flying over to check on things?

the Avis yesterday reported that parts of the east-end , cane bay and rain forest may be without power for 2 to 3 months, where we are located in cane bay we do not expect to have power for at least a month or more.........the lack of transformers and poles will dictate the speed........... as I traveled out east yesterday i think it will be more like 3 to 5 months for the island to be totally powered back up.

Holy cow! That is a Marilyn timeline. When are we going to bite the bullet and put all power, etc. underground? Let's see, the silver lining is...no WAPA bills for awhile???

If there was only somebody who could do a general air survey of the island, esp. East End. Seems like a money-making opportunity or as a public service to those with property but unable to see for themselves.

PT

as we drove the whole island yesterday we noticed no real damage to homes a few roofs ......tile and aluminum off but mostly poles and a lot of tree damage..........not much anyone can do right now ....bates is not renting out dumpsters till next week and the dump will open Monday or Tuesday .........most homes are just getting moldy and damp from the lack of power..........good luck to all ....we just want a hot shower this week ..just 1 would be nice..............and some ice

loungestx, Our realtor checked on our house in the rain forest today. Everything was fine except a few tree limbs (none hit the house) and a bunch of solar pathway lights we neglected to put away. Power was out, hopefully it will be restored by the time we get back. Good luck with yours.

pt, I have thought about such a business venture. Having someone regularly check on things and maybe supervise repairs and get the house ready for arrival etc is a service I would pay for.

sunorski, its called a property manager, plenty of them on all three islands. In the usvi they have to have their realtor's license if you want your place rented out.

Hi Betty,

I am not interested yet in renting out my property . . . would property managers also just pay attention to my property during my off -island periods (which I am trying my darndest to reduce)? Hardly more attention than a "drive-by"???

My friendly real estate agent hasn't complained yet about checking on my property (but, I do bribe her with free haircuts by my boyfriend) . . . (Geez, I hope she does not read this!)

I am just thinking more long term. There may be a lot of people who own property on STX that just need someone to periodically check on things for peace of mind. This may be less of a service the typical property manager provides . . . maybe not . . . I have not really investigated the levels of service.

Thanks for ther advice!

SoS

My cleaning lady does that sort of thing for people who live in the States but own a place here.

I'm sure your real estate agent could recommend people for that type of work. It would be an added cost but its good to have someone checking on everything at least twice a month. The main thing is you need someone you can trust. And won't talk about your house being vacant to anyone. A person that's handy is nice but not necessary for what you need. Just a decent head on their sholders to go through and check all the lights, make sure the water's running or not running. 😉 A cleaning lady might actually be a really good idea. It'll keep the dust, mold and mildew away and keep you appraised of your home.

Soon to retire Federal Agent,looking to relocate and start a small Security company with very personalized service. More on my Cerdentials later,Top shelf to say the least, I have plans to keep open lines of communication available to me at all times,even if the Cell towers or phone service is knocked out during a storm. I am thinking a six month contract with the off Island home owner to start. Not all details are worked out yet and the services I could supply could be numerous to say the least. I would just like to know if their are or how many off Island home owners would be interested in this type of service ?

I would guess that would depend on whether the owner rents out the place to tourists or for short stays. Rentals to tourists would probably be overseen by property management places that oversee the rentals (book them, meet & greet, etc.) Others just close their place up & just have somebody check on it. I also know a locksmith who does the latter kind of thing for off-island homeowners & he also does some maintenance & makes sure the place is in good condition. I have no idea how much you can make at this.

SOS,
Come on down, when you get the chance, and talk to your neighbors, your Realtor, some property management professionals, other off island owners, people in general that you have a good feeling about. You could even put an ad in the Avis for a part time "caretaker". A cleaning lady or a handy man would be an excellent choice. Start with the neighbors. You may be able to work out a reciprocal arrangement of some sort. Sounds like you just want a set of eyes and a phone number. Right?

Now here's a techy thought. How about a video surveillance system that you could monitor from the states? Kind of like webcam.

a friend has a condo in Naples, Fl..they have some owners who provide this sort of oversight service...check after tenants leave to see that maid has cleaned and garbage is out etc, inspect the unit monthly or whatever, flush the toilets, run the water, look for ants, etc, etc, nothing big, but will sit and wait for repairmen, etc...various fees. These folks are I guess retired full time residents, who do this for an income...not a bad idea if you ask me, as long as you could trust the people--but that's always an issue. It seemed to be an accepted thing there. Friends on stx have their regular cleaning lady come in and clean at a less frequent but regular schedule while they are off island, and she can usually tell if something is wrong...though years ago my ladies once cleaned my house the whole day without power, (which was off due to a WAPA fiasco, unknown to us) without telling anyone till later....they actually took water from the pool to mop with and such...said they didn't want to make a fuss....they never liked using my vacuum anyway....preferred the broom..
Our neighbors check on our house when we are away, and we do the same for all of them. Our great neighbors are one reason we like living in a "neighborhood" on stx.

I have been very lucky as my neighbors have been wonderful in helping out with checking on things and arranging a cleaning.
You can't beat just plain ol' fashion having good neighbors.
-D