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We are considering purchasing a home for sale in Charlotte in one of those neighborhoods that have an HSA fee, etc, but I have some hesitations from some of the things I hear from people about the exclusivity of the area. One person said, "Oh, they'll accept you, you have professional degrees." I asked another person and they jokingly turned up their nose, and yet another person told me her friend calls parents in that area the "Mummy mommies" as a joke.
So what's the deal? The people there seem very friendly, and there's great views and access to hiking etc. but there does seem to be a bit of the "gated community" vibe without the gates.
I don't want to move someplace I am going to have to constantly feel weird class pressure. I'm from a blue-collar working class background, but we have plenty of white collar "intellectual capital" and are professionals. However, we dress down most of the time and drive old cars because they still work. My spouse can ignore these kinds of things, but I can't, so I'm a little hesitant to purchase a place there because this is where we plan on staying until our kids are grown and I'm not sure if it's a place I would feel at home.
Haha...that's a good summary of what I keep seeing folks say. Like how is it snobby, specifically? Am I going to get the "eye" if I drive a 98 Corolla? They certainly do price out anyone who doesn't make a certain amount per year based on the home prices.
I like Charlotte. Yes...it is one of the wealthier towns in Vermont but rest assured there are some very salt of the earth people there. We actually considered Charlotte but quickly realized we could get more for our money elsewhere.
Are you planning on coming up to visit? Charlotte has a very rural feel...if you are looking for something more suburban feeling you'll want to look in Shelburne, South Burlington etc.
There's a lot of that "keeping up with the Jones" culture there. I've encountered a lot of smug arrogance from the people there. People who think they are better than others and know better than others. You'll see more high-dollar vehicles than most other towns. More expensive houses. Sure there are some "normal" people there but I'd look elsewhere if that sort of culture isn't what you're after. There are too many other nicer towns in VT where you get more for your money anyways to waste any time or money there IMHO.
I totally get why Charlotte is not for everyone. I know people I grew up with in the NEK wouldn't like it there. Different strokes for different folks. I hope the OP will get a chance to visit before purchasing!
There are some really great people in Charlotte and it is not all big money or trust-funders (some of whom are perfectly nice, normal people). Yes, there are million dollar homes directly on the lake but that is also true in Shelburne, South Burlington, and Burlington itself. Charlotte covers a large geographic area. There is East Charlotte, away from the lake, i.e., "in-land" toward Hinesburg. They do the tractor parade and have the Spear Corners store and gas station. We thought about moving there because, as a smaller community (in terms of total population), there is more true community feel than the McBurbia of South Burlington (or so several friends and acquaintances in Charlotte seem to feel). The school is well-regarded; there is a nice public library; good post office. Charlotte Congregational Church is thriving. Not sure if it's still operating but there was the "Pizza on Earth" farm/pizza place in summer time a few years ago. On the other hand, it adds more time to your commute if you are working in Burlington & you will be driving a little farther for amenities. Unless you live right near the Old Brick Store area or Spear Corners, you will be driving for everything. That is the trade-off. One friend in Charlotte said he doesn't care about having access to a gym because he does so much outside (lots of easily accessible outdoor space and breathing room from your neighbors).
As "VTer" alludes to, some Charlotte sellers & their realtors do, however, believe their town merits a massive premium over the rest of Chittenden County and are not living in reality. We actually made an offer over 2 years ago in Charlotte that was rejected and the sellers tried to get us in a bidding war. They went with another offer that fell through, based on obvious inspection items that I had already factored into our offer. The house then sat on the market for 2 more years before selling for price $3,000 more than our offer. Seller, who had already moved out-of-state, lost much more in that they of course paid property taxes, heat, & basic maintenance during that 2 year period.
I like Charlotte. Yes...it is one of the wealthier towns in Vermont but rest assured there are some very salt of the earth people there....
Thanks! We've been up quite a few times at this point and have looked at homes and neighborhoods in a number of towns outside of Burlington. We've been through Charlotte and stopped places there, talked to people etc. as we've also done in Richmond, Underhill, Shelburne, Hinesburg and Jericho, so we're not coming at this blind. I'm just ultra sensitive about class issues and social justice and am wondering if I have enough tolerance for some of the exclusivity I see there, which really is not nearly as bad as other places I've been (think gated communities in Memphis TN), but it is there.
The house then sat on the market for 2 more years before selling for price $3,000 more than our offer. Seller, who had already moved out-of-state, lost much more in that they of course paid property taxes, heat, & basic maintenance during that 2 year period.
Interesting! We are finding that people do try to sell very old homes in Charlotte for nearly the prices of new homes..then they languish on the market for a while until they come down on their price.
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Yep, we've visited
