Love your visit to paradise? Move on in.

By Lynda Lohr

Palm-fringed beaches and turquoise seas lured you to the USVI in the first place, and you can enjoy the islands again and again by renting or buying a home here.

Renting A Villa or Condominium

Condominium rates vary greatly depending on location, view, amenities and size, so you’ll certainly find some that fit your budget. Studios and one-bedrooms are most common, but a few complexes have larger units. On St. Thomas, rates start at $190 a night for a studio in the winter season, $210 for one bedroom and $375 for two bedrooms. On St. John, one- and two-bedroom units dominate the market, with a few studios scattered here and there. Expect to pay at least $270 a night for a studio and $375 to $600 for more spacious lodgings. St. Croix’s prices run from $195 for a studio to $225 for a one-bedroom unit, and $265 to $345 for a two-bedroom.

Villa rates also cover a wide range. Winter rates at a typical two-bedroom luxury house with a pool, lovely furnishings and gorgeous views average around $4,000 a week on St. Thomas and $4,500 a week on St. John, rising to nearly $20,000 a week for the finest properties. Prices are a bit lower on St. Croix, with a two-bedroom house up in the hills starting at around $2,000 a week. Beachfront homes that sleep eight run $7,500 a week in the winter season.

Buying A Villa or Condominium

If your condominium or vacation-villa stay convinced you to call the moving van, start by choosing a real-estate agent. Indeed, that very condominium or villa that made you happy may be on the market.

St. Thomas condominiums are centered on the East End, but you’ll find pockets of them all over the island. As with condominium rentals, prices depend on size, location, view and amenities. Condition also counts. Expect to invest a modest $160,000 for a studio at a less luxurious property, anywhere from $185,000 to $450,000 for a one-bedroom, and $425,000 up to $550,000 for a top-of-the-line two- bedroom unit at an upscale complex.

On St. John, nearly all of the condominiums for sale have two bedrooms and carry price tags of $750,000 to well over $1 million. Prices are more competitive on St. Croix, with one-bedrooms ranging from $160,000 to nearly $200,000. If you want two bedrooms, the most popular size on St. Croix, you’ll pay anywhere from $192,000 to $479,000. Condominiums, like their counterparts on the mainland, provide easy living for folks who don’t want to deal with maintenance chores. In return for having the burden lifted, you’ll pay a monthly fee of $500 to $1,000.

Buying a House

Since the U.S. flag flies overhead, buying a home here is similar to purchasing one on the mainland. And as with real estate anywhere, the buzzwords are location, location and location. Beachfront homes cost the most, and houses with terrific views run higher than others too. St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix are in the midst of a boom; prices are rising rapidly, and properties are snapped off the market quickly.

Peterborg, St. Thomas, with its lovely view of Magens Bay, is one of the hottest areas for home sales. Three-bedroom luxury homes with two baths run from $799,000 to $3.7 million. Another popular location is Nazareth, on the island’s East End, where prices begin at $750,000. At the gated Waterpoint area, you’ll pay close to $3 million for a three-bedroom home.

St. John houses start at $1.7 million for a three-bedroom villa in Chocolate Hole/Great Cruz Bay, a mature neighborhood with a mix of year-round residents and vacationers. You might find a place in Carolina from about $525,000 to $3 million-plus, or in the gated Peter Bay community for nearly $6 million. Pockets of lower-priced homes dot both islands; it’s best to work with a real-estate agent to ferret them out.

On St. Croix, transplants flock to the East End and the North Shore, where they pay anywhere from $400,000 to $3 million, depending on condition and amenities. If you want beachfront, prices run from around $450,000 to $3 million-plus.

If you’re not ready to pay cash, you’ll need a mortgage from a local bank. Again, this process is a snap, with financing readily available. And, of course, you’ll need insurance, including hurricane coverage. Companies usually offer policies only for concrete houses, which hold up better than wooden houses against storms and termites.