Longevity of home in Hawaii?

[David L.]

Our family has an old plantation, single wall home that was built in the 1930s.  It has survived two big hurricanes ('82 and '92) but yet, family members feel that the house will likely need to be torn down within the next 20 years.  That would put the house to be just about 100 years old.  

Anyone thoughts on how true a statement that might be?  I'm sure it all depends on the condition of the house but is there any age where no matter what, it's not good to keep it going?  I know the electrical was completely redone recently.  Laminate was put in within the past 10 years.  There's various termite damage all around but it has been tented in the past decade.  Not really sure what else to consider when trying to figure this out.

[Emilio Ramirez]

Biggest thing in my opinion is the functionality of the space. Does the house work well as it is? Is it worth preserving? 

Second would be the structure. Is the foundation in good shape or does it require a complete replacement?  Are the studs structurally sound (assuming wood construction.. don't know Hawaii.) or are they dry rotted with lots of termite damage?

Third would be water infiltration. Is the house generally water tight or has mold started to grow in all kinds of places? If so, how is the water getting in? 

Get these questions answered and you'll have a good idea of what you have.