Thoughts on purchasing a condo.

Bryosphere - there are some nice condos on St. Croix and some that are mediocre. Most of the properties clean up well when a new owner puts in a little effort and some paint.

When looking at prices, be sure you are paying attention to the amount of the monthly HOA/Insurance fees. Some condos include hurricane insurance and others are "self-insured" and therefore nearly impossible to get a mortgage to purchase them. Whether you buy a house or a condo, if you need a mortgage, you will have to pay for hurricane insurance, so the portion of the HOA fees that covers insurance is a bill you will pay either way. Realizing that can make the sticker shock over the HOA fees lessen a little bit.

What properties were you interested in? I can tell you more about the specific complexes, their locations, the positives/negatives of each, their pet policies, and other info you might find useful in making a decision.

There isn't much on the market right now as sales have been brisk for the past 15 months. There are still a few good choices, though, and new listings do show up with some regularity.

I can answer your questions on this forum or you can reach me directly if you would prefer. stcroixhomes@hotmail.com

We bought ours in April of last year before they really started to go up. We bought through Alexandra, and couldn't be happier with her service.
This is our first condo, and we only come down a few weeks a year. So far we are very happy. Our condo is in STC.
We were going to rent it out when not in use, but after looking at several that were rentals, before we bought, we decided that we don't want to do that.
When we retire to the island full time or even part time we will probabbly look into a house, but for now the condo is working out fine.
Alexandra is right about the condo fees and insurance. Listen to her advice.
Terry

Thanks for the info, that makes the HOA dues look a little less frightening lol. We definately need a mortgage, so self insured is no good. Right now this is more a "several years down the road possibility", but its never too soon to investigate. we also would want a place that allows pets, two small dogs to be exact. thanks alot for the help!

There aren't very many condos that allow pets. also, (as we learned) the HOA dues that often show on-line are very often outdated. St Croix had a big real estate rush a year or so ago - we bought about a year ago and it has gone up 75% in value; just unreal. One last word of advice, do not buy anything without a personal visit and investigation, That said, we bought, live on St Croix full-time, and love it. Good Luck!