We had a great time at Kip's and Jeri's place. It worked well for our family of 5, including 3 older teenagers. Plenty of space, and the beds were comfortable. We made a few meals in the kitchen and had what we needed to do so.
It was a nice experience being off the beaten path, in an area surrounded by nature, but still not too far from town. As others have said, it was fun hearing the frogs at night and birds in the morning. Yes, the geckos visit you at night on the lanai.
There was a grocery store and a pharmacy about 8 minutes away. Only about a half hour from the entrance to Volcano National Park, 15-20 minutes from Hilo, and 25 minutes to the Onomea Country Market (Lows), where we found the best shave ice!
Wifi was nice and fast. Appreciated that. We used the boogie boards - was nice not having to rent those.