We're a top-rated team, with a wealth of knowledge in the area. Fill out your information below to receive any of the following brochures, curated to help you sell your property with education and ase.
Archeological discoveries show that Indians lived on St John as early as 710 B.C. before Columbus named the islands for various saints and made landfall on St Croix; however, no lasting settlements were in place in the Virgin Islands until the 1720’s.
The Danes took possession in 1694 and established the first permanent European settlement at Estate Carolina on St John in 1718. By 1733 there were 109 sugar and cotton plantations on the island. The emancipation of slaves in 1848 was one of several factors that led to the decline of St John’s plantations. The population declined to about 900 residents by the 1900’s.
The Virgin Islands made the headlines in 1917 when the United States purchased the islands from Denmark and the first seeds of a tourism industry began to sprout. Among those discovering St John was Laurance Rockefeller, who purchased land and transferred it to the Federal Government to be designated as the Virgin Islands National Park. Today the VI National Park owns over 60% of the island St John, including 5,650 acres of submerged lands.
St John is located 1,075 miles east-southeast of Miami, 50 miles east of Puerto Rico and 3 miles east of St Thomas.
Population: Approximately 5,000 permanent residents
Climate: Average rain fall: 43 inches (September–October & May–June)
Average temperatures: 77–84 degrees in winter & 82–90 degrees
Highest elevation: Bordeaux Mountain at 1,277 feet.
St John is the smallest of the three US Virgin Islands at 19 square miles — 9 miles long and 2 miles wide — making it extremely exclusive while keeping property values high. As a U.S. territory, it is easy to travel back and forth from the states without passports via a quick 2-hour flight from Miami.
The National Park keeps the majority of the island untouched — full of picture-perfect hiking trails and pristine white sand beaches. St John visitors and year-round residents alike enjoy hiking, fishing, surfing, world-class scuba diving and sailing, along with an array of other outdoor activities. It is certainly a nature lover’s dream!
Most conveniences can be found on St John. There are 3 small shopping complexes on the island: Mongoose Junction, The Marketplace and Wharfside Village. Grocery shopping is available at Starfish Market, Dolphin Market, St John Market, Pine Peace Market and a variety of other small food shops and delis.
St John has 2 hardware stores, 2 gas stations, a drycleaner, several laundromats, and pharmacy. A 20-minute car barge ride to St Thomas gives residents the opportunity to shop at larger stores such as K-Mart, Home Depot, Cost U Less and downtown Charlotte Amalie.
St John boasts a variety of gourmet restaurants, ranging from casual to elegant. Many fine jewelry shops, art galleries and gift stores can be found in Cruz Bay town. There is 1 resort and ZERO traffic lights!
Property ownership on St John is fee simple, under U.S. flag. There are no restrictions against purchasing solely for investment, and no laws dictating when, if ever, you must build on undeveloped land.
Property taxes are relatively low compared to many stateside areas and based on the following mill rates:
All transactions require documentary stamp tax (transfer tax) on all real estate sales. Typically, the cost is equally spilt by the Buyer and Seller.
Banking institutions doing business in the Virgin Islands provide mortgage loans. Most lenders require the buyer to pay for an appraisal, survey, title search, 1 year of homeowner’s insurance, and bank attorney fees.
Windstorm and earthquake insurance is required for all home mortgage loans. The cost is about 2%–3% of the replacement value. All new construction must be engineered and built to the universal building code to withstand at least 110 mph wind speed and Zone 4 earthquakes.
Building costs are about $600 per square foot and up, depending on the finish materials.
All homes on St John have their own cistern and septic tanks. The size of the cistern is based on the square footage of the roof area. For a single-story home, a minimum of 10-gallon cistern storage is required for every square foot of roof area; 15 gallons of storage is required for a two-story home. St John has a desalinization plant, and water is available for purchase at about $300 for 3,000 gallons.
Electric is supplied by an underwater cable from St Thomas, with a back-up generator on St John. Mail service is provided via the U.S. Postal Service, as well as UPS, FedEx, DHL and Sprint Courier.
St John: Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic, Island Health & Wellness Clinic, and Cruz Bay Family Practice.
St Thomas: Roy L. Schneider Hospital and private physicians
Public: Julius Sprauve School (K—9) and STJ Christian Academy (K—6)
Private: The Gifft Hill School (Pre-K—12)
St Thomas: Public & private (up to the 12th grade) and the University of the Virgin Islands
Anyone visiting St John will first behold its beauty from afar since this unspoiled and underdeveloped island has no airstrip or seaplane service. Its mountainous outline, extending eastward to the British Virgin Islands, can be seen from neighboring St Thomas. From that vantage point, the island’s north shore appears nearly uninhabited, carved with a sequence of tranquil aquamarine bays capped by white sandy beaches. Indeed, this portrait is what sets St John apart: most of the island is protected as the Virgin Islands National Park, a generous gift from Laurance Rockefeller.
Owning property on the island is particularly appealing since all Virgin Islands real estate laws reflect stateside standards. Ownership is fee simple, under U.S. flag. There are no restrictions against purchasing solely for investment, and no laws dictating when, if ever, you must build on undeveloped land. Taxation is figured at $3,770 per million of the market value for homes, a favorable calculation that keeps this aspect of ownership affordable. Most of the zoning is low density residential; indeed, there is very little commercially zoned property allotted on St John. Plans and permits are issued in accordance with an enforceable building code. There are no high-rises; three stories is the limit.
Neighborhoods usually have covenants to shape the development and maintain some semblance of order, but these tend to be logical and not terribly imposing. For instance, many areas prohibit hanging laundry in view, or keeping goats, donkeys, pigs and chickens as pets. As charming as these country elements may seem as you tour the island, goats and donkeys can ravage your garden in a day, and it’s doubtful that the 5 a.m. wake-up call from a rooster will enhance your life. That said, the island offers many areas for home sites that are ungoverned by an HOA — for those who enjoy fresh eggs from their chicken coop each morning.
Development has evolved as St John is discovered by more people looking for the ultimate Caribbean retreat — a place where you can soak your feet in 80-degree, crystal clear water and enjoy your “painkiller” or rum punch under a palm just hours after leaving the mainland. In the past 15 years, two new shopping centers have graced the main town of Cruz Bay, and another, located on the outskirts of town, opened in late 1999. Two luxury hotels, Caneel Bay and The Westin, compete for the high-end hotel market. A multitude of new homes serve primarily as vacation villas, rented on a weekly basis to vacationers and occupied by their absentee owners for several weeks a year. The mainly affluent rental market has mandated upgrades to construction quality, while the architecture holds strongly to the Caribbean tradition of masonry construction with arches, galleries, native stonework, tile floors and ceiling fans. Homes are designed for indoor/outdoor living; here you can appreciate having your dining table on a covered porch year-round, protected from the sun and rain and cooled by the constant trade winds. Locals rarely use air conditioning; however, at least the bedrooms of upscale rental villas tend to have air conditioning.
If you decide to establish permanent ties to St John, the scope of the real estate market ranges from modest to astonishing. Raw land home sites start at about $100,000 — with the best water view lots in the $500,000+ range. The more ocean you can see, the more you can expect to pay. Since most of the central region of St John belongs to the National Park, residential areas are oriented along the south shore near Cruz Bay and at the eastern end of the island near the quaint village of Coral Bay. If you enjoy the quiet of the park surroundings, there are a few in holdings that garner prices well above $1 million. For the prestigious north shore location at Peter Bay, a half-acre hillside lot will start at about $1.5 million. Across the island, there are very few oceanfront home sites and even fewer with beach frontage. The higher price tags attached to waterfront sites do not appear to deter buyers; they are among the fastest selling and most in demand.
While the starting prices on homes are high, some properties remain within reason. The average price for a home during the last two years was over $2 million. It is still possible to find something under that amount, especially if you can live without an ocean view. New homes are geared toward the vacation market, which is more discriminating and demanding now. With high insurance premiums, new construction of upscale homes is almost exclusively masonry or native stonework. A great ocean view is a must, as well as a pool, and bedroom suites numbering from two to six with air conditioning. Fully equipped kitchens and designer furnishings with a tropical flair, along with all the comforts of home, have become necessities. Outdoor areas are an integral, year-round, part of the home. Flowering landscapes complement patios, decks and pool areas complete with comfortable outdoor furniture.
Condominiums cropped up in the early eighties, primarily in or near Cruz Bay, where zoning permits denser development. The largest and only waterfront complex, Gallows Point, sits at the entrance to the harbor. Gallows consists of 60 one-bedroom units in 15 buildings, with manicured grounds and a restaurant. The new upscale Grande Bay Resort, located on Cruz Bay Harbor, has 48 units. Other popular condo complexes are: The Hills, Lavender Hill, Battery Hill, Cruz Views, Pastory Estate and Serendip Condos. Condos are a solid investment as most have vacation rental programs in place. Don’t be shocked at the seemingly high monthly dues; most of the fees include windstorm and earthquake insurance.
If you decide to live on St John, be prepared for higher prices for all purchases and more limited services than you may be accustomed to in the states. St John is a small Caribbean island where everything is imported, primarily from the mainland. There are approximately 5,000 full-time residents, so if you live here, you have the chance to know most everyone and they’ll know everything about you too! Activities and community groups include: St John Yacht Club, Kids and the Sea, St John Singers, STJ Historical Society, Friends of the Park, Audubon Society, St John Community Foundation, St John School of the Arts, Rotary, and churches of various denominations. People are friendly and come from diverse and interesting backgrounds.
We bring together a mix of integrity, imagination and an inexhaustible work ethic, striving to make each buying and selling experience the best possible.
