We just got orders to Kaneohe Bay. Anyone have personal experience with housing there? Are we better off living in base housing or renting out in town? My husband is an e8 - it says 2800$ for bah, is this enough for a 3 bedroom rental in town or should be get on a list for housing?
Thank you!! 

My husband is E8, we are arriving in August. We are a family of 7, so we need at least 4 bedrooms, I've been stalking AHRN and CL and haven't found ANYthing in Kaneohe or Kailua for close to the BAH, with our bedroom requirements. I am seriously hoping that we stay in the Villas for 60 days, then something magically opens on base. :) 

DO NOT live off base! It is ridiiculiusly expensive. Most of the housing on base is brand new or renovated! The base is small quiet and secluded! And it has some awesome little secret beaches! I went to high school there and lived on base for 2 years back in 2006.

Even officers who are about to retire have a hard time paying for off base housing! I know when my family left in 2008 the state of Hawaii was implementing a mandatory $300 water fee! And it can go up if you go over the allotted amount.

Anywhere you would be able to afford to live would be in a not so great area and would still be expensive! You can opt to live in 802 housing on base where you pay partial BAH. It's a longer wait list but worth it IMO because you wind up saving money. 

And the base is 100% ID check at all times! If you don't have a base decal on your car you don't get on without going into the guard shack to get a pass even if you live on base and have a military ID. And if it's a guest they have to be sponsored on so that someone is responsible for them @ all times. I miss KBay! It was an awesome little base! So small everything was within walking distance or a 5 minute drive=) 

Are you saying the wait for 802 is longer than the other housing?? It's only 2-bedrooms, from the email the housing office sent to my husband and priority goes to E5 and below?

I have no plans to live off-base, and I'm trying not to be overly concerned. If we can't find an off base rental within BAH, that's large enough for all of us and our TLA runs out and we still haven't been offered a house on-base, what do we do?? 

If We already have orders can we put out name on a list? We don't leave until August. (not trying to thread jack) just very stressed about this move! Lol 

We are arriving in August, too. I've already sent our housing stuff, they've received/accepted it and emailed the housing areas we qualify for with floor plans to my husband. We won't be active on the list until he detaches from his current unit. She also said to call a week before we arrive on the island to make an appt with our counselor so we won't have to wait forever in the office when we get there.

Have you reserved your TLF yet? We're at The Villas until the middle of October. I'm getting really excited! :) 

No I havnt yet. My husband is currently deployed. And I really have NO idea what I'm supposed to do! Lol he doesn't really either since this will be out first PCS. And since he is deployed he doesn't have a whole lot of extra time to figure anything out since he's working 13 hour days... : / I really hope that we can get base housing. We have a 18 month old and I would just feel much more safe on base 

My husband is deployed, too, and even though he's been in 17 1/2 years, it's his first PCS. LOL I'm figuring it all out on my own. And it's super stressful!?!
I'd call about TLF ASAP, if you can. My friend is going in August, too, and she has a family of 5 and they have no room for her on base. Hopefully, with you guys just needing one room, you'll be okay. They require a one night deposit to secure the reservation. 

Okay I'll make sure to do that ASAP. Thanks for the info. Just so ready for my husband to be home! For obvious reasons of course and to help me figure out what the heck we need to do! They really should make this WAY easier for the families! Lol 

Have you arranged your move yet? That DTS website makes me want to kill myself!! LOL I want to get the majority of stuff arranged, so when my husband gets home, we can enjoy the last several weeks in CA. I'm hoping to make our flight arrangements next week.
:) 

Lucky!

Irish, I still can't believe you guys finally got order after all these years. 

LOL I can't believe it, either?! I'm making all of these plans and arrangements, but it feels like it's happening to someone else! I am so sad about leaving San Clemente, I've lived here my whole adult life, it makes my chest feel tight if I let myself think about it. :( 

"IrishTwinsx2plus1 --- 58 min ago - quote - flag comment - hide comments
LOL I can't believe it, either?! I'm making all of these plans and arrangements, but it feels like it's happening to someone else! I am so sad about leaving San Clemente, I've lived here my whole adult life, it makes my chest feel tight if I let myself think about it. :( "

I'm sure you're dreading it. I hate moving with a passion which is why I'm staying in Arizona with the kids while J moves to Germany without us. 

If kbay does not have housing readily available you are also eligable to live on the navy and air force bases as well..... They are right next to eachother.... You can literally walk from one main gate to the next. And they are a straight shot 10-15 minute drive to kbay=) so there are plenty of on base offers.

As far as 802 goes.... If its the same housing I remember they are town houses and they have more than 2 bedroom ones. The wait list is longer but because of the money you can save A LOT of 

Continued....

A LOT of people opt to wait it out and live in those. You can also stay at the lodge on base or they have cabanas you can rent right on the beach!! 

Do y'all have pets? Apparently if you fill out the correct paperwork quarantine is not 3 months long like it used to be. We rehomed our cat because of the quarantine law they have in Hawaii. They do not separate the cats and dogs so your cat will be terrorized the entire time and scared and your dogs and cats will be put in cages for most of the time. You can go visit but not for a very long time=( if you have pets make sure you go through the right channels and do the proper paperwork so that you are exempt from the quarantine. 

Thanks for all the replies! It can be stressful! My husband checks in around June, so we were thinking the kids & I would stay at my parents house for the summer and then head to Hawaii in August, hoping then that my husband could find us a home whether it be on base or a rental out in town. It IS hard to find a nice rental out in town for $2800/month though so the base seems more appealing at this time. Can anyone give me some insight on the schools my kids would attend on base, are they base school or public? We have one in JH and the other elementary.
Also, do they have pop warner football programs there? The base sports don't offer tackle football so we would need to join an out in town group such as pop warner!

Irish & Kansas best of luck on your move!! Please post back here with any tips since you guys will be there before me!!! :) 

If you guys know of any other sites to read about "moving to Hawaii" please let me know. I've only found www.city-data.com but it's about people wanting to move there and stay, I wish there were a site like this there. I'd love to hear from other military families who lived there for a few years. 

They have an elementary school on base. jr high would be off base. You are in a good area. Kaneohe is a really nice area.... It has some seedy parts but for the most part is nice.... Compare to he west side of the island. You want to go no further than ko Olina on the west side and stay FAR away from nankuli and waianae both pretty rough areas. As well as Kuhio street downtown. That's the street directly behind he main strip which is amazing. Just stay off Kuhio at night! LoL!

You want to make sure if you do rent it's not far from the base because traffic can get brutal!

As at as the public schools they are not the best. If you have the financial capability I would look into some private schools for your older child. 

Betty,

How far is the Naval Base from Kaneohe? Would housing be a better option there? Do you know the specific names of the JH schools there? I think we would not make the cut off time frame for applying for a private school since we will be arriving right before school starts. Hoping the husband can get it all set up before we come! :) 

Irish this would fit your family http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/2962067770.html

It's so hard trying to secure a house though when not there, for all we know it could be a dump. 

The navy base is literally 10-15 with traffic. It is a bigger base with more housing! The navy base and air force base are right next to eachother! So that's an option as well! Call private schools now! I don't know what JH your child would go to because I went to HS in Kapolei on the west side of the island about 30 minutes from Kbay!

A good thing about the navy base and AFB are 5 minutes from the NEX! The NEX in Hawaii is like a gigantic one stop shop! Thu have furniture electronics baby ..... It's like a mall compared to the one in SD! And stuff is way better priced than out in town.... They have an optical place... Car stereo and window tinting place.... Furniture store! It's amazing and I miss it so much! 

I was in Hawaii for 3 years.. I lived on base, in Waianae and Kailua. I have to say.. Waianae isn't nearly as bad as people think it is... to go for a trip.. It's pretty over there. A lot of people are concerned about the locals not liking military.. and to be honest.. They don't. They don't like the young punks who start trouble anyways. If you are perfectly respectable and don't cause them any problems, then you are fine. I love that side of the island. It is so beautiful. I did live in a nice gated community though, but I spent plenty of time going to the beaches in Wainae and Nanakuli. My STUDIO apartment there was $1300.. My couch was a couple feet from my stove.. and bed folded into the wall. Not worth $1300 (aside from my view!!)

My 2 bedroom apartment was really nice in Kailua. We paid $1650 a month but that was with a really good deal since my Mom worked with our landlord. The units around ours (identical in size) were going for $2500+

I would pick base housing if we ever went back! 

Thanks dreamer. Do you know the names of the public schools are off the Naval base and the Marine base? We are looking into private for our JH age kid, but most have application deadlines for Jan the prior year! Ahhhh I wish I knew the area first! 

I didn't have school age kids at the time, so sorry.. I am not help in the school department. 

Do any of your husbands work on the flight line? Seems like quit a few people are getting stationed to Hawaii around the same time 

My husband is going to 1/12, is that artillery? It really does seem like a lot of people are heading over there right now. A friend of mine is going at the same time we are, another is going next month, plus you gals here :) 

Sandsea - have you spoken to the school liason in Hawaii yet? I spoke with him today - he was extremely helpful and eased some of my concerns. 

My husband will be going to 469 I believe? I cant remember but he will be aviation (helicopters) mech. I actually had a salesman come to the door today and I told him
I didn't need to buy anything because I'm moving to Hawaii in a few months and he said.." Let me guess the Marines? I've already talked to a couple other people that said they are going to Hawaii also today" I was like wow really? Seems like a lot of people are going