Resources

Free guides, our monthly newsletter, and the official offices and sources worth bookmarking if you are researching property in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Buyer's Guide

A free guide to researching property in the U.S. Virgin Islands, from comparing the three islands to the questions worth asking before you make an offer.

What is inside

An overview of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John
Property types you will come across
The general buying process, step by step
Financing considerations
Closing costs and professional fees to research
Property insurance considerations
Questions to ask before making an offer
A property research checklist

Boats anchored off a palm-lined beach in Cruz Bay, St. John, beneath tall white clouds — Photo: Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0

For renters

Renting guides for the islands and the monthly Insider. Tell us what you are looking for, so we write about it.

Historic buildings with shuttered windows on a quiet street in downtown Christiansted — Photo: Prayitno, CC BY 2.0

For investors

Research on owning rental property in the islands: taxes, insurance and the rules to check. Educational, never advice on a specific property.

Turquoise water around Trunk Cay off the beach at Trunk Bay, St. John — Photo: Fred Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0

Official sources worth bookmarking

These are the public offices and primary sources our guides rely on most. Each link goes to the office’s own site.

Property records and taxes

Recorder of Deeds, Office of the Lieutenant Governor: recording deeds and searching recorded documents.
Office of the Tax Assessor: property assessments and the Homestead Tax Credit.
Office of the Tax Collector: real property tax bills and payments.

Licenses and permits

Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs (DLCA): business licenses and the public license search.
Real Estate Commission licensing requirements, DLCA: how brokers and salespersons are licensed.
Building permits, Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR).
Coastal zone permitting, DPNR: development near the shore.

Insurance, flood and storms

Division of Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulation, Office of the Lieutenant Governor: the territory’s insurance regulator.
Flood insurance, FEMA: how the National Flood Insurance Program works.
Flood maps, FEMA: how flood zones are mapped.

Water, power and getting around

Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA): electric and water service.
Rainwater catchment systems guide (PDF), DPNR: roofs, gutters and cisterns.
Ferry and cargo schedules, Virgin Islands Port Authority.

Numbers and maps

2020 Island Areas Censuses: U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. Census Bureau: population and housing by island and estate.
Virgin Islands National Park, National Park Service.
The U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs.