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Living in paradise

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juebag
  2/22/2020 09:21 EST

Well after a long time planning and more planning we are finally here in St Lucia. We have retired from the UK and have a lovely cottage with two acres of land in the South of the island, it's very remote (it feels like it) however we are only 10 mins from shops and only 15 mins from the airport.
Surrounded by tree's and only farmers, wow what lovely people. Freshly cut pineapple and papaya left on our door step and they wave and say hello everyday.
If anyone is thinking about moving here.......don't hesitate.
We are not in the tourist area but who wants that, our nearest beach is stunning and great shopping just up the road. We intend to build a couple of wooden cottages on the land once we settle in more. It's glamping in the sun.

bobbyveee
  2/22/2020 09:33 EST

Hi there , great to hear from you guys , youve settled in an area not usually an expats choice, but its obviously perfect for you guys.
The locals are the friendliest people you could meet, and make you so welcome . Have a wonderful retirement in paradise and keep the forum updated with how your lifes going Take care Rob

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juebag
  2/23/2020 07:42 EST

Hi Rob, thank you so much for your lovely message. Yes we are settling in well. We didn't want to be in the expat community as we wanted to mix with the locals (no offence to expats lol) the locals have been extremely friendly and helpful even bringing us freshly cut fruit. It has not been easy going getting here and we brought our 3 dogs but we did it and it seems to be the best thing we ever did. Anyone else reading this from the UK can contact me to get more info of the pitfalls etc.
Anyway if you're back on the island at any point Rob, let us know and we can meet up for a drink or two up at Rodney Bay.
Regards Julie

SilverSurfer
  3/1/2020 04:29 EST

We are a family of 5 (4 adults and a 12 year old) from Cape Town, South Africa considering St Lucia as a permanent relocation destination. We currently live on the beach, love the sea and partake in most sea related activities. We have a catamaran which we would probably sail over and accordingly feel that Marigot Bay would be a good place to settle. Any advice / comments would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

bobbyveee
  3/1/2020 11:56 EST

Hi Guys.
Marigot Bay is a lovely area to berth in .
Are you going to live on the Cat ? Property in the area is expensive to buy or rent. Theres only a small food store there , maybe a trip upto Rodney Bay every few wks to provision would work.
Marigot is very sheltered , not that St L is prone to hurricanes but big storms do blow threw. An alternative would be Rodney Bay, the sailing fraternity anchor in the bay, everything is then pretty close at hand. Also you have some terrific other islands close at hand. Wishing you all the best, you'll find the locals some of the nicest people you could meet.

SilverSurfer
  3/2/2020 02:45 EST

Thanks Bobby

We are really in the options stage, have investigated our relocation options extensively and would prefer an exotic destination. St Lucia seems to tick the boxes and we have investigated and responded to properties in the Marigot Bay area which are in our price range. It seems to be a more remote anchorage than Rodney Bay which would suit us as Rodney Bay and Castres seems to be an easy commute from Marigot Bay. Our main concern now is schooling for our 12 year old - is there a good secondary school which is open to non - citizens in the Marigot vicinity as we would only move once she get to secondary school at the end of 2021. Thanks once again and all the best.

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LuciaLove2020
  3/2/2020 06:59 EST

Good Day to you!

I sent a response the other day but I think something went wrong as it hasn’t posted. I moved to St. Lucia Sept of last year and have been traveling to the island for the last 6 years. I do not have children so I can not speak to the schools in Marigot, but based on knowing you currently live in Cape Town my suggestion would be to make a trip here for a few weeks splitting your time between Marigot and the north. Marigot is BEAUTIFUL but there really isn’t much going on and you will find far less kids for your son/daughter to connect with.

Also the “commute” between the north and Marigot in a map looks easy......please note it is not a quick one. The roads are twisty and depending on time of day the traffic can be intense.

I love my entire new country, from south to north, but they are very different and I would urge anyone considering moving here to spend some time before making a decision.

Whatever you decide, St. Lucia is a wonderful place to live! It has its challenges for sure, and moving here plus starting a business here has not been an easy road for me at all but I can honestly say I don’t have a SINGLE regret!! PM me if you decide to make a visit and I’m happy to meet up and help in any way I can.

Best of luck!
Tara

bobbyveee
  3/2/2020 09:15 EST

There is a school in Marigot Bay, but not upto much , the decent schools are in the north and two good ones around Castries. But you dont want to live in Castries. You most certainly will need transport , which is expensive as theres approx 60% import duty on vehicles. There are no fast roads , even getting from the airport to Rodney bay takes around 90 mins I think the overall choice of St L is a very good one , but might need fine tuning to fit your 12 yo into a decent school.

SilverSurfer
  3/2/2020 13:02 EST

Thanks so much Tara. I intend to charter one of the Moorings catamarans with some friends which is situated in Rodney Bay in Feb 2021 in order to investigate St Lucia and do a sail down to the Tobago Cays. I will stay in touch and let me know if there is anything else that you feel could be relevant to our possible plans. Go well.

LuciaLove2020
  3/2/2020 13:09 EST

I just want to piggyback on what bobbyvee wrote (Hi Bobbyvee by the way! Have you come for holiday yet?)

As someone who travels from the north to the airport often 90 minutes nowadays is if all the stars and gods align.

I live in Cap Estate and I travel to Marigot often. It’s a 45 min ride if all goes well.. to give you point of reference Cap is only about 10 min north from Rodney Bay.

I stand behind my first post and I really recommend spending a couple weeks in both Marigot and the North. Far too many expats make a move here without ever traveling here first. They get discouraged easily and end up leaving the island quickly. This causes a downward issue in various forms for the island and it’s people. Just my two cents :-)

LuciaLove2020
  3/2/2020 13:14 EST

Oh that’s a fantastic idea!!! I truly believe you will LOVE it here. It’s a special island without a doubt. Just needs some navigating.

I’m not sure how to give you my personal contact info as this forum does not allow, but please feel free to reach out as we get closer to your arrival and I’m happy to help in any way I can. I had wonderful support and help over the years so it’s my turn to pay it forward! My company here is called Emerald Bleu Concierge. You can goggle (as the forum will delete if I list the website) and you can connect with me there as well.
I look forward to meeting you and your family next year....maybe you could give me advice for my dream trip to Africa as well! :-)

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SilverSurfer
  3/2/2020 13:17 EST

Thanks Rob
Is the school you refer to the John Odlum Secondary School and can non - citizens send their children to government schools - is it advisable? I understand that Marigot Bay will be quieter than Rodney Bay which is why we chose it - in Cape Town we live in a small coastal village called Kommetjie and our main interest would be sea activities and looking after and possibly chartering the boat as a business (would we be able to do this?). Are there any other options where we could have a home in a lush setting where we can see where the boat would be moored? Even though it is expensive, if we reside there permanently we would definitely need to purchase a vehicle although I admit that the traffic situation and travelling time sounds hectic and is not ideal. Thanks again and go well. Regards Jeff

SilverSurfer
  3/2/2020 13:26 EST

Thanks to all of you for your friendliness and advice. It is good, sage advice and I will do as you have suggested when I visit in February 2021. All the best.

SilverSurfer
  3/2/2020 13:39 EST

My intention is to do a sailing holiday (school at that time) with some male friends (not the family) which will serve as a preliminary recce in order to assess S.L. as an option. We have travelled quite regularly to the Seychelles which we absolutely love. As we know it and it is only 4 hours flight from S.A., it would be our first choice but you are not permitted to live there without permanent residency which is very difficult to get. S.L. seems to be quite a similar kind of destination and we are presuming that on that basis we would really like it. As far as Africa is concerned, I have travelled quite extensively, understand the continent and will gladly assist you with any questions you may have. All the best and go well.

bobbyveee
  3/2/2020 14:53 EST

Hi Jeff.
I really know very little about the schools except they teach mainly the UK curriculum as many St Lucians go onto uni in the UK. Marigot Bay is very small and very up market lots of multi million dollar homes belonging to the worlds rich and famous, did you know Dr. Doolittle was filmed there. I had Canadian friends with a website for chartering their 42ft yacht, so yes i dont see any reason why you shouldnt , dont know about insurance etc etc I would moor up in Rodney Bay , not the Marina , too expensive , you will meet sailors from all over the world , i meet quite a few from S.Africa who where on their way trans global , A bunch of very knowledgable people. I would start off in Rodney Bay, its easy to get around without a car , taxis are pretty cheap and all you want is there, check out Marigot and others all on the Caribbean coast , nothing on the Atlantic side. Marigot isnt a little village , its a few top end hotels and multi million dollar homes that stay empty most of the yr. Its really a tourist haven and very wealthy yachty haven , its not what i would call family friendly. An exploratory trip will give you a great lay of the land , by the way , medical stuff on St L is excellent Good luck

SilverSurfer
  3/3/2020 04:21 EST

Thanks Rob and everyone else who has contributed to this discussion. I will let you know if and when we do the charter and will follow keenly on the forum in order to learn as much as I can from those who have taken the leap and share their experience. Go well and all the best!!

SilverSurfer
  3/3/2020 04:25 EST

Last question - We have been advised that we can purchase property and simply move to SL permanently with nominal renewal consequences. Apparently you can then apply for your residency after 3 years of permanent residence and your citizenship after 5 years. Can any of you verify this advice. Thanks.

LuciaLove2020
  3/3/2020 06:08 EST

Good Morning Jeff,

I wanted to touch in a few items:

Charter business- as a non-national starting a business here I do have to tell you it is not as easy as one may think. Especially when you are entering into a business that is in direct competition with current Lucian companies. My best advice, get an attorney. And not just any attorney but one with deep connections. I could recommend a couple when you are ready. And know to be PATIENT. There is “no ease of doing business” here. This is a statement you will hear over and over. I never imagined how true that could be until I was actually living here.

Citizen by investment program is good but there is fine print and loop holes. The property “type” is very specific and the buying price needs to be at least 3 million USD. Which is not hard to do in the areas we are speaking about. But the property itself needs to meet certain requirements. These are all things the shiny ads don’t mention lol.

Regardless of the above, you may apply for permanent residency is 2 years as long as you are on island a certain amount of time a year. You may apply for citizenship after 7 years. That’s saying you don’t go the route of property buying.

If you have cash to purchase the property it will be easier. If you need to borrow from a bank, again PATIENCE is key. It will be a process and one you should start well in advance.

Staying on island as a “self employed” individual is fairly easy if you don’t get the charter business up and running right away. Even when you do, you will need to apply for a Trade License and Work Permit. Again the attorney will make this a
Lot easier.
While waiting for those pieces, you will just continue to file for an extension on your visa. It’s just a matter of going to the immigration office in Castries. Patience, a smile and a little humor goes a LONG way at the immigration office. TRUST ME. lol

Please don’t get scared off by any of the above. I wish someone had been this honest with me a year ago. I’m finally through the thick of things but there were times that I felt like I was going mad.

Something as simple as clearly something at customs could drive you to jump off the dock but then you have to take a breath and realize it’s the price for paradise. This thought has helped me through some of the tougher times. (Well that and a glass of St. Lucia’s finest rum :-)

SilverSurfer
  3/3/2020 07:13 EST

Thank you. We do not require the citizenship by investment option as it is very expensive and I don't think we need it. As it would be a permanent move, if we could qualify simply by residing in SL for a certain period that would be our plan . The very good advice we have been given as a family to physically investigate the local environment before considering a move or the purchase of a property makes sense and so the plan is for me to charter through Moorings in Feb. 2021 and take the opportunity to investigate the island. I understand the patience required / island "protectionism" - it is the same in the Seychelles but it is so worth it once you have got it right. We are fortunate as we would not need to immediately earn an income - the charter operation would be more of a passion than a business opportunity which has to be immediately profitable. My experience is that passionate businesses without the financial pressure often fare better. Thank you for your honesty - much appreciated.

bobbyveee
  3/3/2020 12:02 EST

I was on a NCL cruise that was supposed to dock in Castries, but no one was told they were going to tender in and by mid Jan the winds were too high to do that , so all my plans for meetings etc got blown away . Have to arrange a wk down there sometime. Take care Rob

bobbyveee
  3/3/2020 12:05 EST

Hi Jeff
I know the gov. were looking at this a few yrs back. Get intouch with the guys at Bluereefrealestate , they are very upto date on these issues.

SilverSurfer
  3/10/2020 09:09 EST

Thanks Rob.

adamwmaya
  1/8/2021 13:05 EST

Hi, just wondering about your experience a year later. i'm contemplating a move to the Caribbean and St. Lucia is on my list. also, are you in the Vieux Fort area or closer to the Pitons?
thanks

juebag
  2/18/2021 18:41 EST

Firstly I apologize for the late reply I have just seen your message.
We live just outside of vieux fort ( look up laborie and we are not far, maybe 10min away). We can see the pitons from our garden. We are in a small farming community but we are not farmers, great flat land and surrounded by trees.
Do we regret anything NO lol. No coats, jumpers etc we have lived the year in shorts and tshirts.
Everyone so far has been so lovely, and we have made some great friends.
The only thing I would say to you is do your homework and then do it again. I am in touch with a lot of guys who are planning the move so if I can be of any help let me know because it wasn't easy getting info or getting here. Been there a bought the tshirt now ( we are learning something new most days) so honestly ask anything.
Best regards juebag

bobbyveee
  2/18/2021 18:46 EST

Hi Hun. So glad your happy and settled , you truly have gone to an area not too many expats go to , great for the airport LOL. You just cant beat St Lucia wherever you go, take care Rob

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