moving to the island

I must be missing something. I've not seen the posts about violence. When I look at the "What to Expect" forum all the messages date to 2004 and 2005?

They are all discussion threads. There have been several on the board just in the last few months.

You have to define what you mean by "something small on the water nothing fancy simple is better".

Waterfront property is limited (the Good Lord hasn't created any new beaches in a million years) and thus it's expensive. Anyone who can afford beachfront property won't build something "small and simple". The thing is, just about everyone who contemplates moving to the Caribbean wants to have a "place on the water" but only a few can actually afford it.

Waterfront residences consist mostly condo complexes and mega villas that cater to the luxury market - small might be a basic 1 BR unit in a large condo complex selling in the $500K to $800K range or, if a single family dwelling small might mean an older 3 BR home in need of major upgrades costing upwards of $1.5 million. The days of a simple 1 BR fishing shack sitting on a quiet beach that you can buy (or rent) for peanuts are long since gone.

This is one of the reasons a PMV and doing research is important - so you learn first hand what the realities are. It's sometimes difficult for those of us who live in the islands to convey what life is like to those who are looking at it through rose colored glasses. There's reality and there are dreams - the two rarely coincide. Be realistic in your expectations and your chances of a successful experience in the Caribbean will increase dramatically.

Good luck following your dream.

thanks for the information. this forum is the best .i love that ppl contact you fast.I'll be moving alone no kids,pets, just a suitcase or 2.I'm looking for a place for my pre-visit cheap a month or 2,so i can check out all the islands to see what fits me.i hope i can get a small place on the water because that's were I'll be spending most of my time either in the water or on the beach.I'm retried so i live on s.s

If you are alone and only have SS as income, I think you will have to find work to supplement that income. Assuming your SS is around $1,500 a month, that will not be enough to live comfortably - or even uncomfortably!

If you stay on Stx you will need to fly over to stt and vice versa. From stt you can get to stjj by ferry boat also the bvi's by ferry . Depending on your financial situation will depend on what you do with your visit

Not to belabor the point but you've again said "i hope i can get a small place on the water because that's were I'll be spending most of my time either in the water or on the beach.I'm retried so i live on s.s" - that's simply not being realistic. As LindaJ said your ss will probably just barely cover rent in a "small place" that's not on the beach and you'll still have to pay extra for utilities, food, transportation and other incidentals.

Estimate what you need to maintain your lifestyle "back home" then add about 30%to 35% because that's what you'll need to maintain the same standard in the USVI's.

You need to do a lot more research.

Milk $5.50 per gallon

Tomatoes .45/lb.

Watermelon .59/lb.

Fuji Apples 1.72/lb.

Spaghetti squash $2.09/lb.

1 lb. CHEAP butter $3.99

cheapest ground beef 2.99/lb and 3.99/lb.

red onions .51/lb.

white bread $3.49 per loaf

And bring your health insurance with you, because you won't be able to get any here.

thank you i have been checking the message board a few times a week .I'm gathering all the information i can on all the web sites.i just need something small and inexpensive because its just me ,no pets,no kids,.i live in Florida and it is time for a change.once again thank you for all the help hope to to there soon

$1500 is more than enough to live on St. Croix as long as you spend time on the beach and not running electricity.

Locals very friendly and lots of empty beaches. I saw studios at grape tree going for $650 a month. Far from town but right on the beach. Life is an adventure and have fun on the journey.

you should have fun. if it is just you, depending on the size place you get you should get by with no problem. might not leave you with any spare money though. for trips back to the states or emergencies.