There are real estate bargains to be had almost everywhere, and that applies to Hawaii as well as the Mainland. The Aloha State has become a desirable place for vacation and retirement homes over the years. 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. If you’d like to read a comparison of Hawaii and California vacations consider the SoCal Vacation Guru.

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 love tropical weather and don’t mind the wet weather, consider Big Island real estate in Hilo.

On the west side of the island is the Kona District. As the tropical rain clouds pass over the mountains much of the moisture is squeezed out, and onto Hilo on the windward side. Consequently the Kona side is much drier. Most people seem to be inclined to the dry side, since there is more sunshine on average in Kona than in Hilo.

There is some excellent Hawaii land to be found in the Kona area, where coffee orchards are found at the higher elevations above Kailua-Kona. The last few years have hit Hawaii real estate very hard and it is possible to find some terrific deals on residential land. If you spend any time on the Big Island you will notice a more relaxed atmosphere than you’ll find on Maui or Oahu. This might be a good time to look at Kona real estate if you are in the market for a second home.