Hayden Fennoy, REALTOR® (S), RS-87220 · eXp Realty Call / Text (808) 642-6119  ·  hfennoy@gmail.com
Hayden Fennoy HawaiiBig Island Relocation · eXp Realty
Relocating to Hawaiʻi Island

Move to the Big Island with local eyes on your side.

I help mainland and off-island buyers find the right part of the island first, then the right home: live video tours, honest answers about lava zones, water and true monthly costs, and no manufactured urgency.

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Live & recorded video toursKona · Kohala · Waimea · HiloeXp Realty
i.

Thinking about moving

What life here actually costs and how it works, before you fall for a listing.

 ii.

Choosing an area

Elevation, climate, water and lava zone shape daily life more than the address does.

 iii.

Buying from afar

Video tours, digital signing and a clear path from first call to keys.

 iv.

Selling here

Pricing grounded in real comps, presented with a photographer's eye.
Hayden Fennoy standing in a bright, open Hawaiʻi home
Black-and-white portrait of Hayden Fennoy in a sun hat
Why I help people move here

I know what it's like to start over somewhere new.

I was born and raised on the west side of Detroit and studied human development at Michigan State. That led to more than a decade of nonprofit and private-sector work, much of it overseas: 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, four years living in China, and travel through more than 40 countries.

Since then I've lived across Hawaiʻi Island, from Hilo to Nāʻālehu, and today I live and work in Kona. I got into real estate to help people. With my background in human development and nonprofits, I've always seen the value in helping people, and real estate is one more of the many ways I get to do that.

"Most buyers discover how different this island is only after they've fallen in love with a listing. My job is to give you that context first."

More about Hayden
Big Island area guides

Choose the land before the listing.

Elevation, rainfall, water source and lava zone change a lot over short distances. Each area guide uses public data from USGS, the University of Hawaiʻi, the Census Bureau and the County, with sources and dates on every page.

North Kona

Kailua-Kona

Median elevation
264 ft
Median rain
31 in/yr
Lava zone
4
To KOA
~14 min
Area guideNorth Kona

Keauhou

Median elevation
517 ft
Median rain
39 in/yr
Lava zone
4
To KOA
~28 min
Area guideNorth Kona

Hōlualoa

Median elevation
3,241 ft
Median rain
45 in/yr
Lava zone
4
To KOA
~24 min
Area guideSouth Kona

Kealakekua & Captain Cook

Median elevation
2,036 ft
Median rain
53 in/yr
Lava zones
3 and 4
To KOA
~32 min
Area guideNorth Kona

Kona Palisades & Kalaoa

Median elevation
349 ft
Median rain
19 in/yr
Lava zone
4
To KOA
~5 min
Area guideSouth Kohala

Waikoloa Village

Median elevation
646 ft
Median rain
11 in/yr
Lava zones
3 and 8
To KOA
~37 min
Area guideSouth Kohala

Kohala Coast

Median elevation
49 ft
Median rain
9 in/yr
Lava zones
3 and 8
To KOA
~33 min
Area guideSouth Kohala

Waimea (Kamuela)

Median elevation
2,894 ft
Median rain
39 in/yr
Lava zones
8 and 9
To KOA
~58 min
Area guideNorth Kohala

North Kohala (Hāwī & Kapaʻau)

Median elevation
640 ft
Median rain
58 in/yr
Lava zone
9
To KOA
~68 min
Area guideSouth Hilo

Hilo

Median elevation
349 ft
Median rain
153 in/yr
Lava zones
3 and 8
To KOA
~111 min
Area guidePuna

Puna

Median elevation
1,376 ft
Median rain
135 in/yr
Lava zones
1, 2 and 3
To KOA
~134 min
Area guideKaʻū

Kaʻū & Ocean View

Median elevation
2,179 ft
Median rain
31 in/yr
Lava zones
1 and 2
To KOA
~92 min
Area guide

Medians across each area's 2020 Census boundary. Elevation: USGS 3DEP. Rain: UH Rainfall Atlas. Lava zones: USGS (they vary by parcel). Drive: typical light-traffic estimate to KOA. Checked October 22, 2026. Methodology and full comparison →

Moving to the Big Island

What to know before you fall for a listing.

The process on this island doesn't work like the mainland. These are three of the nine topics I walk every relocating buyer through, each checked against official sources.

01 · Risk

Lava zones

USGS maps the island into nine lava-flow hazard zones, from Zone 1 (highest hazard: the summits and rift zones of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa) to Zone 9 (lowest: Kohala). Boundaries are approximate, so I look up the zone for every property.1

02 · Insurance

Zone drives coverage

Insurers price lava risk by zone. In Zones 1 and 2, private coverage can be hard to find, and many owners rely on the Hawaii Property Insurance Association (HPIA), the insurer of last resort. Get insurance quotes before you remove contingencies.2

03 · Ownership

Fee simple vs. leasehold

With fee simple you own the land. With leasehold you lease it for a set term, and Hawaiʻi rules require leasehold listings to say "leasehold" in the ad. If a price looks surprisingly low, check the tenure first.3

Read the full moving guide

Free guides

Read up before you fly over.

The same guides I send my own clients. Pick one, tell me where to send it, and it's yours.

Relocation

Big Island Relocation Guide

Places to live, schools, hospitals, lava zones, property taxes and island life in one short read.

Get the guide
Buyers

Big Island Buyers Guide

Buying on Hawaiʻi Island step by step, from first search to keys, including buying from off-island.

Coming soon. Request it and I’ll email it when it’s ready. Request the guide
Sellers

Home Selling Guide

Pricing, preparation, photography and marketing to off-island buyers.

Coming soon. Request it and I’ll email it when it’s ready. Request the guide
Condos

Kona Condo Guide

Tenure, HOA documents, reserves, rental rules and insurance questions to ask before you buy a Kona condo.

Coming soon. Request it and I’ll email it when it’s ready. Request the guide
Climate

Kona Elevation & Climate Guide

How rainfall and temperature change with elevation on the west side, with the data behind it.

Coming soon. Request it and I’ll email it when it’s ready. Request the guide
Light-filled living room with vaulted wood ceiling and ocean view
[PLACEHOLDER: confirm you shot this photo and have seller/MLS permission to reuse it]
For sellers

Your home, seen the way buyers will feel it.

Most of today's buyers meet your home on a screen, often from the mainland. I'm also a working photographer, and I market listings for the off-island audience who will be watching.

What's my home worth?

Reviews

Hear it from past clients.

My client reviews live on my Google Business Profile, in their own words.

Read my Google reviews ↗

Let's talk

Let's talk through your first step.

A free, no-pressure conversation about your goals, timeline and budget. Whether that means buying now, buying in a year or renting first, I'll tell you the truth.

Text(808) 642-6119Call(808) 642-6119Emailhfennoy@gmail.com

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Free guide

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