Skill Set to live in the US Virgin Islands

STX,
Fingers and mouth, I need the fingers to turn the key in the lock that will enable me to enter, I need the Finger to dial the telephone to call maintenance and a voice to tell them what I need. I live in a Condo.

I would say patience and a quirky sense of humor.

STT,

Spare tire and mosquito repellent.

Life is lived sloooow. Patience is mandated in your nature. A smile and good humor help. Go early in the day and expect multiple trips to get things done. When all else fails think sub 30s in FL today and minus double digits in the north or an adult beverage at your favorite beach.

What everyone else has said -- Patience with a capital P is all you really need.

If you know how to fix things when they break, that's an incredible asset down here -- but patience will serve the same purpose. Eventually the resource you need -- a friend to help you, money to pay someone to fix it, or a replacement thing -- will turn up.

Absolutely, getting a resource (friend, service provider, replace the damn thing) is great. I guess the spouse and I are maybe too independent for our own good. If we don't know how to do something, we figure it out. Unfortunately, for us anyway, everytime we have engaged a service provider (whether handy-person, electrician, plumber, etc.), they've been too expensive, give us a price and then at the end of the job demand MORE $, or flat out won't quote us a price and say.....it will be X amount "as long as we don't run into any trouble"....it's the VIRGIN ISLANDS! You will ALWAYS run into trouble!, and (and this is most always the case).....they don't know what the hell they're doing! Well, maybe they DO know what they're doing but, for example, you sure couldn't tell that the guys that installed the washer and dryer (when we were not there to supervise) knew what they were doing. The electrician used the wrong type of wiring when he jury-rigged the electrical connections for the washer and the dryer - we caught this in time to avoid fire. The plumber "forgot" to glue the connector for the drain pipe and instead set a 5 gallon bucket underneath to hold it together. A few weeks later we were getting ready to do some painting, got the bucket of paint and I decided to multi-task and do some laundry. Result: yep. water from the washer drained all over the floor. This same guy.....must have a "thing" for 5 gallon buckets....went under, under the house to extend the drain to the septic. Instead of clamping the pipe onto the floor joists he turned over our empty 5 gallon buckets we were storing down there and that's what he used every couple of feet or so to hold up the pipe. He also decided it was OK to a.) not put a clamp around the dryer vent connection to the dryer and b) not permanently put in a dryer vent. So, every time we dryed clothes we had to PULL the dryer vent hose and position it toward the sliding doors which we had to leave OPEN while drying clothes....and when we PULLed on the dryer vent of course the vent became detached from the back of the dryer....blowing lint and dust inside the house. ..............ok. I guess this story is an example of how much patience (with a capital "P") you always need to live in the VI.

Patience is probably the most important along with an appreciation of "soon come. Perserverance too.

Also the ability to appreciate the concept of delayed gratification and savoring the moment when something turns out to be easy.

Some how the exceptional climate makes the bumps in the road seem smoother

Ohhh Lord....

@ FL Barrier Islander, it's a PERFECT example!! I wish everyone who comes on here wanting to become a USVI homeowner would read what you just wrote -- you are right, that is the norm, not an exception.

For example, right now I am going on more than a month without a working vehicle, for various reasons, but always one problem building on another... things like that happen All. The. Time. Even if they never happen to you stateside, they will happen here.