Life in Maui

When I first talked about coming to work in Hawaii, the first thing my contact here asked was if I was planning on buying a home. I know that there is a lot of resentment over non locals buying up the homes to the point it makes it out of reach for the locals. The house I'm at is in a gated community of very high end homes. The landscaping very green and lush, the way Hawaii was back in the day.  When you drive away from this area, you see all the signs of water restrictions and very dry yards.  I was wondering how this neighborhood is able to keep everything so green and watered. I have my first meeting and site visit to the church today to see what is possible in opening a thrift store. I know there is a cultural part of living and working here that I have to learn and adjust to. Then there's the cost of living here, food is outrageously expensive, even by California standards.