friends moved from honolulu to big island - and they lived in kaneohe originally so they thought they were used to the humidity issues, but the mold/mildew problem is so much worse in some parts of big island due to the elevation. when it gets colder at night, the moisture "sticks" to everything and stuff molds so fast. Go away on a vacation? Your house might smell like the dankest basement and your closets might have actual mildew on them after a week. You gotta leave an "air gap" around things. It's vital to flip your mattress.

press wood cabinets are a no-go. They just swell up with moisture and mildew. In fact, just take off the faces of the cabinets. open shelve everything and run dehumidifiers if you can afford it.

Obviously is you're richer, you can live kona side. But most people move to big island cause it's cheaper, and the cheaper size the mildew zone.

If you have asthma or any allergies it can be unbearable. If you get an upper location with a good breeze it can mitigate it.