KOLOA, Kauai, Hawaii -- The high-flying housing market sweeping through the islands is hitting the neighbor islands especially hard. For example, the highest median home price on Maui is also the highest in the state at more than $600,000.

KITV 4 News reporter Paul Udell found the affordable housing situation on Kauai especially hard for local families.

Visitors are back in droves on Kauai after the economy was devastated for years following Hurricane Iniki. Vacation rental sales are booming and so are vacation home sales for mainlanders. Some local residents are making big bucks from the housing market.

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It not so for those who live in a rented half of a house in Koloa. The Akaus have been told to leave their rented home by June. The landlord wants it back. That's life in Kauai for too many local residents.

"It's been real difficult because we've been trying for years to buy a house and every time we get close to a project everything just falls out of place, Dwayne Akau said. "Honestly if we don't qualify for a program at this point I don't think we could ever afford to buy, or if we did we would be working all the time."

"It would be really hard. Right now, he works during the daytime; I work at night. So, we don't have to pay for daycare," Erin Akau said.

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The Akaus have four children; three are school age. Their 2-year-old daughter stays home.

Erin is a waitress at a nearby resort. Dwayne is a handyman.

When he thinks of a home, he thinks of the kids.

''My family will have their own home to come to and pass it down to the kids down the line. It's actually for their future, not for us," Dwayne Akau said. ''Everyday what I think about is: When am I going to get my house and move forward instead of paying somebody else every month?"

They're worried if they do buy a house they'll be working all the time to pay for it. They're concerned about what that will do to their family.

They know the visitors bring the money that pays the bills. However, they're frustrated by second homes for mainland owners that stand empty most of the year. Those owners shrink the housing supply.

In their backyard, in the Kauai they love, with the child who doesn't know yet what the fuss is all about is father with a worrisome thought. Dwayne is worried the family might have to leave the islands.

''Yes it is a concern. I mean if we want to move ahead and nothing's happening here, that's the next step we have to take," Dwayne said.

Tips For Homebuyers:

Don't buy more than you can afford.

Take care of your credit rating.

If you find a house you love, keep your feelings to yourself. Don't express them to the seller.

Visit at night and on the weekend. Your dream house may get a lot noisier.

Check for industrial sites nearby. They might not make the best neighbors.