The first time we saw the crystal clear blue Caribbean Ocean, we fell in love. Each year we tried to visit a different island and each year we fell deeper in love. I jokingly told Bob that the stork had dropped me in the wrong spot. I should have been dropped on an island. Our one week vacations turned into two weeks, than 3 weeks, never seeming to be long enough. We definitely had sand in our shoes and dreamed of someday actually living under the third palm tree on your right.
After weighing the pros and cons of island living, we decided to actively pursue looking at Caribbean real estate. We found a cruise that visited four of our favorite islands and began evaluating each island for our new home. Emailing realtors, we set up appointments at each port.
At St Maarten, Arun Jagtiani picked us up near the cruise ship terminal. Little did we know that Arun would be the real estate agent to make our “wild dreams” come true. He spent the entire day with us, carefully listening to our likes and dislikes until he felt comfortable in knowing exactly what we were looking for. That day we fell in love with St Maarten and Arun.
Arun stayed in close contact with us over the next two months, keeping us apprised of all of the new homes on the market. When he asked us to return to the island, we immediately booked a flight. He had found six homes that met all or most of our requirements and had emailed us pictures and pertinent information on each of them so we’d be better prepared when we arrived on the island. As he showed us the properties, it was apparent that he had really listened to us because he knew exactly what we would like and dislike about each home. He helped to make a difficult decision easier by providing information about closing fees, insurance, and even shipping costs.
We decided on the home that was still under construction. Arun would occasionally pass by and take pictures of the progress to send us. He even measured the windows and doors for us so that we could purchase furniture in the states. Approximately 5 months later, our house was complete and we moved to the island, thinking what have we done?
We knew no one except for Arun, who we now consider part of our family. He not only found our dream home, but helped us adjust to island living. He explained that everything gets done but not today, not tomorrow, but sometime in the future. He also told us the best way to meet people was to volunteer. We have made friends from both sides of the island by volunteering for the Heineken Regatta, the Mega Yacht Show, the Classic Regatta, and even beach clean-ups.
Our neighbors are originally from all over the world including Canada, Holland, France, Germany, Belgium, Russia, South Africa, England, and of course, the USA. This makes for a unique holiday schedule, especially when you roll in St Maarten’s holidays. It seems as though we’re celebrating every week.
People often ask us why we picked St Maarten. That’s easy -- the friendly people. Having two separate countries sharing an island is unique with each side having it’s own government, set of laws, electricity, and way of life. Next is its beautiful beaches. Orient Beach is one of the top ten beaches in the world. Kon Tiki is our favorite spot, where beach boys Marco and Jordan spoil us with fine cuisine and ice cold drinks. Equally impressive is Pinel Island , accessible only by boat, with no public electricity, and a little more secluded, where Karibuni will tantalize you with 5 star dining. Let’s not forget the hundreds of gourmet restaurants on both the French and Dutch sides that turn dinners into a gastronomical event. St Maarten is known as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, as our family and friends from the states can attest to with each trip to the island.
Living our “dream” is better than we ever imagined it could be. Trading in a snow shovel, winter coats, and boots for a bathing suit didn’t take much convincing. Adjusting to island life was much easier than anticipated. We cherish our family and friends from the states and our new found friends on the island that have made our lives so much fuller. We are very proud to say that when we refer to home, we refer to St Maarten