We are excited to hear that work is underway to rebuild the pool and facilities destroyed four years ago by Hurricanes Irma and Maria at the new Vincent F. Mason Sr. Coral Resort in Frederiksted. Local leaders broke ground on Tues. October 19, 2021. Reconstruction is slated to be completed by the second quarter of 2022!
The Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation and the Office of Disaster Recovery worked together to receive more than $2 million in grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the twin 2017 hurricanes destroyed the park.
The plans for the park, which has been known as the Frederiksted Pool area, include new pool, security lights, a lifeguard station and chairs, lights and fencing for turtle nesting, new benches, a new barbecue station, new volleyball nets and posts, and more according to the St. Croix Source. We look forward to seeing families getting together at the park to eat and play games and children learning to swim and having fun at the pool!
Christie’s Answer: Over the past few years, we have noticed more people looking to St. Croix as a place to retire. Over the past 18 months we have certainly seen this trend accelerate. They usually have a 1 to 5 year plan. Properties are so very different here, that when people find something they like, they tend to buy it now, and not wait until right before retirement. Sometimes they purchase a home or condo, and rent it long-term or as a vacation rental until they can move here themselves.
According to Bloomberg News Article 2021-04-30, “About 2.7 million Americans age 55 or older are contemplating retirement years earlier than they’d imagined because of the pandemic, government data show . . . many cite robust retirement accounts and Covid-19 fatigue for their early exit, according to interviews with wealth managers and federal surveys.”
Chris’ Answer: Once an offer to purchase a property has been accepted, the inspection contingency ensures that the Buyer receives vital information about the property. It allows the Buyer to potentially negotiate repairs, a reduction in the sale price, or even walk away from the purchase with a refund of all of their earnest money.
The inspection contingency is contractually part of the accepted offer to purchase. Generally, that inspection period is 2 weeks long, and it begins when the offer to purchase is signed by all parties.
Some people ask if they can waive the inspection. We always recommend using a professional home inspector, and having an inspection contingency period. Waiving the inspection contingency period means you won’t be able to use the results from an inspection to negotiate remedies, price, or cancel the contract with the Seller, putting your earnest money deposit at risk.
We feel it’s important for you to know as much as possible about the property you are buying. It’s to the Buyer’s advantage to be present during inspection. This way, the Buyer can ask questions from the Inspector at the site, and learn more about their new home.
That hotel has been shut down for 4 years since Hurricane Maria and we get a lot of questions about when that’s going to re-open. We are so happy to seeing the relaunch in October! According to their September announcement on Facebook, the resort will be a room-only resort until February 1, 2022, and with the all-inclusive program on the horizon. See the resort website for details.
Named as one of Travel & Leisure’s Best All-inclusive Resorts in the U.S. Virgin Islands recently, the Divi Carina Beach Resort and Casino will be fully relaunched as an all inclusive, adults only resort with 200 rooms. The resort has redesigned rooms and suites and also includes an on-site casino, a restaurant and bar for late-night options. Amenities will include non-motorized watersports, a mini-golf course, tennis and pickleball and a 24-hour fitness center, along with two freshwater pools. Read more in the Caribbean Journal.
Photo courtesy of Divi Carina Beach Resort and Casino
Pickleball is a sport that combines tennis, badminton, and ping-pong all in one, and it’s growing in popularity in the US Virgin Islands!
The St. Croix Pickleball Committee thinks the sport gained traction in the territory about 2 years ago and has been organizing tournaments at different times in a year. The recent tournament on August 21st had 12 teams competing head-to-head for prizes and medals. The event was great outdoor fun for the participants and for the spectators who came out to support the event. Anyone interested in learning how to play pickleball or in donating towards improving the pickleball courts can contact Linda Midlikowski at 340-473-0215 (read the full article on St. Croix Source).
Congratulations to the winners of the tournament! – First place: Jayson Williams and Elle Abraham – Second place: Mayya Kawar and Brandon Rausch – Third place: Judy Leonardis and Alice Kuo
According to the USA Pickleball Association, pickleball has had a 650 percent increase in numbers over the last six years with the largest growth not necessarily in the over 60 age range. Created in 1965 near Seattle, pickleball was named after pickle boats, the thrown-together crew that sometimes competes in rowing. The sport has been popular for about 20 years in Florida and other places with large numbers of retirees. Currently, there are many municipalities and parks and recreation departments that are setting up courts, making it accessible to a younger crowd according to NBC News.
