I am thinking more of the Leeward side, maybe Ewa ( price is more in my range )
One of the few places on the island where you really want to have air conditioning. On the other hand you're only a few minutes from great south shore surfing at White Plains Beach.
Check the tsunami inundation maps before you buy here. Also consider the approach path to Honolulu airport.
or Mililani ( don't like the HOA fees )
Mililani homeowners currently pay $34/month. I know of only one other HOA on the island that's cheaper, and that's Waipio Gentry (a mile south of Mililani) at $12/month. Mililani's costs are spread among 14,000 homes and they have a fairly professional board. Waipio scored a huge sale of excess land about 15 years ago which has artificially supported low fees since then, and they're going to have to start raising them soon. But even if they double fees they'll still be the island's cheapest. Waipio's board... not so bad, but not exactly a deep pool of candidates.
If you're a condo owner in either community, though, you'll pay another layer of HOA fees above & beyond the neighborhood HOA fees. I don't like the condo HOA fees either because they don't seem to offer value for the money.
or even Makakilo ( a little beyond my budget ).
There are bargains up there too, and it's certainly a lot cooler! But that's one heckuva hillside.
If you're already familiar with Central Oahu then you might want to take a look at Launani Valley (near Schofield), Kunia, Waikele, and Waipio Gentry. The character of Mililani homes also varies dramatically within a few blocks.
If you decide to go with a Mililani realtor then I can recommend
Tim & Jen Warren or
Beth Makanani. I spend a lot of time consulting Tim about surf spots/conditions.