Cost of Living

...the baseline loan limit will be $726,525 for one-unit properties....

...Hawaii has one of the most onerous business tax situations. Another drawback: the highest cost of living in the U.S. Hawaii’s median home price of $708,000 is $115,000 more than any other state....

...Public Encouraged to Apply for the County's First-Time Buyer's Program....

...statistically significant upward adjustments on average are observed across utilities that experienced decoupling....

...how some well-intentioned regulations have had a chilling effect on efforts to build more homes....

Many Hawaii taxpayers breathed a sigh of relief after the state Supreme Court on Oct. 19 voided a ballot question that would’ve allowed the state to raise taxes....

...Hawaii among three most expensive states for home health aide services and for long term care in nursing facilities....

...LendingTree Ranks Down Payment Affordability by State....

...lower state and county taxes, reduce government regulations, allow more housing to be built, update the federal Jones Act and narrow the scope of occupational licensure....

...The state depends on mostly low-sulfur fuel oil for about 70 percent of its power. In 2020, though, demand for that fuel is expected to surge, pushing up prices....

...Aloha State utilities cost $730.86 -- $202.90 more than #2 Alaska....

...How Affordable is Your Electricity? Comparing Electric Rates, Bills, and Burden....

...Government and the Cost of Living: Income-Based vs. Cost-Based Approaches to Alleviating Poverty....

...The average annual expenditures total $111,892. The median household income of $71,977 — the fourth highest in the U.S. — isn’t enough...even without putting anything away for savings....

...law professor Randall Roth and entrepreneur Stanley Lau are leading a community movement that says the measure will actually hurt teachers and our school children....

...Of the nation’s biggest 252 cities 93% have registered Y-o-Y rent increases, 6% flatlined, and only 1% of cities have seen their rents decrease compared to  September, 2017....

...The string of islands in the Pacific Ocean obviously have an economy that functions much differently than the other 49 states....

...Those opposed to the constitutional amendment attending the news conference today stood outside a modest, family-owned walk-up apartment on Date Street, valued at approximately $1.5 million, to draw attention to the type of investment properties that would be impacted by the new tax....

...This law, which we have discussed before, recently has been used to create a “school impact district” that goes from Kalihi to Ala Moana.... 

...24 key metrics that represent financial savvy — or lack thereof....

...The Board of Water Supply will have the ability to waive the water systems facilities charges and new meter cost for qualified on-site affordable and homeless dwelling units, up to 500 dwelling units per year....

...Hawaii’s governor signed a 100 percent mandate in 2015, making it the first state in the country to require its entire energy mix to originate from renewables. California passed a similar bill in August....

...the average debt in Hawaii is a whopping $869,250....

...Finally politicians are doing something about affordable housing--they're demolishing it....

...in 1969 the only places in America where housing cost more than three times incomes were Hawaii and Stamford, Connecticut. I don’t know why Stamford was on the list, but Hawaii had passed legislation strictly regulating where people could build homes in 1961....

...Stanley Lau who is the chair of the Affordable Coalition PAC which was formed to oppose the passage in the upcoming General Election of a constitutional amendment authorizing the State to tax investment property....

...Estimated prevalence rates of food insecurity during this 3-year period ranged from 7.4 percent in Hawaii to 17.9 percent in New Mexico; estimated prevalence rates of very low food security ranged from 2.9 percent in Hawaii to 7.1 percent in Alabama and Louisiana....

...opening up more land for housing should also be on the table, if policy makers want to ease pressure on the housing market....

...The administration plans to take the rate increase to the UH Board of Regents (BOR) as soon as it can be scheduled....

...Maybe it’s just a question of semantics....

...In 4th place Honolulu $100 is worth only $80.40, in Maui County, $93.90, but in the rest of Hawaii—Big Island + Kauai--$100 is worth $98.33....

...The real value of $100 in Hawaii is $84.46. That’s less than it was in 2016, when the real value was $85.62....

...Hawaii has the highest cost of living of any state....

...Mayor Alan Arakawa instructed all departments to give priority to processing permits for affordable housing projects....

...This study asks the question, how valuable is residential real-time pricing (RTP) in comparison to time-of-use (TOU) rates to absorb increasing sources of intermittent renewable energy?....

...2018’s Most Pet-Friendly Cities....

... Retired with a Million?  You've got 11 years ....

...of the projects awarded during the current administration, 433 affordable units are now under construction. In addition, 5,946 units are in the pipeline/pending phase, of which 5,235 are affordable....

...What are the interests propping up this archaic legislation?....

...the new Lalamilo windfarm follows in the path of the old Lalamilo windfarm -- but first they want a subsidy funded by higher water rates....

...According to CNBC, Hawaii has the second-highest tax burden in the country, just behind New York....

...In 2017, 38% of all U.S. single-family home purchases were made by first-time buyers....

...2018’s Most & Least Energy-Expensive States....

...Out-of-control living expenses in some of these places....

...driving is often a major hassle and expense....

...imposing heavy taxes, creating massive bureaucracies and lavish government programs....

...This rate decrease reflects the impacts of the recently enacted federal “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”....

...in some fields like Personal Care & Service and Food Preparation & Serving, Hawaii residents are left with debts ranging from $8,000 to $9,000.... 

...the variability of solar and wind power makes the system-wide costs grow considerably as their share of the power mix rises....

... PUC Plan: More solar and energy efficiency programs ....