There are real estate bargains to be had almost everywhere, and that applies to Hawaii as well as the Mainland. The Aloha State has become a desirable place for vacation and retirement homes over the years. It’s easy to miss how large the Big Island is, with many different climate zones and a total land area that is bigger than all of the other islands in the state combined. The SoCal Guru website has some information on the differences between Hawaii and its easterly neighbor California in terms of weather, water and other factors.
The community of Hilo is on the wet side of the island. It rains almost every day, and this has created a very tropical environment. The county of Hawaii has its primary government offices in Hilo. If you love tropical weather and don’t mind the wet weather, consider Big Island real estate in Hilo.
On the leeward side of the volcanic mountains is Kona, which is much drier than Hilo. Because of the direction of trade winds, much of the moisture is squeezed out of the incoming air when it passes over the numerous volcanoes. That explains why the leeward side at Kona gets so much less rainfall. The sunnier climate tends to draw people, especially vacationers, to the dry side of the island, although Hilo has a substantial permanent population of residents.
Kona and Kohala offer a great deal of Hawaii land with terrific ocean views and coffee orchards around 1,000 feet above sea level. It is possible to find large estate homesites at prices that are way below the peak in 2006. The feeling is different on the Big Island compared to Maui, Oahu or even Kauai. If you are thinking about buying land for a retirement or vacation home, take a look at Kona and the Big Island.