Negotiating pay when I have been out of work, bookkeeper here

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a bookkeeper. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I looked up ranges in Honolulu and they vary a lot. How do you research fairly?

I gave a range based on local postings and said I was flexible depending on the whole package. They did not push back.