Aug 5, 2024 | Island News
The newest restaurant in downtown Christiansted is sure to invoke a sense of joy when you enter its doors! Introducing Jubilee by Yaadie in St. Croix, this fine dining space is the brainchild of Chef Ashley Ellis. Originally from Jamaica, Chef Ashley relocated to St. Croix in 2019 for a fresh start in a new place as a sous chef at one of the island’s resorts. Equipped with her bachelor’s degree in food service management and culinary arts from the University of Technology in Jamaica, she decided to add to her wealth of work experience. After all, she gained valuable experience at Sandals Resort and a prominent chocolatier in Jamaica followed by a well-known resort in South Florida.
Pop-up dessert sales were the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey on St. Croix. Shortly after, she started a weekly lunch delivery service, providing dishes inspired by her Jamaican roots with a unique twist. Fast forward to mid-2020, Chef Ashley’s lunch deliveries kicked into high gear during the pandemic, especially for hospital frontline workers who were still reporting to work daily. Private chef catering at on-island villas was the next step in her St. Croix culinary journey, providing freshly made meals and snacks for visitors to the island. From there, she dove into marketing her brand on social media with a more concentrated focus on food rather than desserts. As a result, Yaadie in St. Croix emerged with an assortment of culinary offerings including hosting pop-up events like Brunching on the Farm where 80 percent of the dishes prepared were locally sourced. Seeing the way her food and service brought joy to those she prepared dishes for led to her tagline, “Great food with good vibes.”
All these steps led to the grand opening of Jubilee by Yaadie in St. Croix on December 24, 2023 – 12 days after her birthday. While Chef Ashley notes that opening the restaurant has been one the hardest things she’s ever done in her life, she leans on her passion for culinary arts and lessons learned from her late grandmother to keep her going. “I learned about hospitality from my grandmother,” said Chef Ashley. “She was always making sure everyone had great food and were well taken care of when she entertained at her home in Jamaica.” Patsy Pasta is her favorite dish on the menu named after her grandmother who would make pumpkin every Saturday morning. Made with pumpkin cream sauce, fettuccine pasta is tossed together with lobster, spinach, and other veggies. “My grandmother was such a huge part of my culinary journey that having a dish named in her honor was a no-brainer,” recalled Chef Ashley.
Jubilee by Yaadie in St. Croix is in downtown Christiansted at 45 King Street. Their summer hours are Thursday to Saturday from 5pm to 9pm and Sunday Brunch from 10am to 3pm. For reservations, call 340-713-3205. You can visit their Facebook page for updates and specials at facebook.com/TheChefAshleyExperience.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard
Jul 28, 2024 | QA
Question: “What are 5 changes to how Realtors will be working with Home Buyers?”
Chris’s Answer:
You’ve probably heard in the news about the changes being made nationally regarding real estate commissions and how that will effect Buyers and the way all Realtors® in the United States will work with Buyers. These new policies will go into effect beginning August 17th. Here are 5 changes to know:
- A signed Buyers’ Representation Agreement is now required by the settlement agreement.
- Agreeing to and signing the Buyers’ Representation Agreement must be done before taking Buyers to a property in person or virtually.
- Compensation has always been negotiable, but now it’s part of a discussion documented in the agreement.
- Compensation to the Buyers’ Agent could be paid by either the Seller or the Buyer, and this will be disclosed and understood prior to a Buyer seeing a property.
- If the Seller has not agreed to pay the Buyers’ Agent compensation, a Buyer will know ahead of time that they will be responsible to compensate their Agent and can decide whether or not to see that property.
We would love the opportunity to help you. If you have any questions, please contact us!
From Chris & Christie’s July 2024 newsletter (read it here).
Jul 28, 2024 | QA
Question: “What are the benefits of a Buyer’s Representation Agreement?”
Christie’s Answer:
This is great question! Starting August 17, 2024, the Buyer will now negotiate compensation directly with the Realtor® representing them as their Buyer Representative. This means that unless the Seller agrees to pay a commission to the Buyer’s Realtor®, the Buyer will pay that commission. Buyers and the Buyer’s Realtor® will sign a Buyer’s Representation Agreement. The benefits to an agreement are:
- It is a legal document which formalizes your working relationship with a particular Buyers’ Representative detailing which services you are entitled to receive and what your Buyer’s Representative expects from you in return.
- It clarifies expectations and defines loyalty of all parties.
- It insures that everything has been discussed, and is evidence of agreements and disclosures.
- Buyers will be treated as a client instead of a customer, receiving a higher level of service.
- It brings strength as a team. When you and your Buyers’ Representative work together within a formalized agency relationship, you have created a team dedicated to helping you achieve the best possible home-buying experience!
- While representation agreements specify a time period, they can be terminated early if both parties consent. The time period is negotiable and can vary. A single day or week, several months, or a year depending on what has been agreed upon by both parties.
As certified Accredited Buyer’s Representatives (ABR®) and Seller Representative Specialists (SRS), we are committed to offering our attention, expertise and professionalism to all our clients.
Contact us with any questions about real estate on St. Croix!
From Chris & Christie’s July 2024 newsletter (read it here).
Jul 24, 2024 | Reports
Monthly sales data, inventory, and days on market for the St. Croix, USVI real estate market is available in our downloadable Coldwell Banker real estate reports. The is a report for each category: Homes & Condos, Condos, Homes, and Land!
If you are not familiar with with the implications of the data, please give us a call or email us directly with any questions. We are Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) and Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) and have the experience and local knowledge to help you in every step of the process. We can help you narrow down neighborhoods based on your priorities. We can also advise you on the market trends in your desired neighborhoods.
Open reports by clicking on links below:
Homes & Condos – June 2024 Report
Homes – June 2024 Report
Condo – June 2024 Report
Land – June 2024 Report
Note: The average sales price and the average days on market could be skewed greatly by only one sale or because of the small number of sales
Jul 23, 2024 | Island News
We were delighted to come across a blog article from award-winning travel writer Candyce Stapen describing her recent vacation to St. Croix with her family that included grandparents, parents, and young children. She called the trip ‘magical’ and we can understand why. We’ve lived in St. Croix for over 20 years and we have seen multigenerational families vacationing on our beautiful island. Some friends of ours recently bought their children to visit St. Croix and told us how much fun everyone enjoyed sunny weather, water activities, and “less touristy” atmosphere. Another family we know on St. Croix often see their children and grandchildren visiting the island during school vacation weeks. We met their grandson last year and he told about the magnificent mangroves he saw and the bioluminescence tour (read here).
We recommend reading Candyce Stapen’s article here. She highlights her trip that included visits to these wonderful attractions:
Buck Island Reef National Monument: nps.gov/buis/index.htm
Caribbean Sea Adventures: www.caribbeanseaadventures.com
Buccaneer Beach and Golf Resort: www.thebuccaneer.com
Savant: www.savantstx.com
Duggan’s Reef: www.duggansreefstx.com
