houses on st.croix not so nice?

Hi Nikki.

What do you mean by "nice?" "Nice" is a relative term; if you come from a housing project then an ordinary house in an ordinary subdivision seems nice, if you come from a mansion then an ordinary house in an ordinary subdivision seems unacceptable.

Living in the tropics is different from living in Seattle and the houses are necessarily different as well. More living space is outdoors, roofs are designed to collect rainwater, and most are designed with hurricanes (and hurricane insurance) in mind.

If you visit realtor.com and look at the most expensive houses available on St. Criox and they do not appeal to you then you probably wouldn't like living on the island. If the most expensive houses do appeal to you but none of the houses in your price range appeal to you then living the lifestyle you desire on the island of St. Croix may simply be too expensive for your budget.

If you arrive without preconceived notions about what you insist on having, have the flexibility of mind to adapt to your environment, and are determined to live happily within your means, then you can likely find a comfortable home on the island.

In any case, if you can't afford to "fly across the US from Seattle" to check-out St. Croix and its real-estate, then you likely can't afford to live on the island either.

It is foolhardy to consider buying property without having first visited the island and looklooking around. A recipe for disaster.

Nikki,

I moved to St. Croix from Seattle... and just got back on-island tonight from spending 18 days in the PNW. Life here is different and you will find that preconceived notions about the style of house you need can be scaled back considerably.

You didn't say what price range of houses you were looking within online. It is true that there isn't much in the lower prices on the island that most new arrivals would consider to their taste. It is important for you to visit the island and explore the various neighborhoods to select the ones that you would find acceptable.

You can fly from Seattle to Jan Juan on JetBlue Airline for around $400-$500 round trip. An island hopper from San Juan to St. Croix can run you around $150 round trip if you book it far enough in advance. It's well worth the trip to make a visit if you are serious about wanting to buy a home in the islands and possibly move here. The plane ticket is a necessary expense, not a luxury.

If you have questions about adapting to life on the island after life in Seattle, feel free to ask.

A friend once visited me from Philadelphia. He looked up at the exposed beams in my cathedral ceiling and said to me "...so, that's the roof up there, right?" LOL

Mind you now, my house is located on one of the Caribbean's premier golf courses, but my friend's vision of a house did not include cathedral ceilings.

The other posters are right, you must do a pre-move visit, and you must know what your price range is, and you must have a good feel for what will make you comfortable. However, I must say that the higher your budget is, the more comfortable you will be able to make yourself on St. Croix. This is fast becoming not the place to move to if you will find yourself struggling to get by.

sunset_angel,

Just as there are in Seattle, there are absolutely gorgeous mansions, very nice mid-range homes, and wonderful small starter homes in St. Croix. And in both places, some homes are built with the most high end materials and are meticulously maintained, others are a little dated but still clean and functional, and others are in need of major work.

You cannot compare STX homes with the homes in most areas of the lower 48 states. Houses down here are made of very different materials (concrete and cinderblock), and are built in very different styles (large open rooms, high cathedral ceilings, no attics or basements, tile or wood flooring) because they need to serve different functions (make use of tropical breezes and stay cool, withstand hurricanes, collect waterfor drinking, showering, etc.)

You need to clear your mind of the standards you use to evaluate houses in Seattle and instead look at the homes on STX based on their own merits as island homes.

With this "not-so-nice" first reaction to what you see on the real estate listings, I have to vote with the others that you can't afford to skip a pre-move visit. I know it's said all the time, but that's because it's true: island living isn't for everyone. The only way to know if you've got a chance at being happy here is to live here as a local (not a tourist) for at least a week and preferably more. Ideally, you'll do this before selling off your possesions and packing up the rest, investing up to thousands of dollars to ship your remaining possessions several thousand miles, and leaving your current job, friends and family behind.

And in all honesty, if you think you can't afford to fly here and check it out for yourself, you most likely can't afford the cost of moving and living here. I wouldn't move here without having at least $10k in cash -- after the cost of moving -- to tide me over while I find a job and get settled in. It's astonishing how fast that cash flies out of your wallet when you arrive.

--HC

um...everyone. I'm still technically a minor. there's no way my parents will let me fly to the caribbean. I'm just doing research on what I will bve looking at in a few years. my boyfriend and I are saving money to go, and our price range will be no more than $200,000. so...what do I do now?

Wait until you're of age.

There are some decent properties priced under $200K, and some of them even include rental units that can be leased out to pay part of your mortgage. The problem you will be facing is that prices are rising dramatically and what is available today for $200K might be $300K by the time you are ready to move here. Timing is everything!

Keep your eyes on the MLS listings between now and when you are ready to think about moving here. Maybe there will still be a great deal or two to be found when the time is right for you.

Nikki,

I think it is great that you have dreams and plans for the future. At your age, this is exactly what you should have.

What you should do now is..
1. Finish high school
2. Go to College!!!
3. Work on a career (or at least some way to provide for yourself)

If you really want to move to the Virgin Islands... go for it! But don't go until you are out of school. You have a lot of other things to "worry" about before you get to the stage of buying a house. Make sure you have a way to take care of yourself (not relying on parents, boyfriends, husband or any one else) before you worry about buying property.

And one final recommendation... be honest and upfront with those from whom you seek advice. You'll be better advised, and better regarded.

Sunset-

Make part of your savings a LONG trip to St. Croix - like actually come here and live for a couple of months. If you're without a job, it will kick your butt. In the long run it will be worth it.

The idea of living on an island and the reality are two different things. An extended stay on the island will afford you the opportunity to attempt to find your special place on the island, and we all have different requirements. Unfortunately, a month or two stay is going to substantially cut into your down payment on $200K, which probably won't buy much by the time you get here. Come here, live, secure work - then fly home, pack it all up and come back. There are folks on this island who are highly educated and highly qualified in their field who have been waiting six months to get any kind of callback on a job app, and people working outside their job field just to get by until something else comes along....and the occasional person is working at a job that they wouldn't have considered stateside because - guess what? - that sales clerk position pays better than what you could get in your chosen field.

Husband to be getting settlement w/in the next 6-12 mos
would like to seriously start finding out about buying
a home there with rental unit

Home schooling son = 61/2 yrs old - husband gets a
permanent disability due to back sugery & other of
$600 p/mo

Expect to buy a home for $200,000 & pay ahead for
insurance & have some $ in the bank & receive sum
income for rental unit

Is it possible to think we could do this?

Please w/b/s

Most Sincerely

Hello melmel,

Please email me directly at stcroixhomes@hotmail.com and I can provide you with more info on how to go about making your vision a reality on St. Croix.