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Hi all,
I will be moving to STT in the beginning of September. I did my PMV couple weeks ago and had a general feel of the islands. I've adjusted my attitude and expectations accordingly and I should be able to blend into the island life in a short time. One thing I do have to mention is that I love the jerk sauce, jerk chicken, jerk fish, jerk veggie, when I move down there I doubt if I will need any other condiments.
In preparation for the move, I diligently searched and read many threads on this board, they've all been very helpful. However I still have some questions remaining and would appreciate your assistance:
1) Without an address on STT, where should I ship my belongings to?! I searched this board and read something about setting a PO Box before I arrive, but can I ship my belongings to the PO Box address? Also, where are those PO Boxes located, are they all in the downtown post office?
2) I will be buying a car when I arrive. I am looking for an islands car around $4K to $5K. What is the proper procedure for such a transaction? "The Islander" mentioned there's a lemon law on VI so I can inspect it before purchase it. Can anyone recommend a reliable garage to do the inspection on STT? Moreover, what method of payment do sellers prefer? I read that state side checks are heavily frowned upon. Should I then set up a bank acct. on STT as soon as I arrive?
3) When I was looking for an apt during my PMV I was told that I should get a hurricane expert to inspect the structure of the property before I sign the lease. Is that the case? If so, can anyone recommend a good reliable expert?
Thanks for all your help. Looking forward to hear those answers.
Jerky
Posted : August 5, 2005 7:11 pm
1. The P.O. Boxes are located inside the Post Offices. However, when you check at a particular Post Office, you may find that they have none available. Then you would need to utilize one of the mail services, such as Red Hook Mail Service, Mailboxes Etc., etc. You can ship your things to the Post Office "General Dellivery", but that may take up to six weeks to see your boxes. Best to have a P.O. Box before you ship.
2. Set up a bank account here abd deposit your car money into it, so you can withdraw it to pay for whichever car you choose. Get an "Island Trader" and start looking. $4-5K will get you a very good car here. Motor Trend is a good place to have one inspected...then again, so is Western Auto.
3. Are you going to be buying it? If not, I wouldn't go to the trouble and expense of having a structural engineer look at it. Whoever owns it has already done so to get hurricane insurance, so why bother?
Posted : August 6, 2005 3:03 pm
Jerky: You do know that jerk seasoning is a Jamaican, not a Virgin Islands item? About the apartment...I'll bet they were talking about the hurricane experts that Ronnie once spoke about- anyone who lived through Hugo and/or Marilyn! People are pretty good at looking at windows, porches, ceilings (first thing I do is check for clips!), direction it faces, etc. I don't think you need an engineer, but a "been there" buddy to check it out isn't a bad idea!
Posted : August 6, 2005 5:16 pm
Hello,
A PO Box is through the post office (or USPS). And yes if you had a PO Box you can send boxes. The postal service does have weight restrictions - I think its 70 pounds. Their web site has the size/weight stipulations http://www.usps.com. To set up a PO Box you have to be there in person. Since you aren't on island then you can send mail to the post office via General Delivery. I'd suggest calling the main post office on St. Thomas and getting the details; how long they hold the boxes, how long it takes etc. so you can plan on sending your boxes allowing the right amount of time prior to being on island so you can collect them. There are several post offices (Sugar Estate, downtown, Frenchtown, Tutu...) you can check with once on island for securing a box. If not a post office box then you can use one of the mail centers.
I've not heard of getting an inspector to check out apartments before renting. Not a bad idea to ask about the structure; if the place was damaged during any of the past hurricanes etc.
--Islander
Posted : August 8, 2005 10:00 pm
