St. Croix – The Center Of 2007 Real Estate Action In The Virgins

OK, so I made it off the horse and back onto the sailboat. I can tell you firsthand that riding a horse in cutoffs and deck shoes is not the way to go. We have some friends who wanted me to check out the real estate market conditions in St. Croix, because they are thinking about doing an exchange for a home they own in San Juan Capistrano in Southern California.

So, the first thing I do when I get ashore is find a bar. The one I stumbled into was Fort Christian Brew Pub. ( The only brew pub in the Virgin Islands.) So, I sat down at the bar and ordered a Blackbeard Ale – which I had never heard of, but it sounded interesting.

On the menu it described it as, “…a deep red bull body ale, smooth malty character, with an herbal hoppy finish.” You must be kidding. The main item I noticed on the bottle was 6% alcohol! Well, after two of them I was really glad I found this pub.

The place was packed. I asked the bartender if he knew of any Realtors in town that would be fun to meet and help me with my detective work. He not only said yes, but he said the person at the end of the bar, David, was the main real estate guy on the island.

I told the bartender to send him a Blackbeard and let him know it was from me. The next four hours unfolded with me getting a lesson on what was happening in the St. Croix real estate market. David and I finished our Blackbeards and then he moved us on to some dark Cruzan Rum. ( For some reason I did not know that Cruzan Rum was made in St. Croix.)

Here is what I learned, or at least this is what I remembered from David’s enthusiastic description of St. Croix and the exciting real estate market that is happening in 2007 on this jewel of an island. David started out by explaining that St. Croix is 1,700 miles from New York and 1,100 miles off of Miami.

He went on to explain that St. Croix is “different” than St. Thomas and St. John. This is because there have been seven countries that have ruled the island, so it has very interesting architecture, language and customs unique to the Virgin Islands. It may not have the quantity of white sand beaches of her sister islands, but it has enough to satisfy the most discriminating visitor. I was blown away by the hibiscus and the bougainvillea that was everywhere. David told me the SCUBA diving was amazing in Cane Bay, and the sea life and corals were very close to shore.

David invited me to his real estate office and he gave me a one hour lesson in the three different market levels in St. Croix - $100,000 to $399,00; $400,000 to $999,999; and, $1 million and up. He picked a property in each of these price points to illustrate the variety of choices one has; condos, townhomes, and beach front estates. There is a Questa Verde condo; 1-bedroom, 1-bath unit for $169,000!

A Candel Reef townhome; 3-bedroom, 3-bath for $525,000; and a villa on the beach called Miramar; 4-bedrooms, 4.5 baths, and OVER THE TOP in amenities for $5.8 million! I was blown away with the variety of homes for sale, and they are moving fast! I have more homework to do, but if you want more information on St. Croix real estate contact me today. I would be glad to let you know what I am discovering.

I am now on my way back to Fort Christian Brew Pub, because David told me I had to try their Foxy’s Lager Ale. ( I have a soft spot for Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke, so I have to try it.)