[organick]

so does everyone agree that a 200 k budget wont put us in the market anywhere in vt for a modest but not crappy house with 2+ acres. Anywhere with possibilty for a psychologist to work?? If this is true than vt is really getting expensive like the northeast. Thanks for the input.

[vter]

I would contact a realtor in the areas you are considering and speak with them. Or go to realtor.com and plug in some towns with your price criteria and see what you find. You might be able find some properties in your price range up in Franklin County (St. Albans/Swanton area). St. Albans is about a 1/2 hour commute, Swanton 45 minutes to greater Burlington. YOu should be able to find properties in your price range in the Northeast Kingdom (St.J/Lyndon area or Newport) but job opportunities are not prevelant in those areas.

[flu189]

For 200K with land and what at least I would consider a decent structure and not a money pit would be a challenge here in Chittenden County. Not implying that it's not possible, but a very lucky find. Keep in mind that there are plenty of people here already renting trying to get into homes and they have the advantage of being boots on the ground already. We have a very tight housing and rental market here. The demand exists, but many just cannot qaulify to buy what they have their hearts set on. A few of my coworkers ended up in Militon and Fairfax where over the past years more tract type housing has been built which was cheaper, but it was in the mid 200k range. Just keep checking the listings by region to see what is out there. There are quite a few homes on the market and come spring there will be probably more. I know in my area several homes have been listed on and off over the past year and suspect the reason they have not moved is that the owners are firm on their asking price. While it is true that farther out in the sticks land can bought for less I would not consider it cheap. Then comes the hassles of building and dealing with regulatory and permitting processes. A fellow I worked with owns a few parcels up in Lowell and is trying to sell them. The commute from there to Burlington especially this time of year is an absolute drag, but many folks do it. Regarding work as a psychologist I would imagine there must be some sort of networking withnin the field to touch base and get better information on the work outlook and demand here.

[Sherylcatmom]

There's also a lively for-sale-by-owner market. Try Googling "Picket Fence Preview." On that website you can search homes by VT county.

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by organick

so does everyone agree that a 200 k budget wont put us in the market anywhere in vt for a modest but not crappy house with 2+ acres. Anywhere with possibilty for a psychologist to work?? If this is true than vt is really getting expensive like the northeast. Thanks for the input.

VT already is expensive. And in more ways than people realize till they've lived it. I think you can find a nice house and 2+ acre for less than 200K, but not within 30 minutes of a population center. Long commutes on bad roads in crappy weather is another VT reality.

[OhBeeHave]

What about south western Vermont -- living outside of Manchester or Bennington? Or living between Manchester and Bennington?

[organick]

Oh bee hive,

can you tell me more?? Is southern vt st vt or is it more like north mass?? I def am looking for the full vt feel. Never really spent much time in the southern part. Is it more affordable?? I have heard alot about brattleboro but sometimes hearing alot about a town scares me... As I said i dont want to move somewhere that in 5 years i'm gonna want to leave because it has blown up with people and "stuff" Thanks for the help

[flu189]

I have been through Bennington/Manchester area quite a bit since 1978 so I have scene it's evolution over the past thirty years and work with a guy who moved up from Manchester last year. The southwestern part of Vt is not a growth area, so the fear that it will blow up with growth (actually anywhere in Vt for that matter) is nothing to be concerned about. In fact last year the state as a whole only gained 522 in population and when you consider that births exceeded deaths by 1,100 then that tells you something. The Bennington area has seen losses in jobs as has the entire US Rte 7 corridor. A hiking buddy of mine lives in Pownal, and he survives on pension and logging work from extensive family owned land holdings. Of course a Home Depot opened in Bennington and I imagine half the town tried getting work there. Other than routine service industry oriented work there are no real stand out employers. In fact, even the hospital there culled staff before the current recession due to budget problems and health plus education are considered more recession proof than other fields. A buddy of mine years back had the option to move up from Ct to take a good position with Orvis, but balked because his wife could not get work in the area. In terms of scenery it is a nice region and I enjoy visiting. It also puts you in range of the NYS capital district, though how good that is right now with NY's own mounting problems may not provide much opportunity. To the south lies Williamstown and North Adams, Mass, the former being upscale and pricey and the latter an old mill town trying to reinvent itself. I don't imagine the overall employment scene is a hotbed there either at the moment. Of course if you could land a tenure track professorship at Williams College then you no doubt would have no issues. Between Bennington and Brattleboro lies pretty much just 40 miles of woods and mountains. Wilmington/Dover is a resort area along the Rte 100 corridor. I know another fellow up here in the Burlington area who is from Readsboro and there just is nothing much there in the region. Great for outdoor recreation with the National Forest lands, skiing, Deerfield River, Somerset and Harriman Reservoirs, etc.

[LisaMc46]

Originally Posted by organick

so does everyone agree that a 200 k budget wont put us in the market anywhere in vt for a modest but not crappy house with 2+ acres. Anywhere with possibilty for a psychologist to work?? If this is true than vt is really getting expensive like the northeast. Thanks for the input.

There are many homes in your price range in Lamoille or Caledonia County in north-central Vermont. You can get a decent home with a few acres for $200,000 or a fixer upper with a lot of acres.

There's also a great need for psychologists who work with children in those areas. My neighbor is a child therapist for the Lamoille County schools and he has a waiting list of children. His fellow therapists also have full schedules. I don't know if the need for adult therapists is as great.

I live in Lamoille County and love it. It's within an hours drive of Burlington when I have a desire for the "city life," yet it still has a lot of working farms, open space, lakes, hiking trails, etc.

Plus, if you want to work at a resort you have Smugglers Notch or Stowe Mountain Resort and you're not that far from Jay Peak.

I would do a real estate search of either county to see if there's anything that appeals to you.

Lisa

[organick]

Lisa thanks for that info. I really appreciate it. Is there anychance we could exchange email??, or maybe you would be willing to past my email to your friend. My wife is a child psychologist so this could be a good start in our search. Thanks again.