For a realtor - Maria at Blue Reef Realty is fantastic.
Vehicle Purchase - Yes, you can buy a vehicle ... the toughest part will be bringing your money into the country. You will need to set up an account here and wire transfer the money down (which you have to do in person at your home bank) or bring bank drafts, which can take up to 6 weeks to clear (even thought the money is already out of your account) ... can you sense a bit of frustration with the banking system :-) . The manager of the car dealership helped to expedite the clearing of our drafts, but it still took 3 weeks.
Crime Rate - we live about 5 minutes north of Castries (the capital city), sandwiched between the beach and the highway and other than some petty theft (garden hoses & garden chairs) we haven't had any issues. The new hoses and chairs get brought in at night now, and we have a big dog which is a great deterrant. There are some issues with drug related violence, but it is generally isolated between the police and those groups.Â
Hope this helps,
Danielle