RENTING A HOUSE WITH COUPLES - our own RealWorld

It's been tried before. I have not heard many success stories but I do know that those who move here accumulate friends quickly and end up in similar situations with folks they just meet here. Food for thought. Not everyone can cut it.

Ronnie,

Thanks for the post! I am not worried about meeting people once we are down there since my husband and I are very social people but it would also be nice to have an adventure as a group. We will see. Regardless, my husband and I will make the trip so at least we can say we did it! Ive seen some great 3-4 bedroom homes with pools, gaming rooms, nice kitchens, etc and I just think it would be a blast for a short 6 month period.

Thanks again.

What happens if two of your couples decide that they don't like the island or even you for that matter. Then you have to drop back and punt. This is why I say it's best to meet them once you are here and established.

That is a horrible idea. Like Ronnie said, what if people bail? Now your stuck with a very expensive four bedroom. All around just a bad idea.

Not too mention, what about when someone starts banging the others BF/GF while others are at work etc. It would likely happen.

You'll have more than enough to deal with here where the "real world" (as you know it) factors into day to day living without adding this plot to the mix. 😀 Find something temporary and then look for your own place. Good luck.

Not too mention, what about when someone starts banging the others BF/GF while others are at work etc. It would likely happen.

You've spent all of six hours here in total and think this is representative of living here?

No not at all. I wasn't speaking from first hand knowledge. It was more of a "what if" I suppose I could have stated that better. It happens everywhere, but if it happens in a place that you may not be able to leave right away.......

Get your own place. Life here can be challenging enough without adding multiple personalities into the mix with whom to share a large
and expensive home. Who gets the master bedroom, do they pay extra, who cooks, who cleans,(or who doesn't) who keeps leaving the toilet seat up, whose animal keeps peeing on the carpet, who insists it's got to cocktail hour somewhere in the world by 10AM every morning, who has jobs, who doesn't, who gets the prime parking spot, who takes the garbage out and who keeps coming up short for rent and who's wasting electricity and water? I think it would be a nightmare. My opinion as I really like living by myself. Having others around all the time would drive me insane. But different strokes............for different folks. Be sure to let us know how things turn out if you pursue "your own realworld and good luck.

I agree with the nay-sayers, and Alana33 has stated it very well. In the USVI, your Real World will be Extra Real, and you'll be setting yourselves up for easy failure. Get your own place.

You could make it work AFTER you move here and have been through that crucial first six months. By then, you will have made some friends and may have figured out who would make good roommates and who would not.

There are young couples who move here and live in roommate/house sharing situations BUT as Ronnie mentioned in a previous post it is with people who are already here. Trying to arrange this plan with people who are 'planning' to move here is a disaster plan. Most roommate situations are fairly fluid and have the inherent problems some have mentioned, sharing a house/apt has advantages and may work but often ends in losing friends and monetary arguments or worse.

I am just trying to get an idea of whether anyone would be interested in this housing option so that perhaps we can look into this as a real option and all get to paradise sooner!

Note that the OP wasn't looking to see whether anyone thought it was a good idea or not -- just to see if there were any takers. The logistics of actually executing such a plan are pretty monumental, but it sure can't happen if you don't give it a whirl.

sepoep2 - my experience is that is incredibly hard to coordinate timing and finances with people you've never laid eyes on, and the odds that people who say they are moving to the islands will flake out on you are higher than average. And as a landlord, I'd be leery of renting to a group of newcomers who were strangers to each other, just knowing that it opens me up to high odds of somebody breaking the lease. That's not to say it can't be done, so if you manage to make it work, let us know!

As a landlord myself, I am not open to tenants that are in a room-mate situations. Way too many variables to deal with as fdr states.
High priced rentals do not wish to open themselves up to such options, unless sponsored by a single entity/company that is responsible for paying rental amounts, deposits, all utilities and will most likely include maid service into the lease contracts they will allow with the company paying for such to make sure the property is maintained in good condition.

Unfortunately, we get our share of tenants that are irresponsible, destructive and can be nightmares to deal with, from time to time.

Good Luck if you pursue your dream. Just be aware of the inherent problems that can occur.

And what about buying water. Say for example one couple is super conservative and another house mate likes to take long, long showers and wastes water. How do you divvy up that purchase. Most homes are on cisterns and water is expensive because you have to have it trucked in when you run out and it's not raining. Also, what if someone in the house wants to run the A/C and others don't. How do you divvy up the WAPA bill? And electric is thru the roof!

Get your own place.