Retirees welcome?

The general consensus is the local healthcare is OK but best to go to mainland for major surgery. Lots of previous discussion on this topic in the forum archives.
There seem to be a lot of snowbird retirees here as well as some full timers. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities. I think we had another recent discussion here on that topic. The lionfish hunting is too good. I have most of my fish encounters under water but I see lots of the above water kind happening, from shore or boat.

there are a lot of people who never go to the mainland or puerto rico for health care and get great health care

to find enough to do? i guess it depends on what you like to do

We sold our farms and businesses in California and moved to STX 5 years ago.

We live on STX on a full time basis and would not change a thing.

We can travel all we want but have come to the conclusion that we can't wait to get back to STX near as much as we want to leave and visit other places.

We have excellent supplemental insurance to our Medicare so we enjoy the healthcare we have had here. PM for specifics.

You will find that there is more to do here than you really want to do as we have. We send lots of time swimming in the sea and maintaining our physical fitness and do far less dinning out than when we came here, even thought there are lots of great restaurants.

Fishing is actually boring for me as these fish are so easy to catch and I do not keep anything I catch.

Be sure you spend some time here as you can't experience St. Croix in one day from a cruise ship or for that matter a weeks vacation. Seek out like minded people and have some long visits before you make up your mind.

CD

We are Tweeners, spend our time between STX and AZ. There is not as much to do on STX as there is in AZ but we find we do more.
Little things like;
team Trivia two night a week
Wine tasting at Sea Side market once a month where you see at least 20 of your friends
Sunset Jazz in F-sted
Jazz in the Park at C-sted
Jump Ups
Scuba diving 2 to 3 times a week.
Sailing every couple of weeks
dinner or drinks with friends
Lunch on Fridays with the guys

STX is perfect for retirees, I am one. enough to do but not full of young spring break types. It is just perfect for us old folks (I'm in my 50's). Thing like terry said above. I've been to the hospital for a few minor surgeries and have no complaints. The emergency room is another thing. you wait forever.

Thank you all for the replies, they are very helpful! We are two years from retrement & moving and will be doing a lot of research.

How is house insurance? Is hurricane & flood insurance available?

Thanks again,
John

very expensive.. taxes cheap, but your homeowners will set you back some.

I haven't found standard Homeowners anymore expensive than in the states, but if you want Windstorm coverage (Hurricane insurance), that's expensive.
You can avoid that however, if you can build, or find, a home built to withstand such storms.

Basic home insurance fire, liability, etc isn't bad but due to our susceptibility windstorm, flood, and yes earthquake insurance is expensive but certainly available. Mine was like $2200 this yeer for the condo just for basic, windstorm and earthquake. That's just for the inside as HOA covers the building and did not get flood since I'm on upper floors.

I haven't found standard Homeowners anymore expensive than in the states, but if you want Windstorm coverage (Hurricane insurance), that's expensive.
You can avoid that however, if you can build, or find, a home built to withstand such storms.

Not if you have a mortgage.

Most of my friends who own with no mortgage don't carry insurance for hurricanes. That would save them around $10K per year.

They must have million dollar homes to have a premium like that!

Yes, I believe the windstorm insurance is stil aroundl 2-3% of the replacement value of the structure per year.
And yes, it is required with a morgage.

Ouch, 2-3 % yearly is very high, but.... Hurricanes don't rip up land, so the replacement value of the house is generally structure & contents only + maybe cistern & a shed. So let's say 100k for a modest house. 3 % would be $3,000.
Like anything I guess, one's perception of how expensive it is depends on where you are coming from. We're not rich people...
We are coming from NY state so our land + school taxes are $5000 per year. Some people pay much more than that here. The state income tax is around 7% of adjusted income. So we would save on those and pay more for insurance. .

Go for it. Come on down.

Ouch, 2-3 % yearly is very high, but.... Hurricanes don't rip up land, so the replacement value of the house is generally structure & contents only + maybe cistern & a shed. So let's say 100k for a modest house. 3 % would be $3,000.

Good luck

I have always thought that STX is missing a golden opportunity with retires. There is plenty of land for development and excellent weather. If retired folks were marketed too and some common sense changes were made, STX could be the Sun city of the Caribbean with medicare. Plenty of jobs could be created to service their needs.

There are a few expenses over what your used to like insurance, electric, supermarket pricing on certain items. However, you'll never buy home heating oil again. Taxes are far less (presently). Never purchase a winter coat, boots, snow shovels, ever again.
And yes, medical options here might be limited, but there's two distilleries on island that pump out thousands of gallons of the best rum in the Caribbean (still far less expensive than anything stateside). Since getting here I had no idea all the medicinal uses it has 😀

12 years ago we looked on line at a 4,000 Sq Ft house, including two apartments and they wanted $10 K for insurance. The cost of the house was only $250K - turns out it was in a terrible area is why it was so cheap.

There are a few expenses over what your used to like insurance, electric, supermarket pricing on certain items. However, you'll never buy home heating oil again. Taxes are far less (presently). Never purchase a winter coat, boots, snow shovels, ever again.
And yes, medical options here might be limited, but there's two distilleries on island that pump out thousands of gallons of the best rum in the Caribbean (still far less expensive than anything stateside). Since getting here I had no idea all the medicinal uses it has 😀

All very good points, My power costs about what I paid in the states, but I have learned too use way less. I also believe increased demand would fire up more farmers and lower prices somewhat in many areas. Also a private hospital would be useful. Home insurance is another challenge. Don't know what would lower that one. Open markets maybe. I do believe there are many retired folks that can afford to live on STX and would if it where marketed correctly.

(tu)

We sold our farms and businesses in California and moved to STX 5 years ago.

We live on STX on a full time basis and would not change a thing.

We can travel all we want but have come to the conclusion that we can't wait to get back to STX near as much as we want to leave and visit other places.

We have excellent supplemental insurance to our Medicare so we enjoy the healthcare we have had here. PM for specifics.

You will find that there is more to do here than you really want to do as we have. We send lots of time swimming in the sea and maintaining our physical fitness and do far less dinning out than when we came here, even thought there are lots of great restaurants.

Fishing is actually boring for me as these fish are so easy to catch and I do not keep anything I catch.

Be sure you spend some time here as you can't experience St. Croix in one day from a cruise ship or for that matter a weeks vacation. Seek out like minded people and have some long visits before you make up your mind.

CD

I agree. I'm reading the VI Consortium site about all the problems with WAPA and financing basic needs on St Croix. Medicare availability is a BIG plus for middle class seniors who aren't into retiring to Florida or the Carolinas but looking for good weather and water.
The VI should leverage that to attract seniors with new construction areas.

3. How's the fishing? !!!

From what I've been told, the west side of the island, closer to Frederiksted (?) is "over-fished" while the eastern half of the island should be okay. This is only relevant if you intend to fish from shore, as I do when I get to STX. Chartering a boat and heading out into the Atlantic generally yields better results, but I would prefer not to do that.

If your intent is to fish for food, which I intend to do, I still haven't found a place to butcher the fish once it's caught. I suppose I'll have to learn exactly how to do that, but in the beginning, I want to watch a pro do that for a bit before I try it.

My fishing equipment is pretty much from the lake fishing I do in KY. When I spoke about it while visiting STX a few weeks ago, I was told that I would need to severely upgrade my equipment, but there are plenty of supply shops that can help out.

Chartering a boat and heading out into the Atlantic generally yields better results, but I would prefer not to do that.

If your intent is to fish for food, which I intend to do, I still haven't found a place to butcher the fish once it's caught.

The Atlantic is on the North side of STT, quite a ways to go for fishing:D We are surrounded by beautiful Caribbean Sea. I'm sure there are much closer fishing spots around STX.

I recall a fish cleaning station at the F'sted fish market. Don't know what the deal is with using that one. In any case probably a good place for a lesson after you make good with the locals.