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I hope you all don't mind if I vent a little here. Nobody but you fellow relocators can relate to what I've been through. Okay here goes.....My husband and I decided years ago to someday move to St. John. We thought it would be a great place to retire but after numerous visits and sad ferry rides back to the STT airport we decided life is too short to wait for happiness. Last summer we once again traveled to St. John and found the building site for our future home. We immediately put our property up for sale in MA and expected to sell our home and lot of land fairly quick. Well it didn't turn out that way and we ended up losing our deposit and the STJ land. LIVE AND LEARN. We didn't give up. We had many buyers for our home and land but somehow deals kept falling through. One lesson I learned was NOT to tell anybody about our plans to move to the Caribbean. As someone else on the board mentioned THE GREEN EYED MONSTER comes out in the strangest places. People you think would be supportive of your decision can sometime try to stop you from living your dream. This has happened to us in the most bizarre ways - so much so that I can't even begin to tell you. We are very determined, positive people who know what we want and will not give up until we get it. Well almost a year later and our closing on our home is supposed to be this Thursday but the buyers have asked for an extension for a few more weeks. Our second land deal fell through but recently signed our third Purchase and Sale on our MA land to close in 30 days. We can only hope that nothing will interfere with these two sales. I have made plans to travel to St. John next week for my pre-move visit and to secure housing. IT HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD......BUT IN THE END......WE'LL BE IN PARADISE. I guess the moral of my story is....DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DREAM...BE PATIENT.....AND BELIEVE!
Posted : May 25, 2004 10:03 pm
Hi Cojo,
Please let us know how your pre-move visit goes. I know what you mean about the Green Eyed Monster. Some people make me feel bad for talking about it. They feel like I have made their life a little less exciting just because I am moving to the USVI. I used to try to tell them about the realities of living there and the hurricanes and stuff. They usually cut me off with a 'you are not going to make us feel sorry for you'. I think all but two people have responded to my news of moving to the Vi with 'wow, now we have a place to stay when we visit'. If I had a nickel for everytime I heard that... I hope they bring money because letting people stay with us could get expensive. I actually wonder who might really come to the islands to visit besides family. I am moving in August and just can't wait!
You have really struggled to get there. Good luck and I hope your visit goes well. I heard that today was the first mostly sunny day they have had in a week. It has been very rainy. I don't know the forecast, but hopefully it will be nice for your stay! Can't wait to here more of your story!
Teresa
Posted : May 25, 2004 10:37 pm
Cojo,
Sending all my best wishes that these deals all work out and you make it to your new home as quickly as you can. We close on our home sale on Friday -- are still waiting for a closing date for our STX home purchase but the contract says it can't be later than June 13. (Thank goodness we have motivated sellersdown there - they've been where you are with other sales falling through and and very eager to get to their new home, too.)
Keep on keeping the faith!
HipCrip
Posted : May 26, 2004 9:56 am
Hang in there! Arrived ten years ago and never looked back .... it's worth the wait!
Pamela.
Posted : May 26, 2004 11:30 am
Stay positive !
Wishing you all the best !
Posted : May 26, 2004 11:39 am
Cojo,
You are are in my thoughts and prayers!
Posted : May 26, 2004 12:27 pm
Topic starter
Thank you Teresa, Hip Crip, Pamela, Jewels and David! We are hanging in there. I am still planning my premove visit for June 5 so I will keep you posted.
Thanks again for your wishes and prayers!
Posted : May 27, 2004 9:47 am
Cojo,
Your post has made me nervous! We just put our deposit down on our STT home two weeks ago and have to sell our MA home by August. We're feeling the time crunch in a big way!
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you if you can do that same for us! =)
Janelle
Posted : May 27, 2004 11:35 am
I was intrigued by Teresa's comment about reactions from friends that think they will have a nice place to stay when they visit. I live on a different island but here's how we solved that problem very early on. One - we always made certain that we did the inviting when we wanted house guests - no invitation, no stay. Two - When anyone called or wrote to say they were thinking of "coming down to the islands" we always responded with "Great, let's us know what hotel will you be staying at and perhaps we can get together for cocktails or dinner! It didn't take long for these potential freeloaders to realize that we had a home not a hotel. Good luck.
Posted : May 27, 2004 12:17 pm
Please keep Mark and I in the thoughts and prayers too. We're going tonight to our cottage for cleaning/clean out purposes. Long weekend is good for this. Hopefully, by Saturday we will have it listed. Holy Smokes Its a Go!!!! Hip Crip, I could be there in a month or 6 weeks. The agent told us he thinks no longer than a week or two for offers in our price. YIKES. This will give us our down payment on the B&B. Now of course I'm second guessing. Such a big adult decision. Maybe I'll suck my thumb for a while. HEHEHE. Used to be easier when the parents told you what to do.
Second. Mark and I have come up with an A and B list. (With a B&B we are a hotel). The A list consists of people in any season who can stay in a room. Family etc. Not on the A list, not free. The B list consists of reduced rate room in the off season. Off Season price during High Season. Not on the A or B list, call for reservations. This is what we've told people who ask. And only A list will be invited for visiting purposes. Does that sound fair to you all? Can't think of another way.
Oh my Gosh!!!! I'm so selfish. All of you are my inspirations on the board. Hopefully, some of my first friends on the islands. Please know you are all in my thoughts and prayers. To happiness, expectations met and Success. *Clink of ice in glass*
Post Edited (05-27-04 12:07)
Posted : May 27, 2004 4:55 pm
Hi Cojo,
I was so touched by your story that I needed to respond. In August of 2000, my husband, myself and our two daughters visited the Virgin Islands for a long needed vacation. My mother-in-law passed away four months previously after a battle with Lou Gerrig's disease. We immediately fell in love with the Virgin Islands and knew that was where we wanted to live. After two days in the Virgin Islands, our girls also expressed the same desire. It has been a long four years. We have remodeled and sold my mother-in-law's house. However, disputes with the potential buyers arose and we ended up in mediation. That was finally settled. Finally, a few months ago, my husband and I sat down and re-prioritized our need to get the heck out of Dodge this summer; no more delays. We are in the last stages of remodeling our home for sale. It is our sincere hope that it sells quickly as we will need the money for moving and purchasing a home on either Stt or Stj. Last Sunday, we held an auction and sold off all of our furniture. Yikes!!! While all of our items sold, they were sold very cheaply. Needless to say, we we very unhappy about this. Twenty years of our life's history gone and for very little money. This week has been spent recuperating and venting to one another about how cheaply things sold for. It has been very painful and a humbling experience. However, there is nothing we can do to bring those items back. We probably made a $2000.00 mistake with having the auction. However, if this is the worst mistake we ever make we'll be doing well. Our dream of moving to the islands is that much closer. We look on the bright side, we got rid of the stuff and didn't have to hold 50 garage sales to get rid of the stuff. Also, we can always get more furniture. Most importantly, we have our health and each other. I know what you mean. Anymore, I don't tell people where we are moving. People have said such things as "I can fit in your suitcase", "why in the heck would you want to move there", "Oh, I guess I'm suppose to feel sorry for you", "you may not want to move after spending all that time fixing up the house", etc. What I see in people these days is jealously/envy whatever you want to call it. They could move to such a place if they wanted too. I also think that some people cannot fathom doing such a thing. It is a major change in one's life. People also don't see all your hard work, or the trials and tribulations you've gone through. My husband and I have worked our buns off to reach this point in our life. I AGREE WITH YOU....DON'T GIVE UP YOUR DREAM...BE PATIENT.....AND BELIEVE! Good luck with the sale of your home and land. Also, good luck with your premove to Stj. You will be in my thoughts. I will leave you with my most favorite saying...Things always happen for a reason.
Posted : May 28, 2004 8:12 pm
Streamlining,
Good luck to you and your family as well. Your story is so close to ours it is amazing. My mom died in '91 from ALS and my husbands father in '98 from ALS. And my mom's sister in '94 (ALS). Quite a strange coincedence for a rare disease? Some may say someday that Mark and I are running away. From Toledo, responsibility, family, friends, this old life where people whisper "I'm so sorry", and those some are d#@ right.
Thank you for my moment...
Posted : June 1, 2004 10:25 am
