Everyone has their own unique St. Croix story, though there’s usually a common theme of escaping the rat race on the mainland. Bob and Michele’s starts the same way, but is a fascinating near 20-year tale.

They came down in 1998 to see the island and check out real estate. David showed them 20+ houses and they made an offer that week! They returned to New Jersey to sell all of their belongings. Then moved their small family down to the Caribbean — including a 5-month-old baby and two dogs!

Bob describes their move as “starting a new life on the island away from the corporate crush they had endured for years.” They both found jobs that were different than what they had in the States. For instance, Bob went from being a tech company executive to a teacher and technology director for a school.

Bob and Michele were drawn to St. Croix because they wanted to remain in the U.S. In comparing St. Croix to the other U.S. Virgin Islands, they felt that St. Thomas and St. John were more tourist-ey and St. John was just too small.

St. Croix was a place where we thought we could raise our family and enjoy island life. We had visited other Caribbean islands and liked them — particularly the British Virgin Islands, but St Croix was unspoiled by development and had everything we needed.

They owned a large sailboat and Bob sailed it down from New York right after they moved. Later they bought a smaller boat to make weekly trips to Buck Island.

We went to Buck Island every Sunday and anchored off the beach. It was a social event for lots of residents. We became friends with people from all walks of life. On the island it did not matter how much money you had or did not have. People all had the shared experience of moving there from somewhere else and living the island life.

The house they bought was on the East End and had fantastic ocean views, great breezes and plenty of room for their dogs. Bob describes it as, “the start of the island life. Water from a cistern, a generator for the frequent power outages, a pool, and a well built concrete home that withstood three hurricanes while we owned it.”

They lived on St. Croix for 11 years, until needing to return to the States for health reasons. A few years ago, they purchased a parcel of land to build, but ultimately decided not to. Last year David sold them a condo which they have renovated and it’s now their second home. “Even though our permanent home now is in NC our hearts never left St. Croix. We try to spend as much time as possible on the island.”

We asked Bob if he had any advice for someone considering moving and/or buying real estate on St. Croix. Here’s what he had to say:

Understand that island homes are very different that state-side homes. Don’t expect to have a bathroom for every bedroom, a garage, a basement, tons of storage, run your AC 24/7, etc. Island life is simple and the homes are simple. Homes directly on the ocean get a lot of salt while homes on hills have better views and breezes – it all depends on your taste. You can always drive to a beach. We preferred the East Dnd of the island where many of our friends lived, but we had friends out West and I worked there.

I’m so glad to call Bob and Michele friends and it makes me happy to know they feel the same. Bob shared, “David not only showed us the right properties, he introduced us to lots of people and became a true friend.”

Save

Save

Save

Save

Mia Pirnat owned her St. Croix home – a peaceful, sprawling oasis where she hosted yoga classes and retreats – for 14 years. Her favorite features of her home were the magical sunsets and the beautiful and plentiful gardens.

   

This past summer, Mia decided it was time to sell. We’re thrilled that our reputation led her to Team Fedeles and I’m flattered to hear that she describes me as, “He’s the guys who sells!” Of course, I am also pleased to hear that she enjoyed working with my assistant, Kristi, who Mia describes as “very intelligent and helpful.” Mia specifically mentioned the wonderful photos taken to sell her home – also thanks to Kristi’s artistic talent and creativity.

As Mia’s seller’s agent, we worked closely with her right from the start to ensure a smooth process in selling her island home. Perhaps one of the most important factors in preparing a listing is analyzing the market and determining a home’s value based on Virgin Island and St. Croix market trends. We were very strategic with Mia’s home value and after we listed it, we instantly had two buyers. This ultimately led us to a full price sale!

We couldn’t be happier for Mia as she starts her new, low-maintenance life in a condo on St. Croix. Thank you for trusting us with your beautiful island retreat, Mia!

Save

John Muldrow researched St. Croix real estate online from Texas for nine months before making the trip to look at properties. That’s commitment.

A little background on John: He currently lives in Midland, Texas, and is originally from Arlington, Texas. He’s a real estate investor by trade and a licensed Texas real estate broker. While he’s not ready to retire, he’s known for awhile that he’d like to have roots in the Caribbean, somewhere under the U.S. flag, and St. Croix, USVI, was the natural choice.

David’s first encounter with John was on his initial visit to the island, when he bought his Candle Reef condo. Since then John’s purchased a few investment properties – and he closed on the sale of his condo just a few days ago! Next up, he’ll be closing on the purchase of a home in a few months, where he and his fiance will move over the course of the next year.

John’s interest in owning real estate on St. Croix is in island economic-based investments, not on vacation rentals. So far, he has invested in a few properties, from a 12-unit apartment complex in Whim to a distressed single-family home on the East End. The future may hold additional multi-unit complexes. John’s prowess in identifying and assessing the potential of investment properties, and willingness to hold stake in our island community, is to be respected. He also still has properties in North and West Texas.

When asked about his experience working with David, John said:

David’s knowledge of the island is exceptional. So much so that he recognizes almost every property, which is pretty unusual. So, I can ask a few questions of David and he can give me a pretty quick rundown of something I have an interest in, what the pros and cons might be.

After helping John discover investment properties around the island, David was thrilled to help him find his Caribbean dream home. John was looking for a home with a view of the water and shoreline, someplace high up, with a cooling East breeze, and some privacy. He and his fiance’s home had to be functional for guests and for his corporate home office, as his long-term intent is to move his office here. For now, they will live here about 80% of the time while still running their other investment properties from the Texas office.

John’s favorite thing to do on island is spending Sunday afternoon sunbathing, enjoying the water, and watching the sunset at Rainbow Beach. He also enjoys Thursday open mic night at Castaways and says the value and quality of food at Blue Water Terrace is superb.

John’s final words during our interview are for anyone reading this who hasn’t experienced what St. Croix has to offer:

I would invite the folks from the States not to waste anymore time. Get down here and enjoy what’s right here at your fingertips!