[sukiecw]

Hi,

I posted earlier about thinking about moving to VT. However the reality of the job market in VT makes me very scared even with a good nest egg, especially with two kids.

So my next best option to having a little bit of what I want is to buy a vacation home for our school breaks and summers in VT.

But I want an area that I can still feel like a part of the community. Where we won't be looked at like "those NY'ers" because we want to be VT'ers but can't afford to.

I would like an area with good water access and good places for kids to do things in the summer.

Any suggestions, I still can only afford something around 250K .

Any comments about Cabot, VT? There was a lovely house on a lake for only 219K, my jaw dropped at the sight of that one. Beautiful 3 bedroom, a little rustic yes, but 2 bathrooms, and huge working barn, dock on the pond, all on 10 acres.

[flu189]

There are possibilities in virtually all parts of the state, however, melding into community might be hard to predict until you have actually been in the area. It might be prudent to perhaps rent a couple of times in different locales and use that time to get a feel for the region. To buy and then have to pay for the upkeep and taxes and then perhaps find out the area or property fails to meet expectations could be very well a costly proposition. The general rule as in any other state is that the more ammenities that are in the area the more you will pay. Make sure before you pay that the features are really worth the money. Can't really comment on Cabot as I have never spent any time there.

[tkln]

I would agree with Flu - I think your best bet is to rent for a while in different areas and get a feel for different towns...buying something outright without knowing the area could be great, or it could be a disaster. Not to mention buying a house brings on a whole slew of responsibilities financially...we own a condo, so we have the management there to handle problems (and we've had our share), makes things a lot easier when owning from out of state.

[GypsySoul22]

This area (Upper Valley) is full of tourists. As far as melting into the community, I have no idea. We've lived here 6 months and still feel a bit apart but we don't have time to hang out and meet folks (making money, looking for work, weird work schedules and weather all contribute to it.).

People here are nice but not overtly. We're from NY but haven't heard any rude comments, though everyone assumed we were 'loaded' (what a joke) because we were from NY. A lot of second home owners are resented because they jack up the costs in Vermont. We only rent and I think everyone finally realizes we aren't the typical 'loaded' NY or MA person.

If you own a second home you can live in 'tourist land' and associate with others of that ilk, I guess. At least that's how it is here.

[flu189]

It's kind of funny when the topic of the us vs them meaning outsiders comes up. I got this guy at work, actually a few, that pretty much assign the blame for our freewheeling tax and spend mentality on the "Mass flatlanders". Well, to me it actually seems that if there is any truth to frivilous spenders it would be the NY/NJ crowd. Now, don't get mad at me as I am a native NYer myself and never been into money and short of a miracle will never be. I just find it amusing that rather than realize that your own local towns people do you in on spending it seems easy to just blame the "outsider". From almost three years here now I have found a distinct fatalist apathy amongst many of the "locals" meaning that they have basically resigned themselves to the reality that the money pit is just almost as natural as the weather and change of seasons. It does appear that a well organized minority does in fact run the state and while yes a probable majority hail from outside, rather than acting many will just grumble "flatlander" and just shrug their shoulders. An interesting piece regarding the town meeting and some of its myths appeared on the vermonttiger website the other day for those that may be interested. Not trying to downgrade the value of the town meeting and it's history, but the aura of it and it's relavance to the population as a whole is a bit lets say over sentimentalized.

[GypsySoul22]

When you guys keep mentioning "town meeting" I picture Gilmore Girls...Taylor running it while a bunch of folksy local sit around chewing the fat about who is sleeping with who and how so and so wants to ruin the local inn...

I think most 'towns' have the same problem, Flu. A few folks run things (vocal and busybodies or maybe they are just 'active' with their agendas). The rest of the people are apathetic. No one likes to commit to anything. No one wants to really be blamed. So they let the bossy ones take over.

Or maybe the hard workers with vision are too busy at their jobs trying to survive here.

I wish some of this money would make it into the local libraries.

[Lilybeans]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

I wish some of this money would make it into the local libraries.

That's why you have to go to the town meeting.