What alumni say about the
Islander Ohana experience

You NEED to be part of the Islander Ohana cohort!

If you are considering a move to Hawaii you don’t just want to be a part of the Islander Ohana cohort, you NEED to be part of the Islander Ohana cohort! You cant put a value on the information you receive or the connections you make. Add to that if you purchase a home in Hawaii your Islander Ohana fee goes towards the purchase, that is a win win all around!

I absolutely love the Islander Ohana and found all of the information so useful in my preparation to make my move. I also love that right away you are connected to people who have either already made their move or are like you trying to prepare for a potential move.
The private FB page is awesome and great for sharing other information about Hawaii and I love that its private only to cohort members. Its also great for setting up Cohort meet ups, which is a great way to build community!

Another great thing about the Islander Ohana cohort is that you are always a member and you can be a part of any of the Cohorts. This allows for continued learning as well as sharing. It is also great because Peter continues to get feedback on what improvements could be made and what other information could be needed for future cohorts. This has allowed for growth in the program and a new section being added.
So would I recommend Islander Ohana…. Yes, Yes and Yes again!!

Jackie from Virginia, Fall ’21 cohort

…helped me learn about myself and what I really wanted from Hawaii

My name is Jody and I joined the Ohana programme 2021 cohort, after many years of research and procrastinating about really deciding to move to Hawaii. I did a search online many times and little did I know I would come across such a meaningful course such as the Ohana course. The Ohana course Showed me so much about what it takes to move to Hawaii, to learn more about the culture of the Hawaiian people and also it helped me learn about myself and what I really wanted from Hawaii.

‘Making it financially work in Hawaii’ was such a great aspect of the course as for me coming from London UK, it’s a major factor to relocating and getting planted long term. ‘Ace the job interview’ has also been a great guidance in preparing for job interviews and letting potential employers know what my true intentions are for being Hawaii. Furthermore ‘Is Hawaii right for you?’ This was a very sensitive topic for me, as in life we may always have others say “”that’s too far, the culture is too different, why would you move away from your family?”” I had to really focus on answering the big questions back to myself, if I stayed home in the UK with what I have always known, the same job and the same cloudy skies….would I still long to live in Hawaii?…. and the answer was YES! It was a sense of community, island Aloha culture, a healthy way of living and the great tropical sunshine, with the opportunity to explore the masses of such beautiful, picturesque nature on the island each time that made my answer secure in wanting to move to Hawaii.

To me, the Ohana course highlighted so much more of what it takes to live in Hawaii. It gave me a sense of community, learning about other members’ journeys and processes to transition from Home to Hawaii. I enjoyed the course so much and Peter made the course weekly meetups online fun and meaningful. Also being able to achieve certificates along the way of completing each section of the course was very encouraging as I didn’t expect it but it also made it rewarding. I would 100% recommend this course as it helped encourage me and gave me more drive to want to make it happen by putting all into action this time and to make the final jump as I had support from Peter and encouragement from the group. 

Jody from London, UK, Spring ’21 Cohort

I genuinely want to meet and hang out with everyone from my cohort, or even the other cohorts.

Thinking about moving to Hawaii? Wonderful! It’s a beautiful place! You probably already know about some of the risks and downsides of living in Hawaii, from the high cost of living to moving far away from friends and family. But there is much, much more to learn before taking the big leap. And while you may be able to piece together all of the knowledge you need on your own, there is a much easier way. And that is Peter Kay’s Islander Ohana.

I have been watching Peter’s YouTube videos about Hawaii for several years. At first, sporadically. I was on the email list, but I didn’t watch most of the videos, because it was just kind of a novelty at first. I enjoyed watching this congenial white-haired man drive his convertible around Oahu talking about the weather and what-not, but it was no big deal, just another YouTuber having fun, I thought.

But the more I listened, the more I came to understand that he really knows his stuff, and I thought, maybe this guy actually has a few nuggets of wisdom. And before long it seemed to become essential viewing. When I learned about the Islander Ohana, I thought, ok, this is actually a pretty great opportunity to really dig in and learn about Hawaii. Even then I didn’t understand what I was getting myself into.

The information that Peter imparts in his videos and in the cohort meetings is literally priceless. He covers nearly everything imaginable, and if he doesn’t cover it in a video, he’ll happily answer any questions you may have.

And possibly the best part is that you get to mingle with other people who are trying to do the same thing you are doing… Moving to paradise! The sharing of knowledge, swapping stories, and learning from what others did right (or wrong) is invaluable. I genuinely want to meet and hang out with everyone from my cohort, or even the other cohorts.

If you want to become a nurse, you should go to nursing school. If you want to get married, you should speak with a counselor. If you want to learn martial arts, you should join a dojo. And if you want to move to Hawaii, you should absolutely join the Islander Ohana.

Mark from Oklahoma, Spring ’21 Cohort

The best part is the encouragement and excitement in the group

Our family of six was ready to buy sight-unseen during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. After 8 months of research, we sold our house and almost all of our belongings. While waiting for a property to open up, we were able to take a breath…pause…and consider again all the facets of moving to Hawai`i by joining the Islander Ohana.

The best part of the group, apart from the kind host, is the encouragement and excitement in the group. By relating with other people who are also trying to live in Hawai`i, we remained optimistic amid the very real logistical struggle. After every meeting, I felt like hanging out with these folks if given the chance. The course cost is risking pennies by comparison if your move is a mistake or if you’re unprepared.

True, there is a wealth of information on the internet about moving to Hawai`i. What makes the Islander Ohana different is that it has a wealth of context from Peter and his partners are right behind ready to help you. He sincerely wants the “right” people who will make Hawai`i better to come. He demonstrates how Hawai`i returns the favor if YOU accept Hawai`i. You can feel the love he has for the people and the land of Hawai`i and wants to share and teach that Aloha Spirit with newcomers.

Everyone’s experience and situation is different in the group, but with the help of the Islander Ohana, we were able to make a confident decision that Hawai`i is still right for us, albeit not “right now” with so many little ones we have.

Darryl from Texas, Winter ’20-’21 Cohort

Having other people in the class made it more special than I had expected

To be honest, when I first heard about this cohort course, I was intrigued, but also wary. I was unsure about spending the money because I wasn’t sure if it was a scam of some sort, but you seemed genuine on the real estate shows, so I decided to take a chance.

I’m glad I did. Many of the things you talked about were things I’d noticed about Hawaii during my visits, but it was helpful to have you consolidate these observations. You confirmed things about Hawaii and its culture that I thought I saw, but wasn’t sure I was interpreting things correctly.

Having other people in the class made it more special than I had expected. One thing that I appreciated was the range of readiness to move. Some folks were getting ready to move this year and some were not going to be ready for several years, and perhaps might never move to Hawaii, but the whole range was acceptable.

Others suggested some details about logistics, and I had been thinking about that too. Also, I had been wondering about the banks. People in the class had good questions, and usually I don’t like long stories, but yours were fun.

Sara from Vermont, heart in Hawaii! Winter ’20-’21 Cohort

We learned from each other as well as Peter

There is a lot to think about and do in planning a move to Hawaii (understatement). The experiences that Peter shares make a great deal of the process easier.

There are things that I never would have thought about until the move was done and there are things I guessed to be very different. Peter’s open and honest lessons will make you think and will save you time and frustration.

Beyond what Peter teaches he binds the Ohana together and makes each member feel comfortable sharing their experiences and questions. That is important because we learned from each other as well as Peter.

When decisions need to be made, the lessons learned in the Ohana classes come quickly to mind and help to ease the stress. Knowing that the Ohana is there if more questions come up is helpful too. It will be exciting to meet everyone in person at Makapu’u!

Mark from Ohio, Winter ’20-’21 Cohort