This year our list of things we’re thankful for may sound a little different than usual. We’re thankful for cell service and the internet. Leaves returning to trees and flowers starting to bloom. The hum of our generator. The thousands of aid workers helping our island recover. Hot soup and cold showers. The linemen who are working tirelessly to restore power. Some of us are even thankful for power!

The conversation around our Thanksgiving dinner table may sound a little different too. Animated stories of that fateful night — everything from “Remember that sound?!” to “Yes, I actually did doze off…” Memories from just last month when we stood in line for an hour to fill a 5-gallon gas can for the generator. The joy and awe we have for lush green landscaping that seemed impossible just two months ago.

There are now more than 700 linemen from the States in the USVI working to restore power. Downtown Christiansted and Frederiksted are both energized, as is Gallow’s Bay, where our office is located. The Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority (WAPA) does a great job at posting frequent progress reports on Facebook and their web site. Last we heard, more than 17,500 customers have had service restored territory-wide.

A few weeks ago, I shared an article on Facebook about government negotiations for a multibillion-dollar energy investment from the Chinese oil and gas major player Sinopec that would bring thousands of new jobs to the US Virgin Islands and Texas. This week, The Virgin Islands Consortium is reporting that Limetree Bay is seeking a permit to expand their marine terminal to accommodate very large bulk fuel carriers. This is very good news (dare we say “huge”) for St. Croix.

As for the real estate market, we’ve already welcomed “new lookers” to St. Croix, who hope to take advantage of some new “bargains” as they come on the market. We are patiently waiting to hear from insurance and FEMA adjusters, as it is a slow process. This will have some impact on pricing as we gauge how it might impact a Seller’s bottom line if they suffered some damage. We did get our first price reduction as a result of some minor “scrapes and scratches.” Check out The Aerie, which was just reduced to $299,000, and is being sold “AS IS.” As I said in our last E-News, I still expect some slight dip in pricing, probably by as much as 15%.

The Frederiksted Pier is home to a cruise ship housing a few thousand recovery workers. We expected our first tourist cruise ship on Saturday, November 11, but it was diverted to St. Thomas. We were pleased to welcome the Viking Sea, kicking off our cruise ship season on Wednesday, November 15.

We’ll leave you with this stunning video of Shoys Estate that includes one of our new listings. See for yourself how nature has rebounded! And, if you’re in the market for a property that weathered the storm beautifully, check out 165 Anna’s Hope. There’s another video that shows the incredible beach that’s a short walk away. If you’re here on St. Croix now, we hope you feel thankful for the beauty that surrounds us. If you’re elsewhere, we hope you can feel our warm well wishes from wherever you are.

Warm regards,
The Fedeles Team

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