No water meter for 9 years?

[Hen Ley]

Looking at purchasing an REO that doesn't currently have water- Evidently it was removed approximately 9 years ago when payments were missed and the foreclosure process began. The county hasn't been able to provide the listing agent with a time frame of when the water could be reconnected, or even if it can- The property is in Hawaii and it sounds as though there may be some complexities surrounding getting water in this particular area- Is there a way to navigate this, or should it be avoided altogether? What potential issues may exist without water in the home for 9 years?

[Colby Hanley]

@Hen Ley  It can be done since the property has had a meter before, if the property never had a meter then you need to get on the water meter list, but the list has been closed for over eight years to new applicants. They will not open the list till they exhaust the current list. I have been on the water meter list for over twelve years for one of my property’s upcountry, I am #708 out of over 1200 on the list and I was told they are around the mid 80’s as of the beginning of the year (2019) and they are only releasing 30 water meters at a time. One option is water catchment depending where and how much room you have. One of the neighbors did this option but it has its own issues, set-up cost (tank/pump), rain fall and treatment of water. If there is not enough rain fall you can truck water, but you are looking at $500 +/- per 3500gal load. But if you get the property at the right price it can be worth the hassle. Remember you make your money on property when you buy it, not sell it.