Advice for 20-Somethings

My youngest just spent a month in South Korea and visited the Jeju island!

I moved a wife and baby here with about that much. I did have advantage of already having a job and a month paid accommodations. It can be done with that much if you are frugal until you get jobs.

You'll do fine but if you can save up more money, especially if buying even a beater as it's expensive to live here. But maybe find shared accommodations to begin with. Check Craig's List but beware of scammers. It's better to live in closer proximity to where you work.
Public transportation not so hot during the day and non-existent at night. You'll need a dependable car.

October is a good time to look for jobs as most businesses gearing up for high season and hiring, especially restaurants and tour companies, etc.

Good luck.

Best I can do is give you some info on the fx of being new here with too little $$, & ask what "nothing to lose" really means for you. When my husband & I came in Sept. 2014 we took a pretty much impossible leap if faith. We had under $3000 but HAD to move, as owner of the house we rented needed it for her family because the house she lived in was in foreclosure. We booked a condo on airbnb for a week, & had to find a pet friendly place with pool or beach asap. We found 1 & proceeded to get by there for 8 months on only my ebay earnings til my husband finally invented a job for himself. Now he is overworked & we are both bats--t crazy after the trauma of it. A similar experience might feel less awful for resilient 20 somethings than it was for us, but researching other destinations can't hurt. Had I known that we were likelier to be able to pay the higher rents on STT because there was a lot more work there I would have jumped on it.

You'll do fine but if you can save up more money, especially if buying even a beater as it's expensive to live here.

I agree - you'll be just fine and I'm sure will be able to quickly find jobs. Maybe not "THE" jobs but something to keep you going while you settle in, find your way around and generally get adjusted. If Ronnie has space at Crystal Palace B&B above town that would be a good place to start out. Also look at Rhoda's Guest House in Tillett Gardens:

http://crystalpalaceusvi.com/
http://www.rhodasguesthouse.com/

Awesome, thanks so much everyone. Do you guys know if there are any places that rent by the month?

There are some but at higher rents as they'll be furnished and probably include electricity and other utilities. Most landlords want a 6-12 month min. My tenant leaves the end of Sept. unless his job is not completed and he has to extend his stay but a car is an absolute necessity in our location and not sure if I'm going to look for a short or long term tenant or move into the apt., myself and rent my upstairs main house.

You can check airbnb as well as Craig's List.

What type of work will you be looking for?

My landlord does not require a lease & charges $750 per month for a 1 bedroom condo

Awesome, thanks so much everyone. Do you guys know if there are any places that rent by the month?

It's best NOT to commit to even a month to month rental without first seeing it and particularly since you don't know the island. Both the places I linked earlier are close to public transportation you'll be very safe at either and staying there for a week or so will give you a chance to look around, get a car and thus have way more choices where accommodation is concerned. There are some great rentals to be had but your own transportation is a must for better choices.

Rents are higher in St. Thomas, kakalee.
Doubt you'll find a furnished 1 bedroom condo here in a good location.

What type of work will you be looking for?

We are going into it with a pretty open mind. Whatever we can find. I think we'll take whatever we can get as soon as possible so we have some kind of income and then go from there. My husband has construction/home remodeling/tile/flooring/insulation experience and I have restaurant/web/office experience. From what I've heard it seems like bar, restaurant, and hotel jobs are the most readily available but we are really open to any opportunity.

My landlord does not require a lease & charges $750 per month for a 1 bedroom condo

Wow, that's quite a deal! Where abouts?

It's best NOT to commit to even a month to month rental without first seeing it and particularly since you don't know the island. Both the places I linked earlier are close to public transportation you'll be very safe at either and staying there for a week or so will give you a chance to look around, get a car and thus have way more choices where accommodation is concerned. There are some great rentals to be had but your own transportation is a must for better choices.

Thanks so much for the info. I just checked out the links and they both look great. I guess I was just thinking it would be cheapest to rent a place for a month right when we get there and then buy a car as soon as possible so we can look for jobs and a more long term apartment. As opposed to paying per night.

I have been checking out some listings on Craigslist but I would be hesitant to send any kind of deposit to a stranger before we get there as I've been warned about scammers. But if any of you know of a reputable landlord who leases short term I would definitely consider it!

My landlord does not require a lease & charges $750 per month for a 1 bedroom condo

This is on STX, I believe.

Thanks so much for the info. I just checked out the links and they both look great. I guess I was just thinking it would be cheapest to rent a place for a month right when we get there and then buy a car as soon as possible so we can look for jobs and a more long term apartment. As opposed to paying per night.

I suggested these two places based on a couple of factors which I already mentioned and which are important - location and accessibility to public transportation. What I didn't throw into the mix was that the owner of Crystal Palace has a well-deserved reputation for helping out "newbies" and getting them settled; and that Rhoda's place is set in a thriving little art community where interaction with both the owners and the local shop owners and patrons can be invaluable in leading you to jobs, cars and rentals - many of which aren't always advertised on the open market. Your chances of getting settled in are much better in that sort of environment than being stuck "cold" in a rather more anonymous rental without that on-site help. My guess is that your stay at either would be no more than a couple of weeks at most.

That's a really good point. I hadn't thought of it like that. The connections and support would definitely be worth the extra cash. Would you recommend one over the other or are they both pretty good?

I really can't even begin to tell you how helpful you all are being. This kind of feedback is invaluable to us and we both appreciate it tremendously!!

I think both would suit your purposes so whichever looks best to you and your budget (and of course depending on availability at either!). 😀

Ask if they can offer you a short-term monthly rate. Most places here are more flexible during off season, so it pays to ask.

It is in Princesse across from Elena Christian School. Often noisy with a postage stamp bathroom & kitchen, I took it because it is pet friendly & has a pool & I needed something really fast. There are 6 buildings with 4 condos each, so something is almost always available.

It is in Princesse across from Elena Christian School. Often noisy with a postage stamp bathroom & kitchen, I took it because it is pet friendly & has a pool & I needed something really fast. There are 6 buildings with 4 condos each, so something is almost always available.

The OP is moving to St Thomas, not St Croix.

I second the Crystal Palace. I started my St Thomas journey there many, many years ago. Ronnie is the best landlord/foster father ever. 😉

Thank you so much everyone for your advice! Just made a reservation for a month at the Crystal Palace while we get our bearings. 103 days to go! 🙂

If you try driving around the island, especially the Northside of St. Thomas, you will see for rent signs posted on the side of the roads like Campaign signs. These are usually stuck out there by locals who were born and raised on the islands and most of them don't require a lease, background check, left kidney or anything of the sort. You show up with the money and agree to have their rental fee at the beginning of each month come hook or crook, you get the apartment. This is the way my wife's family rent their apartments mostly, which is what I like to call old school renting, before realtors became so common and statesiders brought copy of leases to complicate things.

mike

Good to know! We will definitely be on the lookout! Any advice for finding jobs? 🙂