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Hello everyone. My wife and I have decided after two years of pondering to finally make a move to STT. We have made a pre-move visit and are 100% sure this is where we want to be. Both of us have been reading and researching this forum religiously, but it seems we still have many questions. Every reply that has been given on this MB seems to be very courteous, honest, and knowledgeable, which we hope to receive as well.
It seems that everyone tells the newbie’s to order the "Settler's HB" and study that, which we have done tonight. We plan on coming to the island (STT) the 1st of Feb. 06. Starting off we would like to rent a studio/1br; apartment/condo; furnished & waterfront if at all possible. Any suggestions on the North or East part of the island?
Also, we both have vehicles that are paid for, and were wondering if it would be smart to bring both of them or just one? Together the vehicles values are about $5000. My wife and I rent now here in the states and along with the common utilities that is our only debt. Case being when we arrive on the island we will not pressed to find a job right away. When the time does come for us to be employed, would it be possible to rely on one vehicle for the both of us to get to work?
Any suggestions, replies, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone.
N&H
Posted : July 29, 2005 1:19 am
Dear N & H,
It sounds as though you've given this move a good degree of thought and you've already made the PMV which is really important. So, congratulations on having passed the first test!
If the COMBINED value of your vehicles is only $5K, it really may not be worth your shipping them here but do check on other archival posts on this site about the cost of bringing them. There are ALWAYS second-hand cars for sale here and if you have either good credit or cash, getting something here won't be a problem for you.
"Waterfront" sounds idyllic to most but when you get high up on the mountains on either the Northside or East side, the views are just gorgeous and "waterfront" is basically for the transient visitor - i.e. tourist - who just dreams of walking out onto the beach every morning and thus stays short-term in a waterfront villa or hotel room. You'll find almost nothing "waterfront" that's affordable long-term but I'm sure that some posters here will quickly correct me if I'm wrong!
I would suggest that you temporarily stay with Ronnie at either Villa Fairview or Crystal Palace when you arrive. Both of his places are "downtown" but he's always been very helpful to newbies. There are plenty of car dealerships here which have used vehicles for sale, not to mention private sellers whose ads appear either in the Daily News or The Island Trader. Likewise apartments.
I think that once you look into shipping your cars here you might decide against it. So, here's my advice. Stay at one of Ronnie's places, get one car and then go trekking around to find an apartment. Once you find what you like and get settled in and then start looking for employment, go from there to see whether or not you'll need a second car. Some do, some don't.
Oh, one more thing. Even though you have no debt per se, and you've apparently done a PMV, I do hope you realize that living here is NOT inexpensive? For any rental apartment you're going to need first, last and security and just buying basics eats up probably rather more money than you're used to spending wherever you're living right now.
Hope I've helped just a bit with my two cents worth. Good luck!
Posted : July 29, 2005 3:24 am
Topic starter
Thank you very much STT Resident for your reply. I know what you are saying about the living expenses. Most of the rentals we have looked at are in the price range of $1000 to $2000 a month, excluding utilities. Add in first and last month rent with security you are talking about a nice chunk of cash. Even though it is a large sum of money we feel it is worth every penny to live there.
We have seen some great views from the N and E sides of the island like you said. Most of the places that are available are in Sapphire Village. Could you give me an idea of this area as far as community, security, and things of that nature? Is that part of the island very hectic and busy? If at all possible we would like to find a more quiet and calm atmosphere to live in.
Again thank you so much for your time and advice, we really appreciate it.
N&H
Posted : July 29, 2005 3:46 pm
Sapphire, as you will see on a previous post, is in my opinion a good starter location. As STT Resident pointed out most of us "locals" tend to go more for the non-waterfront location for (a) the views and (b) the cost. (Or it may be the other way around 🙂 ) Sapphire is safe, busy and much more like a stateside apartment complex than most other island locations. Easy access to Red Hook, Tutu area and a bit of a drive to downtown. Traffic can be a pain to this location. Hope this helps.
Pamela
Posted : July 30, 2005 2:57 am
Hello N&H,
On the northside you aren't going to find much that is waterfront and a long term rental. There are some houses in Estate Hull that are pretty close to Hull Bay, similarly in Peterborg you'd be close to Magens Bay. On the east end there are condos you could rent at Sapphire, Cowpet, Anchorage that would get you pretty close to being waterfront; also the various condo properties around Bolongo Bay. Out in Frenchman's Bay and also around Limetree Beach you might find an apartment and be a couple minutes from the beach.
For shipping your car; review the costs and see if you think its worth it. You can buy cars here. Relying on one car is possiable if you work in the same areas or along similar routes or arrange your schedules to make it work.
--Islander
Posted : July 31, 2005 12:08 am
I know of a great apartment for a couple for $1000 a month. email me if you are interested. droda_7@yahoo.com
Posted : July 31, 2005 7:19 pm
