Can a US citizen buy property in the US Virgin Islands?

Yes. The US Virgin Islands is a United States territory, so US citizens buy here without the restrictions that apply to buying in a foreign country.

What is a cistern, and why does it matter here?

A house on St. Thomas is built up from its cistern. It is essentially a flooded basement that collects and stores rainwater for the household to use. You get careful with it fast, because running dry means buying water in, at close to $500 a truckload.

Why is building on St. Thomas expensive?

The island is finite and nobody is making more of it. On top of that, everything a house is made of arrives by boat, down to the nails and the paint, and that shows up in the price of any build here.

Do you use title companies in the U.S. Virgin Islands?

Buying or selling in the USVI works much like it does stateside, with one real difference: escrow and representation. As a general rule, title companies do not hold escrow or close transactions here. Buyers and sellers each choose a local real estate attorney to represent them. Curreri & Company can provide a list of recommendations.

Do you work on St. John?

Yes. We can show you both islands, so tell us what you are looking for and we will show you what is there. And when someone who knows St. John cold would serve you better than we would, we will say so and refer you to them. St. Thomas is where we live and work.

What are the downsides of owning on St. Thomas?

The cost of living is real, the power goes out, and recovery after a storm is slow. Those are the parts people find out later if nobody tells them, and none of them change the beauty of the place or the value of knowing it from the inside.

St. Thomas Real Estate

Find your place in the Virgin Islands

Homes, condos, estate parcels, and raw land on St. Thomas and across the US Virgin Islands. What is actually available changes week to week, and we would rather tell you the truth about it than post a stale page. Call or email us for current availability.

2 bed 2 bath Great Northside

Ocean · Water

See the details

Search every active listing on the island

Listing data from the St. Thomas Board of REALTORS MLS, last updated September 15, 2026.

What we sell

Four kinds of property, one island

Botany Bay estate parcels

Multi-acre estate parcels inside a private preserve at the west end. Timing matters here more than browsing.

More about Botany Bay

Homes

Since 1999, we've shown it all, listed it all, and sold it all, from fixer-uppers with good bones to multi-million dollar villas with the finest finishes. Whether you're looking for a family home, a primary residence, a private retreat, or an investment property, you're getting two brokers who know this island and know this market. No handoffs, no junior agents. Just us. Interested in St John? We can show you both islands or refer you to the best Brokers who know St John flat.

Condos

A great many of the beaches here are ringed by condo developments, popular with both residents and visitors. If you like people and hate to garden, this is your place in the sun. They are the simplest way to own here: lock it, leave it, come back.

Raw land

Raw land is still available for purchase. Be advised that by the time you finish with plans and permitting and hire a contractor, you can be looking at one to three years depending on size and scope. We would rather you hear that from us now than find it out later.

Before you buy

What owning here actually involves

Cisterns, prevailing winds, road access, what the sun does to a west-facing terrace at four in the afternoon, which contractors finish and which ones do not. None of that shows up on a listing sheet.

The answers below come from Lisa and Rosie, out of closing transactions on this island since 1999 rather than out of a brochure.

Who you will be working with

An honest note

If you are buying as an investment

Ask us the hard questions first. We will walk you through the real cost of island ownership, from insurance and upkeep to power and management, and what the current short-term rental rules allow, before you wire a dollar. A good investment starts with a clear-eyed one.

Can a US citizen buy property in the US Virgin Islands?: Yes. The US Virgin Islands is a United States territory, so US citizens buy here without the restrictions that apply to buying in a foreign country.
What is a cistern, and why does it matter here?: A house on St. Thomas is built up from its cistern. It is essentially a flooded basement that collects and stores rainwater for the household to use. You get careful with it fast, because running dry means buying water in, at close to $500 a truckload.
Why is building on St. Thomas expensive?: The island is finite and nobody is making more of it. On top of that, everything a house is made of arrives by boat, down to the nails and the paint, and that shows up in the price of any build here.
Do you use title companies in the U.S. Virgin Islands?: Buying or selling in the USVI works much like it does stateside, with one real difference: escrow and representation. As a general rule, title companies do not hold escrow or close transactions here. Buyers and sellers each choose a local real estate attorney to represent them. Curreri & Company can provide a list of recommendations.
Do you work on St. John?: Yes. We can show you both islands, so tell us what you are looking for and we will show you what is there. And when someone who knows St. John cold would serve you better than we would, we will say so and refer you to them. St. Thomas is where we live and work.
What are the downsides of owning on St. Thomas?: The cost of living is real, the power goes out, and recovery after a storm is slow. Those are the parts people find out later if nobody tells them, and none of them change the beauty of the place or the value of knowing it from the inside.

The longer version is in the Journal: types of housing in the US Virgin Islands .

Current availability

Call or email for current availability

Tell us what you are looking for. We will tell you what is on the market, what is coming, and what is not worth the trip.

Call Lisa Curreri at 340.690.2910 or Call Rosie Nichols at 340.642.8981 . All the ways to reach us