Checking in - planning to relocate to St. Kitts

As you probably know a large percentage of Bermudians trace their roots to St. Kitts and several that I know have claimed  St. Kitt's citizenship through their parents who had were St. Kitts citizens back when it was a British colony.  They have now built beautiful houses in St. Kitts and spend the winters in St. Kitts and half the year in Bermuda..  You are also familiar with those cold damp winters in Bermuda.  To me, a Canadian, the winters in St. Kitts are perfect.

There is a world of difference between St. Kitts and Bermuda.  You are talking from going from one of the most expensive, highest standards of living in the world to an island with a significantly lower standard of living.  However this means your money goes a lot further.  Everything in Bermuda is neat, well groomed, finished, nicely paved roads and sidewalks, walls and freshly painted stone houses with their brilliant white stone roofs .  St. Kitts is rougher.  However on the plus side, unlike Bermuda, they usually have plenty of fresh water because of the high mountain and its rain forests. 

The expats in Bermuda are made up of a lot of highly paid lawyers, accountants and actuaries serving the several thousand off shore companies in Bermuda who are there for tax reasons.  They are usually Canadians, Brits and Americans on short term permits. The expats in St. Kitts have a much lower profile and are probably from another West Indian island and are more likely to be running small businesses.

St. Kitts is a small, laid back island whose citizens tend to be polite, quiet and proud.  I always feel safe there, as I do in Bermuda.  My wife says it reminds her of the way Bermuda used to be in the fifties and sixties.  It has a few really good restaurants, internet, movie thatres, grocery stores, etc.  The beer and local rum are cheap and good.  Wine is expensive. Sometimes you can't get fresh milk or other things until the container ship arrives.  The medical care and hospital are  good but like Bermuda you may have to go off the island for something serious.  This usually means going to Barbados or Puerto Rico.

Hope this helps you
IAN

Thanks Ian,
Always good to get another's perspective, especially one who is familiar with Bermuda. I do hold a Kittitian passport through my Birthright. My parents did the move to St. Kitts from Bermuda about 20 years ago, my Dad to retire with my step Mom continuing to work for a few more years until she retired. They have both passed now, the bitter sweet legacy left to me is a property there that I have rented out at the moment.
I am a (Bermuda) nationally certified electrician and my wife is a senior manager tax accountant for one of the big four. As you can guess it is a tough choice. We both have good jobs here earning enough to survive in Bermuda, the pull is the chance to live in our own home in St. Kitts & not have to pay a rent in the region of $3000 pm.
I have a lot of home work to do as far as what the job market might have for the both of us, what our earning power might be in St. Kitts, as we will have to work not to mention just the simple task of moving!
Thanks again, I will continue to research and hopefully get a plan together .
   Regards,
   Owen.