it going back in the spot and how you will prevent the jungle from recovering. I've seen folks whole spent there entire vacations clearing brush and vines only to return 3 months later and find everything overgrown because the increased sunshine stimulated the plant growth. If you remove something either you or nature will fill the spot in short order.

[@gamehavenstl9485]

Thank you for your video! I am looking to build a property in Hawaii close to the beach (1-2M) that can house multiple individuals. Trying to build as naturally as I can with whatever is available. I do primitive building and am not afraid of manual backbreaking labor and honestly enjoy the challenge. I enjoy the hippie lifestyle and was looking at Pahoa's western side. Cinderland, Hedonesia and Lolia Ecoville. I was told the western side has the hippie lifestyle as well with not having lava being as threatening makes it sound more ideal :P I would hope to be able to trade my skills and labor in trade for free rent as I will be increasing the value of the property by adding another structure that can be rented out and/or provide labor to help maintain the land or operate a business. I would not own the structure, but could vacation there or live there in one of the rooms rent free. If successful and no room becomes vacant again, I would build another house in the eco version manner. One of the additions I would like to have added to the structure of built independently ( a cost I would cover)is a lab for synthetic biology in relation to bioluminescence and coral. If you know of someone that this might sound ideal to. I would greatly appreciate the help and value your input. Although, you already have helped me greatly:) [e-mail] Gabriel M Escobedo FB

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Sorry, I'd be little to no help here. I live up in Mountain View, it is a very different place. Pahoa sits on top of one of the most active volcanic zones. Since you aren't planning to purchase I don't suppose it matter much though. I would never advise settling in lava zones 1 or 2. Very hard on the nerves and the wallet.

[@cryptocooler5281]

Impressive informative video as always. Does anyone in Hawaii keep and provide soil temperature data i.e. like Midwest winter soil temperatures... but for Hawaii?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

As far as I know there is no comprehensive mapping of Hawaiian soil temperature. There is soil mapping gis.ctahr.hawaii.edu/SoilAtlas There is climate data climate.geography.hawaii.edu/ This might help but I believe it only has a couple of samples. drought.gov/drought/data-gallery/us-climate-reference-network-uscrn-soil-temperature-and-soil-moisture In general Hawaiian soil temp is highest at the shore, around 75 and lowest at the top of Mauna Kea around 32. The Island is spread between these two figures depending on elevation and local conditions.

[@aswadmalik1740]

Aloha Sir, you remind me of a good friend named Dwight DJ Hayes who assisted me in buying property on Oahu in the 90s, but he had property in the big island.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I'm not in the real estate business but people ask me a lot of questions about land here in Hawaii so I did a few videos on the subject. Aloha

[@charlottefaris7929]

Thank you for al the info. Much better practical info than you can get from a realtor.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Since I don't sell land, I just use it I have no personal agenda towards it other than quality. Realtors have to make a living selling land. This doesn't always involve being forthright and honest. I have nothing to lose but a few subscribers.

[@mikewonderlust2912]

great information. thank you

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

👍👍

[@dustinmerkley7303]

Hello, Been a fan of the channel for a few years now. Both for your Gardening tips & all other commentary about your life & experience in Hawaii. I have a question about different Elevation on the island. Is there a down side to being higher up in Elevation like 2500ft. Also does Elevation play much of a roll in the in the quality of soil. Or is it just as variable as the island. Hope you doing well out there. Take care!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I'm doing just fine. Thanks for hanging in all this time with the channel. This will be 12 years and more than 1000 videos. Deposits of soil and lava rock are rather scattered on the south half of the Island. The north half is most soil. There is a really nice deposit of ash soil in the town of Volcano it's self at 4000 feet. On the other side of the road the national park is mostly lava and devestation. So.....soil is where you find it in Hawaii. As for the down side of living at 2500 feet. It depends on what you want and need. There is a major climate break line at around 2000 feet. Below that is Hawaii zone 2 with coconuts, papayas and surf boards. Above 2000 feet you enter the cool tropical cloud forest. The rain increases anywhere on the Island at that elevation. I get about 150 inches here at 1600 feet. At 2000 they get closer to 200 inches. You need warm socks and a small wood stove. Some tropicals still grow because it is below the frost line at 6000 feet. Things like hydrangeas, Japanese maples and some temperate fruit trees actually grow up there.

[@dustinmerkley7303]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Wow 12 year & 1000 videos I have some more catching up to do on your videos. Thanks for the additional info! We are looking at a lot that backs up to the OLA'A Forest Reserve. It's look to be higher up 2000+ ft but I belive it has nice deep soil I'm told for an easy build & garden. We spent all of January 2021 on the Island & will be back January 2022 as well. I grew up & live in Southern California. It's Nice here but the Big Island is a special place & I believe a good fit for us long term. I look forward to more videos to come! Take care!

[@ronfrederico7251]

Great information

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You're welcome. I generally talk about agriculture but people ask me questions about land.

[@3000gtwelder]

Hi, I am in escrow right now on a lot in Fern Forest, it's at 1,900'. I was wondering what kinds of food and trees can I grow there? I plan on using county mulch if I have to and chop and drop from the property to improve the soil if I have to.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Most of the common fruits can grow at 1900 feet. You would find it difficult for some of the warmth loving stuff like Papaya, cacao or Mamey. You aren't high enough for the temperate stuff so stuff like Citrus should do fine. Placement matters too. Planting warmth loving plants in warmer spots can give better results.

[@3000gtwelder]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thanks! I just heard where you said if you are a Machinist yo might be able to get a job making stuff for the telescopes. That made my ears perk up as I am a CNC Machinist in the Aerospace industry, and a Welder fabricator. I was kinda worried about finding work there, but as my property will be paid off, I figured I would be able to get by doing something.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@3000gtwelder Some of us get lucky and find a job for life here. Others, dance the dance and hustle, changing steps with changing times. Hard to starve here if the land is paid for. I have no connections there but I understand they have a whole support structure here with the telescopes.

[@3000gtwelder]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Cool! I will definitely have to look into it when I get there. My other thought since I am a welder and fabricator also, I was thinking of maybe getting a welder and some equipment and doing some side work maybe. I'll have to see when I get there. Thanks man, love your channel!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@3000gtwelder Truer words have never been spoke. "I'll have to see when I get there." Many plans I had while moving came true, others were completely reshaped.

[@deanjelowhite70]

I was Considering 3 properties in Puna, 1 In HPP 1 Acre, 1 in Fern Acres 4 Acre, 1 in Volcano 3.2 acres, boith Fern & Volcano back up against the state parks, HPP is on 3rd Ave Blocks from the beach. I like being be the ocean but I like having more acres also. Volcano is 55k, Fern 38k, HPP 42k All lots are zone 3 with decent roads, the HPP can also gave a well. You have any thoughts? Last questions what subsivisons in Puna would you keep away from not becuase of lava but becuase of people? Are the 3 areas I mentioned above not locations that atrack that type of crowd?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Those three lots are in three different climatic locations. The weather in the three spots is very different. If you are a grower where you sit down will dictate your crops. The two parcels that are backed up against public land would have to be way out back in the rear of those subdivisions. This is something to avoid. More crime and you will likely have bled to death from an injury before you could make it out of there of help. Three street off of the ocean in Paradise Park is generally a good location. The main problem with the shore is salt. You end up with all sorts of electrical issues. Replacing wires every 7 years is normal. You have the additional issue with Tsunami in that location too.

[@deanjelowhite70]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 I appreciate your input. I am looking at a property to retire on in the future. I am curently in San Diego. Been trying to make it out to there to look at the different Nieghborhoods then Covid happened. I have really injoyed watching your video during all this down time. Thanks again & keep up the good work!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@deanjelowhite70 Covid sure messed stuff up. Here life is still sort of normal but I had planned a vacation this year that ain't gonna happen. I should complain, some folks lost jobs, homes, and even lives. For now this is a good place to be. If we messed up it could get bad but so far most people are being smart here. It's got to come to an end eventually, doesn't it? Aloha and keep watching more fun to come.

[@nateschneider2361]

My wife and I are buying a 1 acre lot in HPP. Can you recommend a good experienced local connection for lot ripping and clearing? Gracias!

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

No sorry. We never used anyone to rip or clear. Our land was deep soil and only required a bit of leveling. What I do know about contractors is half of them do not return calls. Out of half that does does call only a percentage are free and will show up. My best advice is the shot gun method. Call 20 people, hear from 10, manage to interview 3, hire the one who can show up to work.

[@8675-__]

Im in zone 3 very safe on a ridge with 2 homes in thick rainforest. I was going to sell but due to the virus I may change my mind. Its in a very safe place, and peaceful and quiet. Great neighborhood with pride (well kept). But where do you go that's better than this??

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

That is a problem. I have no suggestions. This is about as good as it gets.

[@leonardoalfonso7080]

Who did you hire to check the soil type and the amount in you or property? I wonder how to determine if a property has a deep layer of soil like yours to plant most tropical fruit trees .

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

The U of H has some excellent online soil mapping. It takes a while to figure out how to use it but it is very good. It is a great tool to figure out what is under foot. As for our property I had no idea what was under foot until I got out of the car and looked at the road ditch. It was soil to the bottom so I knew there was a few feet of soil here. I bought a shovel and cut holes in spots to confirm soil covered the entire property. Later I studied the soil type using the online maps. When we went to build the house we have to cut 8 foot of the hill side away to level the lot. It was soil all the way down to the 8 foot mark. Still later we dug the septic and went another 8 feet with a back hoe. At the 16 foot mark we finally hit a few chunks of lava. The goofy part of the story is even with deep soil the plants still grow right along the surface. Moisture, nutrients and lack of air deep in the earth are what cause this.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

gis.ctahr.hawaii.edu/SoilAtlas

[@leonardoalfonso7080]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thank you Bill :)

[@phkg3255]

My husband and I bought a half acre of raw land in lower Puna about 5 years ago. We hand cleared it with pick axes and machetes, all a'a and no albezia so it wasn't too strenuous, just time consuming. Because we went about it by hand we were able to save the thick carpets of organic matter for our garden beds and keep the natural slopes of the land, just putting finishing touches on what Pele already created. Took a lot of cinder hauling for our trails, but it was the best decision we ever made.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I am amazed that you managed to dig the septic tank, build a driveway and create a house pad for the home all by hand. That is far more work than I would have ever considered by hand. My approach to life is based on agriculture so preparing the local lava for farming generally requires ripping and grading for the crops. There are a few exceptions around here though. My neighbor, Marvin, runs a successful banana, ginger and heliconia nursery in the native forest. His crops are all in containers sitting above the ground though. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4vUenSDfdaBoaM

[@phkg3255]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 we got the land strictly for our own little food forest, while we do have a small ohia structure on it for dry storage and hanging out , it is not a "permanent residence"

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@phkg3255 My references on land development cost was for actual home sights with legal permits. I know a few folks that live year round here in camping style structures. With the amount of rain and the invasive Asian Tiger mosquito it must be kind of miserable. Tight roof for rain, screens for the bugs and insulated windows to block out the frog noise are a must for comfortable living here. I assume you actually have a permanent residence in another area.

[@phkg3255]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Yes, I live down the road from it but would like to be there full time eventually. Funny thing is, probably half the houses in the neighborhood are unpermitted, even some really nice ones. Getting permitted out here can be a real headache and can take a terribly long time. Definitely worth getting permitted though, as community accociations have been "cracking down" more in the last couple years.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@phkg3255 You are correct, if you build first and permit later it can be a real pain in the fanny. I permitted first and built later. Going at the legal way first is much cheaper and quite simple. I find it rather silly that so many people build without permits. You can't get a loan on property that has no permits because no one will insure unpermitted property. Trying to sell an unpermitted house is also difficult. Since no one will loan you almost have to carry the note yourself. The people with cash almost never shop unpermitted stuff unless the land is amazing. Every once in a while the County will have a permit amnesty where they will make it easier to comply. The last one was a few years ago so there might be another one coming soon. Most land in Puna is zoned agricultural for taxes. If your parcel is AG then once you put up a permitted residence the county allows the farmer to build other structures up to 6000 sq ft. with out additional permits provided they are not living space. Aloha

[@rajaiyer79]

Sage advice. New subscriber. I want to buy land now and move after 10 years. Could I lease my land to someone to grow their crops?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

If you have a piece of prime farm land you should be able to find some one to lease it too. Most Puna land requires a lot of preparation to use as farm land,

[@ryanlowry5409]

Lived in Pahoa on Kauai St. First house on the left on hill. Good times. Masonry house was very nice. No termites. I miss the food and laid back lifestyle.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Sounds like you had a good experience. Termites can't eat wood structure built to code here. All construction lumber coming in here from the PNW has to be dipped in boron. Bugs can't eat it.

[@ryanlowry5409]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Where I stayed there was mangosteen, papaya, butter avocados, mountain apple, lychee the works.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@ryanlowry5409 It is pretty typical that people here plant fruit trees in the garden.

[@govegan562]

i was looming at cheap land in pahoa...why do you think it’s so cheap? because there’s volcanos nearby? or is it the neighborhood? i’m confused

[@leonardoalfonso7080]

The very informative video bill. I wanted to ask to what extent will fire insurance reimburse property damage from lava? Is that even possible to get fire insurance or geological insurance tours your property? Because I know that people can get tornado insurance and that's a natural disaster so why not something to protect you against freaking lava

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Leo, since i do not live where lava is a hazard so I have never looked into lava insurance. The traditional standard has always been you can't insure against lava only fire. Folks used to say if you see the lava coming kick over the lawn mower and light it so the house burns. According to the County of Hawaii, if your home was destroyed in the flow it should be covered by home owners insurance. It seems to depend on the company and your agent. Some people are still fighting to get reimbursed. A friend of mine made out like a bandit. His company paid back almost twice what he had invested. People are in this dangerous lava zone only because the county subsidized the insurance to create cheap land. The idea is now being reconsidered and it is possible the county will stop issuing building permits for these areas. Just trying to open hwy 137 will cost a fortune. It has 40 feet of lava in places. The best solution is do not build a house in an area of active lava flows! The region was well known for eruptions.

[@8675-__]

No you can not get Insurance for Lava damage, including if it leads to a fire.

[@DoFidem]

GreenGardenGuy1 Everywhere is moderately safe now right? Not much lava action on surface?

[@D33257]

What area of Puna are you located?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Mountain View

[@justfly2525]

Can I request that you do a Tommy Chong impression in the next video? "Hey MAAAAN!" I spent the whole video thinking "This guys voice reminds me of someone???" "Tommy Chong!!!"

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I love Tommy Chong a lot but I am terrible at impressions. What you see is what you get, that's actually me. Any similarity to Tommy is coincidence of culture.

[@Lululila67]

What do you think about the show "Hawaii Life"? its a hawaiian real estate show.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I never heard of it. I get enough Hawaii Life just getting out of bed in the morning!

[@Lululila67]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 very lucky! My family has lived there since the early 1900's. Aloha!:)

[@BruceGoren]

Good info, sadly it is out of reach for me financially !

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I wasn't implying that people should invest or move here. I was just responding to questions from viewers on the subject. The questions must be coming from people who believe they have the cash to spend. At the time I decided to purchase here I had more cash in hand than I ever had in my life. As it turned out it wasn't near enough. By the time we built the house I went deeper in debt than I have ever been in life. I lost my job in the middle of all this and had to start a business to cover the debt. At this point everything is paid off so none of it matters anymore.

[@8675-__]

Not really! You can find an acre for 15k plus closing costs

[@chicagotom1643]

I'm 47 years old with 6 years at US Steel in Gary, Indiana. Would you recommend me taking a job offered there? Buying 2 lots there in the big Island as well and Im ready to leave this zoo. Am i making a smart move?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

My Uncle used to be a Foreman for US Steel in Gary. A worker shot him through the head. Glad to hear you survived 6 years in Gary. I never make recommendations to people about where they should live. It is always possible a person might get a job offer here but at the moment not likely. Hawaii went from the lowest unemployment to the highest. Tourism is dead for now. There are several industries like medicine are growing but local programs are starting up to retrain people for these changes. I couldn't think of a worse time in history to come here looking for a job. There are a lot of opportunities available for an entrepreneur due to changing economy. I suggest to anyone thinking about Hawaii, come here and spend a few weeks staying in different locations around the Island. Just being on an Island drives some people nuts.

[@chicagotom1643]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 You probably still have family working there, Michael Jackson still has family working there yet. I did 8 years on Oahu and came here and started driving, i miss that way of life and frame of mind out there that is incomprehensible here. It's dangerous and people are loosing their marbles here. As far as US Steel, everyone that retires doesn't last long after.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@chicagotom1643 I have no relatives still living around there. Most got old and died the rest got smart and moved to better environments. Family has never been a strong factor in my life. When they fall apart putting them back together is more trouble than it's worth. I agree, looking across the reports, life on the Mainland seems much worse than usual. It is just by chance I ended up in a decent place at the moment. I never had any interest or intent to live in Hawaii. It only happened because the CA real estate boom hit at the same time I was preparing to retire. Hawaii is a nice environment with better weather than most places on earth. Beyond that every place is what you make of it. The Island has been good to us. There is a need for what I do here. Aloha

[@chicagotom1643]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 are people pretty decent to new people that show up there?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@chicagotom1643 Hawaii is known for having an aloha spirit and a ohana culture. For those of us that express and live these characteristics they are real. A butt head is always a butt head no matter what culture they exist in and will be treated as a butthead and tend to feel like one. You get back what you give. Aloha is given and taken but never imposed. Paradise is a state of mind. Hawaii is a state of the Union.

[@johnmazza9432]

Perhaps you could give your take on another question. Do you find people in Hawaii tend to practice natural medicine and do you have any experience with that ? I think that a large percentage of people don't trust mainstream medicine when it comes to serious illness such as cancer. Have you any thoughts on this ?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Traditional healing and alternative treatments are all pretty common here. I suspect most people here use both types of medicine. I use a regular doctor and commercially made drugs at times. I use a lot more plant based medicine than I use stuff from the Pharmacy though. Some of it I purchase but even more of it I grow myself.

[@johnmazza9432]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Might make a interesting video ?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@johnmazza9432 That is sort of the idea on the Grumpy Gardener Shows I've been doing on occasion.

[@8675-__]

Yes alot of people here believe in holistic living and are vegan or vegetarian. Herbal medicines is prevalent and alot of those medicines grow here like Noni for cancer (i recommend black seed oil for cancer)

[@johnmazza9432]

Is there anyone out there who mills lumber and treats it themselves, to build their own home ? I guess that usually people will build with lumber that is dried and graded. I was just wondering if this is a way people would economize.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You have a bunch of problems with that approach. The first one is you would not be able to get a building permit. All lumber used for building in Hawaii must be dipped in a solution of boron to prevent insects. The county will not issue permits for untreated lumber. We have six different types of termites here and one of them will eat the tires off your pickup if it sits for a week. That's a joke. The other issue is what tree would you use? The island has no redwood,pine, spruce of fir that are the typical lumber trees. We have Cook pines but they are very sappy, make terrible lumber. The forests here are full of invasive tree species but these also make terrible lumber. The only really good trees we have are the native hardwoods like Ohia and Koa. Koa can be worth up to $250 per board foot so we save that for guitars, art objects and furniture. A home built of Koa would be worth far more than one built from commercial kiln dried fir. The Ohia tree would be possible but it is so hard you would have to drill and screw, you can't drive a nail into the stuff. Since we have a disease killing the trees moving the wood around the Island is illegal. If you had enough on the property then using it would be possible but very difficult. Building with Bamboo is legal here and you could grow a house if you planted now. The stuff grows really fast. I suggest shopping the package homes sold by Honsador. They are a Pacific Northwest lumber company that ships to Hawaii. They sell packages that include plans and every thing required for a home excluding only the concrete, floor cover and light fixtures. I did years of research on this subject and other than living in a tent HPM or Honsador package homes are the cheapest solution to building here. The county will rubber stamp permits for these without a second glance. Custom designs usually the magnifying glass and the fine tooth comb causing them to cost way more. I have a Honsador Hokulani and love it. www.honsador.com/Hilo-Style-Models

[@johnmazza9432]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 I live in NJ and was looking into these 'swingblade sawmills' for cutting dimensional lumber from large logs. Where I live, the tree guys actually pay to get rid of beautiful oak and maple wood. Not typically used for building but nice stuff if you know how to work with it. Maybe I should open a mill here and ship the stuff to Hawaii ? I was also looking into the borate wood preservatives. Not quite as effective as pressure treated wood but ok. I'm surprised Hawaii doesn't allow pressure treated wood. Perhaps they are concerned that the chemicals will end up in the ground water ? Those borates leach out of the wood if you use it outdoors so they're not much good for that use. A excellent wood treatment is antifreeze. It kills the bugs and the mold. Unfortunately , it will kill your dog too , if he eats it. Antifreeze has a high affinity for moisture and if you paint it on a green piece of wood, it gets absorbed very well and prevents the wood from cracking as it dries.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@johnmazza9432 Treated lumber is illegal for home construction here. The wood preserver stuff is allowed only for farm field fence posts. The boron isn't so much as used to keep the house pest free it is used to keep the Island pest free. Every stick of wood that enters this Island gets dunked in boron before it leaves the port. Never the less we still import wood boring bugs all the time. Since you are in NJ you will find the cost of sending your lumber from the east coast to Hawaii terribly expensive. All lumber in Hawaii comes from the west Coast so they only need to use a barge rather than a semi and a barge. It all depends on how much work you wish to do to calculate your costs but my own research turned up the package home is by far the cheapest way to build in Hawaii. You can't cut, saw, grade, ship and dip lumber cheaper than the major saw mills can. Check it out, you will see the numbers do not add up. As for the saw mills, most of the guys here use band saw mills. Lumber cut in Hawaii is mostly mango, macadamia nut, Monkey Pod and Koa. These woods are more like semi precious stone. They sell for huge sums and are only used for high end items. There is a lot of this sort of lumber being produced here and it is a good business but nothing like the lumber business on the mainland. It's more like a jewelry store than a lumber yard. The Douglas Fir I bought from Honsador for my house is some of the finest lumber I have ever seen used in a home. My building hardly even has a knot in it. There is no way I could get my hands on trees like the ones they sold me. At the time the entire house only cost me $64,000 in materials minus the cement. I found that most of what I had learned about property, building and land on the mainland really doesn't apply here. You got to put your feet on the ground here and spend some time before you get the lay of the land. It's different!

[@johnmazza9432]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 Yes, I was in Hawaii last Feb. I visited 4 islands - Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. Spent about 1 week at each. Only cost me $1100 in airfare. Quite a bargain I thought. Then I stayed at air bnb mostly. I know exactly what you mean about the soil types and different neighborhoods. I was constantly looking at real estate while I was there. I found a really incredible value on Maui. It was 9 acres in Haiku for $700k. It was fertile farm land with a water meter . The area got quite a bit of rain but it was a sunny sloping property. I just wasn't ready to make the leap. Hawaii is beautiful but it's quite an adjustment to move from just outside NYC to an island in the South Pacific. The big thing for me is that I own a home with lots of trucks and equipment I use in a landscaping business so it would be expensive to move everything there and start from scratch. Plus, the cost of building there was very high and the Democratic politics of Hawaii is a real negative for me. I don't even like the politics here in Jersey. The government always has their hand in your pocket. Know what I mean ?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@johnmazza9432 I got you. The aloha culture and the concept that others are your ohana is a basic foundation of Island life and it creates a left leaning political environment. The culture prexisted the politic out of necessity and isolation from island life. Government here is expensive but much of it is paid by the tourist economy. You all come to enjoy and open your wallets, the rest of us just live here and reap the fat. When it comes to year round residents the government tends to give more than they take. It is actually difficult to stay away from government assistance here. I went to talk to the state about some help with my Medicare part B and they tried to sign me up for several other financial assistance programs. Because i am retired I get many perks like two stage reduction of property tax, one at 62 another discount at 70. With these and a farm discount or primary residence discount property tax drops to little or nothing. There is an invisible price scale here for locals that the visitors don't see. It's called the kama'aina discount. I moved here from the California Bay Area, which others consider an expensive place to live. In the move Hawaii is actually cheaper. Taxes are lower, I don't need heat or AC, & we use the sun to heat water, run the house electricity and charge our electric car. Electricity and fuel are two of the most expensive things here. If you go solar home and EV auto you get past much of the cost. Land is cheaper here as is property tax plus the growing season is endless so feeding yourself is pretty easy. It costs less to live here than it appears at face value if you arrange it right. I've lived in cheap areas and in expensive areas. My conclusion is there is a good reason why some places are expensive. They are just better spots to live in. Economy is an abstract relative thing anyway. Where ever you are, what ever things cost, that's what you pay. You don't mess with price matching from Kansas to Maui. It's apples and oranges. By the way, Hawaii is in the north Pacific. 20 degrees north latitude. It is possible a guy could use some of this Eucalyptus plantation as saw logs and building material. Eucalyptus isn't considered the best lumber but the plantation trees are tall, straight and large. Red gum flooring is really pretty. I guess it depends on what you have to pay for stumpage.

[@bigbryguy30]

I would love to look you up when i move over and buy you a rootbeer float...mahalo brah

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You can always tell the locals at the Friday Luau at Kilauea Military Camp. They while away the evening over root beer floats.

[@TheNutCollector]

The coqui frogs in the background. 🐸

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

And the foreground and in the bushes and in the trees. Damn things are everywhere.

[@TheNutCollector]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 After 20 years of living on the mainland I am thinking about moving back to the Big Island. Coqui weren't a problem when I grew up on the Big Island, but apparently they have taken over. I've been getting info from my brother who lives in Hawaiian Acres and he told me that Coqui don't live in Volcano because it's too cold. He aslo said that most of the subdivisions, except his, have been paved. I remember the roads being horrible out in those subdivisions.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@TheNutCollector The Coqui is a permanent part of life I the Island. The government was far too slow at responding. The frog doesn't need water to breed so it is unstoppable. They do not do as well in Volcano but they are up there too. Chances are, in time they will make it to about 6000 feet and cover most of the humid areas. Some of the really dry spots like Kohala might be spared. We had no Coqui when I bought this property, it is infested now and I work at control. Any place on the Island will have them eventually so I wouldn't bother adding lack of frogs to the parameters. Some subdivisions have pavement, some do not. Some used to and now it it is destroyed. The only real solution to that issue is buy along a county road then the taxes will maintain the pavement.

[@crustybail]

Aloha Sir ... this is random but I’m looking for a friend of mine I haven’t heard from in nearly 15 years His name is Kekoa Gordon He plays guitar and sings and he’s out there somewhere living off the grid .. If you happen to know him - tell him CrissyBelle is lookin for him Thanks -

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Sings, plays guitar and lives off the grid. That limits things to 1/2 the Island! Sorry, I don't believe I've met him.

[@msdawn5720]

Listen to the man. He know.

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

We place too much importance on economics. Money and land value are abstract concepts that are constantly changing. When investing in property you only pay the price once but you might live with the implications of the purchase for life. Aloha

[@suzannegangs5204]

is hard for single mom to buy a house just with backyard?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I can't really answer that. Most houses in town have yards. Most houses out of town sit on one to 20 acres. I imagine "single mom" implies financial hardship. Everything here keeps getting more expensive by the month. Most sales here are cash sales. If you need to borrow you will have to use Hawaiian banks. Credit rating and amount of down payment will determine the reality of a purchase.

[@suzannegangs5204]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 I really appreciate your response.. out of town on 1 acre land is good enough. Where to start

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@suzannegangs5204 Start by searching the MLS to get an idea of what the market here is like. Here is a link to the MLS www.hilobrokers.com/ Next, locate a realtor you can work with and arrange any finances ahead of time. Good property turns fast and will not wait.

[@suzannegangs5204]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 thank you

[@yennguyen-uj3ri]

Where is your location so I can buy land there

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Guess i didn't scare you off. I live in Mt. view, Big Island, Puna district.

[@davidhouseless2826]

Are there a bunch of tweakers in Hawaiian Acres?

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

I wouldn't know. I only know one guy who lives there and he is a good man. As for the rest of them, I never pass judgements about people I haven't met and do not know. Chances are they match the national average of tweakers.

[@davidhouseless2826]

@@GreenGardenGuy1 I'm moving home to the land I grew up on to try to let it make a come back before the jungle eats the house all the way. I really dont want a lot of tweaker neighbors. But now you know 2 people in Hawaiian Acres. Aloha

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

@@davidhouseless2826 I guess if you already have the spot then you have no choice on who the nieghbors might be. I am sure you will have a good idea very soon. Aloha, and best of luck

[@TheScouser1234]

I found myself watching you by accident but i am not a buyer for Hawaii.. i live in costa rica, need i say more / i moved here to my 3 acre lot 30 yrs ago and our weather is NOT hot like our beaches, everything grows in our area..but i was wondering while you rambling on ..why are you not showing your property en the video..IF WAS STILL A REALTOR I would have used all that rambling tiime SHOWING THE PROPERTY sorry i went on caps sorry... lolGOOD LUCK IF YOU HAVEN'T SOLD BY NOW ....

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

You must have misunderstood the point of my video. I have no intention of selling my property. I am very happy with it. I only do videos about land in Hawaii because people ask me to. It is a polite gesture to the viewers. I show my property frequently while discussing orchards and gardens. I am a horticulturist, not a realtor. Mele kalikimaka.

[@sashanealand8315]

very analytical, my take on it is consiter that Hawaii is very hot, isolated and no jobs

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

Hawaiian climate is broadly diverse. We have tropical conditions at the shore and permafrost in the mountains. It never frosts below 6000 feet but it always snows above 9000. Some places get over 300" of rain others get less than 6". Where I live I have never seen a temperature colder than 49 degrees or hotter than 89. The land is isolated from everywhere but we are hardly get to enjoy that isolation. People come here from everywhere and the stink of Washington can still be detected over the volcano fumes. Unemployment in Hawaii is better than the US average at 3%. Most people who want to work here can. Most of the rest of us either hustle for a living or just go fishing.

[@waynedavis9945]

Can I come there and help you and pay you to stay for awhile please let me know thank you

[@GreenGardenGuy1]

On occasion I do hire helpers but I only do that when they have their own place to stay, transportation and tools plus the skills I require. If you're on Island and wish to drop in and spend the day weeding with me I would consider it. I am picky about who I work with though.

[@waynedavis9945]

Okay thank you for letting me know take care