whats the story with this house?

I second that saucey.
Kim has worked with a lot of our guests and friends and has been wonderful and very responsive.

Carlton "back in the day" used to be a nice area. Ask why a relatively low price for a large well built home on waterfront property? Alos why is the property is surrounded by a fence with barbed wire?

I used to live on the beach next to Good Hope school - NOT a very nice place to live. Lots of crime - sketchy people cruising along the beach - casing the houses. Water was murky and weedy -very murky - we would DRIVE to beaches if we wanted to swim.
Pretty polluted too.
Took forever to get to Christiansted and the East End.
Remember - if it looks too good to be true...it probably is.

I used to live on the beach next to Good Hope school - NOT a very nice place to live. Lots of crime - sketchy people cruising along the beach - casing the houses. Water was murky and weedy -very murky - we would DRIVE to beaches if we wanted to swim.
Pretty polluted too.
Took forever to get to Christiansted and the East End.
Remember - if it looks too good to be true...it probably is.

I lived on island in the 70's and went to Good Hope School. I am familiar with this area. I agree with Sallyf's post and that is why I was wondering why this house was built in this location. I remember going to Estate Carlton when it was going strong. Beautiful area to have dinner and dance at night, wonderful pool to swim, etc-- but now it looks pretty bad... I'm all for building on the coast in a good location-- but I was wondering if this is considered a good location by anyone anymore... I'm not knocking Kim or the house at all, just curious about why such a nice home was built in this area. No harm meant! If this area is coming back, then great.

Paula

This is an older home, built in 1969. I rented it to some wonderful people who want to "rent before they buy" to get a feel for the island and for this area. I don't have any personal experience in this area, other than familiarity from just showing property there, so really cannot comment on crime or other aspects of what it's like to really live there. After a few months there, I'm sure these lovely people will be able to tell if it's "the spot" for them or not - and know both the positive and negative aspects of the area. And as we all know - there are good and bad things about EVERY area - not just here in STX - but EVERYWHERE!!! I do know it is lovely, quiet, and convenient to grocery stores, shopping, and the west end. I think they're smart to "try it out" before buying.

AGAIN this poses the same question that has been posted on this forum.HOW CAN YOU BE A "BUYERS AGENT" AND SELL PROPERTY AT THE SAME TIME???? seems like a conflict of interest to me.

I don't pretend to be an expert on this, but this seems to be an island thing. In the States, as a buyer, you most often sign a paper agreement with your agent to represent you for a period of time, exclusively. In my experience in USVI, the moment you contact a 'selling agent,' your assumed to be their client and they your agent. Everything is verbal and a little strange ...

Ibati,
Same Laws on the
Big Island Apply to the USVI!

Contracts involving the sale or transfer of Real estate fall under the "STATUTE OF FRAUDS"( the contracts must be in writing and signed by all parties).

This Law applies to both buyer and seller agents. Anyone can check with the National Association of Realtors and get a copy of their code of ethics.

There are various agencies that the Brokers work with under the Codes of Ethics, and the Statute of Frauds. Don't confuse Agency Agreements with Contract law. A true Buyer Broker Collects his commission from the buyer and it must be in writing. A Sellers agent or Listing agent collects his commission from the seller and it must be in writing via listing agreement or a contract of sale.

Lizard:

I hear you, but when I contacted a seller agent about one property I was interested in, that agent assumed that I wanted that agent to represent me even for properties that I was interested in that that agent didn't represent, and was a bit miffed when I went with someone else.

No one owns a customer, only a client by virtue of a contact! The agent assumed wrong! You just hurt his/her feeling or ego.

I contacted an agency on a piece of property and was set up with an agent. I asked the agent a few questions, and got nonsensical generalizations, not ordinance/law I was looking for. I contacted the broker again, directly, bypassing the realtor, and was sent back to her. I contacted the broker a third time, told him I thought his realtor was either stupid or lazy or just having a bad day, and did not want to deal with her any more, and he CCd my email to the realtor, and had her take another shot at helping me. There is really a tenacious presumption that a "fist contact":is a verbal contract somehow, and binding. I did not buy any property that visit. Oh well.

Sorry should of said contract not contact. Need new glasses. Should of said should not shold and my fingers don't work to good anymore.

with my firm in NY, buyers sign an 'exclusive buyers agent' contract.

sellers sign an 'exclusive listing agent' contract

if the buyers agent happens to have clients interested in one of the properties they have also listed, a second agent from the firm is brought in for the negotiations only in order to dispel any conflict of interest on the part of the listing agent.

for kim to say that her relationship with the selling party is simply a marketing agreement - my question is - Who protects the interests of that marketing client when it comes to contract negotiations? Is this something that is passed along to another agent or is the seller negotiating through their attorney?

and Kim - just an FYI... my partner and I contacted you about 8 months ago about a different property, which is still on the market. Hopefully you are protecting the interests of those clients by calling other people back. Pleading 'technical difficulties' and 'policy' is a convenient, after-the-fact attempt to not make yourself look unresponsive and unprofessional in front of current and potential clients.

Blackwater.
In NY a sellers can sign an "exclusive right to sell". or an" exclusive agency to sell" or a written "open listing to sell" all must be in writing in order to collect a commission.

Buyer's agent must have a contract with the buyers to include start date, termination date and complete expiration date after the property showing, such as 6 months after the termination date.

The marketing fee thing is like the sale of snake oil. Try and collect it when they (the Buyer) don't buy from the Buyer Broker without a written agreement.

1) Exclusive Right to Sell (you collect your commission regardless of who sells it!
2) Exclusive Agency you collect your commission but not if the owner/seller sells the listing!
3) Open Listing written you collect a commission only if you make the sale!

A buyer is absolutely nuts to sign a contract. Leave all your options open as the agent is always working for the seller. It's a nutty trend and I really don't think it will last and certainly it's always a very small amount of agents that try it as a gimmick. A good agent will do their best and will not need poor tactics like locking a buyer in a contract. I understand the reasoning for a seller's agent to have a contract but think it's ALL to the advantage of the "buyers agent" to have a contract and NONE to the buyer.

Buyer Broker Agreements have been around since the 1990's when the statute was passed, it's not a gimmick or a trend. A true Buyer Broker Agreement must be in writing with a start date,termination date, terms and conditions signed by the broker and buyers. This is not a dual agency agreement. There is no legal term to collect a marketing fee if you are a licensed Real Estate Sales person. As a licensed real Estate Sales Person you earn your commission when the property is conveyed via lease/sale/negotiated transfer. Consultant fee's and Appraisal fee's are regulated and licensed by each state and territory (some States allow RE Brokers to Consult and Appraise).

If it wasn't a gimmeck or a trend all the agents would be doing instead of a very small minority. I've been in real estate long enough to know what I see and to understand the business. Besides above all these are sales people, but the seller pays them. There are many trust worthy agents BUT you are always much better off if you do your homework yourself. If you don't know enough to buy on the island then don't and wait till you do.

Hello from current rental clients of A-List/Buyer Agent. We have rented our place through A-List for the last year. After seeing many places with many agents/ agencies, Kim was the one who found us the perfect place for our needs/price and has always been punctual and professional when it comes to our questions and concerns about the property etc... Now looking for a larger place to live when this lease is up, she has been nothing but GREAT about finding us listings in our price range and doing tons of legwork. I highly recommend A-List/ Buyers Agent. It's all been a positive experience for us! 🙂

So much I want to say - will try to condense and be brief.
1st - thanks for nice comments - much appreciated!
2nd - "blockwatcher" has refused to give me his name or contact details (thru PMs) and the only conclusion I can come to is that I DO know this person, and I HAVE refused to return his calls and emails due to a really bad experience I had with him in a previous real estate transaction. In fact, if it is who I think it is, I have blocked his email address. So he may indeed be telling the truth about my "unresponsiveness" - but not the WHOLE truth....
3rd - what we're doing is not a 'gimmick.' It's a valid business model that has been successful elsewhere - it's for sure new here.
4th - I have been both a buyer and seller of real estate (many, many times) and I think I have a pretty good idea of what buyers want, and what sellers want - and our business model endeavors to SERVE both those audiences, while AVOIDING conflict to the extent it's possible to do so.

I'm 56 years old and have only been selling real estate for 8 years and have lived in STX for 6. Many realtors here have been in the biz and/or lived here MUCH longer. Being a "newbie" gives me a different perspective - and my background is quite different (organizational consulting and executive coaching). I am trained to see problems and develop solutions to fix them, and to identify and be clear about who the customer is, find out what they want, and give it to them. I LOVE helping people fulfill their dreams of owning property in STX - and after being in real estate here for a few years, I began to see some problems and conflicts with the way real estate is practiced here.

I bought my home here thru Buyer Agent St Croix and was impressed with the service I received and the way the transaction was handled. I have chosen to work with this agency because of the core values - we are both pretty passionate about serving buyers and helping sellers sell their homes without paying an exorbitant commission. Every seller we've talked with is HAPPY to pay a commission to an agent who brings a buyer (regardless of who the agent is representing - they just want to sell their house!!!!) - and they are happy to NOT have to pay US a big commission for listing and marketing their home. We are happy to cover our costs and expenses of marketing and reach more buyers - which is what we love to do - help buyers find just what they are looking for. Our sellers have their attorney to represent them (which they do in ANY transaction, regardless of whether they hire us or a seller's agent). We benefit from listing property by getting more exposure, and thus attracting more buyers, but we DON'T earn a double commission when we sell one of our listings, nor do we take "selling bonuses" when they are offered, which we see as a BIG conflict of interest. We have really tried to AVOID the conflicts that are inherent in the system. The marketing fee that sellers pay (at closing) covers our costs (staff, advertising, etc.) - but as agents - we don't benefit directly. So I can focus on finding the perfect property for my buyer without "greed" ever creeping into the picture.

There are a lot of great agents here (I truly love most of them!)- and I know the vast majority work hard to do a good job and be fair to ALL parties (i.e., both customers and clients). But in my opinion, the system we work in is flawed and makes that difficult. We ALL are doing the best we can - and our model is just one attempt to better serve both buyers and sellers.

I refused to give you my information so that if I happen to purchase a home that is listed by your company I won't have to deal with your bad attitude about me calling you out for not getting back to me.

We've never met - I've never done business with you - so whoever you think I am - you are wrong. But obviously something went sour with them too!

"Do not argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."

Again Kim, my partner and I contacted you months ago regarding a different property. Whether you choose to admit it or not, you never got back to us. We went with another agent and are extremely happy with her. This is a public forum - and I've chosen to tell my experience to others.

by the way - I'm a SHE and so is my partner.

I'm trying to stay out of this thread, but it's killing me. LOL

I know Kim, not well, but we did have some business dealings a while back that have worked very well for me. I was impressed with her.

Lizard made an excellent point early in this thread. Kim Lucas signs her name to her posts, as do I. What about YOU, blockwatcher? Kim has asked who you are, and you refuse, with some lame, childish remarks about if you do business with her company.....Why ever would you do business with her company, feeling the way you do?

If you truly had a beef with Kim, you would/should PM her and remind her of the situation and give her an opportunity to either explain, remedy the problem or tell you to go fly a kite. I'm pretty sure she would opt for the remedy option.

Your vitriolic posts suggest you have some other, very personal, agenda.

@ Kim...sorry you are having to deal with this. You do not deserve this BS. We all make mistakes in business, because we are not perfect. This doesn't sound like a case of a lost email in the junk folder. Something else going on. Don't let it worry you too much. I doubt anyone is putting too much credence to what an anonymous forum poster says. You've got lots of support here!(tu)

Blockwatcher

It doesn't seem to me that your intent here is to tell your experience at all. All of your posts have a negative edge to them and your response to Kim's PM was not just negative, but nasty. You have continued to bash her while hiding behind your screen name and now, without having a clue about who she really is, you are calling her an idiot. She asked you in her PM for information that she could use to get to the bottom of what really happened. If you are going to get on here and make those types comments one would think you would be glad to supply that information. What you don't understand is that this not only about her business reputation. Kim is responsive about everything, that is who she is. You can call her about anything, and she will get back to you. Forget real estate, she is just one of those rare people who sincerely likes to help others, and there is an army of people here who will support that. So for you to say that you emailed her 3 times and called her 4 times doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us, leaves us scratching our heads, and questioning your motives. Hopefully you (or the person who had a similar experience) will reconsider and help us out here. Otherwise we will just get off this subject and assume that the dog ate your emails.

Have a nice day!

Chuck Ulrich
Buyer Agent St. Croix

All of your posts have a negative edge to them and your response to Kim's PM was not just negative, but nasty. What you don't understand is that this not only about her business reputation.

Same thing could be said about restaurants and we have a thread that's about 67 pages long with mostly bad reviews. Reputation is important for any business, but it doesn't mean a customer is not going to have a complaint about the best business once in a while. We all have off days or days when things go wrong and we all know technology can go haywire here as well. I think the whole situation could have been handled much better. When I know a customer's wrong I still listen to them and then apologize and then hopefully keep them as a customer. I think you guys should suck it up rather then attacking someone who's new to island.

It wasn't till Blockwathers last post that she said anything remotely nasty. I think you are overreacting. You can't please all of the people all of the time. But seeing realtors attack anyone leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Hiya Hiya,

All that was ever asked of this person was to give us information so that we can see what the problem is, and correct it if is something we can correct. Any restaurant worth its salt would want to know details of a complaint. We don't care who this person is but would love to know dates, times, etc. I know that everyone has bad days and both Kim and I have our share. But this would be a first for Kim on this issue. I guess Kim could have missed 3 emails, and I guess she could have missed 4 phone calls. But 3 emails and 4 phone calls - something is wrong with this picture.

I would agree that realtors should not attack anyone. But I would extend that to "no one should attack anyone", and to do so behind a stage name is not just slander, it is cowardly slander. Our feelings are clear, you know what do, what our motives are, and we sign our name to it.

I really want to leave this issue behind. I gan from this post. I haven't posted on this message board for about 5 years, but I am going to be posting under a new topic with information you might be interested in as a realtor. Thanks for your input.

Chuck Ulrich
Buyer Agent St. Croix

I have to agree with Hiya... but first let me say Ive never worked, met, or dealt with Kim in any capacity. Yes, I signed up today just to post this...

Isn't this exactly why people sign up for internet forums? To share knowledge, experiences, points of view, ask questions, even give the one off negative review?

I truly do not think that "blockwatcher" came here with any intent to “harm” or “attack” Kim in anyway, if you read back throughout the forum you'd see that it wasn't until her last post was anything slightly “negative” or “offensive” said. I also do not think “blockwatcher” was calling anyone an idiot; I believe what was said is a quote or a bumper sticker. I’m not even sure it was fully directed at Kim but rather the situation. Or just simply a motto we should all live by?

Also if you read though the posts another forum user said “I've had much the same experience. Seems like no one is minding the ship.”

Did Kim contact this person? Is she trying to figure out the situation there?

but before people start throwing words around like “slander” they should attend law school; to fully understand what “slander” is.

And again Hiya is certainly correct, you cant win everyone all the time...

We are the couple now renting this house for 7 months. We moved in mid August.
We wanted to move to St. Croix for several years. When we were finally able to make the move, we were limited in the number of houses available for us to rent because of our pets. I think I had a choice of three. As Kim mentioned in one of her posts, we wanted to rent while we figured out where exactly on the island we want to live.
I also had my concerns about this area when I looked at the house, but it was the clear choice compared to the other options. To start with, this house sits on a beautiful point, right on the cliff of the south shore. Even though we are close to the airport, airplane noise is never a problem, I think they must takeoff and land from the other directions. In the month that we have been here, I would say we have seen maybe a dozen landings. Hovensa is miles away and it is only visible if you go out onto the cliff. This neighborhood is filled with nice homes and even nicer people. We have a minister directly next door and a Senator owns the house just down the road, a nuclear engineer and the head of the Dept. Of Agriculture are also on this street. As to the "shady" people someone mentioned that hang out at the beach, the only people we have ever seen there were a couple of Rasta's and a young couple trying to fing a quiet romantic spot. As for the 15 foot tall security fence, it is here and it does have very old barbed wire on the top. I think this is the same concept as the bars some people choose to put on their windows, I find this less imposing. When we moved in the house had been vacant for sometime. There was plenty of opportunity for a break in, but everything was here and intact. ( tv's, vcr's, kitchen appliances ect..). The house itself is different from anything I have ever lived in. It has a huge pool and deck area, a stunning center atrium, the ceilings are 20ft high and every front wall is completely glass. The view is breath taking, the waves lull you to sleep at night and the breeze never ends. Everything in the house functions except for a couple of lights and 2 fans. The house is completely white, cabinets, sinks, toilets, furniture and even the ceiling fans (I happen to like color, so this I would change). It has a huge generator that powers the whole house not just the refrigerator. This came in very handy when Irene came through. The battery back up allows for the switch from power to generator without you ever knowing you lost power. This house is not new, it needs some TLC, but it is still really unique. I don't know what was planned for this area when it was built or how the area has changed over the years, but I feel completely safe here.
Now, to address the subject of Kim Lucas. I have known and worked with Kim for over three years now, looking at property. I don't think I could have made this move with- out her help. She and Chuck have treated me and my whole family like family every time we were on island. Kim has been more like a relocation assistant than a realtor. She has helped with everything from finding a good mahi salad to hooking me up with a pediatrician. Kim has never failed to return a call or email. She is proactive in her business, she works well with other agents and has a keen sense about matching the right home to the right buyer. I would recommend her to everyone.
I agree with the above posts that you can't please all the people all of the time. I also see that the negative remarks have upset Kim. She does go so far above and beyond what is expected of a real-estate agent that I think she was hurt.
I hope my info on the house helps, i'd be happy to answer any questions about the house on the site.
Kim Sherman.