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the bills and help us provide a living for our family and supplement several others <br /> on island. We have gone through the process to make our home ADA compliant <br /> and accessible. We, like other hosts, direct many of our guests to several local <br /> restaurants and businesses on the island. We strongly encourage our guests to <br /> participate in several agritourism activities that support the recent state initiative to <br /> promote this. <br /> Being able to have the freedom to short term rent our home has allowed us to <br /> temporarily provide education to our kids while allowing them to play the sport <br /> they have played since they were children. It has allowed my husband to secure a <br /> job so he can provide for our large family, and keep the cost of living affordable. <br /> Our long term plan was to move back to our home, on the Big Island, once our <br /> older children are off to college and we are back on our feet. <br /> According to the most recent bill, we would be grandfathered in, however are <br /> concerned with the County's ability to not renew under extremely vague <br /> circumstances referenced in the bill (i.e. "pertinent violation of the law").We are <br /> also concerned with all the additional costly and timely permitting and registration <br /> requirements.The other issue with under the current bill, we cannot have the <br /> option to move back and live in our guest house while continuing to short term <br /> rent the other on the same property. <br /> Due to all the aforementioned reasons, if this bill passes as is, we feel it would be <br /> best to sell the property. We will not long term rent it due to the expenses versus <br /> rental income and lax landlord rental protections. We would no longer be paying <br /> the taxes to the County and State. We would list it, more than likely it will sell for <br /> cash to someone on the mainland or Asia,thus further increasing the cost of <br /> housing (and requirement for cash offers in the state).We would have to terminate <br /> our long term lease with our on-site hosts who have lived there for the past 8 years <br /> as well as their employment. We would then be forced to sell our other long term <br /> properties or have to increase our rent to be able to afford to keep them to <br /> supplement the loss of short term rental income. We would have to terminate our <br /> 9 employees and no longer direct guests to local businesses. The worst part of <br /> this is our family, 5 kids born and raised on island, would probably never return to <br /> the island as we would be priced out of Hawaii like many others before us. <br /> I understand you are hearing lots of testimonies and received several similar <br /> letters. Our family is just one story to you. But this is our life and livelihood. We left <br /> Hawaii and tried our best to bring the feeling of Aloha and Ohana to those we are <br /> in contact with on the mainland. They call us the Hawaii refugees in our town, <br /> knowing that someday our plan is to return. How sad that the message that is <br /> given to the world is that the State of Hawaii pushes hardworking families and <br />