Short term Rental & How Much Needed?

Hi DW...

I only spent a few years working for corporate America (the rest of the career was in the non-profit advocacy world), but that was enough to make me want to get away from it, too.

Might I ask what about working in a corporate setting is making you crazy, though? If the answer is painfully slow moving bureaucracies, you'll not be as free of your stressors down here as you'd hope, for the USVI has slow moving bureaucracies in abundance. (Patience and flexibility are as important to have when you make this move as cash will be.)

Also, which island were you thinking about as your landing zone? Where you want to live will have some effect on the money you'll need to both set up a home and to live on once you're here.

The main site has terrific info about each of the islands -- check it out. It will help you get a feel for what each of the islands has to offer.

--HC

I have a few reasons for wanting to leave my job, some personal, but some job related. I really just don't enjoy my job, it is to repetitive and living downtown in a large city just isn't for me. I've visited St. Thomas with my family before and loved it. The fast paced corporate city life has just sucked all the energy out of me. It's always been a dream of mine to live in paradise, no matter what the job. I've gone through most of the topics on this site, and I would guess St. Thomas would be the most likely destination for me. I have no problem living on my own in meager conditions. I spent many summers as a camp counselor living in a cabin with no electricity for 4 months in the middle of the woods. My main concern here, obviously is employment and money. After reading some of the posts here, I've gotten mixed signals on the types of employment available to new comers. I have a college degree, am personable and can work well with anyone. The type of job does not matter as much to me as making enough money to live does. I have a few thousand dollars saved up, plus I am planning on selling my car so that will bring in a bit more. I know it's hard to get into specifics about the types of jobs available, but I'd like to hear some examples of employment people first obtained when arriving. Again, any help at all is most welcomed.

After reading my post, I thought maybe I could be more clear. While most of my life I've done the 'normal' things, college, real job, in the back of my mind just packing up and moving somewhere has always been in the back of my mind. I'm confident with the job contacts I've made in the states, I could easily move back here if the USVI did not work out. I just feel if I don't try something like this I will regret it later in life. As far as jobs go, when people talk about there being nothing but low paying jobs available, can you be a bit more specific, maybe comparing them to some jobs in the states. With some of the posts here, I get the feeling that the only jobs available for someone like me would be a 6 dollar an hour job collecting trash somewhere. Yet other posts make it seem like basic retail, hotel or restauarant jobs are plentiful. Sorry to post so much, but I've spent the last few weeks researching this idea and have decided the USVI is the place for me if I decide to make this kind of move. I know a pre move visit is a good idea, if not essential, but is there anyone out there whose made this jump without a PMV?

DW-

I am on STX, although I suppose some things don't change much across the USVI. It seems on STT the basic hospitality jobs are even more plentiful, and if you don't have to have the power job to be happy, or at least if you are willing to defer for a period of time, you WILL find employment...much as anywhere else, a willing attitude and just showing up for work are big benefits! I met a young lady the other night who is a social worker - she started submitting applications months ago and is just now getting call backs...in the meantime she had a back up plan and took a job in retail - where she's making more money than in the field she first aspired to. The right job will come along for her, as it will for you, but it may not be in 30-60 days. Then again, it may -one thing we are amazed by here is the power of networking.

As far as the PMV, many of us came down on what we THOUGHT was a PMV and really was a vacation - we've only been here 6 months and I have to smile at the things we were able to get completely confused on in our stateside brains even after being here - that bag of potato chips you bought for $5 didn't seem so bad on your "visit" - oops, just never thought about the fact that the same bag will cost $5 next week and next month, and we won't be living on a semi-vacation budget. The up side is that you do learn to adapt and juggle, and Pringles becomes your new snack! So much of your success will depend on your ability to accept and adapt and be willing to consider something different....but I will also be honest enough to tell you that we came down with pre-secured employment in my husband's chosen field and with a fairly sizable chunk of change, and more than we expected of our savings was plowed through in the first months. It just costs to relocate anywhere - you still gotta have a shower curtain no matter where you are and if you didn't bring it, you get to buy it!

DW, I can only assume you are fairly young, and with that in mind and a reasonably healthy checkbook to hold you up, I would encourage you to follow your dream - I only wish we had made this move years ago. But do read the board closely and read as many posts as you can...take it to heart...and remember the one thing that can't be conveyed and that we all too often forget to mention: the sheer, stunning beauty of the islands and the people who call it home. As many have said before, you may decide it's not for you after all, but you will have had an experience that only a small percentage of people are able to have in a lifetime - and you just can't beat that! No matter what happens down the line, you will be a richer person for your experience.

Here's a great site that has 2004 wages for various positions in the US Virgin Islands. It seems to be pretty accurate, too....
http://stats.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_vi.htm

Thanks for all the answers. Some of these posts made it seem like it was impossible to find any employment. I'm more than happy to take a retail job or something like that for a while until I get on my feet. If things go as planned, I could be heading down there in the somewhat near future.

Hi DW,

We are leaving Chicago to move to STX in less than two weeks! If I can find the time, I will post some of our experiences along the way to help give some orientation to the newbies and potential islanders.

If you don't mind my asking... where did you grow up? Virgin Islands and Chicago are very different. If you don't like the big city life it might just suit you better. We have had a great time in Chicago, but over the past couple of years decided that we wanted a change.

On a personal note, I can tell you from experience that taking a jump to a very new place in your early 20's is very worthwhile. I suspect you are about 25 by your posts? If you are FLEXIBLE, talented and self-motivated you CAN make it happen. Go Now-- while you have fewer responsibilities, debts, and inertia to keep you from the dream. If I were in your position, I would probably sell or store the few items that I own (maybe some furniture?). Bring enough clothing and MONEY to get you by for a few months. You can find furnished places to rent, and there have been several posts of people looking for roomates. You can and will find a job if you have the above-listed traits.

What's the worst that can happen? You spend a year or two here and decide it isn't for you... then move back to the mainland. OK... so maybe it cost you some money. You have the rest of your life to work and earn money. But the EXPERIENCE can never be taken away from you. It might even make you more marketable somewhere down the road...

Good Luck... and maybe we will run into you on the islands someday.

Hi Tango, thanks for your response. You're right, I am 24 years old and this whole corporate world is not for me. I've given it over a year and each month it gets progressively worse and each it seems I do more and more research about "escaping". I grew up in the suburbs, went to college in the midwest and now live in the city. I feel if I don't at least try something like this for a year or two I'll always regret it. I have a lot of furniture, but I got it pretty cheap through a business connection, so I would probably just sell what I could to raise some cash and store the rest. Everyone always mentions bringing money to last for a while, but I find few specifics. I know each person or household is different, but I would be moving down there completely on my own and I don't mind living in a tiny apartment. It seems like you guys put a lot of planning into your move, but mine would be more spur of the moment. The islands have always attracted me and I know my little brother is planning on moving there when he's done with school in a few years. I know most people recomend a PMV, but I was thinking more of 6-12month trial run down there with no PMV. Just finding a room for a month or 2 and hoping for the best as far as a job and more permnanent living accommodations. Good luck with your move and please keep us upto date.

DW-I moved to STX on jan 31 this year. I liquidated most of my holdings and spent about 8,000 on moving prep.I brought another 7,000 with me in cash. It's gone. ALL GONE... GONE GONE GONE!!!!!!!
get it? I'm on a shoestring budget here and being given unbelievable help from new friends just to make it. I have resumes in all over the island and have heard nothing back in over a month. I can smell the opportunity all around me and I know it'll just be a matter of time, but you gotta live(survive) while it's taking it's own sweet time(read island time) coming around. I gather that STT is a bit more expensive than STX and if i'd known truly of the costs associated, i would have double the cash I brought. Since I ran out, i've been back to ye olde ATM for a bit more and have more yet on tap but am trying to be very conservative. I bought the cheapest decent vehicle i could find and that was 6,000 by itself. I would think that you would need to have at a minimum of 13,000 at the ready after you've taken care of all moving prep expenses in order to live in a conservative manner. It may take two to three months to get any work and the first job will be very low pay and will probably need to be supplemented with savings. If 13K would be just enough for first, last and security on a small place, a car worth driving, and misc for at least 3 months on STX, I would estimate maybe 25% more than that for STT. The pace in the islands will be truly wonderful... once you get the things taken care of you need to have to live. The island pace is maddening when you are trying to get a business license, or job or food or getting anywhere on time for that matter. You are young, so a couple of weeks of Ramen noodles won't kill you, but if that's ALL you can afford for months, it takes the vacation out of vacationland. Take your time with this. Read the ENTIRE moving board... yes, all 255 pages worth. Plan a PMV, bring resumes, get a po box (to establish a timeline for residency) pick up a cheap prepaid phone with a local number and set it up to forward all calls to your usual number at home. Make a friend or two on the board here and SAVE MONEY!!!! you will need it ALL... :-]

DW
Just by reading and posting on this board you're doing a lot more prep work than most of the people I know who have moved here. Especially young people like you. If you're willing to wait tables you won't have a problem finding work. Maybe in the slow season you'll have to work at more than one place to make ends meet, but it's more than possible to make it happen.
I personally didn't make a PMV. I'd never even been to the Virgin Islands before I moved here, but then again, I've lived in a lot of different places I'd never visited before moving. It just depends on your level of comfort... on many different levels. Are you comfortable around people you've never met? Are you comfortable in situations you've never experienced? Are you comfortable asking for help when you need it? Are you comfortable accepting you won't be living in a 24 hour world? Are you comfortable in the heat and humidity since you're from a relatively cool climate? Most places aren't air conditioned and if they are it's probably only the bedroom and then it's expensive to run. Are you comfortable with the knowlege you may fail and have to go back to Chicago? Are you comfortable with the idea of blowing through all of the money you've worked hard to save in a very short period of time?
If you can say you are then you'll probably be okay. You'll get here and you'll make friends and connections and as long as you keep your wits about you most of the time you'll be just fine.
As for how much money you'll need; that also depends on what you can and cannot live without. If I had been really focused when I first got here, which I definitely was not, I think I would have been more than fine with about 4,000 dollars, but I spent a lot of time "vacationing" before I actually went out and found a job.
Don't spend too much time worrying about and just do it. You won't have any regrets.

jnrhome,

thanks for an honest assessment of island sticker shock. you have given me the information needed to decide the time is not right for a move to the USVI. the good i hear posters speak of (weather,weather,weather) does not outweigh the bad and the ugly(poor infrastructure,inadequate healthcare,absence of local services taken for granted in the US,high cost of living,lower salaries). besides, i don't like Pringles or Ramen noodles.

i wish all good luck.

signing off

njg