Who Needs a Gym?

St. Thomas real estate is generally in the upper end of the market. Prices have fallen slightly in response to the world economy. Customers are tending to search longer and bid lower. Some clients are being a little more flexible but not many.

One of the really nice things about owning a home or condo in St. Thomas is the fact that you can make any day you choose a day at the beach. There are so many nice beaches to go to. All beaches are public, so you can take your choice. Whether you base it on what is close to your home or condo, the level of privacy you desire, or which one is better for snorkeling; there is a perfect beach for you.

Last week, I chose Magen's Bay Beach, which is close to my home in Wintberg, a quiet residential neighborhood with homes ranging from around $400K and up depending on size and condition (Click here to search Listings). Magen's has been ranked as one of the top ten beaches in the world. It has over a mile of beautiful sandy beach with picnic tables and pavilions set up for larger gathering and the Nelthrop Nature Conservatory is directly behind the beach if you like to wander in a tropical forest setting. It is the only beach on St. Thomas that has a nominal admission charge but if you go before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. it is free.

At. 7:30 a.m., I met two girlfriends there to do a morning workout of walking on the beach, some other exercises and then walking in the water. The plan was to do our workout and then get on with our day. I had never been to Little Magen's Beach, which is around the bay towards the Peterborg side (a mainly gated, high end community, for listings, click here) and is the only beach known for nude bathing on St. Thomas. After working out, I was curious so we continued our walk in the water around to that side of the bay. While we did not see any nude bathers, we did find the most beautiful secluded beach with large rock formations on the shore, grand villas, perched just above the water and heavenly waters. We scrubbed ourselves with the soft sand to exfoliate a bit, laughed about how this is what you normally pay big bucks in a spa for, and got to know each other a little better.

We had another friend who was meeting his children, who were in from D.C. on the beach for a barbecue so we walked back to the main beach. We decided we would eat at the restaurant there on the beach as we had worked up quite an appetite earlier and didn't want to wait for our friends grill to get hot. We had a leisurely lunch on the deck overlooking the beach and bay (we had missed breakfast by eight minutes, they stop serving breakfast at 11:00 a.m.). The girls all agreed we felt like we were on vacation (we are all residents of the island, ranging from being born here, to 6 years of residency) and lamented how we must do this more often.

Later, we made our way down the beach and enjoyed watching our friend entertain his daughters and other friends who had not seen each other in a while. One of his guests had recently returned from Egypt and we listened as she recounted her adventure. We eventually returned to our respective homes around 3:30 p.m. My girlfriends both own condos in Mahogany Run, a gated golf community, ranging in price from the mid $200K range, for a one bedroom to the high $400K range, for two bedrooms with stunning water views; the condos are rimmed by waterfront homes and villas starting around $1 million and going up form there (click here to search all listings).

Well, as I sit blogging in my home office with a view of Magen's , reminded of my mini vacation and a wonderful day at the beach, as the sunburn is beginning to peel ( I forgot my sunblock), I realize how lucky I am to live here.

So if you have ever wondered what it would be like to live in the U.S. Virgin Islands, now you know! Visit www.talk-to-tanya.com to see all real estate on the Multiple Listings (MLS) in St. Thomas and St. Croix. Don't forget to call me at 340 344 2959 if you see something that interests you. Even if I am at the beach, I will get back to you.