Your Typical Moving Thread

1. most people say about 10,000?
2. probably true
3.might be best to bring your own car if it is paid off and reliable
4.i would call a few rental agents to find out but 6-12 is not unheard of
5. ?
6. buy the book, it really does have helpful info in it. there was another book but i cant remember the name of it.

if you get bored-just read the posts here, there really is a ton of helpful info .

you need to do what you think will make you happy, not what someone says would be easier for you if you fail.

Have you read all the information in the pull-down menus top of this page?

Briefly to try and answer your questions in the order posed:

$10K is the recommended amount. You can certainly get by with less but it's close enough when you add up first month's rent, last month's rent, one month's security deposit, utility deposits, car purchase and insurance, money to live on until you have an income, etc.

You can get a reasonable idea of the cost of cars on craigslistvi and in the VI Daily News classified section (accessible online). A 1BR on any island will run you $1K and up.

Most apartments are rented on a yearly lease but some landlords will take shorter terms and some are month to month. The same variables as stateside. Rent nothing sight unseen and plan to spend the first couple of weeks in a short-term rental until you get your bearings.

As far as sales jobs are concerned there are usually openings in various fields for salespeople - very variable. Once you're on island start applying for jobs and hit the pavement.

The Settlers Handbook is an excellent resource along with all the general information right here as noted above.

Good luck with your plans!

I'll add these comments:

1) $10,000 is a good number but may or may not be right for YOU. It depends on YOUR lifestyle. Use that as a minimum. Estimate what you'd need to support yourself for 6 months in the lifestyle your grown accustomed to where you now live. Add 50% to that number and bring the greater of that amount or $10,000. Keep enough in "reserve" to purchase a return ticket in case things don't work out.

2) Already answered by others.

3) Consider shipping your car if it is paid off and is in good working order. Island beater cars, while low cost, are often in need of costly repairs to keep them running and safe. Can't advise on price other than to say you get what you pay for. Sorry, but unlike other contributors here I'd probably spend most or all of that $10,000 recommended nest egg on a good car rather than drive a so called "island beater".

4) Already answered by others.

5) Depends on your qualifications and work history/experience.

6) Yes, buy the book. It's less than $20, a small price to pay for some good information. Also, as Old Tart says, use the dropdown menus at the top of this page and read "everything" - there's tons of information right at your fingertips.

Good luck with your quest.

My car is in good working order but it is not paid off, nor will it be by the time I would move, and I don't think they'll let me bring it with. As far as a car that would be in good condition goes, how fast does the quality tend to drop after being used on the island?

The heat, the salt air, the myriad of potholes and the narrow roads where side bush swipes along the side of the vehicle, are tough on any car. Island cars are inevitably dinged and scraped but nobody's judged by what their vehicle looks like and a pristine Jeep on the road is the standout beacon of the tourist so you pay attention in case they forget which side of the road to drive on! Let's put it this way - if you have a nice undented unmarked vehicle and ship it here to use, your mileage will barely go up compared to stateside driving but the bodywork will be quickly marked up.

There are always PLENTY of used vehicles here for sale, both beaters and cars a few years old. In the latter category are included vehicles which newcomers purchased or brought here before deciding that island living didn't suit them, and those repossessed by banks and other lending institutions from people who over-bought and defaulted on the payments.

You can be "had" on a used car here just as easily as you can anywhere on the mainland but, in my opinion, bringing yet another car onto a small island where we have no proper disposal facilities and too many cars already just makes no sense at all.

I'm not so concerned about a nice car or anything. The one I have was bought used anyway. The question was asked more for how quickly it can run a car down. But, from the sounds of it, it seems kind of pointless to bring my own car. One thing I've definitely read on this forum is that there's no shortage of cars to buy down there anyway

For the banks that are down there, are there any big chain ones I'd be able to transfer my funds to before moving? Just something I could do face to face here

Also, how easy is it to visit other islands? Not just the USVI but all the islands in the Caribbean

St. Thomas has a good hub for connecting with flights to down island.
We're close proximity to the BVI by ferry and STJ is a 20 min. ferry or car barge ride. Lots of small islands and cays to explore if you have access to a boat .

From St Thomas, the BVI and St John are easy peasy by ferry. Puerto Rico is easy by air. You can fly LIAT to a lot of places, but not direct. Everything will have 5 stops and go through Antigua. It will also take you some time and cost a bit. There are some charter airlines that go to Dominica and some other islands.

The "big chain" banks are First Bank, Scotia Bank and Banco Popular...LOL

Cape Air (aka Cape Fear - sorry, we nickname everything)
also flies down island and between our islands, except STJ, and BVI.