FEMA or refinery workers looking for housing

I am certain any FEMA renters must go through a realtor. As for refinery workers I do not know.

Send me your contact information and info on the property for rent. I may be able to help you.

I am certain any FEMA renters must go through a realtor. As for refinery workers I do not know.

Not so...I had a FEMA guy for 3 months at $150 a night. No realtor involved.

They get a stipend and from what I was told and that what they don't spend they keep, so it is beneficial for them to find a place quickly and cheap. I was told from someone that is down there, he gets 300 a day, so in the case above, the worker keeps the 150 for food and extra cash. The guy I know stated he makes more on the stipend than his hourly wage so it's worth it to him to be there.

They get a stipend and from what I was told and that what they don't spend they keep, so it is beneficial for them to find a place quickly and cheap. I was told from someone that is down there, he gets 300 a day, so in the case above, the worker keeps the 150 for food and extra cash. The guy I know stated he makes more on the stipend than his hourly wage so it's worth it to him to be there.

I was very happy to host him...we all made a few bucks.

You made more than a few bucks! wow

I was very happy to host him...we all made a few bucks.

You made more than a few bucks! wow

I was very happy to host him...we all made a few bucks.

Then the real question should be did you pay that 12% or whatever room / rental tax on all those $$$? 😎 You know Blapp has to pay the credit card.

You made more than a few bucks! wow

I was very happy to host him...we all made a few bucks.

Then the real question should be did you pay that 12% or whatever room / rental tax on all those $$$? 😎 You know Blapp has to pay the credit card.

FEMA workers may not have to pay the tax. I had a DOJ employee last year that had a fed government lodging tax exemption form.

Does that really apply to our hotel tax? Just curious since the VIBIR is a sperate entity from the IRS and our taxes are also gross taxes. You don't have to pay hotel tax on stays 90 or more consecutive days though.

You made more than a few bucks! wow

I was very happy to host him...we all made a few bucks.

Then the real question should be did you pay that 12% or whatever room / rental tax on all those $$$? 😎 You know Blapp has to pay the credit card.

FEMA workers may not have to pay the tax. I had a DOJ employee last year that had a fed government lodging tax exemption form.

I am certain any FEMA renters must go through a realtor. As for refinery workers I do not know.

Not so...I had a FEMA guy for 3 months at $150 a night. No realtor involved.

Well if that is so, things have changed from this past Feb/Mar.

It is my understanding that if the lodging is being paid for directly by a Federal government entity on behalf of the government employee then the nightly rate is fixed and they are exempt from the hotel tax. In these cases there is almost always a real estate company or hotel involved due to the payment restrictions imposed by the Federal government (I don't think the government will write a rent check to a private homeowner). But many (maybe most) other recovery workers here are subcontractors or don't work directly for the Federal government and are paying for their lodging themselves out of their per-diem or their company is paying for them. They are free to negotiate the best rate they can get but whatever they pay is not exempt from the hotel tax. Here is a link to a BIR statement regarding this:

http://informusvi.com/bir-reminds-taxpayers-of-hotel-room-tax-of-12-5-2/

Then the real question should be did you pay that 12% or whatever room / rental tax on all those $$$? 😎 You know Blapp has to pay the credit card.

Of course not.

Well if that is so, things have changed from this past Feb/Mar.

Depends on who you know. There are work arounds.

It is my understanding that if the lodging is being paid for directly by a Federal government entity on behalf of the government employee then the nightly rate is fixed and they are exempt from the hotel tax. In these cases there is almost always a real estate company or hotel involved due to the payment restrictions imposed by the Federal government (I don't think the government will write a rent check to a private homeowner).

This is true, but again, there are always work arounds.

I can't/won't say how though.

Great comments but would really like information on who to contact with fema or refinery to offer my condo for rental.
Thanks!

janeinstx said to contact her

Great comments but would really like information on who to contact with fema or refinery to offer my condo for rental.
Thanks!

To be clear, I’m not an agent I’m a consultant on the restart project and know many of the other consultants who are looking for a long term rental.

janeinstx said to contact her

Great comments but would really like information on who to contact with fema or refinery to offer my condo for rental.
Thanks!

Thanks Janie,
I sent you a pm with my email and phone number. Look forward to hearing from you.

My neighbor has two condos and the one they rent they have Walt Fraiser JR and his realtor company do it.

Then the real question should be did you pay that 12% or whatever room / rental tax on all those $$$? 😎 You know Blapp has to pay the credit card.

Of course not.

😎

I posted my condo rental on Craigslist and Zillow. Have gotten several inquires from stateside people relocating for the refinery startup. Finding out that the rental rates that you can get keep going up weekly. Big demand and very few good rentals left.

IMO, I think the price gouging on rents on STX is getting absurd! Those of us who have been on island renting for years will be priced out of the rental market.
Thirty-nine for a 2br, 2ba condo? In the past few years I’ve rented two absolutely gorgeous homes both with huge sea/harbor views, over 3500 sq ft/ with pools. One was 2600/mo the other 2500/mo.
I just can’t see any justification for the rents being raised that high. Even when Hovensa was fulling operating before a sale was on the horizon, rents were never near that high.
This is just my opinion. Maybe others feel differently.

The Virgin Islands Code addresses rent control and increases. In theory, there is a rent control officer on STX.

https://advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=b66571eb-c4cb-441b-b67d-9ac0abeff315&config=014DJAA3OWU1MmYyMC1kNzRhLTQ4NDAtYTMxZS01YzJhMzBkZDA0NDMKAFBvZENhdGFsb2dSOvVciRp0EcGxvMymeAXd&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fstatutes-legislation%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A56WP-9S01-6G1M-90SB-00008-00&pddocid=urn%3AcontentItem%3A56WP-9S01-6G1M-90SB-00008-00&pdcontentcomponentid=234181&pdteaserkey=sr1&pditab=allpods&ecomp=-9g8kkk&earg=sr1&prid=f181f102-a372-4266-a6c2-a68e4a580965

IMO, I think the price gouging on rents on STX is getting absurd! Those of us who have been on island renting for years will be priced out of the rental market.
Thirty-nine for a 2br, 2ba condo? In the past few years I’ve rented two absolutely gorgeous homes both with huge sea/harbor views, over 3500 sq ft/ with pools. One was 2600/mo the other 2500/mo.
I just can’t see any justification for the rents being raised that high. Even when Hovensa was fulling operating before a sale was on the horizon, rents were never near that high.
This is just my opinion. Maybe others feel differently.

IMO, I think the price gouging on rents on STX is getting absurd! Those of us who have been on island renting for years will be priced out of the rental market.
Thirty-nine for a 2br, 2ba condo? In the past few years I’ve rented two absolutely gorgeous homes both with huge sea/harbor views, over 3500 sq ft/ with pools. One was 2600/mo the other 2500/mo.
I just can’t see any justification for the rents being raised that high. Even when Hovensa was fulling operating before a sale was on the horizon, rents were never near that high.
This is just my opinion. Maybe others feel differently.

Rents are up across the nation. Here it's a combination of relief workers and the fact that the refinery wants to fast track. When we came down in 2000 it was hard to find anything under $1500 because they were building the coker. For those wanting "rent control", buy something and control the rent... It's supply and demand. How many condo owners had nothing coming in after the 2012 shutdown? My 2 cents... Make hay while the sun shines.