[ILoveJoJo]

Hello there,

My partner and I are planning some weekend discovery trips (from VT) as we try to find a new home and would really appreciate some initial feedback to narrow down the field a bit. Neither of us need to commute anywhere, find jobs, or be near good schools. I'm 51 and he's 60 (gulp - how did that happen?!). Apologies in advance if any of the below is entirely unrealistic, and thanks in advance for your help!


BASICS
- Property purchase budget - max of $650k
- Min 3 acres (prefer more - we have chickens/ducks and (possibly) 2 horses. Understand if we get to enjoy being near the coast, we may have to sacrifice space
- Private well (not city water)
- Property with a pond, spring, or stream or on a lake
- If rural, neighbors not in sight
- If coastal, as much privacy as poss (so you're not staring at each other across the fence!)
- Close to an aesthetically pleasing village/town for groceries/pubs/farmer's market etc.


WE LIKE:
We think we'd be happy near the coast or in the backwoods. We appreciate small-scale, organic/regen farmers/communities/markets, mom & pop stores and natural markets, live music, medical freedom or at least tolerance/understanding of it/differing opinions, resiliency and community (people helping each other), aesthetically pleasing villages/towns.


WE'RE NOT KEEN ON:
Box stores/strip malls/chains. Heavily populated/noisy areas with lots of traffic (understand summers on the coast might be an exception to this rule).

Thanks again!

[The_Quiet_One]

I'd look at the CT River Valley south of Middletown. Specifically: Essex, East Haddam, Chester, Deep River. That area is sort of a mix of coastal and backwoods. There are multiple cute village centers.

Another area would be in the vicinity of Litchfield. That's not coastal but has the rest of what you're looking for. Check out New Hartford specifically because I think that will fit a lot of your criteria.

[nico7]

Towns that come to mind are East Hampton, East Haddam, Killingworth, Woodstock, Pomfret, and North Stonington. Your lot size and any body of water are going to be limiting factors, so the town itself probably should not dictate which property you buy, although you might rule something out if you don't like a given area. If looking in North Stonington, avoid the western boundary at Route 2 with Ledyard, where Foxwoods Casino is located.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by nico7

Towns that come to mind are East Hampton, East Haddam, Killingworth, Woodstock, Pomfret, and North Stonington. Your lot size and any body of water are going to be limiting factors, so the town itself probably should not dictate which property you buy, although you might rule something out if you don't like a given area. If looking in North Stonington, avoid the western boundary at Route 2 with Ledyard, where Foxwoods Casino is located.

What’s wrong with the western side of North Stonington? A family member lived on Wintechog Hill for decades and loved it. They only left because they got an offer they couldn’t refuse from the Mashantucket Pequots. They bought a number of properties in the area for activities. Still doesn’t mean it’s a bad area if something becomes available. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by ILoveJoJo

Hello there,

My partner and I are planning some weekend discovery trips (from VT) as we try to find a new home and would really appreciate some initial feedback to narrow down the field a bit. Neither of us need to commute anywhere, find jobs, or be near good schools. I'm 51 and he's 60 (gulp - how did that happen?!). Apologies in advance if any of the below is entirely unrealistic, and thanks in advance for your help!


BASICS
- Property purchase budget - max of $650k
- Min 3 acres (prefer more - we have chickens/ducks and (possibly) 2 horses. Understand if we get to enjoy being near the coast, we may have to sacrifice space
- Private well (not city water)
- Property with a pond, spring, or stream or on a lake
- If rural, neighbors not in sight
- If coastal, as much privacy as poss (so you're not staring at each other across the fence!)
- Close to an aesthetically pleasing village/town for groceries/pubs/farmer's market etc.


WE LIKE:
We think we'd be happy near the coast or in the backwoods. We appreciate small-scale, organic/regen farmers/communities/markets, mom & pop stores and natural markets, live music, medical freedom or at least tolerance/understanding of it/differing opinions, resiliency and community (people helping each other), aesthetically pleasing villages/towns.


WE'RE NOT KEEN ON:
Box stores/strip malls/chains. Heavily populated/noisy areas with lots of traffic (understand summers on the coast might be an exception to this rule).

Thanks again!

The problem may be finding a rural community with a natural food market. Most of those tend to be in larger towns. That said you could look in the beautiful lower Connecticut River Valley. There’s a great natural food market in Middletown. Towns like Hadaam, East Hadaam, Chester, Lyme, Deep River and Essex are beautiful small towns with lots to offer.

Another area you might want to consider is the more rural communities in the Farmington River Valley west of Hartford. Avon has both a Whole Foods and a Fresh Market for natural foods. Towns you might want to consider are Canton, Harwinton, Barkhamsted, Burlington and New Hartford.

Then there’s Litchfield County which is a beautiful mostly rural part of the state. There are a number of smaller natural food stores around the county. It might work as well. Jay

[RogerAnthony]

I'd recommend Woodbury. It comes in at your price point, has plenty of houses with 3 acres, has a natural food store, forbids chain stores, and fits other criteria as well.

[okbymeman]

Originally Posted by RogerAnthony

I'd recommend Woodbury. It comes in at your price point, has plenty of houses with 3 acres, has a natural food store, forbids chain stores, and fits other criteria as well.

Except for that ugly, out-of-place Dollar General they built here for some reason.

[WestRiverTraveler]

North Guilford and North Madison might be worth a look. Guilford has a natural food store and minimal chain stores. Madison has none. Guilford in particular is very rural up by the Durham border. I'm on 1.5 acres and have a stream almost in my backyard. I think there are some back lots around that have 3 acres or more.

[CTartist]

I have a suggestion for you. I am originally from Stamford which is close to NYC and the opposite of a farming community. I know a lot of people from the Stamford area who have moved to the Middletown, Durham & Middlefield area. "TheQuietOne" mentioned this area in post #2. They move up there because it is a farming community area. Litchfield County is beautiful, but you are competing with a lot of wealthy New Yorkers who live there. You won't get as much for your money in Fairfield and Litchfield counties in the way of farmland becuase it is close to NYC.

You might even look in the northern parts of Madison and Guilford which is in that area too. Madsion and Guilford are coastal towns and have beaches. The northern parts of Madison and Guilford and very far from the coast so the larger properties are much cheaper.

This page shows you the farming/equestrian communities. Scroll down.....you need to click on the plus button "+" after the Farm and Equestrian Communities.
https://www.williampitt.com/lifestyl...ch-real-estate

Here is something on the Durham County Fair. I bet if you go to the Durham County Fair you can talk to a lot of people who can point you in the right direction as to what you are looking or in CT. Here is the date: September 22–25, 2022.
https://www.durhamfair.com/index

Guilford has the Foodworks Market which is kind of like a Whole Foods on a much smaller scale.
https://www.foodworksnaturalmarket.com

[CTartist]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

North Guilford and North Madison might be worth a look. Guilford has a natural food store and minimal chain stores. Madison has none. Guilford in particular is very rural up by the Durham border. I'm on 1.5 acres and have a stream almost in my backyard. I think there are some back lots around that have 3 acres or more.

I didn't realize you were in Guilford. I thought you were a lot further east on the coastline.