Key Issues About Building Responsibly in the Virgin Islands

If you are considering building your dream home in Paradise there are several key issues to take into account before breaking ground.  These factors include minimizing damage to our hillside, mangrove and coral reef ecosystems; designing a home that is in harmony with the existing...

Bringing Home A Piece of St. John

The design team of Jennifer Cutshaw and Osa Notting has created a stunning line of hand-crafted silver jewelry called V.I.be, Virgin Islands Blue Expressions.  Their logo is worked into every piece and also features the well known petroglyph found on an ancient rock carving...

Quick Fixes for the Kitchen & Bath

We all know that the current real estate market is flooded with inventory making competition tougher than ever.  We also know that economic times are particularly tight and property owners are hesitant to spend big dollars on remodels.  But don’t despair, there are several...

10 Ways to Improve Your Chances of Getting a Mortgage in 2011

Have the Best Credit Score – In the past, lower credit scores didn’t hinder your ability to get a mortgage, but in these lean economic times, the higher the credit score the better! You need a bare minimum of 740 in order to get a good interest rate. Pay Off Loans - Make...

Beachcomber by Isola Bella

Isola Bella proudly introduces their exclusive Beachcomber Collection. Their exclusive collection is designed by Virgin Island resident and Isola Bella designer Gina Feddersen. Hand-picked treasures from the artist's found object collection are impressed and made into a wax...

How To Price Your Home To Sell

Pricing your home is more important then ever in today’s sluggish economy.  Consider these points when listing your property for sale. Think Thin - $1.99 is only one cent less than $2.00, right?  However, retailers continually use this pricing strategy to make us think we...

Buying vs. Renting

Have you been considering making the transition for renter to home owner?  Today’s economic times are strange ones, on one hand, the market is flooded with inventory and prices are at all time lows; on the other hand, the economy is still shaky and unemployment is at an all...

Housing Market Update

Existing Home Sales Jump Again: Despite bad weather, U.S. home sales jumped more than expected in December.  Sales of previously occupied homes soared 12.3 percent last month which far surpassed national forecasts of an increase of only 4.5%.  This marks the second straight...

USVI Housing Marketing Update

Employment Picture Brightens: Demand for housing is fueled by consumer confidence levels.  And nothing impacts those levels more than how consumers feel about the job market.  We had three major releases last week that gave us a better understanding of the employment picture. First...

Virgin Islands FHA Mortgage Limits