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My boyfriend and I are recent college grads planning on moving to the islands this fall. I am wondering what month would be best to move down. Is it hard to find apartments in October or November? When do most leases begin? Do prices for apartments rise around this time?
Also, we plan on finding a temporary place for when we first get there and this will have to be rented sight unseen. Any advice? How long do you think we should give ourselves in this temporary living situation before we find an apartment? Would a few weeks do or should we be thinking a month or two? We do have cats that will be traveling with us and we realize this could make finding an apartment a bit more difficult. We have secure jobs (working from home), so finding employment immediately isn't a factor for us.
I am also wondering whether it is necessary to rent a car when we first arrive? I plan on buying a car but want to give myself time to find the right car. Is it possible to travel by public transportation? From what I gather, it depends on which island and where you are located on that island. Is this true? Also, I am 23 with a clean driving record. Will it be very expensive for me to try to rent a car when we arrive? Will companies in the USVI rent cars to someone under 25?
Do most people on the islands use cell phones? Is the cell phone service spotty? What carriers do most people use?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!!
Posted : August 10, 2009 5:55 pm
Rental prices do not rise based on the month. Temporary accommodations can be had at Villa Fairview (www.villafairview.com). Do not rent anything here sight unseen. I don't know what sort of work you do from home, but if electricity is required, you will want to look for a place that has a generator. You will need a rental car when you arrive and can look for a car and apartment simultaneously. Public transportation will not be suitable for car and apartment hunting. Some rental car companies may rent to drivers under 25, but you will have to call each company and ask. You can find their numbers in the local phone book, which is available online here: www.viphonebook.com Many people here use cell phones and the provider you choose will largely depend on where you live; AT&T works best in some areas, Sprint works best in others. You will need a local (340) area code if you want local people to return your calls, as many folks here use land lines or VoIP and incur toll charges for other area codes.
Posted : August 10, 2009 6:16 pm
What island are you planning to move to?
Posted : August 10, 2009 6:23 pm
Trade,
Another of her posts states either STT or STX.
Posted : August 10, 2009 6:25 pm
Oh, OK. Thanks.
Posted : August 10, 2009 6:26 pm
Topic starter
dntw8up - Thank you so much for your reponse and the links - very helpful! Just wondering, do most apartments have generators? We need electricity and internet to do our jobs, so it sounds like we would definitely need a place that has one.
Trade - We are looking at either St. Thomas or St. Croix, leaning toward St. Thomas.
Posted : August 10, 2009 6:39 pm
Not most but some. You might have good luck renting a condo as lots of them have generators but many of those don't allow tenants to have pets but may allow owners to.
Posted : August 10, 2009 6:41 pm
Starting in January Hovensa on STX is having a major turnaround, bringing down a large number of short-term contractors this may impact the short-term rental market.
Posted : August 10, 2009 10:52 pm
I understand Hovensa has cut back considerably on the turnaround. There will not be as many contractors as first planned.
Posted : August 11, 2009 2:31 am
