What exactly do I own?
One-eighth of the shares in a company established for one villa. That company holds the villa and its freehold land, and is the registered owner in the public land registry. Your shares are delivered by a civil-law notary.
Can I sell my share?
Yes. Your share is transferable to a buyer of your choosing, at a price you agree, with the transfer handled by the notary. Co-owners are informed first.
Do I pay transfer tax?
No. Tax on the acquisition of real estate was settled by the villa company when it bought the land and the villa. You acquire shares, on which no such tax is due.
What is the maintenance reserve?
A fund held by the villa company for future repairs and replacements, so that a new roof or a new kitchen never comes as a surprise bill. It is seeded at purchase and topped up through the monthly contribution.
What if I want more than six weeks?
Acquire a second eighth, in the same villa or another. Each eighth carries six weeks, and the weeks are yours to combine.
Can I rent out my weeks?
Yes, through the resort’s rental program. Half of the net rental income goes to the owners. It is optional.
What happens if a co-owner stops paying?
The shareholders’ agreement sets out what happens, step by step, so that the other seven owners are protected. We walk you through it before you sign.
How long can I stay on the island each year?
Americans and Dutch nationals may spend up to 180 days a year on St. Eustatius without a permit, which is what makes a long winter here practical. For Canadians and for Europeans other than the Dutch, the rule is 90 days within any 180-day period. If you want to be on the island longer than that, there is a route for it; ask us and we will walk you through what it involves.
How do I get there?
Through St. Maarten or St. Kitts, and then one short flight. Both islands are served by direct flights from the larger cities in the United States and Canada, so the long leg is an ordinary route rather than an expedition. From St. Maarten, Winair flies to Statia in about twenty minutes; from St. Kitts, FlyDCI flies the same short hop. The resort driver meets you at the airport.
Can I leave my share to my children?
Yes. Your shares pass to your heirs like any other asset, and the transfer is handled by the notary. Nothing in the co-ownership structure limits that, and your heirs step into the same six weeks a year. Several buyers see this as part of the point: a house on the island that stays in the family without one generation carrying the whole cost.
Who are the other seven owners, and how are decisions made?
You will know them. Eight owners to a villa is small enough that everyone is a name rather than a number, and we are careful about who joins a villa. The villa company is professionally managed on the owners’ behalf, so day-to-day matters — maintenance, the garden, insurance, the reserve — are handled without a committee. The larger decisions are set out in the shareholders’ agreement, which you receive before you sign.
What does a year actually cost me?
One monthly contribution of USD 650 for the Luxury Villa, or USD 700 for the Supreme, which covers property taxes, insurance, the resort fee, garden, pool, and villa maintenance, professional management, and the reserve for the villa and its inventory. On top of that, cleaning is charged per visit and utilities at local rates, so you pay only for the weeks you are there. There is no separate annual bill and no assessment out of the blue; that is what the reserve is for.
Are the villas built for hurricanes?
Yes, and beyond what the code requires. The mandatory standard here is category 5; Sea Feather Estate is built above it. Walls and roof are solid concrete, five centimeters — about two inches — thicker than the norm, and the rest of the villa is engineered in the same spirit rather than to the minimum.
Can I finance the purchase?
Please ask us; we will tell you what we know about the options.
