Young Florida couple longing for Island Life

Quote LiquidFluoride:
"I know the owner and his wife, he's got that "trust fund baby" attitude and feels like he's famous or something for his .... "farm". "

I don't know Nate or his wife very well but it seems they are doing good things at Ridge to Reef. They recently expanded to open up the Lawaetz Museum Farm which is in need of tons of work to bring it back. Not sure what your beef is but it sounds personal.

http://www.ridge2reef.org/little-la-grange-farm.html

I do know he recently earned his PHD and that alone is quite an accomplishment.

https://www.facebook.com/n8olive/posts/10105534462329970

I actually stumbled across Ridge to Reef and am really intrigued by their Farming and Agritourism Internships. Looks like a lot of hard work and dedication, but might be a great way for me to dive into St. Croix. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Save your self some disappointment and avoid Ridge to Reef all together...

I know the owner and his wife, he's got that "trust fund baby" attitude and feels like he's famous or something for his .... "farm".

Unimpressive bro moves to island, marries hottest woman on island, runs farm. What's not to admire?

And is successful

hottest lady on the island ?? Pictures please.

View this.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6oKeARjm020

Well thank you - everyone has their own idea of a good way to live. I enjoyed the video.The islands are all different and the wonderful ladies are always a treat for sure.

Ex pats? Puhlease!
Totally Unimpressed.

We are not ex-Pats!

Oh, by the way, it's been mentioned that you'll need three months rent, first, last and deposit, is a lot of BS. After selling my last two houses, I don't want to buy again. So, we've been in 4 rentals in 4 years and out of the 4, only 1 required that. Prices ranged from 900 to 2600/month for our rentals so far. The one requiring three months up front was the 2400/month home. So, there are plenty that do not require that here on STX. STT, I have no clue, but, could be norm over there.

Oh, by the way, it's been mentioned that you'll need three months rent, first, last and deposit, is a lot of BS.

It's not a lot of BS but becoming more the industry norm these days. There are many rentals without that requirement but there are likewise many which do demand it. Better to err on the high side when advising potential newcomers so there are no surprises.

Quote LiquidFluoride:
"I know the owner and his wife, he's got that "trust fund baby" attitude and feels like he's famous or something for his .... "farm". "

I don't know Nate or his wife very well but it seems they are doing good things at Ridge to Reef. They recently expanded to open up the Lawaetz Museum Farm which is in need of tons of work to bring it back. Not sure what your beef is but it sounds personal.

Nope, just fair warning... its a small island and I wont get into the details but they are far from what I would consider "emotionally intelligent" and breaking a 9 year olds heart because you don't like someone else who's daughter she is friends with seems kinda like a super dick move right?

I won't even get into what the people who work up there think, that's easy enough to find.

All I'm saying is, it's absolutely not what it's advertised to be, it is a cool place and I'd definitely go and check it out (Nate may or may not charge you to look at it, seems random).

I didn't bring the topic up, but I have had several dealings with them that left a bad taste in my mouth.. "fair warning"

Ex pats? Puhlease!
Totally Unimpressed.

It's amazing how many PATS on the mainland don't have a clue there are "US" Virgin Islands or which ones there are. The video hardly mentions they are US, rather more so implying we are some exotic foreign jungle island with nice beaches. Which is not a surprise since it seems the whole concept of the Reserve Channel is exploring other countries for EX-PATS.

It's amazing how many PATS on the mainland don't have a clue there are "US" Virgin Islands or which ones there are. The video hardly mentions they are US, rather more so implying we are some exotic foreign jungle island with nice beaches. Which is not a surprise since it seems the whole concept of the Reserve Channel is exploring other countries for EX-PATS.

I don't find it particularly amazing or unusual. Before I visited here I was widely traveled on two continents but hadn't heard of the US Virgin Islands. It was grating to hear the commentator on the video referring to "expats" but very surprising to hear the subject of the video - who's apparently lived on STX for 10 years - wrongly using the same word. Next time someone on STX who visits the farm will correct him! 😀

It's a nice gentleman,s farm or rather hipster farm. From the you tube video it seems that he is making money from selling lifestyle to millennials but hardly so from farming. Is there some sort of the cult attached to this?

His lady is definitely an island hottie relatively to what's available here.

It all seems pretty cool on the surface. No wonder promo like this attracts a bunch of dreamers. Most will fail, few will succeed. It takes years of hard work, perseverance and luck to get there.

After reading the posts here I thought I would weigh in with my own comments. There is a lot of good advice in this forum but much of it needs to be taken with a grain of salt...including my comments forthcoming.

I would say the most important factor here is knowing yourself. How resilient are you? How stubborn are you? What are your expectations? Will roughing it ruin the experience for you? The list of questions can go on and on, but I think a thorough self-evaluation is the most important part of the decision making process. You have already stated that you are planning a pre-move visit. That's good. Visit the grocery stores there are some big ones and small ones. Groceries will cost more than you are accustomed to paying. So is most everything else. Options are fewer, but with patience you can have just about anything shipped to the island from most major retailers from the mainland either directly or through a shipper.

Can you get by without a car? Depended on where you live and where you plan to work. It's possible. There are various forms of public transportation but you'll need to research to find the routes and times, etc. Without a car you will need to hook up with someone who does if you want to get around the island which is part of the joy of being here.

The island is vastly different from end to end and there is a lot to offer all over if you if you enjoy what most islands have to offer in the way of beaches, history, people, etc.

Living accommodations will be tough on the budget you mentioned and the info on electric rates is accurate. Expect 4-5 times electricity cost per kilowatt hour. The nice thing is you likely won't be using central air so your bill won't be 5 times your US bill assuming you were using central air in Florida. There is always an apartment share option. You could find roommates to share a more expensive rental. As far as rentals go, you may find one that will not charge first, last and deposit but expect to pay a full months rent in advance as well as a deposit. I would be cautious about the location of a rental that is cheap and easy to get into cost wise. There are areas less safe than others. Just like at home.

If you are resilient, can roll with the punches and don't mind roughing it, give it a whirl. The $10,000 budget is flexible in my opinion but is a safe bet if you want to make the transition more comfortable.

The time of year to come to live and work is important. If it is your plan to make the move without a vehicle, your options are going to be narrow so you want to plan your move as the season is kicking into gear. Off-season is a tough time to find work, especially if you are limited to working within walking distance of where you live.

Good luck with your plans!

What is 'the season'?

What is 'the season'?

Tourist season is Dec - march (or may, depends on who you talk to)

Hurricane season June1 - Nov30

depends on context 😉

Thank you.

So does it follow, that if one moves here during hurricane season there would be a larger choice of rentals? I notice that some long term rentals(6months) are move expensive during the season but I think legally if you sign a lease they can't do that.

So does it follow, that if one moves here during hurricane season there would be a larger choice of rentals? I notice that some long term rentals(6months) are move expensive during the season but I think legally if you sign a lease they can't do that.

More rentals become available around April/May and then the numbers start going down around October/November as new people arrive to look for jobs for the upcoming season. A lease is a contract and as long as the lease is in effect the rent can't be changed. If you're on a month to month (and if you had a lease but it wasn't renewed and you automatically became a month to month tenant) the LL can raise the rent at any time with one month's written notice.

Thank you.

One of the bay's in STJ has a fishing camp set up. Very simple life. Less than a tent. No electric. The bay has limited deep water access and there are no roads.

I sailed to that cove a couple of times. The guy comes out of his camp naked to fish twice a day with the spear. Pretty cool.

Wait what!? I live on St. John and never heard of this naked spear fisher, besides me when I'm in the pool. 😀

that s how secluded this cove is. It s facing Tortola.