Relocating to St John

Hello~
My husband and I are looking into relocating to St. John. He has applied for a ranger position at Virgin Island National Park. I have been searching for apartment rentals and cannot find any. Can someone please help us
Thanks
Melissa Borden

You should get advice from your future co-workers. People already here will be able to help you the most.

I'm also on STX and my knowledge of the STJ rental scene is very limited, ok non-existant. But I think you may have to also explore the possibility of living on STT and working on STJ to begin with. After you are here you can beat the bushes for the perfect rental.

Good luck.

Melissa -

You might contact one of the realtors on STJ - perhaps they can help...but I just returned from 10 days on STJ and I will tell you the "living" prices are somewhere in the range of "OMG" to "absoutely ridiculous"...but that's for purchasing property, perhaps the rental market would be lower. I doubt it, though. Many people who have a place to rent do so to vacationers like myself and they charge a premium for it. As Linda J has pointed out, you may find something more in your price range on STT and your husband could catch the ferry and maybe the safari bus to work. Co-workers would definitely be a help, as they would be most knowledgeable about what price range you can afford (I don't mean that in an ugly way, just that we all have different hopes, expectations and incomes). Be prepared to pay at the top end of whatever your budget is wherever you go...I haven't met anyone yet who was thrilled about their rental payment! Also, bear in mind that many residents travel on the car barge to STT to do their grocery shopping, etc. It may just prove to be more economical to be on STT and have hubby do a short commute.

Does the Parks Service provide any housing at all? My sister-in-law and brother-in-law were rangers at Yosemite and there were a precious few houses available for employees...

Check out rental listings on St. John at www.stjohnnews.com. The park does provide housing, but I imagine it's for higher ranking employees.

When I was planning my move to STJ last year (which unfortunately never happened due to some unforseen circumstances), I found that being on island was the best way to find rental info. By word of mouth, I had looked at several places before I even left the island on my pre-move visit. I found an apartment while I was shopping in Cruz Bay just by mentioning that I was looking. The board at Connections also has a lot of postings of available places with numbers to call. Good luck to you! I'm jealous!

Hi David
I currently rent a two bedroom place in St. John and am going to be moving into another place in July. I have a lease till Aug but will only be able to get my last and security back if I can find someone to move in. I have had a lot of interest. The rent is the cheapest I have seen on island.
I also just moved back to St John in Jan. with my 6 year old and needed someplace cheap while I resettled in. The place was really rough at first, though not the worst I have seen. I have since gutted it and painted most of it, varnished and put tile and shelves up. There is an indoor shower, stove(though I have not used it yet), 1 big bedroom and a space by bathroom where I have put my daughters bed.I also have an A/C that I am leaving here. This was the cheapest place i could find when I was moving back and paid for 4 months before I even moved in. It would work fine for someone who is just relocating and wants to get settled in and pick a better place when they get on island. The rent is only $700 a month,virtually unheard of anywhere. Anyone who is interested can email me at rachelleab@gmail.com I would need 1st,last and security.

After all of that work, why would they not give you your security back?
Seems they should give you your last month as well.

RL

As a poster said, the best way to find a living situation is to simply come and be prepared to afford staying somewhere as you look. When you are here on island, things can potentially progress a LOT faster than when you try to set things up beforehand. STJ is the costliest island. Rent $$ is similar to NYC rates in many cases. Contacting a realtor is a good idea, as they can help you get a good idea of what to expect. Holiday Homes, American Paradise Realty, Town & Country, Islandia...these are just to name a few. Do a search for realtors. Living on STT is much more affordable, in many cases, even with the addition of the ferry charges for commuting. On the other hand, I was in the same position 9 months ago and dove in by coming initially for about 2 weeks to see what I could find. When I did move, I stayed at the Tamarind Inn for a week as I looked for a place to stay. It wasn't easy to find and I still pay an arm and a leg for rent...but it IS possible, and I live in my dream place--wouldn't trade it for anything. Be prepared, be open-minded, be realistic, but also keep your focus if it's what you really want. Keep a good spirit and it'll unfold for you.

I too am one of those anxious to move to St John this summer. I have 3 children and plan to bring them over the end of May or beginning of June. I was also going to come over by myself for a week at the end of April to see what is available to rent. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

I definitely want to be on St John as St Thomas is a little to crowded for me

Leslie Tolve