Desire to move to the US Virgin Islands

Stewart - there is a wealth of information that can be gleaned by using the "search" feature at the top of the forum page...there's really nothing new that hasn't been discussed at length and you can look at posts in the past 30 days, 90 days, or year...or go back to the beginning of time and read them all.

I'd highly suggest reading all of the moving stories from the home page, then doing your search based on key words - St. John, mortgage, home sales, etc. The Settlers Handbook is invaluable as well. Be sure and order that.

All three islands have their own unique characteristics - if you can, catch the seaplane from STT and also explore St. Croix. St. John, of course, is an easy ferry ride. They are all different places and with different lifestyles so you may need to keep a very open mind as to what it is you are really looking for.

St. John will have the highest mortgages/home prices of all (in general) - but you can also use some of the realtor links on the info page to access the MLS for the islands and see what there is you feel you might be interested in.

Please bear in mind that living on the islands is much different than vacationing for 10 days - take the advice of others, rent a place possibly in the home of someone who lives on the island, cook your meals, shop for groceres, explore potential employment, look at cars, etc. If you're truly thinking of making a move, by all means enjoy the beauty - but let your head guide you!

Good luck, and continue to read this forum every day - you will have a good grasp of the basics if you do.

Thanks for your input. I am starting to do my homework. I am reading everything I can find. It is true that we will have to use our heads to make the final decision. I have been searching the homes and they are much more affordable than Santa Barbara. Here the median for a three bedroom home is around $1,000,000. Based on what I have seen on the real estate websites $400,000 to $600,000 can result in a pretty nice home on St Croix or St Thomas. We will continue to learn and think before we make our decision.

From the paper this week: 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo $425,000, 4/3 house with 2- 2 bedroom apts $575,000 ("add a little TLC")- these are on St Thomas.

Definitely read through the Moving Stories. Read the on-line papers: www.virginislandsdailynews.com and www.onepaper.com. Listen to Talk Radio One -wvwi.net.

How long have your friends lived on St John? I hope the two suitcases contained $100s! 😉 Stay in touch with them, as they will be better able to counsel you about the differences between fast-paced Santa Barbara and fast-paced USVI!

I have to say (stop me if I said this before) I know people who moved here sight unseen and have stayed 20 years and I know people who didn't even make it through one weekend. But if you have equity back home, I would highly recommend not selling all. Don't burn your bridges. Come for a specified period- a year or so. Then you will be able to get a better feeling about what it is really like.

stewart,

Welcome! You're off to a good start with your research - I strongly second everything my colleagues about have recommended, with an added oomph to purchasing the Settler's Handbook ASAP and soaking up all of the moving stories from folks who have gone through this experience. After you've read through a great deal of previous posts, come back and ask questions about specific info you couldn't find or to ask if older info is still accurate.

Please make one of your next posts to read a very recent one made by stxer with the topic called, "Cost of Living Going Up...Up...Up." In addition to great information and discussion about rising prices, especially for USVI Real Estate, I posted about the reality of how home-owner's insurance down here can more than double the cost of your monthly housing costs, even for a non-beach front mid-island STX home. It's something many don't consider when setting their budget for purchasing a home.

Finally, talk to mas many people about their experiences with living here, good and bad. I just saw that another wonderful friend from this board, Teresa, and her family have decided to leave as living here just isn't working out for the parents or their kids. Teresa moved down to STT just about 2 1/2 years ago, just a few months before we arrived. She did a ton of homework, her husband came down first and found a place for the family before Teresa and her kids followed. They came with their eyes open and a very positive attitude about trying to make it work. In essence, they did everything right but it just wasn't the place for them. They will be missed by many.

Sadly, Teresa isn't the only one from the arriving class of 2004 who will be going home less than three years after arriving. The price of the move to get here and settled in is quite an expense on its own, and the cost of moving back just as bad (if not worse, depending on living costs where you return to). That's why we push folks thinking about making this change to come down and live in a rented apt. or home for at least a month to get a feel for non-vacation island life before making final decision to move, and not to tie up all of their liquid assets into a home should you make the big move. While we are currently in a real estate hot spell in which homes were selling really fast, that could change at any moment, particularly if we are -- please fate and the gods, no -- struck by a hurricane. Our agent told us that in the 12 month prior to when we house-shopped in April 2004, the average time a house spent on the market was something like 375 days. In fact, we got our house for $44k under its appraised value because the owners, who had paid for this house in full with cash, had lost their previous buyers the day of the closing. and had already started making mortgage payments for the house they had purchased back in Tennessee with the last bit of money they had (they had been here for just under three years). That story made us change our mind about paying for our home in cash and to instead make a large down payment and take out a smaller mortgage that fit within our monthly income budget.

Hope this didn't come off as condescending or preachy, it certainly wasn't intended to be anything but helpful advice to consider. (Disclaimer for honesty's sake: we received the same advice from almost everyone, and pretty much used none of it. We started exploring the idea of moving and joined this board around late December 2003/early January 2004; decided on moving to STX six weeks later; set a pre-move visit for mid-April; put a house we'd watched on the MLS listings, and viewed at the end of our first day of house-hunting, under contract during our only, nine day long PMV; sold our condo ten days later, the first day it was on the market, thanks to the insane DC real estate market; sold off/gave away almost all of our furniture, made arrangements for shipping our belongings and newer car (which we paid off in full to avoid the hassles or outright prohibitions that go with trying to ship a vehicle on which there is any form of loan/lien, sold our second car, and packed over the next month; and arrived on STX Croix as new residents, along with our three cats, on May 29th 2004.)

The Hip Hubby and I have never felt more at home, love the slower pace of life and beautiful wide open spaces on STX, and most of all, appreciate the warm, friendly people who live here. Making time to research and get first hand experience with the realities of life as a resident before you dive in can go a great deal to help make this your wonderful new home. But as it is throughout life, there are no guarantees, and sometimes it takes even longer than a year to gain enough first-hand experience to decide if it's the right place for you.

Best wishes as you continue your explorations. It's nice to have you here, and it would be great if you ended up as one of our island neighbors. 🙂

--HC

HipCrip,

Thank you for all of the great insight. We will definitely rent for a while until we find the right place to buy. Invest our money while we rent and then pull out the right amount of cash to purchase. After we travel down in January 2007, my wife and I will have a better idea about what to do. We do not rush into anything and a move like this takes so much planning. The slower lifestyle is what we want and hopefully the USVIs are the place for us. I am sure there are rentals that accept a very small dog and a cat? Again, thank you for your words of wisdom.

Stewart

Check out Puerto Rico as well - especially the North Western part - great for kids, new experience - lower housing costs. We lived there for 3 very happy years.
Very good schools - opportunity to become bi-lingual - great beaches too - excellent medical facilities.
Make sure that you look at all the options very carefully before making the move. Reading this board is a great way to begin.

Jane,

Thanks for the suggestion. Since we have no kids, schools will not be an issue. We have stayed in Puerto Rico for a few months and enjoyed it very much. We think about Puerto Rico also, but I do not know if I want to try and be bi-lingual in my late 30s. Housing costs will not be a major factor since we are coming from Santa Barbara, CA. Every day we search and learn more about the costs and challenges of island life. We appreciate all of the input we have received over the last few days also.

Stewart

Stewart:

You say, "...but I do not know if I want to try and be bi-lingual in my late 30s."

Just a thought, but if you plan on really being a part of the Virgin Islands community, you'll have to learn to understand a way of speech rather far removed from the standard English you're accustomed to. General flexibility in all areas of life is a pre-requisite to settling here, particuarly since you're already thinking of making a substantial financial investment in housing. I second East Ender's onion that you think in terms of minimum one year before making any investment decisions.

Good luck!

STT Resident,

Of course flexibility is needed and adapting to a different way of speech is necessary and beneficial. You seem quick to judge me as not being flexible. Puerto Rico's dominate language is Spanish and while I speak some Spanish(Lived in Mexico city for 9 months 20 years ago), I prefer to relocate where English is the primary language. In regard to investing, we would rent for a while before we would purchase a home. Thanks for your input.

Stewart

Okay - I've talked with Stewart a little by PM - I've also had a conversation with another board member about transplants, and I can't stop the fingers any longer...they itch and twitch...

You may very well be coming from the highest priced place in the nation, and you may well be able to afford what most of us only dream of....and I say GOOD FOR YOU! As Teresa stated in her leaving post, you will certainly find yourself with less cash in a very short period of time than stateside. There's a black hole out in the ocean that just sucks money out of your wallet 🙂

Stewart, Jane and East Ender have given you EXCEPTIONALLY good advice on giving yourself a time limit. I have decided a pre-move visit under about six months is kind of worthless. Not many people listen to this advice - but hear me now and believe me later - this is a different world that has absolutely nothing in common with Santa Barbara except the Jay Leno show. KEEP YOUR OPTIONS OPEN. Cross your bridges, but don't burn them just yet. When we came here a year ago, the family was in great health, kids on their own, and it was just all so hunky...and in one short year we are watching our families fail, which we totally DID NOT count on (we're all living forever, aren't we?)...we sort of forgot to factor in the family semantics. The cost of living and wages paid are not commensurate in any way...so if you have to be employed, don't plan on seeing that California salary....we couldn't even count on the Arkansas salary. Statesiders wait months and months for any job in any professional field unless they came here with secured employment.

Granted, you are younger than we are - however, much of America was raised the same and the islands are different...they are just different, sometimes in a wonderful way, and sometimes in a maddening way. The Virgin Islands I fell in love with many years ago is not the same today - but it takes a while to get the seawater out of your eyes and realize where your frustrations lie...and everyone has a different set of expectations and a different breaking point. Some things you just learn to roll with, others make your eyes roll back in your head.

I totally support the people who show up with two suitcases, having locked everything up back "home", wherever that is - I think it frees you a little bit to just explore and try new things - use some of that money to get accustomed to your new surroundings, wherever they may be, and try to find your island groove. Regardless of what the real estate market is doing or how great living on an island sounds, at the end of the day you will have to live with a decision you've made, whether you made it with a great deal of forethought or on a whim. I would venture that many, if not most, of the people on this board that are here, coming or have left, would tell you they researched the hell out of their move...and once they got here and actually got settled, they realized they never had a clue.

My 2 cents, which in the V I is rougly worth $1.50...sorry if I sound like a downer, I don't mean to - but reality checks are too few and far between (although STT Resident does an EXCELLENT job in that department! HAHAHA!!!)

Becky R,

Great wisdom is coming from those itchy fingers...keep it coming! There's a new post from Joanne about life is hard elsewhere, and I think this latest reply of yours does an excellent job of addressing Joanna's question. Perhaps you'd be open to cross-posting it there?

You nailed the common thread between folks who've been here for just a few years: figuring out we didn't really have a clue about the reality of living here no matter how much prep we did. I've also noticed a common thread among the folks who are in the pre-move stage of the process: a belief that some life experience they have gives them some level of immunity from needing to adjust to the different, and sometimes difficult, island way of life. For some, it's coming from an area with expensive COL, others have grown up with tornadoes, a few have lived on a different island (Puerto Rico, small islands off of the coast of Washington State, etc.), several have claims to living in cities in which they are the ethnic minority and/or stagnant, corrupt governments, and a sampling believe living in rural areas is what will allow them to skip some of the hard times that are part of adapting. Heck, I myself laid claim to at least three of those previous life situations, and I let the advice of the "been through this before you - trust me when I say those experiences have NOTHING to do with life in the USVI" crowd pass through my brain without sticking. Boy, how right the "been there" folks are, and how arrogantly naive I was!

Hopefully the newer folks to the board will try to let go of their beliefs that they've ever done anything that's even remotely the same as life on these islands, and come ready to ask questions, listen, learn and put into practice the customs and ways things get done here instead of constantly comparing them to "how it's done back where I come from." The Arby's slogan from a few years back is right: different is good.

--HC

I can't help but wonder why this message board has gotten so strongly into the business of trying to convince people not to move to the USVI. Statements that a PMV must be 6 months or longer to be useful also baffle me. If you live somewhere for six months, you LIVE there. You aren't visiting. A PRE-move visit would occur before you arrive and find long-term housing and a job. Hopefully the PMV is spent living as much as possible like full time residents do and not like a tourist. If you are living here for six months, you undoubtedly have had to find a job and a place to live during those months. While it is certainly true that many people's moves to the islands don't wind up being PERMANENT moves, if they come here and live more than a few weeks and have any kind of plan of staying even longer if things work out, then they have moved here. Very few people have the luxury of being able to make a PRE-move visit of longer than a week or two. Some squeak out a month if their employer where they are thinking of moving away from is generous with vacation time. Lots of people make temporary moves on the mainland, too, whether for jobs or school or curiousity... and they don't make a 6-month PMV before doing so. But if they find they don't like the new location and move back to where they came from nobody tells them they just didn't have what it took to get along with the local way of life and that they should have known better than to try such a move.

I find this attitude about the USVI in some ways to be a form of prejudice. I also think that some unnecessary fears are instilled in USVI hopefuls that may lead to their ultimate failure in living here long term. If you tell someone something might be scary, they are going to be scared. If you tell them it might be exciting, they'll be excited. When you set someone up for failure, there is a much greater likelihood that they will fail than if they didn't come in with the pre-conceived expectation that they'd soon go scurrying back to the mainland with their tails between their legs. A lot of the things people complain about here don't bother me personally. Others do, but not enough to make this a bad place to live. I've lived in more than a dozen locations in my life and the urge to move on is more often one of exploration yet to be done rather than a need to escape. People who move to the USVI tend to be the explorers of the world and I have no doubt that many of the people who leave the USVI aren't done exploring and don't count their time here as something to regret. Many of them would move elsewhere at some point even if they absolutely loved their lives here. The reasons people come and go are as varied as the individuals: from wanting to see somewhere else they've dreamed of, to a great job opportunity, to a new relationship with someone who lives elsewhere, to attending school or a training program, to escaping from something in their life, to living out a dream, to needing to help an aging parent, etc. Yes, some people who come learn that they aren't the explorers they had always fantasized they would be, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is the USVI's fault. They may have had been just as unsuccessful at relocating to somewhere else.

Another oddity in many responses to new inquiries is insisting that nobody should ever invest in property in the USVI if they haven't lived here for at least a year first. Why is that? Real Estate is a better investment here these days than in most other places on the mainland... and if you are at all intelligent in the property you select it can be a great investment even if you ultimately leave the islands. It seems to me that some of the recommendations most strongly espoused come from people who have their own fears and demons and may need to convince others to limit their own lives to validate their own limitations. Should people moving to the USVI also not invest in any kind of stocks or mutual funds while they are here? Why only the prohibition against real estate? There are many people who hesitated to buy a year ago and now are priced out of the market. If they had bought when they arrived, they'd have a nice chunk of equity by now and it'd sure make a return to the mainland more affordable if it became necessary for them to leave. Others did buy a year ago and are now breathing a sigh of relief about not being in the situation they'd be in had they chosen to take the advice to wait. There are times in real estate cycles and in the stock market when it is best to wait to invest. There are times when it is best to get off the stick and make your purchase. Waiting a year might be the right timing sometimes, but setting such an arbitrary date may also result in you buying at exactly the wrong time just because you said you'd buy in a year and your year is up and you didn't take the market cycles into consideration.

I'm sure most of the advice is given with the best of intentions, but sometimes I wonder if the people giving the advice have stopped to think about their own motivations. It isn't reasonable to think that every other possible newbie is going to react to things the same way you do and should make their decisions based on what you would do. There actually are lots of people who move here and have a good experience. Are there idiosyncracies in life in the USVI? Of course there are, as there are anywhere. But each person figures out for himself what he is willing to live with and what rolls off without bothering him at all even if it drives someone else up a wall.

I did not discover this website until I had lived here for 2-1/2 years. Had I stumbled across it prior to my move, much of what is written here might have had me seriously second guessing my decision and then living here in fear waiting for all this horrible stuff to come my way. I wouldn't have jumped into life in the USVI with the delight of discovery and the open mind to explore what came my way. When I talk to people who have been here a year or two who don't know about this website, the things that concern them don't sound like a repeated litany of the fears listed on this website. When I talk to people active on this site, the list is pretty much word for word. So while I think that there is a lot of information passed out on this site that has tremendous value to those seeking to move here, I am not as convinced that scaring wannabes half to death is a positive thing to be doing. Those niggling doubts planted at the root of the subconscious may be the seeds of their ultimate return to the mainland a year or two down the road. They've already been told that if life here doesn't turn out to be Paradise for them then they should just head back north... and they're led to believe that if they do come and go that they have failed in some way. Why should exploring life here mean you are a failure if you ultimately move on? Is someone a failure if they move from Minnesota to California and then back to Minnesota or elsewhere? I can't wrap my mind around that concept and find it valid.

Going to great lengths to scare off those interested in moving to the islands is like Adam & Eve eating from the fruit of the tree of knowledge. There were all these things that never occurred to them to be negatives and they were totally happy in their Eden... until their perceptions were changed and they were taught to fear things that had never touched them or hurt them and probably never would have in a significant way. And all for what? For the pleasure of the serpeant who took their innocence? What a waste. I don't choose to allow my awareness of potential pitfalls to spoil my pleasure in the islands. The USVI can still be Paradise if you focus on the positives and don't allow fear of the negatives to run your life.

Alexandra,

In all fairness, I think you must disclose the fact that you are a Realtor. Let's be real about this: your livelihood depends on people buying homes -- don't you think that it's only fair to them them know that as they consider your opinion about not needing to wait until after renting for a while to get to know the neighborhoods and how things work before buying a home or property here? And another reality is that as a Realtor, your profession is far more portable than most (lawyers and doctors/health care providers excepted), your earnings have a better chance of being similar down here to what they would be in many places on the mainland, you can pretty much start work as soon as soon you get a license and start building a clientele from the day your arrive, while people in most other non-service industries will likely earn well below what they earned back home, and likely wait months or even years before finding a position in their career field during which they may need to take retail jobs to get by until they do?

It feels very unfair of you to question the motives of those offering advice about the hardships they have experiences as being anything less that given in the hopes that it will help prevent someone from making an expensive, emotionally draining and physically exhausting mistake of moving here and then having to move back again (for whatever reason) in a very brief period of time.

I tell absolutely everyone that we have felt at home and known this is the right place for us since the day we landed. We love it here, but that doesn't mean there weren't times (the first time I saw the fixer upper home we bought after moving here, for example) in which i broke down and cried because I felt, at that time, like I had my the worst possible decision and ruined my husband's life. I had read all about the process of getting our imported car registered and had numbered instructions plus heard all the "horror" stories, but I still got freaked out from actually needing to make seven different stops all over the island over an eight hour day to get this done.

Even though I personally know we're here to stay and have never let the island's "quirks" get to me for for than a day, I am painfully aware that I am a real exception. I've had to say goodbye to several people who came here around the same time we did, and know that they have had some deeply troubling personal struggles with finding a rhythm here.

Please don't scold people for honestly posting their negative impressions as well as their good. I fail to see how warning people about how what we thought before we moved is different from what we know after being here for a few years will scare off anyone who is up to the adventures that come with moving here. And if it does keep someone who was just toying with a dream they had that was based only on a desire to live on a tropical island from moving here and spending all their savings to find out that being a resident and member of the USVI community isn't a Corona beer commercial not a bad thing at all.

My apologies if this comes off as rude -- it certainly was intended to be a respectful yet firm disagreement with your opinions.

--HC

No one is trying to discourage anyone, Alexandra. Sorry if I didn't make my point clear enough. If I decide to go back to Arkansas tomorrow, which is certainly a thought, I will not have considered myself having "failed" - I will consider this the adventure of a lifetime and I will carry warm and happy memories of some wonderful times with wonderful people with me. Will I move on because of family? Yes, I will, if needed. Will I move on because pay in the VI is not commensurate with that stateside? You've got it. Will I be glad I don't have to worry about selling a house? You betcha. I did not one year ago, nor today, possess the knowledge I feel I would need to have to make an informed choice regarding owning an island home. It is obviously different for everyone, but for me? "We ain't in Kansas no more". For others that is different...but attrition is the key, and I do believe STT Resident said it best. People come and go, and it is cyclical...and after a while you get a sense of who will stay and who won't.

I am simply saying - please leave yourself an "out" - the people who move here from Seattle, Washington or Russellville, Arkansas, simply cannot know what island life will be like for a while, and whether it will suit them. We have spent a large portion of our life savings trying to get ahead on an island that is behind the curve...do you know that many federal employees who transfer here receive a 22% cost of living adjustment because of the differential? Hmmm....if we had the old Arkansas salary AND 22%, we'd have bought a house...but we didn't have a COLA or a great salary, so .... no house-y buying for us even IF we'd been able to figure out where to buy and what to look for.

Where you are in life also factors in - whether you have children, whether you have grandchildren, whether you have aging parents, sick siblings, bad health, or even family that you are very close to...these things become more important as the days drift along, and it is not always practical to fly home to nursemaid yourself back to not feeling a little "homesick"....sometimes you just flat can't afford it....sometimes you have a job and a life here that doesn't allow you your moods. Until you are absolutely certain this is where you can stay for a very long time, unless you come with a wad of bucks in the pocket, you probably are going to leave here poorer than you started. But if you start slow and take baby steps, like settling in on the one year plan, you just MIGHT not make a huge mistake. The V. I. is like everywhere else. I personally couldn't live in Seattle, but guess what? There's a lot of folks who love it. To each his own...but don't think the Jump Ups and blue water were made just for you. Life is life, it goes on, and oops! That's where people get discouraged....they spent 10 days "living like a local" (oh, puh-leeze) and now they're ready to load up their life and go? Bully for you if you can do it...but moving here for me personally has had as much culture shock as moving to Maine...it's just not something I'm familiar with, and if you aren't a military brat that's seen it all or a very flexible person, you just MIGHT find that you'd rather enjoy a 2 week vacation of warm fuzzies a year than watch the Hurricane Center to see if the sky is falling out, or standing in line at the bank and being passed over for the person behind you, or whatever. And I'm sorry, THAT is reality. Sometimes it doesn't matter how nice you are, ____ happens.

I don't believe Russell and I have focused on the negatives. If you will recall, we had a MOST unpleasant incident on our PMV. We didn't let it stop us, we didn't panic and start putting chains on the doors and barring the doors and living in a secret cellar. We came and we have enjoyed it immensley. We find the island charming and the people wonderful....but it is different and you can't deny that. Some can cope, some can't. Better to be safe than sorry. This isn't Florida where you throw all your crap in the back of a U-Haul and drive back to Minnesota. I am only asking people to consider all the variables in their life before making a decision...and guess what? I'd say the same thing to anyone moving to Arkansas. You might not last in Arkansas 3 months - me, hey - it's a comfort zone. I understand redneck.

Did I think this was my final move of a lifetime? Absolutely. Do I believe so one year later, with boys who are going to be married soon and having families of their own, with elderly and ill relatives, and with the prospect that it will be many, many years before the V.I. catches up on the pay curve? Nope. Life situations change and people return to where they feel they need to be or move on to the next challenge. Change, it is a-comin'...but it is slow, and time waits for no one. It's just more expensive to get out of here than it is to leave Detroit and go to Chicago. Think it through. That's my whole point.

HC - yes, I am a Realtor and I also do property management, so whether someone rents or buys really doesn't change my income all that much. There are commissions either way. Being in the industry, I am that much more aware of the great investment opportunities there are for people in real estate in the USVI at this point in time, especially on STX. Encouraging people in general to look at the opportunities open to them isn't about me making a commission. I won't ever work with the majority of people who look at real estate in the islands. I don't work on STT or STJ at ALL. But that doesn't make real estate any less of a good investment for all those people I never meet or work with. I encourage people to look at their own situation to make a decision about whether investing in real estate is right for them, not just going along with a statement from someone else that NOBODY should buy until they have been here at least a year.

You stated that with real estate I can pick up my business and take it anywhere and immediately have an income. That couldn't be further from the truth. First you go through re-licensing and then it takes anywhere from six months to several years to break into a new location and generate a clientele. It took over five months for me to get my license to come through in the USVI, so I was about a year without income before the first trickle began.

I recognize that there are things to warn people about in advance of their moving here, but sometimes it sure seems like overkill and people are being beaten over the head far beyond passing on basic information. You recognize that even though you were warned you didn't choose to heed the advice and had to experience things for yourself. The same will be true of others, but coming in with extra fear and hesitation is more likely to cause problems than coming here with a positive attitude and open mind.

Alexandra: with all due respect, just a couple of comments on your thoughts on this thread. First, I think you misinterpreted the 6 months to a year caveat which was not intended to refer to a PMV but was an opinion given about waiting to invest in real estate.

On the one hand I know many people who have successfuly invested in real estate shortly after moving to the islands (STT in this case) and have done very well turning over these properties in time for a nice profit. However, these are mostly people who also could afford to maintain both a home on the mainland and an island residence - in other words VERY financially stable/affluent people who can basically "commute" between the islands and Stateside and also have a comfortable cushion to manage to better than survive what to others might be a financial disaster.

On the other hand, I also know many who basically gave up all, moved to the islands, purchased a home and then after a couple of years realized that for one reason or another island living was absolutely not for them, found themselves unable to keep up with the mounting costs of real estate upkeep, were caught in a market downswing and ended up leaving with far less than they had come with and returning to the mainland with no back-up and being forced to rely on the support of family and friends to get their lives back together.

Maybe I should add that my observations come from over two decades of living here.

I really don't see that anyone on this board has instilled "fear" in anyone thinking of relocating. There has always been a moderating balance of opinion on most issues. Surely to be forewarned of both the positives and the negatives is to be forearmed? All just opinions!

Poor Alexandra just can't seem to win. When she posts with her name and business name, she get some heat from some for trying to solicit business, and when like she doesn't list her business, she gets heat for not telling that she is a Realtor.
I think that most people who read this board on a regular basis, know that Alexandra is a Realtor.
We came down for a vacation week a year ago last Christmas. We fell in love with the place and came back in April and bought a condo.
I don't know that we will ever be able to move down there full time, I would move tomorrow, but my wife wants to get her full retirement in 3 years. Then we will start by splitting our time.
However even if we never move, I think we will not regret buying when we did. The prices in our complex have doubled in the last year, and are probably out of our reach. It will be a great investment, unless of course there is another devastating hurricane, God forbid. But at this point in our lives, that would not be that bad, investment wise, as that is NOT why we bought the place.
As for the good and bad sides of island living, it does make me stop to think whether or not we could live there "full time".

I appreciate all of the comments by many different people (positive and negative). I find the experiences of people that have moved to and lived on the USVI Is very valuable. I do not feel that people are discouraging me, but giving insight about some of their disappointments and preconceived ideas about living of the USVIs. I must say that I am amazed at the length of peoples' posts. I wish I could type that fast. Still using the four finger approach to typing my posts.

I understand that life is so different on the islands and there is no exact comparison to my life on the West Coast of California. I also think that life experiences help prepare people for the change in lifestyle. Wife and I both lived in Europe as children and my wife lived in Hungary until she was 18 years old. We both miss the slower lifestyle from those days but not the European weather. After 15 years of working as a professional, I am ready to do something completely different. Retail, service, whatever. My wife has ran two businesses over seven years and has managed Starbucks. She wants to go back to serving tables. Cost of living is higher but that can be good. It can help put the value of things into better perspective.

Alexandra, Think you for expressing my thoughts far better than I could.

One Love Ironman

Stewart,
As I hope you can tell, those of us who have been on this board for a long time are kinda like family. What you have seen here is a family squabble. The good news is, all these folks would defend each other to the end. They are all good people.

Now I can tell you what worked for us (LindaJ & I). We had been coming to the Caribbean for over 20 years and decided we wanted to make it our home. When Linda retired and could pull her pension we decided it was time. We went through two editions of the Settler's Handbook. We asked a zillion questions on the predecessor to this board. While we had lived in various parts of the country, we could always get back fairly quickly and cheaply. Going back and forth to Kentucky from STX is an expensive proposition.

We made some decisions before we came. We decided to leave enough furniture in storage to outfit a one bedroom apartment if things didn't work out here. Even with all our research, you're never sure about a new thing until you try it a while. We did our premove visit. We came down for ten days. We did very little "touristing". We checked out grocery stores, Sunny Isle, Sunshine Mall. We rode around the neighborhoods getting a first hand look at as much of the island as we could. We decided to rent for the first year for a couple of reasons. It gave us a chance to really get to know the island. Also, if we decided we did make a mistake, we could leave fairly cleanly.

In that year we learned some things about ourselves. We learned that we weren't very good home-owners, but were excellent tenants. The Realtor we worked with when we first moved here (not Alexandra) urged us to move to either the east end or condo row. We found out we were really north shore people. The east end and condo row hold no interest to us. We learned we have much fewer material needs than we thought we did in the States. Our lifestyle has scaled way back.

There are times when I hate this island and think I want to go someplace else. When I think about it, I can't think of anyplace I'd rather be. Is STX paradise? Did all our troubles go away when we moved here? The answer is a resounding NO. It's an interesting place to live with a good mix of people living here. We've been here for three years now. For the first time in my life, I don't consider Kentucky to be home. No one was more surprised at that than me. What does LindaJ think? You'll have to ask her. The system we used worked for us (at least so far). Will it work for you? I don't know. Good luck. If moving here was easy, everybody would be doing it and the island would sink under all the weight.

Ric

Ric,

I think that it is wonderful that the members of the board are like a family. The opinions and perspectives that the boards give someone like me is so valuable. So can I assume that you still rent? I understand why renting in the beginning is so important. Each island is different and every section of each island is a different place also. It is a good idea to keep some basics in storage on the mainland just in case.

We have the same plan for January. Come out for 10 days and look at the islands and not be too "touristy". Research what each island has to offer and if the life could fit our desires.

I am sure that every day cannot be paradise. It is up to the individual to make sure every day is the best it can be. We do that here and if we decide to relocate to the USVIs we would do the same. Thank you again for your word of wisdom.

Stewart

Ric,

I'm glad you mentioned that you were steered toward the East End/condo row when you were looking for a place to live on island. We had the exact same experience with a different Realtor (also not Alexandra, whose clients have spoken very well of), and we also discovered we felt much more at home in one of the more culturally diverse, working class neighborhoods that's not as isolated/private/pastoral as the East End neighborhoods. We ended up buying and now live very happily in the Sion Farm home we watched on the Internet for months before we moved. I don't know if the agent who took us around was resisting showing us this house because of his personal discomfort with the area or condition of the home, because his commission would be significantly lower than had we settled in the more pricey East End, or for some other reason -- I just know we had to keep pushing him to bring us to see the place.

Newcomers: don't feel compelled to live somewhere just because a perceived "expert" strongly recommends it. Explore all parts of the island yourself, get a feel for who lives there, ask questions about the pros and cons of each location, and then decide where you believe you can be the most comfortable for the duration. Renting for a bit before buying does make it easier to relocate should you discover a neighborhood you like better after living here for a bit.

--HC

Hello good people (again)!

Can anyone who has moved to the USVI say that there were not obstacles, annoyances, political problems, or financial considerations from their "home town"? Yes, there are challenges here, and some quite different from other stateside areas. We live on an island. Some people can't handle the concept, after time, of living on such a relatively small parcel of land. This is different than perhaps the congestion in some areas of California. Yes, there are wide open spaces, but most younger people gravitate towards the Urban or suburban areas for employment.

I must say that I agree fully with Becky and HC that a PMV of two weeks just doesn't cut it. It is more like a vacation than an assimilation to the culture, seeing how you fit into the real island culture that is not vacationing, but going to work every day, passing the beach and only being able to wave as they head towards their 9-5 job, the relatively higher level of poverty, etc.

I lived in Mexico also years ago. I lived in the mountains in Morelos. After two weeks, or even a month, I was ready to run. After six months, however, I was prepared to live their and be happy for a long time to come. Language aside, I got past the inconveniences, and learned the beauty of the people, the land and yes, found employment that supported me and I was extremely happy with. The benefits of a slower life style and a culture in which friends and family mattered more than the almighty dollar was refreshing.

After living in St. Croix for one year, I feel more vital and happy about my living situation than I did the day, or first 4 or 5 months of living here. As I said in another post, I did a total immersion here (a lesson learned from my Mexico days) and learned "how to get things done" rather than feeling overwhelmed by the cultural, infrastructural and systemic differences.

Many of the 'complaints' posted on this board truly helped me in this assimilation. I knew that certain things would take time and patience. When I went to the phone company, I brought a book. Problem solved. I still ask people (as the places change from time to time) where to get the freshest vegetables and seafood.

Only a couple of months ago, I asked about buying and registering a car. People on this board came to my rescue.

In short, I agree with both Becky and HC. In terms of Becky's comments: Go in with your head on. It is not an eternal vacation, and you will not be sipping cocktails on the beach for a living. If this is okay, you are doing well. Then, if you also feel that the people and the environment outweigh the inconveniences, and this place is a 'fit' for you, I suspect you will be here a long time, and at that point, investment would be a good idea.

Take your time, go slow, keep your eyes open, do not dismiss things but rather be observant of them and how they impact you, and I am sure you will make the right decision for you. And remember, the negative comments involve one person's point of view and that person's 'fit' or 'misfit' with the islands themselves. That doesn't necessarily pertain to you.

Best wishes to you. If you would like to ask any specific questions, please feel free to send me a private message. Also, please know that Alexandra is a real estate agent, however, even though I am not suggesting just leaping, real estate in general IS going up. And quickly. When I had the money and knew I was staying, I'm sorry I didn't purchase some investment property. Oh, well.

Warmest regards,

Dan

STTResident - I didn't misinterpret the 6 month statement. The latest posting of this was in one of Becky's comments earlier in this thread in which she stated: "I have decided a pre-move visit under about six months is kind of worthless. " This wasn't the first time I've seen this comment made by various people in the last few months. It really seems to me that to live here for six months isn't something you can legitimately call a PRE-move visit. You have already made the move. It may not be permanent, but it's not just a visit.

I agree with your comments that some people have had unfortunate real estate losses in the past due to hurricane devastation. Such storms can happen any year, but generally do not. Most people buying real estate do insure it for hurricane damage, which would at least mitigate their loss to the extent that they wouldn't have a residual debt even if they lose any accumulated equity appreciation. If that's the worst case scenario, it is similar to what people face in so many other areas where hurricanes and other natural or weather related disasters come into play from time to time. Life has no guarantees, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't pursue any opportunities at all.

I never suggest investing in real estate blindly. It is always important to explore your own personal situation to determine when/if/how/where to invest. The answers are different for each person. That's been my point on this subject... that while some people should never invest in island real estate or should wait at least a year to do so, others are wiser to go ahead and jump in sooner. I'd advise all new arrivals to go out and look at real estate opportunities and evaluate whether you have the financial ability to purchase anything and, if so, would it be beneficial or detrimental to you to move forward now... or should you wait for a better opportunity... or make a well-researched decision to rent rather than buy. Any time you think about buying real estate in the islands, consider three things before moving forward: 1) Is this a property you can sell easily if you need to? 2) is this a property you can rent out to cover its costs while you are waiting for it to sell? 3) does this property have sufficient likelihood of equity increase over the next 2-3 years or is it over-priced with little room to move upwards for a while? Some properties don't have much of a down side while others are less ideal from a purely investment standpoint. I don't recommend that newcomers put all their cash into a quirky house they may fall in love with if it isn't also a mainstream enough property that unloading or renting it would be easy if necessary. Kind of hedging your bet.

On the "instilling of fear" into some readers of this board - I have worked with a number of people lately who have expressed that specific thing... that they have seen a marked trend over the past year of increasing postings of doom and gloom leading them to expect failure in assimilating to the island resulting in a return to the mainland... and that it has made them very fearful of going through with their plans. By setting up such a negative emotional expectation, it seems to me that they are being prepped for disaster rather than for success. Listing common pitfalls is helpful, as is providing info on how to avoid them or deal with them. Explaining why something is a problem for you that might not be a problem for someone else helps with perspective and differences of experience that people have. It seems to be an accepted fact that no matter how much you read ahead of arriving, you are still going to have to go through things yourself to totally grasp what was meant. Just because something was a major problem for one person doesn't mean that it will be an issue for everyone else. Fear can be a crippling thing and it definitely affects your emotional ability to cope with even small things. Helping newbies to understand that there will be challenges to be met and ways of meeting them is a positive thing. Instilling fear has the opposite effect.