David Fedeles, St. Croix Real Estate

Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty

Fall Island Vibes

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It’s officially Fall and St. Croix has all of the usual Fall island vibes. The coffee shops have even started serving pumpkin spice!

As we observed the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria, we are amazed by how far our island has come. Our infrastructure is stronger and better prepared for what may come our way. One day shy of the anniversary, we weathered Tropical Storm Fiona. While the storm was long-winded (pun intended), St. Croix came out mostly unscathed. In fact, WAPA even received praise for performance during Fiona! Our property listings all fared well in the storm, a good sign that they are built to withstand island weather.

St. Croix intersections are now full of election signs. In November, the Virgin Islands will be voting for Delegate to Congress, Governor and Lt. Governor, local Senate seats, Board of Education, and Board of Elections. View the St. Croix Sample Ballot and save these dates:

  • October 9 – Last Day for Voter Registration (learn more about registering to vote)
  • October 10-31 – Early Voting (learn more about early voting)
  • November 8 – General Election Day

As we start to look toward next year, the 2023 USVI loan limits have been announced. If you have been considering a home or real estate investment purchase, we can help guide you through determining a budget and narrowing down the available inventory.

After a couple of quiet summer months, the Fall calendar is filling up. Halloween events are being scheduled, like Trunk or Treat at East End Marine Park, Goosebumps in the Garden and Frederiksted Halloween Spooktacular. Art Thursday and Jump Up are back. The Beauty & the Beast Triathlon is November 27 when Stephen will be defending his top ranking. And the the St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade and Crucian Christmas Festival are on!

You’ll see in the St. Croix Real Estate Market Watch below that listings are up compared to this time last year. We’d love to help add you to this positive trend if you’ve been thinking about listing your property. Call, text, or send us a note today!

December Newsletter: Season’s Greetings

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Season’s Greetings from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands!

The U.S. Virgin Islands was just named the Destination of the Year in the Caribbean Journal Caribbean Travel Awards 2021!

For anyone planning to travel to St. Croix in the coming month, be sure to visit the USVI COVID-19 Travel Screening Portal. This will give you all the information you need to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands. American Airlines recently started offering at-home testing through LetsGetChecked. We look forward to seeing you and would be happy to schedule a COVID-safe home showing if you’re in the market for St. Croix real estate!

This Fall, Governor Bryan announced his USVI Vision 2040 economic development strategy. Vision 2040 is an interactive, participatory process to produce a long-term economic strategy and action plan that positions the U.S. Virgin Islands as a vibrant, desirable place to live, work, and visit, and as a prosperous business location that is competitive based on its abilities to develop, retain, and attract a skilled workforce with creativity and imagination. There are many opportunities to share your ideas, priorities, and concerns for the future economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands, so be sure to participate in a virtual open house or submit comments.

In September, our own Stephen Swanton received the Good Neighbor Award from the St. Croix Board of Realtors. Stephen was recognized for his work with Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation. He was awarded $1,000 to support VITF’s mission and Coldwell Banker Schmidt Family of Companies matched the donation through their Schmidt Community Fund. As many of your know, Stephen exhibits the same focus and eye toward success in real estate as he does in competition. Team Fedeles is lucky to have him on board! Learn more about the Good Neighbor Award and Stephen’s work with VITF.

As a member of Ha’Penny Bay Beach Club, I’m excited to share our holiday offering of a one-year membership for half price! Become a member of The Club for $650 per person and no initiation fee. Club benefits include monthly lunches, dinners and brunches, use of The Club for private events, holiday and special events, use of the facilities when visiting Ha’Penny Beach, and more. Of course, for now activities and events are somewhat limited due to COVID; however, our open-air dining room is the perfect place to spend socially distanced time with new and old friends!

The St. Croix real estate market is very active right now. Congratulations to our Sellers of Romney Point and Meggie Hill! If you have been on the fence about listing, now is the time! In fact, according to the latest Market Watch, houses sold for 28% more and condos sold for 25% more as compared to the same period last year. Contact [email protected] for an assessment of your property and to discuss how we can assist, whether to sell or to buy…it is a great time on both accounts!

Wishing you many joys this holiday season and a prosperous 2021!

Warm regards,
Team Fedeles

April Newsletter: Resilience 2.0

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If there’s one thing Virgin Islanders prove time and time again: we’re a resilient bunch. While COVID-19 is a new type of challenge, our community is responding in the only way we know how. With resilience.

Like most of the U.S., the U.S.V.I. is under a stay-at-home order through April 30. Our beaches were temporarily closed for the safety of all residents and re-opened on Monday, April 20. Only “essential” businesses are open with adjusted/limited hours and extra safety precautions. Many restaurants have responded with carryout ordering and grocery stores have impressively taken the situation in stride. No shortage of toilet paper here! See below for links to various resources.

Thankfully, real estate has been deemed an “essential” business and our clients who had been excitedly waiting to close have been able to do so. In fact, we’ve had one buyer and two sellers close in April — Congratulations to all!

Here’s how we are adapting our showings to keep sellers and prospective buyers safe:

  • Sellers are asked to open all doors, including bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, balconies, etc., so no doorknobs or handles need to be touched.
  • Similarly, all lights are to be turned on and blinds/curtains drawn, so no touching of switches or cords is necessary.
  • Buyers and agents are advised not to touch anything and to remove their shoes.
  • We are practicing the recommended 6-feet social distancing.
  • Masks and gloves are worn as deemed necessary.

We’re also capable of preparing a 100% virtual listing presentation, and we use Google Hangouts and DocuSign for meetings and paperwork.

COVID-19 U.S.V.I. Resources:

U.S.V.I. Restaurants & Businesses

We urge you to continue supporting these businesses and restaurants as you are able. If you’re not local to order carryout, consider purchasing a gift card for a restaurant or excursion for your next visit. Send a gift from a St. Croix shop. Write a review on your favorite business’s Facebook page.

Stay safe and healthy, wherever you are!

Warm regards,
Team Fedeles

COVID-19 Precautions and Updates

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St. Croix, along with the rest of the world, is reacting to the challenges presented by COVID-19. Below is a list our COVID-19 precautions, as well as a few resources specific to St. Croix.

COVID Precautions

Here’s how we are adapting our showings to keep sellers and prospective buyers safe:

  • Sellers are asked to open all doors, including bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, balconies, etc., so no doorknobs or handles need to be touched.
  • Similarly, all lights are to be turned on and blinds/curtains drawn, so no touching of switches or cords is necessary.
  • Buyers and agents are advised not to touch anything and to remove their shoes.
  • We are practicing the recommended 6-feet social distancing.
  • Masks and gloves are worn as deemed necessary.

We’re also capable of preparing a 100% virtual listing presentation, and we use Google Hangouts and DocuSign for meetings and paperwork.

COVID-19 U.S.V.I. Resources

Featured Client: Paradise Found

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This house simply creates memories”

Brian and Cathy Keane have owned their Cotton Valley beachfront home for nearly 15 years — and have created an endless number of memories, from family and friends birthdays to weddings and anniversaries to fantastic family gatherings.

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, they moved to the States 32 years ago with the intention of moving back to Ireland within five years. That never happened! They now live in Villanova, PA, and love it, “but not during the winter!”

The Keane’s have four grown children — three boys and one girl (also the youngest, “and, yes, she is our princess,” Brian adds). Some of their favorite memories in their home involved their kids. One son proposed to his girlfriend on their beach. And last November, their daughter and her boyfriends surprised them by flying from their home in Hawaii to join the family for Thanksgiving.

With a dream of having a vacation home and a place to retire, Brian and Cathy searched for the perfect location for years.

We visited an exhaustive number of Islands and kept coming back to St. Croix. To our minds it offers the best of everything – variety of quiet beaches, a rainforest, great food options (we are foodies!), cultural diversity and easy access to the mainland.”

They truly found a gem in Cotton Valley. Beachfront, nearby restaurants, and easy to hop on East End Road to explore all that St. Croix has to offer. While they are selling Paradise Found, they are searching for something smaller on St. Croix.

Paradise Found has been equal parts fun and hard work for the Keane’s. “There is almost no part of our home that has not been improved upon.” The main house has undergone major renovation, including a new kitchen, new master bedroom with state-of-the-art en suite bathroom, new bathrooms, hurricane-proof doors and windows throughout, and new air conditioning. Meanwhile, the guest house has a new balcony, and the property features elevated pergolas, a new irrigation system, and lush landscaping.

We asked what has been the most challenging renovation and the most fun renovation. Cathy’s answer, all in one: the kitchen! We imagine it’s the part that gets the most use, too, with all of that entertaining!

But their favorite part of their home has nothing to do with what’s inside. Their favorite feature…

The Caribbean ocean at our doorstep, the ability to snorkel or scuba dive right off our beach, as well as paddle-board. Lying in the hammock between the palm trees and unobstructed views of Buck Island. We really love sitting at our pool with a glass of wine looking out at the sailboats and catamarans gliding past!”

Top 7 Favorite Things To Do On St. Croix

The Keane’s love the outdoors and all the things St. Croix has to offer, including:

  1. Scuba Diving
  2. Snorkeling
  3. Paddle boarding
  4. Kayaking
  5. Hiking (especially up Goat Hill and between Jack’s and Isaac’s Bays)
  6. Sailing
  7. Eating

St. Croix is the birthplace of vertical farming and and we truly enjoy eating local, healthy, and organic foods and produce. The island offers a wide array of cuisines – and our mission is to savor them all!”

The Keane’s came to Team Fedeles on the recommendation of several friends and other professionals, and we are so grateful! Upon meeting, we discovered our Philly connection — David being from the same area outside of Philadelphia as Brian and Cathy. Not only do we share favorite sports teams and experiences, we connect with our similar sense of humor and large look on life.

Cheers to the next chapter of yours, Brian and Cathy! Another family will be very lucky to make their own memories in your beautiful St. Croix home.

Going Green on St. Croix

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St. Croix’s landscape is going green thanks to some periodic rainfall. We’ve had a relatively quiet storm season so far, with only a couple of tropical storms that showered us with welcome rain. Cisterns are full and the hillsides are lush and green, with pops of yellow as the Ginger Thomas starts to bloom.

Meanwhile, community groups are coming together to help us go green with recycling. Leatherback Brewing Co. is accepting aluminum beer and soda cans for recycling. Drop-off is any time they are open: Mon-Sun 12-7pm. And Plaza West and a group of community volunteers are leading a plastic drop off and recycling project. There are drop off locations all around the island — join the Facebook group to learn more.

Speaking of green, you can now roll the dice to win some green as Divi Carina Bay Casino re-opened in September. They are featuring live music on the weekends — check out the variety of entertainment on St. Croix Calendar (which is maintained by Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty). Divi Carina Bay All-Inclusive Resort has announced plans to re-open in Summer 2019.

And if we’re going by the definition of “fresh, new,” Team Fedeles has a green logo. What do you think? Also, congratulations to GoToStCroix.com for your new web site. It’s stunning and will surely help many visitors to St. Croix plan their perfect vacation.

There are several events coming up on St. Croix. Here’s a few that you may want to plan your travels around:

Of course, Galloween (Halloween in Gallow’s Bay) is coming up on October 31. Please stop in to the Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty office to say hello (and Trick-or-Treat)!

About David Fedeles

Twice voted Best Real Estate Broker on St. Croix. Coldwell Banker President's Circle three years in a row. Read More…

St. Croix and New York

David Fedeles is a licensed real estate broker in both St. Croix USVI and New York. If you are looking for your dream home in America’s Paradise, David is ready to work with you!

Contact David Fedeles today!

Tel: 340-778-7000
Cell: 340-690-4665
[email protected]
Office Location:
Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty | Gallows Bay Mkt
5030 Anchor Way, Suite 12 | Christiansted, VI 00820