Hawaiians Buying Homes in Hawaii is a WIN for everyone
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There’s a really pretty, nice, well-kept house next to us here in Hawaii, that has always (for the few years we’ve lived here) had a single, military person renting it. They’ve never introduced themself, and we’ve never gotten to know anyone over there. You wouldn’t even know anyone lived there, it’s so quiet. I might see them get in or out of their car every once and while, or might not see them for weeks. It’s kind of been this empty house in a lot of ways.
All of a sudden, a few weeks ago, there was noise coming from the house - talking and laughter. I thought maybe whoever was living there was moving out because I saw moving equipment. But then it became apparent that someone was moving in. As I, (not creepily), saw them moving boxes and furniture, I noticed that for once, it was a family moving in. I saw kids running around and heard their laughter coming out of the open windows.
What really caught my attention was that it was a very friendly, local family. There are so many local families that are struggling to make it work and stay in Hawaii, that seeing them moving into this home really made me so happy for them. It’s no secret that it’s a constant struggle to pay for the high cost of living here in Hawaii. I believe it is a win for everyone when a local family can afford to stay in Hawaii.
When people come to visit Hawaii, one of the things they love most about the islands is the friendly people, the “Aloha Spirit”. They talk about the generosity of the local people who are here. Yes, Hawaii is beautiful, but it’s a beautiful place because the people who first came here took care of it and maintained its beauty and passed on a beautiful, rich culture that has intrigued the world.
People come here and they say they love Hawaii and part of loving Hawaii is loving the people who are from here. It is sad, and everyone should be sad about it, when people who are from Hawaii cannot stay here (for many reasons I won't get into now).
It’s a win for everyone when a local family can afford to stay in Hawaii. When they can afford to buy a house, or can afford rent - especially in a more affluent neighborhood.
Seeing this family move into this very lovely home (that maybe I secretly, small kine, wish could have been me) had me reflecting, and more than anything I was just happy for them, and happy for Hawaii that they are here because we all win.
Let’s hear from you in the comments - Do you think the displacement of local families in Hawaii will result in a loss of the Hawaii we know and love?
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Yes, I truly believe that the old Hawai’i will soon be lost. It is already changing with more violence and less Aloha. So many people are always so angry. Even locals are going at each other. This is so sad. With newcomers who like our “Aloha Spirit” but do not reciprocate or practice it themselves, the local trend is dying. Local families that relocate elsewhere take their “Aloha Spirit” with them, and outside newcomers replace them. It’s sad to say that it’s mostly newcomers that purchase properties now cause the local families are struggling and trying to just survive. Local people try to instill “Aloha” in our children and friends to carry on the spirit throughout the generations. But, I’ve also seen some locals that had moved away and had a family in the mainland and later come back but have lost a good part of the “Aloha Spirt”. They also didn’t teach their children about it either. So we have another generation that do not emote the “Aloha Spirit”. (I know, cause my son inlaw is one of them 😂) I had to teach him and still have to correct him sometimes! 😂 It’s our job to teach them to carry on the culture of our people.