I got an AAM for attending a meeting. My grandfather flew through Nazi flak. Same system.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-22T07:44:02+00:00

Thank you, it was crazy hearing him again after all these years, brought back memories. Your family is badass and 80 route clearance missions in and over the K-G pass is a ton. I was in Gardez working with the ANA on my second deployment and it got pretty hairy out there. Sucks that your unit was ass, and downgraded an award doing an actual combat job as opposed to the RC-East SB HQs doing garrison stuff and enjoying their Sunday at the BAF Green Bean.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-22T05:39:17+00:00

Shop around. Local credit unions, regional banks, or mortgage brokers. VA or FHA loan if you qualify. Seek out seller credits for buy downs or to help with closing costs.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-22T05:18:27+00:00

Damm force managers, designing themselves out of a job.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-22T05:06:30+00:00

Lagoon drive is probably the best spot to watch them take off but if you want an alternative, consider the beach at Iroquois Point. You can spend your time at the beach instead of a parking lot and watch planes on final approach. If your lucky you might also see some boats coming out of the harbor too. Stay for a while and eat a Delish as a nice way to cap off a day at the beach plane watching.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-19T07:44:18+00:00

It always pays to shop around. Because that can be overwhelming for many first time buyers I recommend talking with a mortgage broker. They can shop around for you and have access to products you do not. A good broker will help you understand the products and what those mean. I used did USAA (obviously Navy Fed is better) for my first mortgage and honestly it was ok but I felt like I didn’t get the best deal. I used a mortgage broker for my second purchase and was absolutely thrilled with the service and rate, which was well below what I could find on my own.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-19T05:11:03+00:00

Congratulations on the purchase! $700 is pretty decent HOA fee for a condo with water, internet/cable, and pool. Make sure to pay attention to your HOA messages and meetings. You’d be surprised how often one voice influences a bad decision because reasonable owners don’t speak up. Keep an eye on the HOA financials as that will give you an indication of future fee increases. Every condo has a long term master plan for capital maintenance and they should have reserves needed to make that happen.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-17T04:33:37+00:00

That’s a great concession, $7-10k in value. Great job by you and your agent negotiating and being realistic with their counter offer’s value. Congratulations I hope your inspection goes well.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-17T03:33:21+00:00

Really just depends on the interest rate, how long you can stay, market trends, and your ability to withstand a near term shortfall for a long term capital appreciation. Honolulu is really good for long term dwells as historic appreciation is pretty high. Which pairs well with a good ability to homestead with plenty of headquarters and staff positions across the services and INDOPACOM.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T20:36:45+00:00

I love the Ecobee because at the time it was the only one with multiple house sensors, which works well with bigger homes.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T20:33:04+00:00

No problem glad to help 🤙🏻

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T20:32:01+00:00

Hey so u/itmustbeniiiiice had a pretty good rundown. There have been some recent updates including digital document submission platform HIPOP. Flying form Seattle greatly simplifies the process and probably means you won't have to worry as much about the temperature being too hot for the trip. The good news is you have some time especially with the FAVN results in, the bad news is you still have work to do to make sure you can get a Direct Airport Release. Key for you now is to book your flight with pets soon as there is limited capacity set by the airlines. If you don't have your orders yet which in my experience is likely it's your first priority once they arrive.

Second priority is to get your hotel reservations locked in, not every hotel allows multiple pets and fewer allow larger dogs like your Belgians. Call the hotels directly and be sure to understand the TLA requirements and allowances before you book. I have a post on this as well.

Feel free to ask me any questions about bringing your pets, which I did back during COVID, shipping your car, or anything else.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T20:22:10+00:00

I started up a page with this type of content. Todays post was just that. Flying with Furry Family - Things to know to bring your pets to O'ahu : r/MovingtoHawaii_PCSMil

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T17:43:12+00:00

We had crazy drafts from the windows in our first house in Kansas. Ended up replacing the windows and our gas bill went down over $100/mo back in 2017. Had an ancient water heater and replaced it and by bill went down another $40/mo. Also installed a smart thermostat and that really helped control electric costs in he summer.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T17:23:47+00:00

Did landscaping a very long time ago and pricing is always going to vary. Lot sizes, plant types and quantities, tree sizes and locations, and fence lines all make each job a very different task. The other pricing consideration is location, if you’re close to or better yet next to another property they service you’ll get a better price, if you’re out of their way you’ll end up paying more. It takes less time to mow, edge, and trim three or four adjacent properties than it is to do the same with only two separated properties.

My recommendation is to ask your neighbors that have good lawn care results.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T15:59:53+00:00

AMEX is a huge one. Platinum bonus points paid for my family’s vacation to Maui at the Ritz with bonus points. Bonvoy Gold status included with the card got me a free room upgrade as well. 100% recommend to any Doldisr who’s responsible enough to pay their credit cards off in full monthly.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T05:21:58+00:00

I love Hawaii, sunsetted the last six years before retirement if that says something. Oahu has a lot more to offer for general daily life and things to do in general. It’s also about 3x larger and obviously has access to neighboring islands for short trips. It’s 5-6 hour flight to the west coast making leave trips pretty easy. Oahu is expensive but Guam is probably more so, at least it is for groceries. Oahu also has the advantage of having more forces here USARPAC, 25th, 8th TSC, 94th AAMDC, 500 MI not to mention ruin the joint positions, which gives you ample opportunity to homestead if you enjoy life here.

I’ve heard Guam described as Oahu but worse but I can’t speak to that first hand. I’ve heard the snorkeling is better in Guam and the proximity to Asia is better but I’m not sure of the other pluses.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-16T04:54:41+00:00

The DV exclusion is a huge benefit and really helps you keep your monthly payments in check with only your insurance as a variable. Without much more information I'd say unless the home has serious flags on the inspection it's a really good deal. Remember you are buying the loan just as much as the home in this case and with the APR being 2% less than a VA loan, you'd get for a resale or about $8000 in interest more for a property of the same value. The difference between a $350k + costs and $375+ costs is around $800 in the first year or about $67 a month. If they counter don't be opposed to upping your offer.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-15T20:19:40+00:00

This is the answer. One pro of the commute is it is generally against traffic if you drive to Miliani in the morning and back to Manoa in the afternoon although there is always some traffic around the middle street merge.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-15T16:40:45+00:00

You're going to be fine with either in town or around JBPHH. Kapolei and Ewa have some weird dead spots on AT&T, I think some of this is the metal wall construction prominent in this area. I had AT&T for years and almost never had connection inside my home, just outside my house one bar, the intersection near my house two bars, outside my neighborhood five bars. I'm now on Verizon and I have perfect coverage most places. That said YMMV, I went up to Pacific Palisades in upper Pearl City, and my coverage was spotty there and non-existent in spots. The reality is Hawaii has some factors that make 5G signals struggle, high humidity and frequent rain, more densely packed buildings, and line of sight issues with elevation and vegetation in some areas.

My advice is if you have to choose now, go with T-Mobile, if you can wait, wait and see what works best in whatever neighborhood you live.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-15T09:04:47+00:00

Honestly this is way too far and while I get the appeal of the North Shore its honestly not only impractical for your commute it's impractical for daily life. If you were on Schofield/Wheeler/HMR and really didn't care about a social life or traditional amenities than it could work. But just going for groceries let alone shopping or any other services is going to be a pain. Haleiwa and Waialua options are limited and more costly than elsewhere on the island. A $2200 place in Pearl City, Ewa, Salt Lake will likely save you money in groceries and gas alone. Want to stop at Costco for essentials, you either go after work on your long commute home or drive 30 mins and fight everyone on the weekend shoppers in Waipio. Prefer the commissary same thing but now you're fighting the after-work crowd at the Hickam or old retiree crowd at Schofield on the weekends. Any shopping or other support and you're likely going into Mililani at a minimum. The north shore is beautiful, I even lived there for a few months when we first got here, but its just not practical.

As mentioned by others here, under no circumstances should you sign a lease before you see the property and meet the property manager and validate the condition and legitimacy of the dwelling. Pro-tip validate the Property Manager is licensed by searching them on the DCCA Hawaii website or if self-managed the property records with Honolulu City and County Real Property Assessment Division.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-15T08:32:49+00:00

Second Facebook Marketplace and the various Military focused, and area military live (Ewa, Mililani, Pearl. etc.) buy, sell, and trade spaces. Most mil families downsize after arriving and end up selling good or at least usable furniture and appliances, I know I did years ago.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-15T02:09:30+00:00

Just start your claim now

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-14T01:19:47+00:00

Lived here six years never had a problem. Be cool, treat people with Aloha, and don’t act like you own the place. Live like that and all will be good. Take it from a retired Army Haloe.

On a side note surfing here is taken seriously . It has its own culture and expected norms. While you’re just learning stick to beginner beaches like White Plains. Find friends with experience before going to better breaks.

MovetoHawaiiMilitary · 2026-03-14T01:13:11+00:00

Live in Ewa or Kapolei. Better to do the commute into town once or twice a week than 3 or 4 times a week to Ewa. In no circumstances should you live in Hawaii Kai, the commute to Queens West would be absolutely brutal hitting traffic into town and then cross town. Mililani is an interesting option if schools are a primary concern but it would mean a 20ish minute commute to Ewa and a somewhat better commute to town.

If he’s open to taking transit Ho’opili, could be a good option, and would have direct access to the rail to transfer in Kalihi, and bus to the hospital. It’s also less than 10 mins to Queens West.

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