[emmyd787]

My husband and I are considering moving to this area to raise our family. We are a young family and therefore looking for a "family-friendly" community with good schools to raise our children. After exploring Charlotte a little bit during our most recent visit to the area last week we decided to add it to our list of possibilities. My husband is a Physician Assistant so we liked the fact that this was in an area close to one of the major health clinics/hospitals. We also liked that each home we saw seemed to have a few acres with it. Can anyone offer any first hand advice on this area? I'd like to know more about the school systems (I've read a few reviews on the school systems in VT in general that aren't too promising). I'd also like to know what the people in this town are like, as well as the affordability of living here, buying a home or possibly buying land and building a home. Does it feel like a safe community and are there local activities to get involved in as a family? We're also considering Woodstock (another town we've grown fond of during our visits) since it's near to the DHMC. But I keep leaning towards Charlotte because you really can't beat living right near that beautiful lake! Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated and very helpful!

[flu189]

Both are nice communities and both are considered more high end in terms of the volume of expensive homes. Charlotte as pointed out allows access to Lake Champlain and the Burlington area as well as skiing opportunities within an hour away. Woodstock is smaller, but gives access to the Upper Valley hub of Lenanon-Hanover. IMO, Woostock and environs would require more money to live in, but this also relative to personal housing and lifestyle preferences. To decide between the two (and surrounding towns) you really need to do a gut check and research the costs involved, especially property taxes for the type of home you are seeking. For many the cost of living takes a toll and diminishes dreams, but then for some the cost of living is bearable. Too many personal variables in the equation that need to be addressed, so just schedule trips and check out as much you can. The internet also provides numerous data sources as well for research, contrast, and comparison.

[jtowne]

As a resident Charlotter, I can tell you that this is a lovely and safe place to live, but it is a very expensive town. Charlotte used to be a large farming community, but over the years has become more of a wealthy bedroom community to Burlington with fewer and fewer farms each year. Because of its proximity to the lake and Burlington, home prices start in the high 200s for anything other than a mobile home, and you'll spend twice as much if not more to buy a plot and build. (That might not sound like a lot of money to some in New England, but when you factor in the low pay for most jobs here, housing becomes a real issue.) The biggest problem with Charlotte in my opinion is that the property taxes are extremely high, but sadly this is a problem facing all VT communities. The town has no police and uses volunteer fire and rescue, so the bulk of our taxes go to the schools. We have very good schools, but we pay dearly for them through our property taxes.

The reason for the acreage that you've noticed (most homes are set on 5+ acres) is that there is no town water or sewer. Most of the zoning is 5 or 10 acres to accomodate a well and septic system (the water here is a whole other story entirely - lots of hydrogen sulfites so it's smelly). Don't get me wrong, though: I love my house and Charlotte very much, but it's just getting too expensive to continue living here given the dearth of good paying jobs, which is one reason we're thinking of moving. And the winters are long and cold. If you don't ski or snowshoe, you're going to have a hard time coping with five+ months of cold and darkness.

As far at the character of the town, Charlotte is a small, tight knit community. I don't have children so I'm not as connected to the townspeople as others with kids are, but the people that I do know are very nice and down to earth. The town even has a party every year in the middle of July as a fundraiser for the library and fire/rescue departments that most everyone attends. Since you have children, you probably will have a much easier time meeting other folks. I've lived in my house for 5 years and just met one of my neighbors the other day for the first time. Acreage does have its drawbacks in terms of getting to know the neighbors.

Good luck with your decision. If you like winter, have enough $ to buy a house, and pay the taxes in Charlotte, you won't be disappointed.

[Alt Dach]

Originally Posted by jtowne

As a resident Charlotter, I can tell you that this is a lovely and safe place to live, but it is a very expensive town. Charlotte used to be a large farming community, but over the years has become more of a wealthy bedroom community to Burlington with fewer and fewer farms each year. Because of its proximity to the lake and Burlington, home prices start in the high 200s for anything other than a mobile home, and you'll spend twice as much if not more to buy a plot and build. (That might not sound like a lot of money to some in New England, but when you factor in the low pay for most jobs here, housing becomes a real issue.) The biggest problem with Charlotte in my opinion is that the property taxes are extremely high, but sadly this is a problem facing all VT communities. The town has no police and uses volunteer fire and rescue, so the bulk of our taxes go to the schools. We have very good schools, but we pay dearly for them through our property taxes.

The reason for the acreage that you've noticed (most homes are set on 5+ acres) is that there is no town water or sewer. Most of the zoning is 5 or 10 acres to accomodate a well and septic system (the water here is a whole other story entirely - lots of hydrogen sulfites so it's smelly). Don't get me wrong, though: I love my house and Charlotte very much, but it's just getting too expensive to continue living here given the dearth of good paying jobs, which is one reason we're thinking of moving. And the winters are long and cold. If you don't ski or snowshoe, you're going to have a hard time coping with five+ months of cold and darkness.



Good luck with your decision. If you like winter, have enough $ to buy a house, and pay the taxes in Charlotte, you won't be disappointed.

A truly brillant post jtown. A great summing up of Vermont in general and Burlington area in general.Those of us native Vermonters who grew up
in the dairy farmer/woodsman culture of the 30's and 40's bemoan the passing of that time and place ,but it is gone forever.
The problem NOW is that the gap between wages and cost of living has to the greatest in the country. People who have money are fine,those who have to work are out of luch for the most part.

[emmyd787]

I greatly appreciate all your input! We haven't made any ultimate decisions about the area as of yet but the information you have all provided will really help us in the process. That's one of the things I've grown to love about Vermont so far, the people are always so helpful and seem to treat everyone with respect. I live near Philly in PA and that general hospitality is hard to come by at times in these parts. Anyway, thanks again