The Move is FINALLY going to happen! 🙂 ... Any and All Advice / Opinions Greatly Appreciated 🙂 / Needed

Welcome back! Can I just make one suggestion? You said, " I would also appreciate help navigating this board: ... links... threads, etc, to any necessary and helpful info for my PMV and relocation." Many of your questions will be answered by going to the top bar of this page and reading everything from, "The USVI" through to "Forum". It's a formidable amount of reading but it's well presented and categorized and will fill in many of the gaps.

Once you get to the forum section you'll probably have questions you'd like a little more specific answers to but, again, use the search engine and you'll find recent discussions on several of the topics you've raised. I think once you've exhausted the information already here you'll have much of the information you're seeking and your list will be whittled down quite a lot!

I'll be happy to answer a few of your specifics later on, but that's a start. Good luck!

I agree.

I've seen almost all of these questions discussed in the last month.

Where are you staying for your pmv? Best to rent from a local so you can get to know someone and get questions answered.

No need for local phone, but old school land line is best in case of storm and power outage.

Choice is currently hiring outside sales reps. Bartenders always needed.

Congratulations! I am glad I am not the only one on a five year plan. I have been visiting this board daily, will continue do so for the next couple of years and have read those same questions and answers at various times so using the search function would be a good start. The information gathered has been invaluable. The more answers you get to each question the better and not every island contributor is on the board every day.

your car ( from what i have heard ) needs to be paid off or you must have permission from the title holder. BRING your car if it is one you trust.
car insurance is not too expensive here. I think i paid 800 for 2 last year. full coverage.

rent for at least the first year, just to get the lay of the land

you can keep you bank stateside-i have one stateside and one local

cell, you can keep you stateside phone-make sure you do not have one that charges roaming down here

internet-broadband-choice-innovative those are your 3 choices. i have broadband

ask dish that question-we have a contributor on this forum who sells dish

power outages are common-generator would be helpful

is patience covered in the handbook?

relax, have fun and enjoy.

ms411 wrote
"No need for local phone, but old school land line is best in case of storm and power outage."
There are no more 'old school' land lines from Innovative - they are replacing all the copper wired phones with fiber optic cable and a modem, which has very short lived battery power - sadly the land line reliability is gone!
For the OP:
Car insurance, basic liability is under $300yr with a good record, over 25.
Inexpensive and reliable do not occur in the same sentence very often in an Island Car.
4wd or awd is not a must have on STT
I don't think a bank will want you shipping a car with a lien on it out of the States - [although a Repo Man might relish a Caribbean pickup]
I am trying to find a good map with Estate names online; try
http://www.mapgeo.com/usvi/
but once you are here you will be able to find one. Craigslist is getting more popular but Island trader and road signs are still excellent resources. Absolutely ------ rent for at least a year before buying property, even an empty lot!
Both schools you asked about are very good private schools. Antilles is much larger and more traditional but many students go to Montessori and switch over in the higher grades [ Montessori used to stop at grade 6 but now goes through grade 12] - the denominational private schools are also well worth a look for your student.
You will find a job --- probably two.
Most of your other Q's will depend on where you live.
There are many good dentists - I would get any major work done ahead of your move with your current one though.

I know posting your questions always gets a - 'do your forum search 1st' answer from many members here - and it is nice to get a personalized answer to your post - BUT there really is a lot of info to be gleaned from the multiple posts already answered and I often do a search myself before I write an answer to get a better perspective.

By old school land line phone, I mean one with a cord so doesn't need charging. Hard to find, though.

I went to both Antilles and All Saints and would recommend both, although I favor Antilles.

from my knowledge about the cell phone I have found that tmobile will charge for roaming and that they have no towers on stt so you would be using the att towers Im wondering if a vonage or something like that would work

Nope - no Vonnage. Sprint, AT&T and Virgin Mobile, I think.
You have to call your cell phone company if different from those to find out what they charge and if roaming applies. STT has plenty of towers for service.
It can get patchy in some locations, especially if on east end of STJ then you may pick up the BVI tower and be in for a BIG ssurprise when your bill comes. If our towers go down for a storm related event, we'll pick up the BVI tower and it shall be an expensive call so best to check in that event who's on your phone for service.

Let me address your car and car insurance questions.

First, as others have said in most instances your lien holder will probably not let you move the car to STT unless you pay off the loan balance. You should contact your lien holder for a definitive answer.

Like on the mainland, YOU HAVE TO HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE and that's not overly expensive.

If you have a lien on your car the lien holder will require you to carry Collision Insurance. This applies whether it's your current vehicle that you've shipped down (with permission of the lien holder) or a car you purchased on island that you financed. The cost for Collision Insurance will vary depending on the type and value of the vehicle you are insuring. For planning purposes the cost isn't going to be that much difference from what you now pay.

If you own the car free and clear it's your decision whether or not to purchase Collision Insurance. Base your decision on the cost/value of your car and how much of a financial you are willing to take. Ask yourself how much of a financial burden it will be if you get into an accident and have to make needed repairs or replace the car if it is a total loss out of your own pocket. Insurance is something nobody likes paying for until they need it. Only YOU know the answer for your situation.

Another thing to consider, you have a vehicle with 100,000+ miles that has served you well but it has a lien on it. Most likely you'll have to pay off the loan before you ship it to STT. Can you afford to do that? You'll also have to pay to ship the car. I'm not "fully up to date" on vehicle shipping costs but it will probably cost you somewhere between $3,000 to $5,000 for shipping so factor that into your decision. Assuming you can cover those expenses you'll have a used vehicle with 100,000+ miles and while the car hasn't given you any trouble you are fast approaching the point when you'll be making necessary repairs and incur higher general maintenance costs. Are you OK with that.

Your alternative is to sell your current vehicle and purchase a different one here. What you end up with depends on how much you can afford. Obviously, it would be best if you can afford to purchase a brand new vehicle. If you can't then you'll be buying a used vehicle and all that comes with owing a used vehicle. As one of the other responders pointed out "inexpensive and reliable" don't usually go together in an island car. Cars are more expensive in the Caribbean so, regardless of make, year, model, and condition, chances are you'll pay more for a vehicle on STT than you would if you were able to purchased that same vehicle "back home". That's just a fact of island life.

Good luck!

Schools,
My Son went to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic school, it wasn't for him.
He has attended Antilles for 4 years now and we have been mostly happy. I have friends that send their children to Montessori and they are also mostly happy. Both are solid college prep. schools.

Doctor Duane Jones is a great dentist.
Doctor Jason Jones is a great orthodontist.

Growing up here has been great for my son. My dog likes it too!

Welcome too the island and congratulations!

I can't help with all of your questions, but...

CAR:
Should I get liability only?

At a certain car age- 7 years?- you can only get liability.

Should I ship a car or buy one there?

When I moved here, I was told by a wise man that if my car was reliable and paid off I should bring it with me. The thing I would add now is: if it is fuel efficient. Gas is over $4.50 a gallon.

Do I need /want 4WD or AWD?

It depends where you live and drive. I was up at some god-forsaken north side house the other day and was scared for my life going up the road. On the east end, no problem. 😉

HOUSING:
Is Craig's the main/ best site for searching

No. The best is being here.

And are there any areas that you would recommend I shy away from or lean toward? I have a 7 year old boy so I am hoping for a SAFE area that will offer him the option of playing outside and some kids to play with if at all possible. I have a smaller dog as well, so if I'm not mistaken, that leaves the condos at Cowpet out for the most part.

Well, you could look for *apartments* in the Cowpet area. Lots of kids, the yacht club, Montessori down the street.

I am also torn between renting and buying a place.

No, no, no. Rent for at least six months. You need to see if the area you chose fits your needs. You also need to see if you want to stay beyond 6 months...

Schools:
Montessori or Antilles?

Montessori! I am a fan of Maria's concept and the children it produces.

Employment:
What would / could be good job options, resources for finding a job, or best general advice?
If you have a decent education and a good work ethic, finding a job will not be difficult.

Finances:

Do I need a local bank account?

IMHO, if you are going to be part of the community, you need a local bank.

Which internet carrier on Island is best / most reliable?

I think most people here are Broadband VI fans. But you may be "stuck" with whatever your landlord provides.

Are power outages common, or somewhat common? Do I need to look for a place with a generator?

Yes, yes, and yes.

Are there good dentists on island?

Yes, Dr Pomeranz.

Lastly, what is your best advice or recommendations for things that I may not have covered, thought of, found on this site, or in the settler's Handbook that you have learned through your experiences.

Come down, but don't burn your bridges back home. Stay a year (since you have a school age child). At the end of that time, if it doesn't seem right, you can always return and know that at least you took the road less traveled.

/quote]

 

Thank you all for the good info and advice and additional tips. Very helpful and most appreciated. I'm reading and researching some more on this board now and as suggested, will post more specific questions if needed afterwards. Meantime, any additional thoughts, comments are additionally appreciated.