Researching St.Croix

Best if you come down for a least a few PMVs if not stay for a year before deciding on a place to buy. No one can really decide for you what will work best. And you may decide after a year it's not for you. Selling property on STX usually takes many months. You don't want to buy something and then decide island life isn't what you expected.

AT&T is best for cell service. BBVI is currently best for Internet but Viya should be OK once they get all there lines re-installed. You'll save if you bring a car with you. Not much for public transportation so you will definitely need one.

If you car is paid for, I'd say bring it. Many cars were damaged from storms. We've lived here on STX many years and just now have decided which end/side of island is the best fit for us.
My husband wants to buy, but, me, as a former Realtor, don't want to be stuck somewhere. Houses can take a long time to sell here. I sold two of my houses in the states in one week, easy!
Each area on STX has a different vibe, people and personalities. You may end up in an area where you don't fit and be unhappy.
You will need a car unless you are 20 something working/living/renting downtown.
Use that search engine on this page as cell service has been extensively talk about as well as purchasing within one year. Yes, people will come on saying they did with no regrets, but, I'd say the majority wouldn't take the chance. Keep researching and good luck.

IMO health care in the VI is lousy. You cannot buy an individual or family policy plus the facilities are pretty basic. If health care is one of your concerns the Virgin Islands is not the place to be.

Read your current health insurance plan with your employer. Many - particularly HMOs - only provide coverage if you're a resident of a particular state and your address needs to reflect that. Usually ER service will be covered if you travel in US - but check the plan for this as well and see how territories are handled.

COBRA lasts for 18 months maximum and you'll pay for both your portion and your employer's portion of the premium monthly.

There are inexpensive traveler's health insurance plans available for a few months that might bridge until you find an employer offering health insurance on STX, which can be difficult as well because of the prevalence of small businesses. Traveler's plans have pre-existing conditions clauses.

My advice would be to come down, find temporary housing, get a job with health insurance and then think about purchasing a home, moving stuff and giving up mainland residency.

Thanks for all the replies !!! I appreciate it so much..I still have quite a bit of research to do. I have a couple of pre-move visits planned throughout the year to make before I make a life altering decision such as this. I really didn't want to rent but I have scaled back from buying after much thought and research just cause it makes sense. I'm pretty much a beach bum (I love the water) so I'm looking close to beaches , not necessarily beach front but close enough.:-) .Now let's get into temp housing..can I find a specific site for that ?? I'm definitely bringing my car..are taxis expensive?? What's the East End like?? Also there's a lot of land for sale..would I have to be there 24/7 to prevent squatters and the like?? That could be a thought...building !! My apologies ...my brain is all over the place..thanks to you all hopefully I can scale it back and find a laser focus ... thanks again.. once again all responses are appreciated and duly noted.

Taxis are expensive. East End is residential and more desert like compared to middle and west end. That's where you see the cactus growing wild. Squatters are not an issue on vacant land but dumping can be depending on location. There is land for sale. You can look up land/houses/condos for sale on the MLS on many VI realtor web sites. Building a house of course is more than a project in the VI. Lot's of past discussion threads here on that plus several blogs out there that make interesting reading.

Thanks again ...Duly Noted !

I, personally, do not like the vibe of the east end of STX. I've lived in several locations on STX over the years and, reluctantly, moved to the West end 2.5 years ago because my husband wanted to be close to his favorite beach. Now, you couldn't pry me from the West end. I've found less drama over here, friendly people and best beaches on STX. I like to face the sun AND ocean when I'm at the beach. But, that's just me as I have friends all over STX and a few of them prefer other areas for beachin.

Your PMV will give you a much better feel of where you'd like to settle on island. Since the FEMA ship left recently, rentals, mostly furnished ones, are now being rented by service workers here from the states putting us back together. Even finding an available rental car will be difficult. Things should settle down and availability be better in the next 3-5 months.

I have known people who lived in cnristiansted to get by without a car for almost a year. They were young and adventurous. They walked almost everywhere.

I always recommend shipping your car down

If you don't ha e health insurance through a job down here, too bad
AT&T for cell.
Broadband for internet

You can always get viya, though there are still people without service from the hurricanes

No squatters. But if you buy land to build, you will probably have theft.

We are looking for areas to move to in St Croix. We are wanting more the rainforest side not arid, so that puts us on the North B, West and South side. We have read pretty much all the forums and no one specifys areas to stay away from. They mention "stay away from the Projects" but no one says where the Projects are. Also, we have talked to a realtor from Seaglass Realty. Has anyone used them before?

The low income housing isn't just in one area. That's why a person can't say anything other than to stay away from them. But even that isn't correct. The majority of people just want to live in peace. Without violence. We had 2 murders last night. One on stx and one on st. I doubt they qere in the low income housing developments

Just be aware of your surroundings .

Well you won't find housing projects in the rain forest. Housing projects tend to need city services i.e. water and sewer. South Side does not have any rain forest.

Im in the initial research of moving. Im talking very beginning stage lol

I have health insurance and a small monthly income

Ive ruled out St T..sounds too expensive.

What is avg rent for st croix?

Average rent $1000 a month

Electricity $250 a month

How are you bringing health insurance with you? Your employer?

This forum is flush with such questions & answers.

Too many people move here with unrealistic expectations, and then begin to get seriously discouraged when those expectations don’t get met.

-Are you for the most part, or can you be self sufficient?
-Is there a plan in place for income to keep you living in at least the style your accustomed too?
-Can you adapt and overcome well?
-Are you a glass half full, of a glass half empty, kind of person?

If you answered yes to the first three questions, and are an optimistic person with better than average determination, you’ll make it.
Moving and living here isn’t easy. What they say though is true, the most difficult things in life can be the most rewarding. There’s no place else my wife and I would rather be.

Both murders were in housing projects:
STT was at Kirwan Terrace Housing Community
STX was behind Harborview, which is section 8

Here is the article: 2 murders

A lot of the low income housing projects are near Christiansted, but some are scattered throughout the islands. One is in waterfront Frederiksted (Marley)

Here is a listing of the housing projects on St. Croix STX projects

The low income housing isn't just in one area. That's why a person can't say anything other than to stay away from them. But even that isn't correct. The majority of people just want to live in peace. Without violence. We had 2 murders last night. One on stx and one on st. I doubt they qere in the low income housing developments

Just be aware of your surroundings .

Im in the initial research of moving. Im talking very beginning stage lol

I have health insurance and a small monthly income

Ive ruled out St T..sounds too expensive.

What is avg rent for st croix?

If your health insurance is anything besides Medicare, you might want to check to see if it is accepted by providers in the USVI.

Rent isn't the only expensive item in the VI.;)

Rent isn't the only expensive item in the VI.;)

Now that almost sounds like a Jamie Lee Curtis quote from the movie of which the ending was coincidentally filmed on STX.:D

Rent isn't the only expensive item in the VI.;)

Now that almost sounds like a Jamie Lee Curtis quote from the movie of which the ending was coincidentally filmed on STX.:D

Trading Places

Feeling good billy Ray!

I'm going for the lobster and cracked crab for lunch when Carambola re-opens.

I had to check that out on YouTube. I didn’t know that movie was filmed here. It was made in 1983, pre-Hugo. Anyone know exactly where on island it was filmed?

Movie scenes like that are what people envision when think of Life in the Caribbean.
Not quite 100% accurate.
😉

Out near Divi

Out near Divi

No, Trading Places ending was filmed at Davis Bay shortly before Carambola was built. The rock profile at the end of the beach is very clear and is no different today.