Question: “Can I use my lender in the states to get a loan for a property on St. Croix?”
Christie’s Answer:
It’s very important to use a lender who is licensed in the US Virgin Islands and complies with our laws.
Some Buyers do use a Home Equity Line of Credit Loan (HELOC). They are borrowing against the available equity in their stateside home and that house is used as collateral for the line of credit.
We would be happy to send you a complete list of licensed local and national lenders so that you have options. This includes both banks and mortgage companies. Contact us here!
The 27th annual Mango Melee Tropical Fruit and Mango Festival was held in at the St. George Village Botanical Garden in St Croix on July 9, 2023. This popular family-friendly event offers kids activities, educational workshops, food competitions, tropical fruit demonstrations and tastings, and the ever-popular Mango Eating Contests. Visitors enjoy local food and drinks, arts and craft vendors, cultural dance performances, Moko Jumbies, music and more throughout the day. As the VI Consortium reported, Yasmine Tuitt, 14, defended her title and emerged as the winner of the Mango Eating Competition for the second consecutive year at the 27th annual Mango Melee. 9-year-old Anita Thomas won the Mango Eating Competition in the children category. Congratulations!
Many local vendors also had tables selling mango and tropical fruit delicacies and products. It is a great annual event that brings the community together!
The St. Croix Source has some great photos, check it out here.
July 3rd of this year is the 175th celebration of USVI’s Emancipation Day, history. It was a week long commemoration to honor the heritage of the Virgin Islands and celebrate the hard-won freedom of its people. Events included a parade, concerts, a freedom walk, panel discussions and more. We are excited to see a nationally published publication like Essence.com write wonderful article about the commemoration events.
St. Croix Source also has an article about the events starting with July 3, 2023 in the Fort to Fort Freedom walk, a Libation and Calling the Names of the Ancestors Ceremony, and with music and fireworks after dark. In between, there were music, art shows, Quadrille dancing and a Quelbe tramp, just to name a few highlights.
One of St. Croix’s newest tours offers a glimpse into the Golden Age of Piracy! St. Croix Sailing Adventure Tours with Stanford Joines, author of The Eighth Flag: Cannibals. Conquistadors. Buccaneers. PIRATES. is a private tour experience that allows guests to relive the incredible pirate history of St. Croix in Salt River Bay.
Joines has been sailing Caribbean waters and diving pirate shipwrecks for over thirty years. He taught sailing to children on St. Croix during this time, racing in regattas with them throughout the Northern Caribbean. A retired teacher, Joines spent eight years researching St. Croix’s history and learned that pi-racy was a large part of the island’s past. This fascination with piracy in the Caribbean led him to pen his book, The Eighth Flag: Cannibals. Conquistadors. Buccaneers. PIRATES. This untold story of the Caribbean and the mystery of St. Croix’s Pirate Legacy explores piracy on St. Croix from 1493 to 1750. While seven flags are known to have flown over St. Croix during this time, it is said that pirates, conquistadors, freebooters, buccaneers, and the like ruled the Caribbean and called St. Croix home. Under this eighth flag, they would steal at sea without regard for ‘permission,’ paying no attention to whatever country had ownership. Joines’s company, Eight Flag Charters, has commandeered a vessel that sails with the tide for two-hour adventure tours seven days a week. Aboard Folly, guests get to sail in the wake of Blackbeard, Bellamy, and Black Caesar on the beautiful waters of Salt River Bay found on St. Croix’s north shore. On this customizable private tour, you can omit or include the pirate history, try your hand at sailing or enjoy a relaxing sail out of the bay and into the Caribbean Sea. You can also opt for an intimate sunset cruise with the sound of wind and waves as the soundtrack for your excursion. Water and soft drinks are provided, but guests are free to bring their favorite libations along for the adventure.
Tours are $75 per adult and $45 for children 12 and under, with a $250 minimum to set sail. Book your tour on their website or email stan@stanfordjoines.com to arrange for your private adventure. For more information, visit www.stanfordjoines.org/tours or call 340. 332.2472.
Find the monthly insight and sales data for the St. Croix, USVI real estate market! We have downloadable June Coldwell Banker real estate reports — available below for each category: All Properties, Condos, Single Family Homes, and Land! The sales data will be help you understand the number of listings sold, days on market, the median price listed and sold, and much more.
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.
