There is no better time to be on the lookout for real estate bargains, especially for land in some of the most desriable locations like Hawaii. Many people have purchased homes for retirement or for a vacation destination in our fiftieth state. The Big Island of Hawaii actually offers more land area than the other islands combined, and there are some very nice areas of widely divergent weather and geography. The SoCal Guru website offers a good comparison between Hawaii and its easterly neighbor California in terms of weather, water and other factors.
You will find the quaint town of Hilo on the east side of the Big Island. There is a reason that this area feels so tropical; it rains nearly every day. The county of Hawaii has its primary government offices in Hilo. If you prefer the wetter tropical environment, consider Big Island real estate in Hilo.
One of the other districts on Hawaii Island is Kona, on the dry side of the slopes. As the tropical rain clouds pass over the mountains much of the moisture is squeezed out, and onto Hilo on the windward side. That is why Kona is generally much drier. 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. Give some consideration to the Big Island, and especially Kona, if you are thinking about purchasing land for a vacation home.