Purchasing Property in the USVI

The United States Virgin Islands' has a weatherelse in the U.S. You will own your piece of islands
that is so beautiful every part of the year. Therealty fee simple and your deed will be filed at the
beaches are powdery and made up of whiteUSVI Recorder of Deeds. You couldn't pick a
sand. The sun shines continually and most daysmore gorgeous and enjoyable area of the
are in the 80's and most nights in the 70's. Thecountry, or perhaps the world when you choose
summer is only slightly warmer. Humidity is veryto invest in USVI real estate.
low in this part of the world, thanks to theWhen you make the conclusion to buy St.
easterly trade winds that are a continual part ofThomas real estate, or elsewhere in the Virgin
island life. Nearly any piece of USVI real estateIsland, you have your choice of several banks or
you choose will be at a very low elevation. Theother financial institutions. First Liberty Mortgage
highest spot on any island is Mountain Top, whichCompany, Merrill Lynch, First Bank, Banco Popular
soars only slightly to 1550 feet.and the Bank of Nova Scotia all do business in
As with just about any area of the world, theUSVI. What is required of the buyer by the banks
island real estate is available in several categories.is payment for the cost of a title search, the
You might want to buy your own house orpurchase of title insurance, payment for property
condo, invest in homes as income rental property,appraisals, a written certificate by a surveyor, an
buying commercial or retail property, or purchaseas-built survey, inspections of structure and pest
raw land.issues, the fees for the bank attorney and the
No matter what you are thinking and why andbuyer's attorney, and any fees that comes with
whether it's St. Thomas real estate or real estatethe recording and securing of the loan for the
on other parts of the islands, there are somemortgage.
important points to consider. You take to realizeStandard hazard insurance, to protect your USVI
for instance, that when you own Virgin Islands'real estate from damage caused by earthquakes
real estate, even though the area is anand windstorms, is approximately two to three
unincorporated U.S. territory, your title has thepercent of the property's replacement value. If
same constitutional protection and guarantees asthe frame of the property is wood rather than
if you bought real estate in downtown St. Louis,stone or masonry, this can be higher.
along the strand on Myrtle Beach or wherever