What's New - David Fedeles, St. Croix Real Estate

Meet Team Fedeles

January 27, 2020 by Team Fedeles

Meet David Fedeles and Stephen Swanton of Team Fedeles, Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty.

David has a sales and marketing background and moved to St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, on a whim 30 years ago. Stephen got in to real estate after purchasing a home on St. Croix from David Fedeles.

David loves taking buyers out house hunting on St. Crox. He works with a lot of second home and vacation home buyers who live stateside, but want to have getaway or investment property in paradise. Stephen enjoys photographing properties and doing drone work, then sharing photos and videos on social media. These qualities make Team Fedeles the best team to buy or sell a home on St. Croix!

David and Stephen both have a love of animals and enjoy sharing Coldwell Banker’s Homes for Dogs campaign.

Get to know more about David and Stephen.

Team Fedeles looks forward to the opportunity to get to know you better!

50th Annual VI Agrifest is May 28-30

May 23, 2022 by Team Fedeles

2022 marks the long-awaited return of St. Croix’s ever popular Agriculture and Food Fair, also known as Agrifest. Since 1971, this three-day agricultural festival has attracted attendees from all over the world to the island to taste, touch and feel everything rooted in agriculture from locally grown fruits and vegetables to livestock, arts and crafts and local cuisine. From May 28th to May 30th, attendees will flock to the Rudolph Shulterbrandt Agricultural Complex in Estate Lower Love to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this cultural exposition that shines a light on this cherished source of livelihood on St. Croix – agriculture.

Historically, AgriFest is held each year in February over President’s Day weekend. Due to the ongoing uncertainties courtesy of the global pandemic, the event was postponed to May 2022 over Memorial Day weekend.

A few highlights experienced at St. Croix’s AgriFest is centered around the four F’s: food, fun, family and friends. Once you enter through the gates at the fairgrounds, the limitless sights and smells of St. Croix warmly greet you. The main exhibition hall on the west side of the fairgrounds is where the farmers market is held. There, attendees will encounter an assortment of fruits, vegetables, spices, and a variety of plants on display and for sale. Several exhibits sponsored by local schools, youth groups, the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, and the US Department of Agriculture can also be found on display.

There are lots of fun activities on hand for Agrifest- goers. Stop in at the livestock exhibits featuring animals such as goats, chickens, rabbits and peacocks. Visit the petting zoo, ride a donkey or hop on one of the carnival rides with the little ones for an extra dose of fun. Enjoy the melodic tunes from local musicians performing throughout the day and visit several informational booths throughout the fairgrounds where attendees can learn about a variety of agriculture-focused topics.

“This is a true Virgin Islands reunion,” said U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture Commissioner Positive T.A. Nelson. “This is where you see it all – our traditions, our food, and our people.” Get your fill of local delicacies like kalalloo, red peas soup, roast pork and salmon balls and wash it down with a tall glass of sorrel, limeade, ginger beer, peanut punch or passion fruit juice. Come out and celebrate the 50th annual VI Agrifest from May 28th to May 30th. Admission is $6
Adults, $5 Seniors, $4 Kids 12 and under. Passes for all three days are available for $12 Adults, $10 Seniors, $8 Kids 12 and under.

– from the Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty enewsletter

Golden Opportunities

May 18, 2022 by Team Fedeles

IMPORTANT TRAVEL UPDATE: According to the VI Consortium, Governor Bryan is discontinuing the USVI Travel Portal effective June 1. Read the article

This weekend is the 50th Annual Agriculture & Food Fair, also known as Agrifest. The theme of this year’s event is “Agriculture: A Golden Opportunity to Grow” and will surely be one to remember. At Agrifest you can taste local cuisine, buy locally grown produce and plants, view agricultural exhibits, shop local arts and crafts, meet government and nonprofit agencies, and listen to live music. We’re thrilled to see our community coming together again to celebrate the bounties of St. Croix!

As we start to see trees getting heavy with golden fruit across the island, save the date for Mango Melee on July 10 at the St. George Village Botanical Garden. This one-day event celebrates the sweet and juicy mango with local food vendors, arts and crafts, live music, and an exhibit of the many varieties of mangos and other fruits found on St. Croix. 🥭

The USVI real estate industry has had some golden opportunities recently. The Virgin Islands hosted the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge in early April. Secretary Fudge was here to meet with residents, local leaders, and elected officials about housing challenges and their experiences during post-hurricane reconstruction.

Then, in early May, the Virgin Islands Territorial Association of Realtors® leadership team headed to Washington, DC, to meet with Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett’s office. There we discussed formidable plans related to spending Federal disaster recovery dollars, affordable housing initiatives, and first-time home buyers assistance for the USVI. I am honored to be part of this group, and hopeful that our efforts will result in great things for the future of real estate in St. Croix and throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If you have recently made St. Croix your home (or second home) or are considering island living, there is a Facebook group called New to STX. It’s a good place to ask questions and they host a monthly newbie gathering at Leatherback Brewing. Here are a few other resource groups/pages you might find useful:

Whether it’s time to sell your home or join the New to STX group, we’d love a chance to find your golden opportunity. Just give us a call or send us a note!

Warmly,
David and Stephen

2022 Max Loan Amounts for St. Croix

December 10, 2021 by Team Fedeles

The official 2022 maximum home loan amounts for St. Croix have been released.

Conventional

One-Unit: $970,800
Two-Unit: $1,243,050
Three-Unit: $1,502,475
Four-Unit: $1,867,275

FHA on St. Croix

One-Unit: $420,680
Two-Unit: $538,650
Three-Unit: $651,050
Four-Unit: $809,150

Thank you to Bonnie Rapine and Nathan Purdome at Schaffer Mortgage Corp for the update!

Mark Your Calendar… July 4th Celebration!

June 27, 2021 by Team Fedeles

Need plans for July 4^th? Mark your calendar to join in the celebration of America’s Independence Day on St. Croix at the Frederiksted Pier! Fireworks begin at 8:00pm, but make sure you come early to snag a spot. This free, family-friendly event is being hosted by St. Croix Christmas Boat Parade and the Frederiksted Economic Development Association, Inc. and sponsored by our local businesses. This event will be one of the largest events on St. Croix since the COVID-19 pandemic swept through and will be wonderful for our island and businesses down in Frederiksted. Seems normalcy is creeping back onto our island and we could not be more ready!

Team Fedeles wants to thank our hosts and sponsors who could make this firework show happen. Pack up the family, friends, and a couple beach chairs and come celebrate. What is better than fireworks over the Caribbean?

June Newsletter- A Huge Month

June 27, 2021 by Team Fedeles

The theme for this month’s newsletter is inspired by a recent special visitor to St. Croix — Hugh Jackman! The celebrity visited Mt. Victory Camp to learn bush skills in early June. He posted a very complimentary video on Facebook thanking St. Croix and saying he had THE best time! Hugh’s visit was closely timed with the newest season of Alone, a survival reality show in which Matt, of Mt. Victory Camp, was a participant — another islander putting St. Croix on the map!

Two other types of visitors are coming out in huge numbers: sea turtles and tourists! We’ve been enjoying updates on Facebook from St. Croix Sea Turtle Project. They are reporting more than 130 Leatherback nests, 16 Hawksbills and 21 Greens! And all you have to do is walk through town to see how busy things still are, even beyond our typical peak season. It’s fantastic!

The St. Croix Real Estate Market Watch at the bottom of this email speaks for itself as we are seeing huge interest in Virgin Islands real estate. The market has been very active and we’d be hugelyappreciative if you’d consider Team Fedeles to list or buy a home on St. Croix.

The Buccaneer had huge news this Spring. The 4-star hotel has joined the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts family as part of their Trademark Collection. Local ownership, management and staff will remain in place, while the destination will gain exposure to the 86 million Wyhdham Rewards members. Here’s a fun article giving a sneak peak of the epic bathroom in the Beach House at The Buccaneer.

Like many places around the US, things are starting to feel a little more normal in the Virgin Islands. Our community still respects a mask mandate, while other restrictions have loosened up. Governor Bryan has a goal of 50,000 people vaccinated by July 1 and, so far, more than 42,000 have received their first dose. If you have not yet been vaccinated and would like to, you may schedule an appointment here. Visit the USVI Department of Health for complete COVID-19 details.

If you’re planning travel between St. Croix and the U.S., be sure to check for updates on the USVI Travel Portal and use it to submit your test results. Currently, travelers are required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result within five days or a positive antibody test within four months to come to the U.S. Virgin Islands and no test result is required to travel to the U.S. (unless required by a specific state).

We’d be remiss not to mention that we are now in hurricane season. VITEMA has excellent resources for hurricane preparedness, including an emergency supply checklist. Here’s hoping we’ll have an unremarkable — or shall we say un-huge — storm season.

Finally, huge congratulations to my Coldwell Banker St. Croix Realty colleague, Pamela Hunt McFadden, on the opening of her new shop, The Hunt. She has impeccable taste in decor, no doubt from her years in real estate, and will be curating and selling a selection of gently used furnishings. If you’re decorating your new island home, stop in to see Pamela and tell her Team Fedeles sent you!

Hugh Jackman visits Mt. Victory Camp early June

BREAKING NEWS: Limetree Bay Refinery Closes Indefinitely

June 22, 2021 by Team Fedeles

The news of Limetree Bay Refinery’s indefinite closure hit headlines on Monday, June 21, 2021. Local news, including the St. Croix Source, as well as national news sources, like the Washington Post, reported that the refinery will not be re-opening due to financial constraints.

What the Virgin Islands Government is saying

It is reported that the Governor Says Limetree’s Decision to Shut Down Was Not a Surprise. In May, the refinery was forced to temporarily close for 60 days by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Of high importance is the roughly 800 jobs affected by the closure. Governor Bryan says, “This announcement is not something our administration wanted or hoped for, but it is certainly something for which we are prepared. Our Department of Labor has already activated its rapid response teams to help affected workers transition to new employment and or connect them with unemployment benefits.” The Governor has also said that the closure of the refinery will not affect the oil storage terminal, which is a separate entity with about 88 employees.

Read: Governor Bryan Statement on Limetree Refinery Announcement to Lay-off 271 Workers, Suspend Plans to Restart Refinery Operations

How does this affect St. Croix real estate?

There is no indication that this news will slow down the real estate industry. St. Croix has experienced a robust market of statesiders investing in and/or moving to island, whether as a primary or secondary home. Environmental impacts are a positive byproduct that is expected with the closing after some recent pollutants were dispersed in local neighborhoods, causing a 60 day shutdown in May.

Team Fedeles will be keeping close tabs on St. Croix real estate trends in order to best advise our buyer and seller clients.