Team Fedeles, Author at David Fedeles, St. Croix Real Estate

Beauty & the Beast

April 29, 2016 by Team Fedeles

The Captain Morgan Ironman 70.3 St. Croix Race is upon us! This is the 28th year of the race that really brings out the best of our spectacular island.

Of course, the St. Croix Triathlon is nicknamed Beauty & the Beast because it combines the natural beauty of the largest US Virgin Island — turquoise Caribbean waters, lush hillsides and inviting beaches — with one of the most notorious hill climbs in the sport. Ironman.com describes it as, “The crowning feature of this race is the legendary climb on the bike course, appropriately named ‘The Beast.’ Once you’ve conquered it, you’ll never look at a hill the same way again.”

Real estate on St. Croix isn’t just for living, it makes for a challenging and rewarding athletic course too!

Our friends at GoToStCroix.com shared some really nice quotes from triathletes who have competed on St. Croix. And Ironman.com describes the St. Croix Triathlon as a bucket list event for triathletes worldwide.

Welcome to everyone visiting for the Triathlon, good luck to all of the athletes, and thank you to all of the volunteers who make this event happen!

Congratulations to the Taste of St. Croix Winners!

April 16, 2016 by Team Fedeles

Congratulations to all of the Taste of St. Croix 2016 winners! Looks like we have a lot of eating to do…

tasteofstx_2016winners

Go To St. Croix – What are you waiting for?!

April 5, 2016 by Team Fedeles

From GoToStCroix.com's Facebook page: Look who it is! David Fedeles is his name. St. Croix Real Estate is his game. Bringing buyers and sellers together is his claim to fame. Making you happy is his aim. — From GoToStCroix.com’s Facebook page: Look who it is! David Fedeles is his name. St. Croix Real Estate is his game. Bringing buyers and sellers together is his claim to fame. Making you happy is his aim.

We’re so grateful for the support of the www.GoToStCroix.com team! They really are the best resource for planning a trip to St. Croix or for finding a new adventure if you already live here. Even after 25+ years, I still use their web site to plan outings and make recommendations to friends or clients!

If you haven’t yet made the move to the Caribbean (what are you waiting for?!?!), you can always daydream while watching the Christiansted Harbor Cam.

Be sure to follow them on Facebook and subscribe to the GoToStCroix.com email list for fun updates about our island happenings.

Ahhhh Spring

March 29, 2016 by Team Fedeles

Sure, on St. Croix we don’t spend the first part of spring moving our sweaters to the back of the closet or putting the snowblower in storage, but we certainly welcome the change of the season. The days get a little longer, the ocean a littler warmer. The farmer’s market is bursting with colorful produce and delicious smells. The busy-ness of high season starts to wind down.

march_taste Some of my personal favorite activities of Spring are St. Croix Food and Wine Experience (April 8-12) and Taste of St. Croix (April 14). Events range from a barbecue at the Frederksted pier to the elegant Cork & Fork dinners held at spectacular private homes to a showcase of the best of St. Croix’s hospitality talent. It truly is the tastiest week in the Caribbean!

In a recent issue of The Avis, headlines boasted “Major tax benefits for businesses in Christiansted revitalization plan” and “Open for business! New storefronts spring up in C’sted”.

Tax benefits include 90% exemption on income taxes, 100% exemption on gross receipts taxes, and 100% exemption on property taxes for up to eight years for businesses that fall under specific criteria. Learn more from the United States Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority.

A walk around cozy downtown Christiansted will lead you to your long-time favorites, as well as some new favorites, like Milk & Honey, Savor St. Croix, Toast Diner and Shupe’s on the Boardwalk. The much anticipated openings of the Caravelle Hotel and Casino and balter, a fine-dining restaurant, will be two great steps toward an even more vibrant downtown.

sandypointturtle Out West, Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge is now closed for turtle nesting season. Two miles of continuous sandy beach, deep near shore water access and lack of fringing reef provide ideal conditions and nesting habitat for leatherback sea turtles. A turtle siting is always a special moment here!

New restaurants and activities are also popping up in Frederiksted, like Paradise on the Waterfront and East End Watersports’ new fly board. We’re thrilled for our clients, Kathy and Randy, who in December celebrated one year as owners of Caribbean Breeze Apartments and Vacation Homes in downtown Frederiksted, walking distance to beaches, dining and nightlife. Thanks to Clean Sweep Frederiksted, brightly colored murals make the streets of town come alive.

No matter where you are, we hope you enjoy the new colors, sites, sounds and tastes that Spring brings.

Warm regards,
The Fedeles Team

Transfer Day

March 28, 2016 by Team Fedeles

transferday Every March, Virgin Islanders celebrate a peaceful transfer of ownership – an “independence” day unique to these islands. On March 31, 1917, an elaborate ceremony carried out simultaneously on each of the three Virgin Islands — St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John — marked a change in ownership of the Virgin Islands from Denmark to the United States.

The United States investigated the Virgin Islands as a possible fueling station or U.S. merchant and naval vessels as early as the mid-1860’s. A treaty between the two countries was first negotiated in 1867, however a complicated process of give-and-take termed “diplomatic fencing” ensued whereby Denmark signed the agreement and the U.S. waffled for several years before agreeing to sign, at which time Denmark opted to ignore the United States’ overture. By 1915, the U.S. acknowledged an urgent need to prevent another power from establishing a base in the Caribbean and agreed to pay Denmark $25 million in gold coin for the islands — up from the original asking price of $7.5 million! The transfer treaty was finalized on January 17, 1917 and the official transfer took place at 4:00 pm on March 31 of that year.

According to contemporary accounts, Virgin Islanders were pleased to become U.S. citizens and did not dispute the new ownership. In St. Thomas, the U.S. was represented at the transfer ceremony by a guard of honor from the U.S. ship Valkyrien anchored in Charlotte Amalie Harbor and a Danish guard of honor stood outside the barracks belonging to the Danish fort. In St. Croix, the transfer proclamation was read aloud by dignitaries in Christiansted and in Frederiksted. Needless to say, national anthems were played and artillery salutes were fired – 89 in total!

What an exciting yet solemn day it must have been for Virgin Islanders! Since that day, the islands have become thoroughly American, yet the islands’ rich Danish heritage is apparent everywhere — in family names, place names, street names and architecture. For fascinating photographic records of long-ago life in the Virgin Islands, go to stcroixfoodandwine.com, stcroixlandmarks.com and search “photos.”

Featured Client: Caribbean Breeze

March 24, 2016 by Team Fedeles

CaribbeanBreeze We’re thrilled for our clients, Kathy and Randy, who in December celebrated one year as owners of Caribbean Breeze Apartments and Vacation Homes on Prince Street in Frederiksted, walking distance to beaches, dining and nightlife.

Kathy and Randy lived in Denver and had been vacationing on St. Croix for five years when they decided to “get away from the ‘rat race’ and slow down, enjoy life!” When they first contacted me, their focus was on finding a private home with a rental unit. Then they discovered the value one can get for a multi-unit property and adjusted their search. They planned a visit to the island in May 2014 to find their dream home.

CaribbeanBreeze4 It helps that Kathy and Randy have great vision for a property’s potential and a knack for renovations. Since closing in July 2014, they have completely remodeled all of the vacation units, from decorating, new tile, and new kitchens. The outside has been given a face lift and fresh coat of paint, and they have a secure gated courtyard that has been beautiful landscaped with 100+ year old trees and lots of island flowers. CaribbeanBreeze2

Their long-term vision is to transform the courtyard into an outdoor oasis. They are currently building a pool, and plan to add on an outdoor kitchen/BBQ/dining area and outdoor bathroom.

Kathy says, “We were not looking at starting a business, in fact, we wanted to be semi-retired! But people here say that if the island really wants you, it will give you everything you need to stay! We have been given so much more!”

Caribbean Breeze had their first guests on December 28, 2014. They have 6 vacation/short term apartments, ranging in size from studios, to one-bedrooms and a two bedroom unit. Prices range from $70- $175/night double occupancy during high season, to $60-$120/night during low season.

Check out their listings on airbnb to see how Kathy and Randy turned their dream into a reality:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5806168

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2989620

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6304652

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6262164

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6821919

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5624974