The White-crowned Pigeon is a near threatened species and we have been seeing them in our front yard! Christie lays out seeds for them and we enjoy their occasional visits. Coincidentally, we came across an article by writer and photographer Robbie Lisa Freeman in the Los Angeles Audubon that mention the White-crowned Pigeon on St. Croix. Freeman is doing a series about birding in the US Virgin Islands and part 1 documents the birds she saw at St. Croix’s Southgate Coastal Reserve and more from her birdwatching experience.
As pointed out in the article, St. Croix has a lot of sweet spots for birdwatching. The Southgate Reserve, St. George Botanical Garden, the East End Nature Preserve and Marine Park, Green Cay National Wildlife Refuge, Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, Buck Island Reef National Monument, The Nature Conservancy’s Estate Little Princess preserve, and more have been designated as wildlife sanctuaries to protect nesting habitat and destinations for birdwatchers to admire these amazing creatures.
We encourage you to read the full article here, and we can’t wait to read the rest of the series when it publishes! You can follow Freeman on Instagram @freebird2020LF to see her birding images.
The construction can now resume after FEMA’s clearance on the project. The new stadium is state-of-the-art sports complex in Frederiksted that will be adjacent the Festival Village. It is part effort to revitalize Frederiksted according to the VI Consortium. The Governor’s administration continues its plan of overhauling Frederiksted that includes renovating and upgrading the Ann E. Abramson Pier, landscaping and other enhancements to the Waterfront Park, rebuilding the Midre Cummings Park, street repairs and paving in Downtown Frederiksted and reconstruction of the Vincent F. Mason Sr. Coral Resort, known as the Frederiksted Pool area. We look forward to a transformation that will serve local residents and be a boost for tourism.
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.
