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

Hurricane Maria

October 1, 2017 by Team Fedeles

On the night of September 19 and early morning of September 20 – just two weeks after Irma wreaked havoc on St. Thomas and St. John – St. Croix was in the path of Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 with wind gusts up to 200 mph. Having been here for Hugo in 1989, I was prepared going in to the storm and ready for the aftermath.

I am pleased to report that Kristi and I are alive and well, as are our other Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty colleagues. The island community is strong and we are already starting to see progress being made.

While there was damage to homes island-wide, I believe that based on what we learned from Hugo about construction and preparedness, houses and condos overall held up well. As far as real estate goes, we will likely see prices dip a bit – my gut says by about 15%. Of course, this will be case-by-case and will be determined based on what, if any, damages a given home may have sustained.

Infrastructure on island is one of our biggest challenges. Power lines and polls are down from east to west. In my short drive from Estate Parara to the Buccaneer, I counted 20 polls down. During a recent press conference, Governor Mapp stated that his goal is to have 90% of St. Croix’s power restored by Christmas.

The timing of Hurricane Maria is unfortunate in so many ways. Being the third major hurricane to affect the United States, relief and recovery resources are spread thin between Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John. Also, in that time after Irma and before Maria, St. Croix was truly a shining star. Our community stepped up to help our sister islands in a way that made me so proud. And we were poised to be the tourism hub that kept our economy going. All that being said, we will survive and the Virgin Islands will come out stronger.

We are under a mandatory curfew (currently 6pm to 11am on St. Croix) for now and communication is difficult to say the least. Generators keep us charged, but cellular and internet service is weak and spotty, so please be patient with us. We are here to list, sell and help buyers find their dream home in paradise. Because this is still paradise – no storm can take that away.

The Road to Recovery

September 14, 2017 by Team Fedeles

It has been an emotional week in the Caribbean to say the least. We are happy that our beautiful island home of St. Croix was spared from the worst of Hurricane Irma. We are sad for the loss and devastation on St. Thomas, St. John and the other islands that were in her direct path. We are overcome with pride for the way our community is coming together to help those in need.

On Wednesday, September 6, Hurricane Irma blew through the U.S. Virgin Islands. St. Croix received tropical storm level winds and rain. Power lines, trees and brush were downed in some places. Seaweed was washed ashore. Remarkably, communication via cellular or internet was intact for most throughout the day. Power was out and has slowly been restored, with most of the island back in service now. Crucians are counting our blessings — and haven’t missed a beat in jumping into action to provide relief efforts for our sister islands.

As I write, just one week after the storm, some remarkable things have happened.

A grassroots group has raised $205,820 through their GoFundMe campaign, Irma Relief for Our Sister Islands.
Multiple relief and rescue trips have been made by Caribbean Sea Adventures, Big Beard’s, the QE IV Ferry, Water Spirit, and privately-owned boats.
Sejah Farm, ARTfarm, and Yellow Door Farm have collected more than 1,800 lbs. of fresh produce for donation.
Numerous restaurants have donated time, space and food to prepare meals for evacuees arriving on St. Croix.
Tim Duncan, NBA superstar and St. Croix native, has raised $2,352,526 through his 21 Virgin Island Relief Fund and has sent a chartered plane with relief supplies.
Country singer Kenny Chesney has launched Love for Love City benefiting his second home of St. John.
Bohlke International Airways is serving as support and staging for military rescue and relief efforts.

Additional efforts are being made to provide temporary housing for evacuees. If you have a vacant condo, apartment or rental property you are willing to donate or discount for temporary housing, please let me know and I will put you in touch with the appropriate person. GoToStCroix.com has created a great resource for Hurricane Irma Relief Efforts if you’re looking for other ways to help.

St. Croix expects to see an influx of tourism in the coming months by way of cruise ships and short term travelers. In a recent press briefing, Governor Mapp says, “it’s going to be an opportunity to demonstrate that St. Croix can be a player in the industry. And it’s not going to be permanent, but it’s certainly going to be an opportunity simply because other destinations cannot house or receive guests. It’s going to be an opportunity for us as Crucians to demonstrate that we can host, we can entertain, we can secure, and we can give people a wonderful experience.”

This will be a long road to recovery, but St. Croix has a unique opportunity to do what we do best. #VInice

Warm regards,
The Fedeles Team

Business Spotlight: Pointe Dance Academy

September 13, 2017 by Team Fedeles

For those of you who know me, you know the Arts are near and dear to my heart. I have known Sonja Dickerson-Faust, owner and instructor of Pointe Dance Academy, for nearly my entire time on St. Croix. The Academy has been part of the St. Croix Arts community for 25 years — and the fall semester of classes started this week!

The only accredited ballet school in the Virgin Islands, Pointe Dance Academy offers classes for all age levels. Curriculum includes open classes in the Bournonville and Russian Imperial methods, as well as Syllabus classes in the Cecchetti method. Pointe Dance Academy is a member of the Cecchetti Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance and Cecchetti USA. Sonja has had many students here on island take the international set standard exams, including a group this year who passed with flying colors!

In addition to her extensive ballet training, Sonja’s Pilates certifications include second generation by Lolita San Miguel and Polestar Pilates in mat with props, studio and allegro.

Pointe Dance Academy is a 501c3 nonprofit. Programs are partially funded by the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. With Federal Arts funding being cut, the Academy is hopeful to find new ways to sustain their arts education programming.

The best way to support Pointe Dance Academy and the Arts on St. Croix is to participate! Ballet and Creative Movement classes are available for children age 3 through adult. And Pilates classes are available six days a week ($15/class).

As a nonprofit, Pointe Dance Academy also graciously accepts donations. If you’ve ever enjoyed one of their Nutcracker or Spring Gala performances, consider supporting this important component of the Arts in St. Croix!

For more information:

Pointe Dance Academy Facebook
Phone: 340-718-9072

Being Prepared During Hurricane Season

August 8, 2017 by Team Fedeles

Though hurricane season officially starts on June 1, we start to see more activity in the Virgin Islands right about now.

5 Tips to Prepare Your Home for a Hurricane

Stock your home with provisions, especially water, non-perishable food, and important medications. Drinking water is important, but keep in mind that if power is out, you may also want water for household tasks, like cleaning and flushing the toilet!
Check your inventory of flashlights, batteries, candles, and matches. Rooms become very dark once those hurricane shutters are up!
Store any outdoor items that aren’t attached to the ground. This includes potted plants, patio furniture, pool accessories, grills, etc.
Fuel your generator and your vehicle. Restoring power to homes across the island can be a slow process.
Check your gutters, downspouts and cistern overflow to make sure everything is flowing properly. Trim brush that could blow into your home.

Thank you to GoToStCroix.com for sharing this useful guide from NOAA and the National Weather Center.

If you’re new to island, my best advice is to watch others around you. If a local or seasoned St. Croix resident starts prepping their home, follow their lead. You’ll hear folks start to talk about a storm about a week before it’s due in the Caribbean. Day-by-day you’ll get a better sense of its path.

Interesting Facts About Hurricane Names

As I was considering this blog post, I came across some interesting facts about hurricane names on geology.com, for instance:

For each year there is an alphabetical list of 21 names. Q, U, X, Y and Z are omitted.
The names alternate between men’s and women’s names.
Names can be repeated after six years.
Names of especially severe storms are permanently retired from use. Hugo was retired in 1989.
In the early days of naming hurricanes, people living in the Caribbean Islands named storms after the saint of the day from the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar for the day on which the hurricane occurred such as “Hurricane San Felipe.”
Here’s the line-up for the next six years:

Names used for Atlantic Tropical Storms
2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Arlene	Alberto	Andrea	Arthur	Ana	Alex
Bret	Beryl	Barry	Bertha	Bill	Bonnie
Cindy	Chris	Chantal	Cristobal	Claudette	Colin
Don	Debby	Dorian	Dolly	Danny	Danielle
Emily	Ernesto	Erin	Edouard	Elsa	Earl
Franklin	Florence	Fernand	Fay	Fred	Fiona
Gert	Gordon	Gabrielle	Gonzalo	Grace	Gaston
Harvey	Helene	Humberto	Hanna	Henri	Hermine
Irma	Isaac	Imelda	Isaias	Ida	Ian
Jose	Joyce	Jerry	Josephine	Julian	Julia
Katia	Kirk	Karen	Kyle	Kate	Karl
Lee	Leslie	Lorenzo	Laura	Larry	Lisa
Maria	Michael	Melissa	Marco	Mindy	Martin
Nate	Nadine	Nestor	Nana	Nicholas	Nicole
Ophelia	Oscar	Olga	Omar	Odette	Owen
Philippe	Patty	Pablo	Paulette	Peter	Paula
Rina	Rafael	Rebekah	Rene	Rose	Richard
Sean	Sara	Sebastien	Sally	Sam	Shary
Tammy	Tony	Tanya	Teddy	Teresa	Tobias
Vince	Valerie	Van	Vicky	Victor	Virginie
Whitney	William	Wendy	Wilfred	Wanda	Walter

Visit USVI Advertising Campaign

August 2, 2017 by Team Fedeles

The United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism just announced a new advertising campaign they’re calling “Real Nice”. In partnership with their ad agency and videographer, they have produced three television commercial spots, 16 digital videos, and 10+ print ads featuring local Virgin Islands talent and crew.

“To a Virgin Islander, ‘real nice’ is more than a phrase; it’s a feeling of positivity that speaks to the way we live and embrace each other as a people,” said Beverly Nicholson-Doty, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Commissioner of Tourism. “These advertisements dive deeper into showcasing the authenticity of our destination.”

The three television commercials have “real nice” themes of “State of Mind,” “Live How We Live” and “Free To Explore”. The digital videos highlight food, culture, people, and and the natural beauty of the USVI. Watch on the Visit USVI Youtube channel to see how many St. Croix landmarks you recognize!

The Views Never Get Old…

July 18, 2017 by Team Fedeles

We have to agree with our clients, The Runkle Family. St. Croix views never get old. They shared their 20-year Caribbean adventure that led to buying a home on St. Croix with us for our most recent Featured Client blog.

Speaking of spectacular views, Mario and I enjoyed an incredible vacation in June. A cruise along the Adriatic coast took us to Italy, Greece, and Croatia. Our favorite stop was Dubrovnik, Croatia — perhaps one of the most enchanting cities we have ever seen. In Split, Croatia , we saw a boat that looked very similar to the St. Croix-St. Thomas ferry. The architecture and food were fabulous every step of the way. And aren’t we lucky that the end of vacation means returning to St. Croix?!

On June 1, a new tax agreement between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Airbnb took effect. This affects all of our clients who use Airbnb as a booking platform for their vacation rentals. The main takeaway is that Airbnb will now be collecting the Territory’s 12.5% Hotel Room Occupancy Tax on behalf of hosts and remit the funds to the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Last weekend was the 21st Annual Mango Melee and Tropical Fruit Festival — and it appeared to be the biggest one yet! More than 100 vendors were out peddling their goods to over 4,000 attendees. And Kristi was even a judge in the Mango Dis Mango Dat recipe contest. Check out the St. George Village Botanical Garden Facebook page for photos from the event.

I’m humbled and honored to have received the Coldwell Banker International President’s Elite Circle Award for the fourth consecutive year. Thanks to all who have trusted your properties to Kristi and I. Looking forward to many more opportunities to serve you!

Other News:

Island elements can be hard on appliances. And since appliances can be expensive to replace, it’s worth it to invest in basic maintenance and repairs to make them last as long as possible. Try these simple island appliance maintenance tips from Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty and Sublett Appliance.

May 2017 Market Watch:

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