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Owning a Rental Property on St. John: Part 1

July 30, 2014July 31, 2014 by News of St. John

Yesterday we showed you a small sampling of villas for sale on St. John. Now we’re pretty certain that many of you have daydreamed at least once or twice about living on island, but perhaps the full time island life isn’t for you yet. So maybe the idea of owning a rental property that you can visit from time to time may sound like a good alternative. Well today we want to introduce you to a family who has done just that.

Mark and Christine Fano first found St. John back in 2010 when Christine was looking for a place for her family, which includes sons Dominic and Christopher, to spend the Easter holiday that year. Their requirements were quite simple:

“Warm ocean temperatures, heat, sun, but not too windy,” Christine said. “No more than 3 1/2 hours away with a direct flight from our home (in New Jersey), family-friendly, quiet, safe where you can leave your hotel or villa without worry, and variety in land topography, just to name a few.”

So like many other people, Christine did quite a bit of research online and quickly found that St. John fit the bill. They then began researching accommodation options when they came across a building blog, which inevitably prompted them to think about their retirement.

“We are in our 40s, which is young from what people tell us, but we wanted to have something now so we could enjoy with our children and make memories,” Christine said. “The first week we vacationed and visited St. John. We looked at many homes on island and nothing fit our criteria. Certain things like location, you can’t change. We didn’t want to be driving 15 minutes to go to a market and wanted to be on the sunniest side for the later part of the day when we would normally get back and swim in the pool. Beauty was important as well as practically for us and our guests.

“It was important to look at homes and their rental income as well. We are business owners so we looked at things with that in mind. We researched what villa locations were best for homeowners and renters. We knew we wanted to be close to Cruz Bay, but we also wanted a quieter location where it felt like a neighborhood,” Christine said. “Basically, we were not going to settle in terms of our personal needs, especially because the large amount of money it costs to build, and then maintain a large, full A/C 5 bedrooms home on island.”

So after a bit more research, the Fanos decided to build their own retirement home on a parcel near Klein Bay. The first dig happened in the Spring of 2011, about six months after their architect Mike Oxman completed the drawings and after all of the permits were approved.

Casa La Famiglia took about 21 months to build (a record from what we’ve been told!) and was officially completed in February of this year. And if you ask me, it came out beautifully. See for yourself:

Coming tomorrow: Read more about the construction process, some surprises they encountered along the way, as well as some personal touches they’ve incorporated into their vacation home.

To learn more about Casa La Famiglia, please visit www.CasaLaFamiglia.com

On the Market: Paradise For Sale

July 29, 2014July 30, 2014 by News of St. John

Everyone dreams of living in paradise, right? There are currently 152 homes for sale on island. Of those, only 15 are listed for less than half a million dollars while 99 are listed for over $1 million. Here’s a small sampling of what your money can buy you on St. John.

Lets start with the cream of the crop – Kismet. Kismet is an incredible seven bedroom home in Chocolate Hole. It’s described as being “a genuine architectural masterpiece.” Here’s a bit from its listing:

“From its ultra private perch atop Maria’s Bluff, the villa offers 360-degree views framing miles of open ocean, numerous protected bays, sleepy outlying cays and thousands of acres of green hillsides within the vast VI National Park. A sprawling compound befitting its one-of-a-kind location, Kismet’s subtle Moroccan undertones are woven throughout the artisan quality finishes of its numerous guest suites, common living areas, billiards room, home theater and separate caretakers residence. Stepping outside, one seamlessly enters a magical knoll top oasis with a central pool deck, shaded verandas, and meandering footpaths throughout the exceptionally manicured grounds.”

See for yourself:

Kismet is listed for $13.5 million.

On the lower end of the market is a super cute one bedroom home located in the valley off of Gifft Hill. Turtle Haven is an idyllic home that incorporates vaulted ceilings, a contemporary kitchen and bath, and a spacious great room that flows to the generous screened deck. Check out a few pics:

Turtle Haven is listed for $349,000.

For those of you who prefer Coral Bay to the Cruz Bay end of the island, Estate Fortsberg just may be the property for you. Watch stunning sunrises and listen to the sounds of the sea from this beautiful and well appointed four bedroom home. Estate Fortsberg is located on one acre of land within the National Park which contains ruins of a Fort and Cannon Battery, according to its listing. In addition to four master bedrooms suites, the home has a fully equipped kitchen with granite countertops, outdoor showers, expansive decks and most importantly, incredible views. See for yourself:

Estate Fortsberg is listed at $2.4 million.

Want to check out the other 149 homes for sale? Here is a list of several real estate agencies on the island:

Chaotic Kayak = Huge Success!

July 28, 2014July 28, 2014 by News of St. John

Happy Monday everyone! So Team News of St. John didn’t win yesterday’s Chaotic Kayak race, but we did raise a boatload of cash to support Team River Runner, so that’s a huge win in my book! A big thanks to all of you who supported!

More than $38,000 was raised and $2,000 of that was thanks to our loyal News of St. John fans. All of the proceeds will be used to bring a group of wounded veterans down to the island this November for a week of rest and relaxation.

Here are a few pics from the event:

Veterans — A big thanks to all of the veterans who attended Sunday’s race

A HUGE thanks to Team News of St. John!

And another HUGE thanks to everyone who generously supported Team News of St. John!!

Papa and Mama News of St. John
Kathy Nichols
Marianne Pollaci
Denise H Bills
Dawn Foster
Nicole R Benson
Callie and Andrew Turner
Keith and Stephanie Rhodes
Island Screech Studios
Capt. John & Island Sue
Bay Rum Breeze Villa
Leslie McKibben
Fetsje Goettsch
Judith M Hanley
Karen Sansone
Seagrass Cottage Crew
Karen Barnes
Kimberly Checket
Todd, ADI
Mary Mongillo
Michelle Tyminski
Carrie McKinney
John Alemanni
The Waggisly Mr. Woody
Anita Giesick
The Catenas
CBV Homes
Villa Fun & Contentment
karen phillips
Steve@Villa Fish
Mary Bartolucci, Island Style Weddings
Dale Houghtlen

We Heart the ACC

July 25, 2014July 26, 2014 by News of St. John

Imposed Flat @ Impose ( STJO_Cards_Flood_AF.pdf, page 2 @ Prefli — One of the game cards from St. Johnopoly

We absolutely love the folks over at the Animal Care Center. They do an amazing job taking care of the island’s cats and dogs. We wanted to support the ACC in a big way which is why we chose them as one of the four charities that will receive a portion of the proceeds from our St. Johnopoly game. (You can preorder yours at www.newsofstjohn.com/stjohnopoly)

But we have some more great news … we’re not the only ones who are showing the love to the ACC. Joshua Vernon of Massachusetts is putting together a fundraising event for people living in and around the Boston area, and all proceeds will benefit the ACC. How wonderful is that?!

The event is scheduled for Sunday, August 24 at Donohue’s Bar & Grill in Watertown, Massachusetts. The event will feature a silent raffle, again with all proceeds directly supporting the ACC. They have a ton of great items so far including two-night stays at both the Westin and the St. John Inn, a weekend stay with breakfast and dinner at the Salem Waterfront Hotel in Massachusetts, a half day snorkel charter with Captain Jimbo, and a ton of gift certificates and gift baskets.

Here is a list of all of the items available as of July 25: ACC Massachusetts Fundraiser Items

You can bid on any of these items by emailing Joshua Vernon directly at [email protected]. You can also follow the event on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/StJohnPeepsBoston

The ACC is also in need of a few very important items. For starters, they really need a truck to transport the animals to and from vet appointments. So if there is a generous donor out there, it would be greatly appreciated.

The ACC is also in need of harnesses for the dogs (pictured below) and large dog treats or rawhide bones. These bones entertain the dogs throughout the day while they are in the kennel.

Please send all donations to:

Animal Care Center
5000 Estate Enighed PMB 571
St. John, VI 00830

Thanks everyone!

Charter Wrap Up – Soggy Dollar

July 24, 2014July 25, 2014 by News of St. John

For those of you who follow News of St. John regularly, you know that we recently took a little cruise around the British Virgin Islands for a week. Well we never got around to posting a wrap up report, so here it is. 🙂

To recap, we hopped aboard the Guiding Light July 5 and spent the following six days on board. As we mentioned during previous posts, we visited Norman Island, Cooper Island, Virgin Gorda and Little Jost van Dyke.

(Click here to read about Charter Day One – Norman Island and the Willy T.)

(Click here to read about Charter Days Two and Three – Cooper Island, the Baths and more from Virgin Gorda.)

(Click here to read about Charter Day Four – Little Jost van Dyke and the new B Line Bar.)

So there’s a reason we never got around to writing our trip wrap up. That reason’s called the Soggy Dollar Bar.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Soggy Dollar Bar (and I’m sure this is a very small percentage of you), it’s a very fun bar located over in White Bay on Jost van Dyke. The reason it’s called the Soggy is pretty simple and straightforward. There aren’t any docks in White Bay, so you essentially have to anchor in swim in, hence the soggy dollars.

Well we spent our entire fifth day, the final full day of our trip, at the Soggy Dollar. It pretty much consisted of playing in the water, having drinks, playing the the water some more, some more drinks, dodging some rain by sitting in the water … well, I think you get the gist of what happens over at the Soggy Dollar.

We have pictures, but we thought it’d be best not to share them to protect the innocent 😉

We did have a celebrity sighting while we were over there though – St. John’s very own celebrity extraordinaire, Captain John Brandi of Palm Tree Charters. (In case you missed it, we posted a video Thursday of the Soggy Dollar in which Captain Brandi made a cameo appearance. Click here to check that out.)

After playing in the water all day and hanging out with one of our favorite boat captains, it was time to swim back to the boat. We had yet another delicious dinner prepared for us by Captain Shane before hitting the hay. We woke up pretty early the next morning and sailed back to St. John.

I have to say, our trip was pretty incredible. It was easily a 10 out of 10, and I have Captain Shane and Leila, his first mate, to thank for that. They were spectacular – super nice, super accommodating, super fun and great cooks.

I highly recommend chartering on the Guiding Light. If you like to learn more, check out their website at www.SVGuidingLight.com. Happy sailing!

Cornhole for the Community

July 24, 2014 by News of St. John

There’s a pretty fun fundraiser happening this Saturday, and its proceeds are going to a very good cause.

Friends Helping Friends is a St. John partnership that has been established by the community for the community. Its mission is to help ease some of the financial burdens of contributing resident members in need. Its holding its third annual Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser this Saturday at the Inn at Tamarind Court from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Proceeds from the tournament will benefit Artie Camisa and his longtime partner Lois. Artie and Lois are longstanding St. John residents and community members. Artie has recently undergone treatment for cancer and needs our love and support.

The cost to participate is $50 per team. You can sign up by emailing [email protected] or by calling 340-776-6378. The event will include raffles, musics, hot dogs, hamburgers and more.

Friends Helping Friends is one of the four on-island charities that will receive a portion of the proceeds from St. Johnopoly. Click here to pre-order your St. Johnopoly game if you haven’t already. Games will ship in August.

Life is Great! New England Features a Few Familiar Faces

July 24, 2014 by News of St. John

The folks over at Life is Great! New England spent a little time on island a few months back and caught up with a few New England transplants. They recently released two videos from their trip and I’m pretty certain you’ll all recognize a few people.

The first video was taken over at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost van Dyke where Sana taught the guys how to make Soggy’s world famous Painkiller. There just happens to be an equally world famous boat captain hanging out at the bar. Can you spot him?

The second video was taken over at Castaway’s where the guys did a little interview with owner Dan Boudreau. Check it out:

New Restaurant to Open in Cruz Bay

July 22, 2014July 23, 2014 by News of St. John

Joe’s Diner has been sold and a new mid-range bar/restaurant will take its place by the end of the year, according to its new buyer.

Clint Gaskins, managing partner of Sea Island Food Group, recently purchased Joe’s Diner, which is located underneath Café Roma in the heart of Cruz Bay. Clint is from Charleston, SC and has been traveling to St. John for the past 10 years. He plans to convert it into what he calls a “coastal casual environment with a hang-out surf bar vibe.”

“As you have heard, we have recently taken over the space and closed the doors for renovations and improvements. Although Joe’s was a fixture in the heart of Cruz Bay for quite some time, we feel that this will be a welcome change to the street,” Clint said. “We have a fairly extensive renovation/improvement planned for the space, to include making the space ADA compliant on the first floor. We will essentially be gutting the space to the concrete walls and updating everything … plumbing, electric, mechanical, facilities, kitchen, etc.”

Clint said he is still in the project’s identity phase, however he did mention how he plans to incorporate some cantina-based items into its menu like baja bowls, ceviche, salsa and tacos.

“It’s going to fill a nice gap in the St. John market for the mid-range bar/restaurant for locals and tourists alike,” Clint said. “Given the size of the space and the limitations, you can image that we will be placing a large emphasis on the bar program. The space will have a seating capacity of 50-60 through a combination of bar and table seating.”

Clint also owns Squeeze Bar and is a managing partner of a small hospitality-based group in Charleston. He hopes to open the new restaurant by Christmas.

It’s Happening: Marina Coming to Coral Bay

July 21, 2014July 22, 2014 by News of St. John

There’s been quite a bit of talk lately over two proposed marinas in Coral Bay. Well we can tell you today with certainty that at least one of the planned marinas is happening.

“After nearly 5 years of painstaking research, studies and community input, the Summer’s End Group, LLC, sustainable developers of the St. John marina, The Yacht Club at Summer’s End (YCSE) is pleased to announce that the Department of Planning and Natural Resources has deemed our application complete for St. John’s long awaited marina,” YCSE wrote in an email to News of St. John Monday.

According to the email, the marina will be located in the “waters across from Island Blues, Voyages and Coco Loba” and will be a “full service, sustainably developed marina offering waste water pump out, fuel, provisioning, restaurants, entertainment, shopping and all of the other services and amenities you’d expect from a state of the art, world class, recreational marina facility.”

The team described the marina as being a sustainably guided local effort.

“The Summer’s End Group, LLC’s members are full time St. Johnians including Chaliese Summers, Managing Member, Rick Barksdale and Robert O’Connor, Jr. and others who love St. John, her natural beauty and all that she has to offer. The team assembled to design the sustainably developed marina project consists of USVI based marine biologist, architects and engineers, a local cultural anthropologist and other experts whose life experience on St. John, and design, construction and marina development experience total over 150 years.

“In a concerted effort to sustainably improve the health of Coral Harbor, the Summer’s End Group has worked diligently with the Coral Bay Watershed Management Plan Phase ll and DPNR to address the issues of storm water runoff, and non-compliant activities both on land and water. Independently, we have also formed a Marine Uses Advisory Panel comprised of knowledgeable St. Johnians and experts to help guide the ongoing improvements offered by a sustainable approach to growth and island life.”

The marina will have 145 slips, and according to YCSE, it will create more than 90 jobs totaling more than $3 million in labor income annually, as well as a total annual economic impact of more than $8.7 million.

St. John Makes 10 Best Bucket List Beaches

July 21, 2014July 21, 2014 by News of St. John

St. John recently made USA Today’s list for the 10 Best Bucket List Beaches. Any guesses which one made the cut???

All of them! (Well all of the ones in the National Park that is!) Here’s what they had to say about it:

“From tropical forests to an underwater snorkeling trail, this 19-square-mile park offers visitors a chance to explore one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved natural areas. The park covers more than half of the island, and includes the popular Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay beaches, which rent water sports gear, and have guest facilities. Elsewhere there’s kayaking, sailing, hiking and camping.

Bucket list tip: For a splurge, book a stay at the luxury Caneel Bay Resort, which is surrounded by the park. It was developed by Laurance Rockefeller, who donated land for the park in the 1950s.”

Click here to see a full list of the 10 Best Bucket List Beaches.

Here are a few of our favorite Trunk Bay pics. Feel free to share some of your favorite beach pics at [email protected]