2022 Real Estate Year in Review

The market remains healthy after a busy year in 2022.

With 2021 flexing as the biggest year in real estate on St John, we wondered how 2022 might do.  Turns out, the market remains healthy and 2022 carried on the steady stable trend we have seen for decades on St John.   While 2021 was likely an anomaly year seeing 117 closings at a higher average price, 2022 turned out to be the 2nd highest on record.  Seventy-nine homes sold on St John in 2022 with an average price of $1.55 Million.  If any of you have had a chance to talk with me about the St John real estate market, one thing I have consistently advised on is that the factors here produce a dependably steady and stable market.  We are not subject to huge upswings or down turns like the volatility you see in many markets in the United States.  If you look at the trend curves they are nearly straight lines.

This stability is due to, but not limited to, a couple of unique things on St. John:

1.     The Virgin Islands National Park being the biggest land holder and therefore protecting the natural beauty of the island from over development.

2.     The fact that our market is not under any pressure for people who HAVE to buy or HAVE to sell.

3.     The undeniably strong demand for travel to St John as one of the top tropical destinations in the world year after year.  We were surprised to find that 2022 was somehow able to beat out 2021 in short term rental income, but it did so handily with our owners enjoying the extra income while still coming to visit their lovely homes during prime weeks.

 

In investing, what you want is steady slow growth.  Of course, it’s lovely to hit the jackpot and cash in on quick gains, but long term is the best way to look at real estate investing and the long look on St John is predictably bright (and sunny).

We discussed homes above, but the land market did not care about 2021’s banner year and just went ahead and beat it.  I expect to see a lot of new gorgeous homes built in the next 24 months.  Check out this amazing lot we have listed with views over the dramatic Reef Bay Valley and to the North over Maho Bay!

We have a few select weeks left for winter and summer 2023 and next winter 2024 are filling up fast.

Check out our diverse inventory of stunning vacation rentals on St John and book your next stay with us easily online with just a few clicks.

St John Real Estate Market Conditions

The Real Estate Market on St John is ACTIVE.  I have been out showing quite often lately.  Buyers are from across the spectrum; People looking for retirement homes, people looking for investment vacation rental property who might do a 1031 exchange, locals looking for a homestead, buyers looking to re-locate to the Virgin Islands, land speculators.   This among a mini boom in construction meant it was time to get some statistics to quantify the feel of the market.

The Facts

There are 156 homes currently on the market.  Average listing price is $2.011 Million

In the last 12 months, 42 homes on St John sold at an average of $1.023 Million.   

Compare this with when the market was slowest; the same period May 2, 2010 - May 2, 2011 when 21 homes sold for an average price of $1.4 Million

Average Price, Number of Sales and Percentage of Sales Price for Sold Homes on St John between May 2, 2003 and May 2, 2016

 

What we are seeing is two main important factors.

  1. The average sales price is near its low point over the last 12 years
  2. The number of sales transactions is on the rise, in fact has doubled since the low point on the market if looking at volume.  

What does this mean for the market?  What I see on the ground is playing out on paper.  There are deals to be had, and buyers to take them.  Ultimately, there is currently 3 years of inventory of homes for sale on St John.  What we can expect is that, if buyers keep taking advantage of deals, as we are seeing with near bottom end average sales prices, inventory will dwindle, which will drive up prices and demand.  You can not build the homes people are buying for their sales price!  So when people ask me if there are any deals, I affirmatively can say YES.  There are deals and they wont last if the market continues this trend.

Now, a lot of buyers are not in the $1 Million range.  To be clear, 20 of the 42 homes sold in the last year were under $750K, and 12 of those were under $500K. 

Serious buyers should be prepared with financing and allow a licensed realtor such as myself answer all of their questions.  Reach out today to let me set you up with a MLS portal so that you can scan St John Real Estate Listings on your own

Jared Warren
Associate Broker    
Re/Max Island Paradise Realty, Inc.
PO Box 646
St John, VI 00830-0646
Cell Phone -  (340) 626-8229
Office Phone - (340) 775-0949
jwarren@remax.net
Www.stjohnhomesandvillas.com

Treasurer - St John Board of Realtors

Voted "BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY ON ST. JOHN 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015"