DH works near Schofield Barracks, so we live in that area - I haven't been out to Kaneohe much. I know a lot of people like to live in Kailua, and I've heard that the Marine housing out there is really nice.
There are some pretty areas near Honolulu, but I can't think of the names. My friend lives up on a hill above Honolulu, and they have gorgeous views. I knew people (not military) who lived in Hawaii Kai and loved their home, but I've only driven over there a few times. That side of the island (from K Bay and Kailua, all the way around the windward (east) coast is gorgeous. The only thing I don't know about living in those areas (Honolulu, Hawaii Kai) is how the drive is up to Kaneohe during rush hour. If we were going to be stationed over that way, Kailua would be the first place I'd look.
And just to throw this out there... If you LIKE city/urban life, there are lots of high rise condos in Waikiki/downtown Honolulu.
Random question: will you be bringing pets? If so, have you started getting everything done for them? You need about 4-6 months if you want to avoid quarantine. I think it's the bloodwork that is the longest part of the process. We successfully kept our cat out of quarantine the first time we arrived, but had to leave him for a few days when we came back because we couldn't get a pet-friendly hotel. (Those are really scarce.) Otherwise, we could have picked him up immediately that time, too.