What we've learned living in the Virgin Islands for 3 years (moving to St. Thomas USVI)

Here is what we've learned after 3 years of living in the Virgin Islands. Selling all or stuff and moving to a Caribbean Island isn't an easy task. So if you're thinking about moving to the Caribbean we'll tell what we thing after living here for 3 years. We'll give you the good and the bad, the pros and the cons. This kind of life isn't for everybody but it can be a lot of fun.
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[@mikejoerger3333]

I've been going to the island for about 25 years and have some really good friends and I've got to say your video is one of the most accurate well informed videos I've seen on living in Saint Thomas great job

[@How2Beach]

Thanks Mike. I try to keep it real around here.

[@kaceboland121]

Awesome video! Thank you!

[@JohnMFlores]

Great video and info. Thanks!

[@VanillaSkai]

Considering moving there for work; this video has helped me make a decision.

[@How2Beach]

What did you decide?

[@MitchellConner-xb6jx]

Moving soon to st. Thomas.so this video was great. Thank you so much 😊

[@How2Beach]

Good luck. It's a lot of fun.

[@Unemployedmike]

Moving there shortly! Excited for this adventure. Love all the content y’all put out.

[@How2Beach]

Thanks Michael, good luck on your adventure.

[@dogelincoln7167]

Look out for douche cookies who think they r better than u cuz they've been through a hurricane. Like we all haven't experienced hardships. I get it but cool ..move if you can't handle the risks

[@Disorderlychicpets]

Do you like it?

[@jeremenelson8146]

Perfect timing on this

[@How2Beach]

Thanks man.

[@Explorcation]

Congrats 🎉 on retiring 🙌 we will be excited to see what you two decide to do next!

[@How2Beach]

Thanks! First we are heading to Puerto Rico.

[@Explorcation]

@@How2Beach nice, enjoy!!!

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

Did u

[@HeyVirgne]

Haven't finished the video yet, but I liked and subscribed. My wife and I just got back from our 12 day honeymoon down there. We absolutely fell in love with it and are looking into moving down there. We are going to sit down soon and go over our goals to make it happen.

[@How2Beach]

That's great. Let me know when you get your video done. Just remember, living there is not the same as vacationing there. I have a new video coming out soon you will want to see too.

[@HeyVirgne]

@@How2Beach I meant I hadn't finished watching your video yet (I have now as well as a few others) lol. I would really like to see a video about career/work options down there. We had talked to a young couple that had just moved down there doing an employer sponsored relocation, I think it was hospitality. My wife is a cosmetologist and I currently am an Audio Visual Tech, but have backgrounds in Sales, Photography, hospitality, tourism, customer service and trucking. Right now we are going to work on goals like paying off our car and other things so that even if we decide against moving there we will be better off. My lung and skin issues were practically non existent down there. 48hrs back in Indiana and they are both back. If only the Dr could prescribe an Rx for a studio apartment in the Caribbean lol

[@How2Beach]

@@HeyVirgne Ha. you need some pretty health ins. to cover your living expenses. Jobs are going to be pretty hard to find there. You'd have to do a lot of leg work ahead of time. I wouldn't go there with the hope of finding a job later. You should check out my other youtube channel that is about finances and money. You might find it interesting too. It's called "TheRetirementality".

[@Shawn-mn2qe]

Love the videos!

[@How2Beach]

Thanks Shawn. I've been slacking but I'll have some new ones coming out soon.

[@tjkohler7948]

Thanks for the video! My son is going to study Marine Biology down there at UVI this fall, and while the video was about living there as an 'adult', it was great information (and a bit peace of mind) on him being down there.

[@How2Beach]

That's great. I wish him luck. He'll have fun.

[@phtmr3d348]

My brother is going down in august to do the same thing! I’m a realtor in NY myself and we’re currently trying to find out what we should do regarding a living situation. I’m thinking of trying to find a job there and getting a condo or something like that with him and renting it out after we leave. Any tips/ideas from your experience? I’d greatly appreciate any insights.

[@phtmr3d348]

Anything about a car/transportation too would be really helpful.

[@michellejordan8214]

How is he liking it? My daughter is going soon.

[@mellowdrama6]

love you guys! miss you lots!

[@How2Beach]

Hey Sibyl!!!! I miss you too!!! I hope you're great!

[@chrislobdell3342]

Hey Jeff, Congrats to you and your wife. I have been watching/subscribing to your videos since last march. They were very helpful. Im down here living at Sapphire beach for the next month. Would like to together and buy you a drink.

[@How2Beach]

Oh, man... I just left for Puerto Rico on Thursday to work on my house over here. I'm here for a week or so, and then I'm heading to Florida for while to work on my rental properties there. Keep in touch. I'm glad to hear the videos where helpful.

[@live4powderhound834]

Loved your video. Crazy HOA fees. Do most owners of the units on or near the water use them as Airbnb s? We we go we typically have stayed at point pleasant. The last couple of stays we never needed the ac. Those units open up to the bay, and it’s beautiful fresh air all day. I just don’t think I could ever live with a $1600 HOA.

[@How2Beach]

Yea, they are mostly short term rentals. A few people live in them year round and a few people just use a vacation home. But most are rented.

[@americanmeatman]

Hey y'all. I was wondering but can't find a actual answer on Google I live and work in Gatlinburg Tennessee a major mainland vacation town. Do you know by chance what servers and bartenders make daily/weekly/monthly in usvi

[@jkashdamoneyman5870]

One thing I discussed with my family was us buying a vacation honeymoon there in the future, living there at this point in our life will probably break us😂

[@ormedolugo364]

Great info guys. One question, what island gets more rain?

[@How2Beach]

I don't think there is a huge difference.

[@Kay2be2mr]

I know this vid is a year old, but I work as a teacher in a rich people school in Puerto Rico where there are lots of rich white American families and what I notice is that they only try to socialize with other rich white Americans. There is little effort to actually find friendships with the locals or any effort to get to know the culture. They just stay within their own English only community and that is what SEEMS to be the case with you guys as well since you mention only being friends with people who ultimately leave the island.

[@barbarasummers280]

What about kayaking?

[@alaynafulton5038]

My sister and I are thinking of moving to st Thomas in January how much does a 1b1b condo/apartment go for? How much do you think groceries will be for only 2 people? Also are there bars and nightclubs open? Does it rain often other than hurricane season? Also what is hurricane season like? This was very helpful thank you!

[@How2Beach]

It's like asking what it costs to live in Florida. It really depends on how you live. If you mean "what is the cheapest apartment I can find?" Then you might find something for around $1000. But you wont have a view or be close to the beach and maybe don't have air conditioning. Groceries are about 20-30% more than we were paying in Florida. I suggest going for a visit first and trying to live like a local, not like you're on vacation.

[@fluffytail6355]

You should try Google. If you don’t know how to find information on the internet, good luck relocating to a new country and trying to figure everything out. You need to know how to do research BEFORE you arrive and not just rely on strangers to do your legwork.

[@crowdfundcrew]

Great information. If I can’t afford a yacht in retirement, some tropical location is next on the list. I’m starting more research on locations. Donate for the Dream

[@How2Beach]

You better save your pennies if you are thinking about retiring to this tropical island.

[@crowdfundcrew]

@@How2Beach saving, investing, anything I can to hopefully enjoy retirement…somewhere..

[@coreyhanley9262]

What type of work is down there? Not online work.

[@kateoconnor5738]

I’m sorry I lived there for 3 years as well. Yes I moved for work not like them looking to buy property. So my biggest issue is they planned to move there to buy a house but some reason complained about after getting to the island everything was so expensive. I’m sorry what as a adult when I moved to where I live now and bought my house I did research about that area before I decided to move there. Your telling me both of them moved to St Thomas USVI without google anything about the island and just moved there without knowing how things worked in St Thomas. Then you deserved to fail. To anyone moving to a new area freaking google the area

[@How2Beach]

I'm not sure why you're mad. We did google things but the quality of the homes we found for the prices was different from what we saw on the internet. We didn't fail, we just decided that it wasn't for us to live there. You said you lived there for 3 years which means you don't live there anymore? Did you fail?

[@AllergicFungus]

So basically, if you make less than 3k/month, it probably isn't smart to move there. I lived in Oahu, Hawaii, and you're giving me the hunch that the COL is equal to Hawaii.

[@How2Beach]

Yes, I'd say it is probably pretty comparable. I don't think you could do it on $3K a month. I just did a video on why I left the island too.

[@user-so2qq6ed7b]

❤❤❤

[@How2Beach]

thanks

[@jameshines6486]

I lived there St .Croix and St. THomas for 3 years. Dangerous living.

[@katiehenderson6100]

Is there a lot of work in healthcare available? Or how about hospitality?

[@msheidi6496]

probably in both, especially in the upcoming months, I've heard of people coming down and finding work in a few days, prob in hospitality

[@kellyjackson4368]

What’s the name of your realty company? Our family is considering moving to the USVI not sure which island yet. Have you been to St Croix yet?

[@How2Beach]

I left the USVI about 6 months ago. You can check out my video about why we left.

[@isaa8521]

Question, why not buy your own boat? I know boats can be expensive, but unless you’re looking to get something really fancy then I don’t understand why you wouldn’t invest in a boat if you’re on an island. There are boats that you can buy that are second hand, or not that expensive. I’m looking to move to the islands so I would most definitely buy a boat if I’m there. It doesn’t have to be a boat that’s tens of thousands of dollars or some big yacht.

[@How2Beach]

I had that idea too. When I first got there I called around to some marinas to find out what it cost to keep a boat and none of them had any room. After meeting some people who had boats it was a lot more expensive than I thought. A friend of mine lived on a boat at the Sapphire marina and he paid about $50,000 for the slip and then he had to pay around $1000 a month for the HOA fee and his power bill was around $400 a month. So it isn't cheap.

[@isaa8521]

@@How2Beach yeah that is very expensive. I’m guessing you guys live in an apartment and not a house? Because I would think that you would just keep your boat in the driveway of your house or the backward. I’m from south Florida, and many people just keep their boats at their house, and even some apartment buildings allow boats.

[@How2Beach]

@@isaa8521 Yea, everything is tougher on an island than you think. At least on this island.

[@kweenslavageslayandsavage6796]

What is the internet like there? I work from home and would need good internet.

[@How2Beach]

We just had basic internet, but I'm sure you can get something better.

[@liionqueen7271]

The internet was just as good as the mainland as far as I was concerned. Cell services as well for the most part WASNT much different.

[@robertcampbell8639]

Great video, but your transmitter or other equipment definitely needs to be examined. Your sound is in and out or your space from mike is wrong and no theirs nothing wrong with my phone or signal. Thanks

[@How2Beach]

Thanks! I keep trying to upgrade things and I have better stuff now. But, I'm always trying to get better. Thanks for the advice.

[@americanjulia]

Hello:I want to immigrate from the USA to Saint Croix Island USAVI1. do you have any videos about immigrating to Saint Croix Island as a woman alone to live here? Safety for women? 2 also do you have any videos about bad things about living in Saint Croix Island?3. I am not a wealthy person I am on an extremely tight budget, any videos about living in Saint Croix Island on a poor budget?thanks

[@How2Beach]

I didn't live on STX so I can't speak to it. But the islands are not really a place for poor people. The USVI is much more expensive than living in the US. But you don't immigrate there, you just move there. It is part of the US.

[@angelo16d28]

I haven't been there since before covid. do you need the jab to get on the Island? Is weed legal yet?

[@msheidi6496]

no. yes.

[@valerieartis6586]

@@msheidi6496with weed legal where do you get it from ? I had always bought from local people

[@msheidi6496]

@@valerieartis6586 I don't use it but I smelled it everywhere! There are shops, ask around.

[@Swagg3r3d]

I'm interested in cost of living versus places like Boston/NYC

[@msheidi6496]

We can also learn to not order from Amazon!!!!

[@How2Beach]

Yep, that's pretty much what we did.

[@1monagale]

Cost more? More than NYC? San Fran? Florida waterfront? or Alabama 😂

[@How2Beach]

I said in the video that I was comparing things to the cost I had when I lived in FL.

[@Therightisright]

Is it true that cost of living is cheaper on St. Croix than it is on St. Thomas?

[@How2Beach]

I didn't spend much time on STX but I know housing is cheaper to buy in STX. I never really did grocery shopping or anything there. But, I'd guess most things cost about the same.

[@Therightisright]

@@How2Beach thanks for the reply. My wife & I are heavily considering moving there, so although your videos are mainly centered on St. Thomas, it’s still helpful information

[@BlueYogaSpaRetreats-cl6ut]

The whole video was why not to move the St Croix.

[@eliembys-davidson890]

Why is it not an option to make friends with the locals who don't go anywhere?

[@How2Beach]

It is an option.

[@hansillbuntin6496]

That's a home under $300,000

[@How2Beach]

Not many in that price range

[@hansillbuntin6496]

@@How2Beach lots more

[@Attorney.42]

People can transfer their section 8 vouchers to the Virgin Islands.

[@fluffy2749]

is there a walmart on the island?

[@Tigersharked]

No Walmart on any of the 3 islands.

[@GEN_X_]

@@Tigersharked Thank God

[@shawnbruce6934]

Is one allowed to own and possess firearms on these islands? I own more than a few and would like to know. Thank You.

[@dogelincoln7167]

Money.. blah. Make some and use it.who cares.island life in a nutshell. Find your hustle .. you need it

[@How2Beach]

You should check out my other channel where I talk about money. I can live on an expensive island with out working because of my real estate investments. kzbin.info

[@lynnrodina5479]

Why are you living there? We lived there 30 years and had different experiences than you

[@carolcity1919]

And it’s really not hard to make friends you guys just come and don’t connect with the people who are actually from here

[@RATHER5KEPTICAL]

In my experience Americans rank behind only the French and Irish when it comes to being clicky and not integrating.

[@pred7949]

nobody is actually from there, you also seemed to misunderstand what they said, expected going from your fragile comment

[@joanaflorez]

@@pred7949so the locals do not count? Lol

[@helenstamenkovic9326]

Great information in this video. I think you should have talked a bit about the awful driving conditions regarding the winding, small roads and how scary it is to drive around the island. Especially over around where the Hideaway Resort is. Also, not any mention of the food in genera llike at restaurants, which I really liked most of the food we experienced. I do want to say I was so concerned when this video first started up and my first thought is that I think this man must be abusive to his wife. He seems like a controlling extrovert and she is more introverted but, she is so pleasant and quiet and is an appreciative type of person. I sure hope he is not abusive (physically, emotionally or verbally). The video got a little more comfortable as the video advanced., because he seemed to act a little better as time went on. I can't imagine much love between these two.I hope they are both happy.

[@terrybogart589]

...that it sucks? 😂😂

[@carlhutchinson9496]

This is why st.Thomas is not the same

[@How2Beach]

What do you mean?

[@mariel3243]

Yeah Carl, what do you mean? I’m curious.

[@carlhutchinson9496]

@@mariel3243 girl shut up 😂

[@carlhutchinson9496]

I meant what I said st.Thomas is does not have the same home feeling it use to have you people are turning it into the main land I was born in Miami but my parents and whole family are from st.Thomas I go home every year I’m even here right now and from what I’m seeing it’s slowly turn into mini white America doesn’t have the feeling it use to have

[@carlhutchinson9496]

@@mariel3243 y’all know what I mean that’s why your panties getting caught in a bunch 😂😂😂 y’all are turn the this island into what y’all want it to be

[@Rikard_A]

These Islands must be returnera to Denmark. Denmark was forced by USA.

[@GEN_X_]

Keep dreaming

[@1hunterdale]

I'd miss my coke .that place looks boaring.

[@How2Beach]

It's not for everyone. That is for sure.

[@dillonhastings8438]

What sucks is that chicken and bowling shut down. That place was great

[@How2Beach]

They opened back up. You can once again eat chicken and bowl.

[@dillonhastings8438]

They did? Awesome

[@dillonhastings8438]

Cost-u-less

[@How2Beach]

Yea, it was my go to store.