About St. Croix, VI

What a lovely Christmas we had here! The weather was gorgeous and there was a big turnout at Cane Bay for a HUGE Christmas feast! I've never seen so much food! Three turkeys were fried and people brought every imaginable side dish and dessert. By the time lunch was served (around 2:30 - 3:00), I was so hungry from smelling all the good smells that I'm afraid I bordered on being rude!

Later in the afternoon, I enjoyed a meditation and watched the sun set. It was a wonderful day - but I am about to blow up and I may never eat again.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
340-626-3758
www.kimlucasvi.com
www.retireinthevi.com 

In my post about the holiday festitivities, I mentioned Soca music, then did a bit of investigating because music is such an integral part of Caribbean culture and traditions.

Soca is a musical form that mixes the slower beat of American soul music with the upbeat tempos of calypso. Soca began in the 1970s, and by the middle of the 1980s it had become a part of the music scene of Carnival.

Wikipedia states that soca is a form of dance music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago. "It originally combined the melodic lilting sound of calypso with insistent percussion (which is often electronic in recent music) and local chutney music."

Chutney music is indigenous to the southern Caribbean and combines soca and elements of Indian songs created for film.

Calypso rhythms can be traced back to the African slaves imported to the islands in the 1600s. As in the South, music was a form of communication among the slaves, who often were forbidden to talk to each other. Calypso combines story-telling and imaginative use of instrumentation, reflecting contributions by European, North American, and various Caribbean cultures.

Soca is an original style and sound of Caribbean music blending - like the islands themselves - the sounds of many peoples. History aside, soca is great dancing music and central to Carnival, which is coming up soon.

Don't you wish you were here in St. Croix dancing with us?!

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
www.kimlucasvi.com
www.retireinthevi.com
340-626-3758

Many people must wonder what Christmas would be like in a tropical paradise - with 82 degree weather year round. Well, let me share a bit of what it's like. I think you'll be surprised if you haven't experienced Christmas "Cruzian Style."

First of all - there is WONDERFUL soca Christmas music playing (dare I say blaring) from every store, car, even in the Post Office. People are sometimes spotted dancing in the aisle at Kmart - and I must admit - I shook a leg at the post office with this older Cruzian man behind me in line! It is wonderful and just makes you so happy to hear it! Some of the songs are "traditional" Christmas songs, just spiced up with a soca beat!

Music is really central here, and there are bands and concerts galore during the season, which starts at Thanksgiving and goes till mid January, best I can tell. One of the most special things that happens is to see (and better yet hear) Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights ride thru your neighborhood playing those great Christmas tunes - at 4:00 a.m.! The band is set up on a truck and several different neighborhoods are designated for their route - and they start at 4:00 and finish up around 7:00 a.m. As they ride by, everyone comes out in their jammies and follows the truck - so by the time it gets to town - there's a street party going on!!! It jams up traffic - but no one seems to care. This is a LONG TIME tradition here - and Stanley is a Christmas Icon on the island (and other times too).

And yes, the streets and stores and homes are decorated for Christmas. It is a bit odd to see snowmen (those blow up kind) in the yards - but it's fun! And parades, food fairs, competitions, galore. This time of year, the guavaberry is in season, and homemade guavaberry wine is a hot item. There are even competitions to see who makes the best! No losers here!! Also, Coquito is our version of "eggnog" (Much better, by the way)!! It's got Rum in it, of course, and is delicious! Kind of like Baileys Irish Cream, only better! And it comes in flavors, too - Chocolate and Coconut in addition to "regular." Yum!

One of the most fun things is the donkey races - another long time tradition here! Hilarious!! Grown men and woman riding atop those stubborn animals (or trying to, anyway).

And then there are the Tramps. These start at 4:00 a.m. too, and involve walking and gryating (there is a band on a truck that everyone is following) down the street until morning... It's a celebration of J'ouvert - and it is lots of fun.

Many of us "transplants" are here with no family - which can be a bit sad. Not to worry - we all get together with friends on the beach, decorate the palm trees, bring food and have great fun!

To see ALL THE MANY activities you can get involved in here - go to www.stxfestival.com. To order Soca music, visit TriniJungleJuice.

Come join us - I help make dreams come true!

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
www.retireinthevi.com
www.kimlucasvi.com
340-626-3758

p.s. Soca Music is a style of calypso, and Tramps are groups of happy people walking, always to music. J'ouvert (pronounced "juuvay") is a large street party during Carnival (which starts soon).

Christmas is the season when all the many artists on St Croix get into high gear and start promoting their wares at the many craft fairs on the island. The "biggies" are the Starving Artist's Sale at the Whim Plantation, which was bigger and better than ever this year, and the Christmas Spoken Here festival at the St George Botanical Gardens, also well promoted and well attended.

The weather is perfect here this time of year, breezy but warm, and the events are held on Sunday, so families come and browse and do their Christmas shopping. Tourists also enjoy the great selection of local crafts, food, books (we have some very talented authors here) and products. It is a very social event; you'll see lots of old friends and make new ones as you stroll the pathways and ooh and ahh over the interesting and unique things on sale at these events!

And of course, you'll get your belly full - the Fraco man is always there (great local drinks - peanut milk is my favorite...), the Roti woman (GREAT Roti), Pates, and skewers galore. I sold about 80 pieces of my "SEE Glass" - and was very happy with that - since it was a "debut" product! And everyone on MY Christmas list is getting a locally made item from the beautiful Virgin Islands!

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
www.retireinthevi.com
www.kimlucasvi.com
340-626-3758

I'm going to start this series of 4 blogs the same way to get my message across:
The Great St. Croix Land Rush is Coming!

St Croix is poised to be the next "hot spot" in the Caribbean. With a new and wonderful director of Tourism, a fabulous governor and Lieutenant Governor, a new bevy of Senators who promise to continue to improve this lovely island, return of the cruise ships, and new resort developments that are inches away from ground breaking - all signs point to a "boom" on the horizon.

What does that mean to you? If you are an INVESTOR - it means get down here and buy LAND! If you're considering retiring here - it means get down here and buy LAND! I keep saying this - ST CROIX is the PLACE and NOW is the time! Land prices are really reasonable here (scroll down the page to see some great buys). Where IN THE WORLD can you buy ocean view property for under $100,000? If you are worried because you've never purchased land before, this 4-part blog series is for you.

To find the land investment which best suits YOU, first define your goals: short or long-term investment, development opportunity, buy and hold for your own future use - this is a personal decision you must make. Then find a Realtor who understands the land opportunities in the location you choose. I know the St. Croix market extremely well and can refer you to agents on other islands in our chain if St. Croix isn't for you. Using an experienced land Realtor can save you a lot of money, time, and headaches. You still should know something about the market and land opportunities, and I can certainly give you plenty of resources. Listed below are some research projects you should complete.

1. Check Zoning

Before you make any purchase commitments on land, you must know and understand what the plot is zoned for, what developments are possible, what regulations must be met for development. This can be the difference between using the land for your purposes or having to hold and hope to sell.

2. Check Trends

This is my expertise - giving you market evaluations - but you still should understand the data. Check pricing trends. both in specific areas that interest you and then in adjoining areas. In our part of the Caribbean, studying other islands would be helpful. I'm convinced when you do, that you will agree St. Croix has the most development and appreciation potential of all the US Virgin Islands.

Ideally, you want your parcel in an area of increasing values adjacent to other areas that are also increasing. While that scenario is hard to find in the US now, St. Croix is poised for growth and property appreciation in the near future. If you can find a lot that is appreciating, or has good promise, is bordered by other appreciating parcels, and is zoned for your plans, that's the best investment you can make in land.

3. What Now

If you decide your risk tolerance, understand your purpose in investing, and find a Realtor with substantial local knowledge, you will be ready to make a decision on area and specific plots. If you do this regularly, and invest wisely, you should be able to grow a substantial portfolio over time.

Here's an example of one of the great deals now available on St. Croix:

16A Judith's Fancy
.75 Acre homesite
280 degree water and lights of Christiansted
Waterfront but above the salt spray
Gated community
Adjacent lots also available
Listed at $349,000

Contact me for more great buys on St. Croix.

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
340-626-3758
www.kimlucasvi.com
www.retireinthevi.com