St. Thomas Virgin Islands USVI Frenchman's bay hideaway apartment/ villa Special** Long Term Rentals Rates

THE SEARCH FOR VIRGIN ISLANDS REAL ESTATE

Finding the property you want in the Virgin Islands is uniquely different than finding property in the states. Whether you are looking for a vacation home, a full time island residence, land, or a condominium the search will be an adventure.

First, the physical address of a property is the tax assessor’s parcel number. This will not help you locate the property on a road map. Many areas do not have street names or, if they do, the street names will not be on the map. Once you identify a property, you will need directions. Directions can sound something like, “Take Skyline drive past the yellow brick house and make the second left.” This is a good example of very simple directions. If the property is not located on the main road or close to the main road directions become even more complicated. This is one important reason to have a Realtor show you homes.

Second, open houses are generally held on Wednesday mornings, primarily for Realtors who will be previewing properties for prospective buyers. These open houses are not advertised. Most areas in the states hold open houses on Sunday afternoons and you can use the Sunday paper, checking off the homes you plan to view that afternoon. You can plan your route and look at several homes in a particular area you are interested in. This is not true in the Virgin Islands, yet another reason to work with a Realtor who has previewed homes, knows your search parameters and will schedule showings convenient to your schedule.

Third, residential areas in the Virgin Islands can include comparatively reasonable prices to very expensive homes. For example, on area can have a $450,000 home for sale and a $4,000,000 home for sale less than half a mile away. There are exceptions. The island has gated communities and within these communities values are comparable. Views, waterfront and acreage are important indicators of value. When you ask to see comparable sales they are often very difficult to find because we don’t have as many sales as a large city. When I purchased my home I asked to see comparable sale in order to make an informed offer. There hadn’t been a home sale in my area for two years. Not because it is an unpopular area, but it is an area less populated than others so there are fewer home sales.

Fourth, looking at homes in the Virgin Islands is more time consuming than many cities in the states. Unless you are positive you want to live in one particular neighborhood on an island, you will be driving from one end of the island to another looking at homes. You will be surprised how long this takes on such a small island. The winding and hilly roads can sometimes be filled with traffic. And if the sluggish traffic doesn’t hamper your progress, being behind a water truck trying to climb a steep hill will certainly slow you down. Take the time to enjoy the views. They are guaranteed to be spectacular.

You may be surprised to hear that weather can vary greatly depending on what area you live in. Typically the north side of the island enjoys more rain than the southern side. If you choose to live in particular areas, note the surrounding micro-climate. You may find yourself ordering water for your cistern more often than you would if you lived in another area. The top of a hill can be much breezier than the valley. If you plan to limit your use of air conditioning and enjoy the tropical breezes this will be an important issue.

When you decide to look for property in the Virgin Islands, find yourself a Realtor with whom you are comfortable. Let your Realtor know what you are looking for and include details. Do you want to be close to the water? Do you want to live close to where you will be working? Is square footage in a home important or are other amenities more important? Ask questions. What types of views are available in particular areas? How is the drive from the home to different places on the island? Your Realtor should provide the local knowledge to help you find exactly what you want.

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