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Affordable Paradise (Paperback)

by H. Skip Thomsen (Author) "There's a magical, special feeling in these Islands of Hawai'i..." (more)
Key Phrases: catchment systems, rubber slippers, vacation rentals, Big Island, Wood Valley, Kaiser Permanente (more...)

3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Review
"I moved here from the mainland, and I can tell you from experience - this book is right on." -- Melissa Weber, andHawaii.com, Hawaii Travel Information, Nov. '01

"I moved here from the mainland, and I can tell you from experience - this book is right on." -- Melissa Weber, andHawaii.com, Hawaii Travel Information, 11/15/'01

"If others find your enthusiasm as contagious as I did, your’e on your way to a very popular title." -- Pelin Thornhill, Lonely Planet Publications, April, '01

"If others find your enthusiasm as contagious as I did, your’e on your way to a very popular title!" -- Pelin Thornhill, Lonely Planet Publications 4/21/01

Product Description
Have you ever dreamed of living in Hawaii? Living in the Islands has remained a dream to many, largely because Hawaii’s reputation of an out-of-reach cost of living.

"Affordable Paradise: the Secrets of an Affordable Life in Hawaii" dispels the myth that it is terribly expensive to live in Hawaii. You will learn why all those "statistics" about housing prices and the cost of living do not apply to those who are serious about affordable living. You'll learn the secrets of making the most of every dollar--and that does work differently here than on the mainland.

The focus of “Affordable Paradise” is the Big Island of Hawaii, and particularly the Windward Side, a place of awesome beauty and incredible variety. The Windward side graciously embraces the essence of Hawaii: the lush, tropical ambiance; the gentle and easy pace of life; friendly people of many cultures; the perfect weather; the warm, crystal-clear, ocean; the sparkling clean air; the spirit of aloha.

Also covered are the proven guidelines of making your move to the Islands for minimum cost and hassle, from the planning stages to unpacking your container at your new Hawaii home; resources and ideas for income and retirement opportunities, a Virtual Tour of the entire Island, and much more.

You won't have to wade through pages of tables and charts of statistics to get to the bounty of both philosophical and nuts-and-bolts information. And should you be interested in reviewing statistical data, the Resource Guide directs you to some of the best available.

But before you jump in to start looking for that new home, please understand that "Affordable Paradise" is not an effort to sell Hawaii to the masses. It is as much to discourage those who would not be at ease here as it is to encourage those to whom Hawaii could forever be their home. To that end, the author strives to present both sides of the picture. You will not hear that Hawaii is everyone's Paradise, because clearly, it is not. But for those who are at peace here and who yearn from their hearts and souls to live here, we offer ways to make it possible and affordable. You can live a gracious and rewarding life in Hawaii on a modest income, and you're about to discover how.

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Product Details

Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Oregon Wordworks (October 2001)
ISBN-10: 0962596094
ISBN-13: 978-0962596094
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #461,619 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
There's a magical, special feeling in these Islands of Hawai'i. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
catchment systems, rubber slippers, vacation rentals

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Big Island, Wood Valley, Kaiser Permanente, Hilo Bay, Kailua Village, Hawai'ian Shores, Kehena Beach, West Coast, Affordable Paradise, East Hawai'i, Hawai'i Island, Hawai'ian Beaches, Beach Lots, Kailua Town, Wet Side, Coconut Island, Home Depot

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	63% buy the item featured on this page: Affordable Paradise 3.8 out of 5 stars (27)
	17% buy So You Want to Live in Hawaii: The Guide to Settling and Succeeding in the Islands (Second Edition) 3.8 out of 5 stars (34) $17.95
	7% buy Culture Shock! Hawaii: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette (Culture Shock! Guides) 4.0 out of 5 stars (1) $10.85
	7% buy The Hawaii Home Book: Practical Tips for Tropical Living 4.4 out of 5 stars (5) $13.57

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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

Average Customer Review

3.8 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fairly informative, but very specialized, March 11, 2002

By	M. Broderick "mikebinok" (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was attracted to this book partly because the authors focus on the same idea I had reached on my own--That the Big Island, especially the Eastern side, is one of the most affordable places to live for those settling in Hawaii.
The book does deliver reasonably good information on that subject, but is of very limited use if you are intent on settling elsewhere in the Islands. It does have two chapters I thought were very worthwhile in a more general sense--One on the reasons NOT to move to Hawaii, including some insights on how to predict if you might be unhappy there, and a chapter on the detailed process of packing, moving, and shipping your possessions.
Overall, a rather limited book. On the other hand, if you are actually considering making the huge leap of moving to Hawaii, the limited cost and short time it takes to read this book may be very good investments, even if you don't fit the model of a settler on the Big Island. I should give fair warning, I have NOT (yet) moved to Hawaii, so my evaluation of the book is based on logic and instinct rather than personal experience with making the big move!

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40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Multiply by 2, April 3, 2004

By	scott fothergill "Sraj" (Hilo, Hi, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Affordable Paradise: The Secrets of an Affordable Life in Hawaii (Paperback)

Just back from a 16 day adventure around the big isle (April '04) and I can easily say that this '01 edition is already way out of date. In most cases you can multiply by 2 on the prices given, so be prepared. Realize that in the last year alone the prices for Hawaii real estate have gone bananas. For example in an article that recently appeared on the Honolulu Advertiser's front page entitled, "Kaua'i housing prices 'insane'" it was shown that the median price for a Kaua'i condo had gone from $227K to $420K in one year! On the big isle, which is the focus of this book, condo prices only went up 38%. Residential property went up 19% As a real estate agent here in Sedona who has already made contacts to be licensed in Hawaii, I was amazed. Using this book and the best guide book of the island, Hawaii, The Big Island Revealed by Doughty and Friedman, we put over 1300 miles on the rental car touring the island. After a week in the the beauty and traffic of Kona (high land prices!), we visited Hawi, Waimea (where I used to live in the 70's), and the Hamakua coast before settling into the constant rain of Hilo. We had 10 inches one day and after 4 straight days of being house-bound we visited Paradise Park and then headed back to south Kona through Volcano for at least the chance of Sunshine.
Affordable Paradise was useful to a point and the author's obvious slant is towards the cheaper housing alternatives found principally in Puna. Even those prices are no longer relevant again by a factor of 2 times for the most part. Just don't get this book and expect to find a paradise home for under $100K that is the value and beauty you may be looking for. That said, we are in escrow now for what we think is a marvelous area - an area this book hardly touches on. The 1/3 acre lots are going for $40-85K and have lots of advantages - 800' elevation, 20-30 inches of rain/year, slower pace. So you can find something and this book will help propel you forward. Also the moving-portion may prove valuable as we are now preparing to relocate. Perhaps the fact that on the next to last day we swam with a dozen delightful dolphins at Hoo'kena Beach makes it easy to see why Hawaii has us ready to return.
Good luck and Aloha!

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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An update from the author!, December 24, 2005

By	Skip Thomsen "HiloGuy" (Hilo, HI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Affordable Paradise: The Secrets of an Affordable Life in Hawaii (Paperback)

After reading some of the reviews here, I feel the need to say this: Please make sure you get the Thrid Edition! Yes, the way Hawaii's real estate prices have been escalating, the First and Second Editons are way behind. The Third Edition was on the shelf early this year and is still OK on prices. We buy, remodel and resell houses and are very much in tune with the prices here on the Big Island. To be safe, you could add 10% to the values in the book. Regarding auto prices, as the book recommends, if you stay away from dealers, prices are about the same as Mainland in spite of one reviewer's claims to the contrary. My car-nut son, in San Francisco, is generally surprised at the relatively low prices we pay for our vehicles. One more thing, I stand by what I said about the "lava zones" on the Big Island. The Puna District is the fastest growing area of the State. There are homes, from humble to exotic, going up in record numbers. Evidently lot of people have done their homework and are comfortable building and living in this area. Many folks feel that it is good to do some LOCAL research before making important decisions here.

The Third Edition is in the stores everywhere and that's what Amazon is shipping, as well. Also, please visit the AffordableHawaiiLiving Web site for regular updates on prices and other developments!

Aloha!

Skip Thomsen

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book and a great help!
I just finished reading this book through a second time. My wife and I are in the process of making our move. Read more

Published 2 months ago by Traveler

1.0 out of 5 stars Title misleading
Although the title reads "The Secrets of an Affordable Life in Hawaii", it speaks only of the Big Island. Read more

Published 2 months ago by vickie

1.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't get past all the typos and mistakes
This book has some good information, although I agree with an earlier post that the author seems to have the attitude that anyone who doesn't survive long there must not have... Read more

Published 4 months ago by canyongirl

5.0 out of 5 stars Plenty of information
This is a wonderful book if you're planning to move to the Big Island of Hawaii. It breaks it down in an easy to follow way. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Adele Bouett

4.0 out of 5 stars This book was very helpful
This book has a lot of practical information and advice for people who think that Island living is as simple as just moving there. Read more

Published 23 months ago by S. Hansen

5.0 out of 5 stars Affordable Paradise
This is must have for anyone considering relocating to Hawaii. Very upfront with pros and cons.

Published 24 months ago by Jennifer Cooper

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book....Highly Recommended
After reading reviews on this site I ordered Affordable Paradise, as well as So You Want to Live in Hawaii by Toni Polancy. I loved Affordable Paradise and highly recommend it. Read more

Published on May 25, 2007 by R. Bunnell

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for moving to Oahu! (don't judge a book by it's cover)
This book is poorly edited, and looks like it was printed in someone's garage. No less than three different font types throughout the main text. Read more

Published on April 4, 2007 by H. Wilkerson

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Info
This guide is providing us with good insight as we plan to make the move to the Big Island. Having lived there many years ago as a young adult, and visited surrounding islands 3... Read more

Published on March 10, 2007 by F. Schaefle

4.0 out of 5 stars Big Island Living
This book is useful and comprehensive for persons thinking about moving to the big island of Hawaii. Read more

Published on February 25, 2007 by C Chambers

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