Building a Home On STX

Give ya 4 cents for your 2 cents worth.

I'll take you up on that deal- I happen to have approximately 500,000,000 cents worth of info on the subject.

There are several blogs out there written by those who've started from scratch. This one should be of interest:

http://stcroixbuilding.blogspot.com/

It's some of all of the above. Spend time understanding how things work here.Look long and hard at building lots. One lot may be cheaper but the cost to build on might be more.You need to build only what you can afford to finish. Lots of people think square footage is important, but I think quality is the main thing to consider. Use the kiss principle when planning.

A LOT OF PEOPLE build here as they get the money. which is one reason for the half built houses. this means some houses take years and years to build.

We refer to them as 'st croix projects'...and we've got one ourselves! Also, there are a certain number of Hovensa-related folks who abruptly stopped building projects after the January announcement. We know of one who has since sold the lot, where the forms had just been set to pour the cistern, when...understand he's moved far away.

Houses are more affordable on STX than they have been in years- in the case of many of the houses on the market, you can buy cheaper than you can build. You may not want to end up with someone else's problem, but building from scratch can have problems of its own.

Also, remember that building a house today may not get you the home equity that it once did- you might end up with a house worth exactly what you put in to it.

Another factor to consider when building would be this: If you figure 18 months for land purchase, home design, permitting, and construction, your living expenses (ie: rent) that will keep adding up during this time, and you might be paying double if you have rent and mortgage going at the same time. If you buy, you can move right in and have the rent money go towards something you own.

Here is how I see the rough math for a new 1500 sf house:
Land cost for a basic lot= $50,000.
1500sf @ $250/sf (starting construction cost per _x_ realtor website) = $375,000
Total = $425,000

You might be able to cut a few corners, but in the end you pretty much get what you pay for. There are some pretty nice places on the market right now in this price range.

You have probably thought all of this out already, but either way you decide, good luck and have fun!

Houses are more affordable on STX than they have been in years- in the case of many of the houses on the market, you can buy cheaper than you can build. You may not want to end up with someone else's problem, but building from scratch can have problems of its own.

Also, remember that building a house today may not get you the home equity that it once did- you might end up with a house worth exactly what you put in to it.

Another factor to consider when building would be this: If you figure 18 months for land purchase, home design, permitting, and construction, your living expenses (ie: rent) that will keep adding up during this time, and you might be paying double if you have rent and mortgage going at the same time. If you buy, you can move right in and have the rent money go towards something you own.

Here is how I see the rough math for a new 1500 sf house:
Land cost for a basic lot= $50,000.
1500sf @ $250/sf (starting construction cost per _x_ realtor website) = $375,000
Total = $425,000

You might be able to cut a few corners, but in the end you pretty much get what you pay for. There are some pretty nice places on the market right now in this price range.

You have probably thought all of this out already, but either way you decide, good luck and have fun!

$250 @ sqft will build a decent "mid range home with typically standard finishes. But does not include site prep like clearing, survey, plans and permits, running electric. driveway, grading, hillside stablizaation, or hardscape, pool, finish landscape. Before pulling the trigger, budget every item then add 20%. A good GC is worth his weight in gold.

Before pulling the trigger, budget every item then add 20%. A good GC is worth his weight in gold.

I totally agree.

There are a lot of variables. I built a 1000 sq ft west Indian cottage . It is poured concrete engineered to withstand 200 MPH winds. I put extra $ into the structure to avoid having windstorm insurance. It wound up at about $170/ft sq. My excavation was $$ because of the steep slope of the lot. To me, the most important parameters were the breezes and the view. I face east and get both the NE and SE trades and incredible sun and moon rises. The plans and permit process can be challenging and I agree about a good all around crew and or contractor.
Look at a bunch of houses. You will get a crash course in west Indian style. I am outside most of the time on my gallery. Be sure to include storm shutters and a generator in your budget. Have a ball.

I've heard over and over that on STX you should double the budget and double the time. Sometimes triple. Building here is often a nightmare with permits, labor, materials, workmanship, theft, etc.

The best course is to manage the job, hands on or engage someone to be responsible for the process and expenditures. There will still be glitches, but experience can smooth out the bumps. I built a lot of homes and remodeled a lot of properties in NE and industrial space in PR and DR and have resolved that the closer to the equator you are, the problems increase proportionally. The process is nothing like the dream.

the closer to the equator you are, the problems increase proportionally..

so tru!

I'd recommend an architech as they are familiar with the ins and outs of the land, permits, utilities, etc. I worked for a very good one on STX in the 90's. You can PM me if you would like his name. He would definitely lead you to a good contractor as well.

We have a lot for sale ( want to buy it 😉 ). We were going to build on it. In Feb. I got prices again. We were looking at a Deltec "kit" home. It came with the panels all built including doors and windows. Just needed a crane and workers to put up.
I got a price from a builder that has already done one.

The price for the additional dirt work ( there was already a drive cut in and part of the pad area cut),
100" concrete driveway,
Trench for electrical from pole on the corner of the lot, and electrical wire.
Sewage system.
Cistern
Kit home about 2000" two story.
Erecting the kit home and installing roof coating.
Permits and engineering.
a 16'X40' deck

Went to Home depot ( could maybe beat that price ) and priced
water pump system and filter
Electrical
Kitchen cabinets and counter tops and appliances
Pluming fixtures and materials
Flooring
drywall
Paint

With a 20% increase for whatever it was up to $215/sq ft. That was with me doing all of the inside work ie; plumbing, electrical, flooring, painting, etc. That i figured would take me a year or two. 😮

WANT TO BUY A BEAUTIFUL LOT? 😉

So, terry, the only thing done is the driveway is cut in or is the first list done as well?
Where is it, how big and how much are you asking? *-)

http://www.simondale.net/house/build.htm

looks like something the hobbit would have lived in. 🙂

I'm just starting construction on my 1000 sq ft house on St. Croix.
I hope I haven't lost my mind...LOL !

you haven't but will

All I can add is we were behind schedule and over budget almost from day one.

Bashed budgets, tardy schedules are the norm. Building and contracting a home here is a character building experience. Making the dream a reality is very fulfilling, then you get to enjoy it indefinitely. My huge $ surprise was my driveway. I thought dirt would work but the heavy rain would wash it out. Finally I had it paved in concrete 6'' thick so the water truck wouldn't mash it up. $15K later, I have a driveway that has more concrete in it than my house. The fact that WAPA requires copper feeder cable adds up, especially with long runs. I guess if i easy, everyone would do it. Two people I was coaching on the east end finally decided that building was more than they could handle and are selling their land.
Stay with it

So, terry, the only thing done is the driveway is cut in or is the first list done as well?
Where is it, how big and how much are you asking? *-)

It is on Salt River Ridge. If you go past Gentle Winds, there is a pair of pillars with a unused guard house on the left. If you look up the hill you will see Mike the plummer's house, the white house with the green roof. The lot is beside on the down hill side.You should be able to see a cut in the trees that angle up from the road. That is the drive. He gets to his house from the upper road, you get to our lot from the lower paved road.
It is a half acre. It has a great view with great breezes.
Some places say they have an ocean view if they can see a postage stamp sized piece of ocean. This view , you could hold a newspaper at arms length and still see ocean. . If you either build a deck or a two story you can also see Salt River Marina.
We have the Lot listed with Lee Seward for $85K. We paid $130 his number is 340-643-5375
It has a cut driveway, a place for the house depending on the size. You might have to cut some more, we were going to have to for the size we were going to build. It has overgrown with brush again but can be cleared easily.
The terrain there is what they call rotten rock. Easy to build on. There is a power pole at the corner of the lot by the drive. There are a couple of nice trees there.
If you give me your email address I can send you a couple of photos of the view.
There is no HOA, which was very important to me as I hate them. However all of the homes there are very well kept!@

That's a great spot Terry!

I was reminded that we had lowered the price to $75K after the news of Hovensa.:S