Question: “What does RENE mean, and why is important to me?“
Chris’ Answer:
The Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) certification is for real estate professionals who have taken classes to sharpen their negotiation skills. It gives us the tips and tools we need to be skillful advocates for our clients. In the classes and following information sent to us, we learn how to handle a wide range of situations, and how to sort out the competing objectives of the parties involved in a transaction.
Contact us if you are in the market to buy or sell your property on St. Croix. We are an experienced team who work with buyers and sellers. We would be happy to help in every step of the sales and purchase process.
For a list of our sold properties sold in 2021-2022, click here. Search for properties for sale here.
Back for the first time since 2019, the St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade is ready to light up the Christiansted Harbor once again with holiday cheer! This holiday tradition started back in 1994 as the local boating community’s gesture thanking the St. Croix people for the use of the beautiful waters surrounding the island. Nearly two decades later, what began with four to twelve boats decorated with lights has grown into one of the largest attended events on St. Croix and the largest boat parade in the Caribbean. Additionally, St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade, Inc. was established in 2011 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Their goal with the parade is to bring the people of St. Croix together to celebrate the start of the Christmas season and to support charitable children’s organizations to help with educational needs and more.
Starting around 6pm after sundown, Christmas themed boats light up the Christiansted Harbor for the crowds gathered along the boardwalk to see. Over 25 boats and vessels of varying sizes join in on the festivities competing in categories such as “Best Lighting,” “Best Music” and “Best Animation.” The fun starts long before the parade begins with a flurry of holiday merriment. From 1pm, attendees are enticed to come into downtown Christiansted for holiday shopping and live music. Mocko Jumbies parade through the streets greeting holiday shoppers, Santa Clause comes in on a dinghy to greet the crowd and share candy canes, street vendors are cooking up local Crucian flavors to tantalize your tastebuds and live music from local artists, bands and steel pan orchestras keep the energy at an all-time high.
The St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade will take place on Saturday, December 10th. The parade begins at 6pm after sundown and will culminate with a grand finale that lights up the sky with spectacular fireworks. For more information, visit the St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade Facebook page at www.facebook.com/STXBoatParade.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
The Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation is for real estate agents who focus on working directly with buyer-clients at every stage of the home-buying process. We have taken special classes focused on improving our skills and knowledge toward assisting home buyers. We receive ongoing specialized information and updates on the issues and trends facing home buyers.
Are you interested in purchasing a new home on St. Croix? Contact us, and we will be happy to help you find a home which fits your needs.
Celebrate, hydrate and rejuvenate at the 2022 Crucian Coconut Festival on St. Croix! Hosted by St. Croix Farmers in Action, Inc., the Crucian Coconut Festival is focused on identifying and highlighting ways to reignite St. Croix’s economy with the help of coconuts. This two-day event offers a rich, cultural display of this cherished Caribbean fruit while showcasing the benefits of the coconut and coconut farming. Filled with numerous activities for the entire family, attendees can enjoy educational presentations, cooking demos, activities, games and live local music at this year’s festival. Coconuts create a wide assortment of byproducts that are used and enjoyed by people worldwide and is one of the few fruits in the world that has that capability.
The Crucian Coconut Festival does more than shine a light on coconuts. This event brings the community together in a safe, family friendly environment to support entrepreneurs, small businesses and farmers. The expansion of last year’s festival included the addition of the fine art exhibit complete with live entertainment on the opening night. This year will see a continuation of the art exhibit, showcasing visual art pieces by more than 30 artists of varying disciplines across the Virgin Islands, including woodworkers, painters and steel sculpture artists. The newest addition to the festival lineup is the Music and Fashion Show produced by local clothing brand, UpperClass OG. The show will feature some of the territory’s top local brands as they walk the runway and show off the creative spirit of our Virgin Islands.
Thanks to several vendors that will be in attendance, there will be an abundance of coconut-inspired crafts, local foods and treats available for purchase. The onsite greenhouse will host aquaponic tours that show how produce is grown using this fish powered food production system. There will also be a host of interactive educational presentations about the coconut as well as a family activity center with craft baskets and bags filled with coconut learning activities. Popular competitions will return such as the coconut jelly scooping contest and coconut husking competition where speed is the name of the game.
The Crucian Coconut Festival will kick off with the Fine Art Exhibit at Estate Bethlehem Sugar Factory on Friday, December 2nd from 4pm to 9pm; $25 entry fee for the opening night. An extension of the Fine Art Exhibit is the music & fashion show on Saturday, December 3rd from 7pm to 10pm; $15 entry fee per attendee. The main festival event will take place on Saturday, December 3rd and Sunday, December 4th from 11am to 6pm; $10 entry fee for all attendees. For more information, visit www.cruciancoconutfestival.net or call 340.332.7228.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
Quality of life and affordability are important factors in determining where to live. If homeownership in the Caribbean is a dream of yours, St. Croix is a wonderful island in the US Virgin Islands to make your new home (or vacation home). We encourage you to take a look at our Coldwell Banker area reports that compare recent and historical sales activity for all property types; single family homes, condos, and land. Whether you are looking for a move-in ready home, a fixer upper, or a new build, we can help you find properties that meet your needs.
The reports are available below. If you have any questions, please give us a call or email us directly. We would love to work with you find a paradise home on St. Croix. If you are interested in selling your home, we will be happy to work with you in every stage of the selling process!
