We’ve been creating a monthly newsletter for many years. In all that time, no one has suggested a topic to us, until recently. Someone we’d helped buy a condo mentioned that she enjoyed receiving the newsletters. When asked if there was a topic she would like us to cover, and she surprised us by saying, “Yes.” Christine, this one’s for you!
Christine noticed a pattern as she’s talked with new condo owners. People were buying condos without knowing anything about the complex, except the amenities. The new owners thought that they would be able to do whatever they wanted to the condo, and use the condo as they liked. Because the new owners had those expectations, they were a little disappointed with their purchase.
Living in a condo complex is very different from home ownership. It’s more similar to apartment living. There are rules, fees, common areas, possible assessments, and board and committee participation.
As you review condo listings, look to see if there is a the Document section. This is where the listing Realtor will include information other than the amenities. In our condo listings we add as much information as we can find.
You may see:
By-Laws
Rules & Regulations
Condo Declaration
Articles of Incorporation
Approved Budget
Rules for Renters
Rules for Property Managers
Pet Policy
No complex will have all of these documents because not all complexes have all of these rules. And, sometimes information, like the pet policy, may be included in the Rules & Regulations instead of in a separate document.
Unfortunately, unless you are looking at the listing through the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), the Documents section may not appear even though it is part of the listing.
Here are a couple of examples of people thinking they can use the condo as they’d like.
Baby On the Way
A large one bedroom condo was being shown to a couple with a baby. During the showing they told me that they were intending to have a second child. Because I was already familiar with the Rules & Regulations of the complex, I was able to share that the complex allowed no more than 3 people living in the condo, so this complex would not work for them and their growing family.
Adding a New Window
Some clients of ours were thinking of buying an end unit so that they could add a window on the side of the building for increased light and airflow. They were cautioned that this might be allowed, but it would need to be approved by the Condo Board of Directors. One cannot just create an opening as you could if you owned a house.
Bottom line? Make sure that you see at least the Rules & Regulations.
Ask for any documents for the complex. If you have something in mind for living in the condo, or changes you may want to make to it, express this to your Realtor. They will be able to assist you in discovering if it’s possible, and will ensure that you know as much as you can so that you will be happy with your purchase and your life at the condo complex.
Watch our video below for more of our discussion. Read our August 2026 Newsletter here.
If you’ve never watched a grown adult sprint toward a mango like it owes them money, you haven’t lived. Welcome to Mango Melee, St. Croix’s beloved ode to Caribbean fruit. Watch as an entire island descends on the St. George Village Botanical Garden for one glorious, sticky, sun-soaked Sunday.
This year marked the 30th annual Mango Melee, held July 12 at the Garden’s 16-acre grounds in Frederiksted — and by all accounts, the mango gods showed up. Hundreds of residents and visitors packed the shaded walkways despite brutal heat. Apparently nothing, not even 89-degree sunshine, comes between St. Croix and its favorite Caribbean fruit.
The Main Event (Literally)
Let’s talk about the mango eating contest, the undisputed main character of the day. Held at 4 p.m. on the Great Hall lawn, this is where St. Croix crowns its fruit-devouring royalty. This year, one young champion made history with a three-peat in the 12-and-under category, while a first-time competitor claimed the adult title. Nothing says “Caribbean fruit obsession” quite like watching someone inhale mangoes for glory and bragging rights.
If competitive eating isn’t your speed, there’s also “Mango Dis, Mango Dat,” a cooking competition where local chefs battle it out across four categories — sips, sweets, salsas, and stuff — all built around, you guessed it, mangoes. Basically, if it can be made with Caribbean fruit, someone at this festival has already perfected it.
Beyond the Mango
Don’t let the name fool you! Mango Melee isn’t a one-fruit show. There are tropical fruit tastings, a Tropical Fruit Identification contest for the botanically curious, and educational workshops teaching visitors how to actually grow this stuff at home. The Garden’s 200-year-old blacksmith shop even got in on the action with live demonstrations, because apparently St. Croix multitasks.
Hungry? The food vendor lineup reads like a Caribbean fruit lover’s fever dream: fresh roti, croffles, homemade spices and honeys, vegan bites, and enough fresh-squeezed juice, ice cream, and snow cones to cool down even the most sunburned festival-goer. Wash it down at one of three rum bars sponsored by Cruzan, because Caribbean fruit and Caribbean rum were basically made for each other.
Family, Fauna, and Fun
Kids get their own slice of the action too, with pop-up stations from the Children’s Museum, animal meet-and-greets, and a bounce house for when the sugar rush kicks in. Add in cultural dance performances, moko jumbies stilt-walking through the crowd, live music, and over 100 local craft vendors, and you’ve got a full day of island culture wrapped around a fruit basket.
At the end of it all, the display mangoes that spent the day looking pretty in the Great Hall go up for silent auction, with proceeds supporting the Garden’s restoration and education programs — because Mango Melee isn’t just a party, it’s a fundraiser wearing a very fun disguise.
So mark your calendar for next July. St. Croix’s love affair with Caribbean fruit isn’t slowing down anytime soon — and honestly, why would it?
**Q: Where does Mango Melee take place?** A: At the St. George Village Botanical Garden in Frederiksted, on St. Croix’s west end — a historic 16-acre site that used to be a sugar plantation.
**Q: When is Mango Melee held each year?** A: Generally on the second Sunday in July, right in the sweet spot of mango season.
**Q: How much does it cost to attend?** A: Tickets run $10 for adults and teens 13+, $5 for kids 5-12, and free for children under 5.
**Q: What’s the most popular event of the day?** A: The mango eating contest, held on the Great Hall lawn — it’s the festival’s biggest crowd-drawer, with both kids’ and adult divisions.
**Q: Where do mangoes actually come from?** A: Mangoes originated in South Asia over 4,000 years ago and are now grown throughout the tropics, including the Caribbean, making them one of the most widely cultivated fruits on Earth.
**Q: How many mango varieties exist worldwide?** A: There are more than 500 known mango varieties, though only a handful are commonly found at markets — St. Croix itself is home to numerous local varieties prized for the festival’s tastings and contests.
Coffee, Tea, & Listings: Your New Favorite Way to Start the Week
There’s a whole lot of different here on St. Croix — and that includes how we tell you about listings that caught our eye. We invite you to pull up a chair, pour something warm, and hang out with us for a few minutes on Coffee, Tea, & Listings.
If you haven’t caught one yet, here’s the gist: we’ve been “pulling good together” on this island since 2002 and running our business together every single day since, and now we sit down with our mugs (coffee for one of us, tea for the other, we’ll let you guess who’s who) and walk you through what’s new, what’s sold, and what’s simply too pretty not to share. It’s part market update, part island love letter, and part “you’re basically hanging out with your favorite neighbors who happen to know everything about real estate.” And on a good number of episodes, we’ve got a very chill co-host: our cat Percy, who has never once cared about square footage but absolutely cares about knocking things off the table just out of frame.
We’ve spent two decades building our reputation as the Powers Behind Real Estate here, and our newsletter has always leaned into photos, videos, and topics we genuinely find interesting. Coffee, Tea, & Listings is that same spirit, just shrunk down to fit in your pocket. You get a mention of a waterfront lot deal or a beachfront condo view, sure — but you also get us, being ourselves (and occasionally being upstaged by a cat).
Where to Find Us
You don’t need a Crucian mailing address to enjoy the show. We post Coffee, Tea, & Listings on TikTok,Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Give us a few minutes of your scroll time, and suddenly you’ll know more about St. Croix real estate than most people who’ve lived here twice as long.
Fair warning: watching enough episodes may result in an unshakable urge to check flight prices to St. Croix, google “gently sloping waterfront lot,” and start a Pinterest board titled “Someday.” This is a known side effect. We cannot be held responsible for your sudden and passionate interest in Buck Island views (or for wanting a cat exactly like Percy).
The Best Part? You Can Actually Talk to Us
Here’s what we love most about this whole thing: we mean it when we say we want to hear from you. Got a question about that condo from Monday’s video? Curious what “Crucian rescue animal” energy our office runs on (spoiler: a lot of dogs and cats, Percy included)? Wondering if that waterfront lot with the John Hix architectural plans is still available? Send it our way. We answer real questions from real people, no velvet rope required — whether it’s about the listing of the week or something else entirely that’s caught your eye on St. Croix.
So next time one of our videos pops up on your For You page, don’t just scroll past. Hit follow, stick around for the coffee (or tea, or the occasional cat cameo), and if a listing catches your eye, reach out. Worst case, you get a friendly, knowledgeable answer. Best case, you’re sipping your own coffee on your own sea-view patio a few months from now, wondering why you waited so long.
Let’s be honest — when most people think “TikTok influencer,” they picture a teenager doing a trending dance in a ring-lit bedroom, not two St. Croix realtors who get genuinely excited about turquoise sea views and title insurance. And yet, here we are. Announcing Chris and Christie Powers on TikTok: the algorithm has absolutely no idea what to do with us.
Are we the target demographic? Hard no. The last time Christie was on a “For You Page,” it was a page in an actual magazine — specifically Cocotrale,the luxury tropical living publication that featured one of our listings. Chris’s idea of going viral is a really cleanhome inspection report. And yet, we have zero regrets.
Videos, Videos, Everywhere
Here’s the thing: we love making videos. We always have. From our property walkthroughs to our monthly newsletter videos to our little tours around the most beautiful island in the Caribbean, we’ve been quietly building a video empire one Buck Island view at a time. TikTok just felt like the next logical (totally illogical) step.
So what can you expect from us on TikTok? Probably some St. Croix real estate content. Definitely some island life moments. Videoof a beachfront estate. Real estate insights with a side of real life. You know — our brand.
Sharing St Croix
We may not be 22. We may not know what “NPC streaming” means (we Googled it; we wish we hadn’t). But we show up, we have fun, and share our expertise because we genuinely love sharing the magic of St. Croix with anyone who’ll watch.
So if you’ve been following us on Facebook, Instagram,YouTubeor through ourmonthly newsletter — come find Chris & Christie Powers on TikTok. And if you’re a 19-year-old who accidentally stumbles onto our page looking for dance trends and ends up wanting to buy a condo on St. Croix instead… well, we can help with that too.
The Powers Behind Real Estate — now available in short-form video.
St. Croix closed out Q1 2026 with 85 total sales across all property types – nearly identical to the 84 closings recorded in Q1 2025, a 1.2% increase. But behind that flat headline number, the details tell a more complex story: new listings surged 27% to 208, single-family prices declined substantially, and land is outperforming. Here is the complete breakdown of real estate St Croix for Q1 2026. Find the full Q1 report at the end of this blog article.
Quarterly Market Overview
Q1 2026 on St. Croix produced a market where supply growth and price normalization were the dominant themes. New listings hit 208 for the quarter, up from 164 in Q1 2025 – a 27% increase. Total closings were essentially flat at 85. The result is a market where months of supply is building steadily. Average days on market for all property types rose 22% year over year to 251 days. Median sold price for all property types fell 10% to $270,000, down from $305,000 in Q1 2025.
The broader trend is one of a market returning to equilibrium after several years of compressed inventory and elevated pricing. For buyers, this shift is welcome. For sellers, it requires a recalibration of expectations. The St Croix real estate market in Q1 2026 rewards preparation and honest pricing on both sides of a transaction.
Single-Family Home Market
Single-family homes led Q1 2026 in transaction volume on St. Croix. Forty-two homes sold, up 14% from 37 in Q1 2025. Median sold price was $340,000, down 15% from $399,000 a year ago. Average sold price fell 36.6% to $421,064. Average days on market increased 27% to 308 days.
The volume gain paired with sharp price decline points to a classic market correction dynamic: more buyers at lower price points are transacting, while the higher-end properties are either sitting or closing at adjusted prices. For buyers, this is an accessible window for single-family homes. For sellers, pricing to the current median rather than hoping for the previous peak is the path to a timely sale.
Condo Market
The St. Croix condo segment had a quieter Q1. Twenty condos sold, down 29% from 28 in Q1 2025. Median sold price was $302,450, down about 7% from $325,000 a year ago. Average sold price was $332,445, up just 2.9%. Average days on market fell 14.7% to 133 days – faster than single-family homes and suggesting that condos, when priced correctly, are moving efficiently.
Year-to-date new listings in the condo category totaled 52, up 24% from 42 in Q1 2025. Inventory is building here too, but the faster days-on-market for sold units indicates an active buyer pool in the condo category.
Land and Acreage
The St Croix real estate land segment was Q1’s standout performer. Twenty-three lots and acres sold, up 21% from 19 in Q1 2025. Median sold price was $47,000, down 6% from $50,000 a year ago. Average days on market fell 14.9% to 246 days. New listings totaled 90, up 28.6%.
While median prices dipped slightly, the combination of rising transaction volume, faster days on market, and March’s dramatic single-month price surge points to genuine underlying demand acceleration. Land on St. Croix is becoming a more actively traded asset class, and that trend appears to be strengthening.
What This Quarter Means for Buyers
For buyers, Q1 2026 is an opportunity quarter on St. Croix. The combination of more listings, lower prices in the single-family category, and 6-12 months of supply across most segments means time, selection, and negotiating room are all working in your favor. The window in land may be shorter – act with more urgency there.
What This Quarter Means for Sellers
For sellers, the market is asking you to price honestly and present thoroughly. Properties that are positioned accurately for current conditions – not aspirationally against 2024 comparable – are closing. Those that are not are accumulating days on market and often requiring price reductions that could have been avoided with a more realistic starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions About St. Croix Q1 2026 Real Estate
How many homes sold on St. Croix in Q1 2026?
St. Croix recorded 85 total property sales across all types in Q1 2026 – including 42 single-family homes, 20 condos, and 23 land parcels. That’s nearly flat compared to 84 closings in Q1 2025, but with a very different composition across property types.
What is the average days on market for St. Croix real estate in Q1 2026?
Average days on market for all property types on St. Croix in Q1 2026 is 251 days, up 22% from 205 days in Q1 2025. Single-family homes average 308 days, condos average 133 days, and land averages 246 days.
Are home prices falling on St. Croix in 2026?
Single-family median sold prices are down about 15% year over year in Q1 2026, from $399,000 to $340,000. Condo prices are also modestly lower. Land prices are mixed – median is down slightly but average and individual transaction prices have risen sharply, particularly in March.
Is now a good time to invest in St. Croix real estate?
Q1 2026 data suggests a favorable entry point, particularly for single-family buyers. More inventory, lower prices, and longer marketing times mean buyers have more leverage than they did in 2024 or early 2025. Land buyers may want to act with more urgency as that segment shows rising demand.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the St Croix real estate market, please reach out to us and we would be happy to speak to you. Check out our featured listings or do a property search.
