[organick]

We are looking to relocate to VT and want some help deciding where to. My wife is a psychologist, so some access to people is necessary. We want to buy some land(at least a few acres) with a modest house. We live an organic lifestyle and live as self sustainably as possible. We are looking for open minded people and a community that values natural food/ health etc. artists maybe. Just a good open liberal area ( i mean it doesnt have to be san fran liberal but not conservative) We value outdoor activities, live music, arts/craftsman. Any help or suggestions would be great.

Dont want to move to a place thats gonna blow up and get ruined, been there done that in asheville nc. We have about a 200k budget

[flu189]

Originally Posted by organick

We are looking to relocate to VT and want some help deciding where to. My wife is a psychologist, so some access to people is necessary. We want to buy some land(at least a few acres) with a modest house. We live an organic lifestyle and live as self sustainably as possible. We are looking for open minded people and a community that values natural food/ health etc. artists maybe. Just a good open liberal area ( i mean it doesnt have to be san fran liberal but not conservative) We value outdoor activities, live music, arts/craftsman. Any help or suggestions would be great.

Dont want to move to a place thats gonna blow up and get ruined, been there done that in asheville nc. We have about a 200k budget

Don't worry, growth and sprawl of any kind such as NC is not going to happen in Vt. There really are no overt conservative communities with flags everywhere and where your participation in the church is considered a bonafide residency requirement to be accepted. Some of the very rural parts of the state have folks who may not especially embrace more liberal outsiders (reference the term flatlander), but almost exclusively people do keep to themselves here. With the career option listed I would imagine pickings might very well be slim and limited to the very few population areas of the state such as Burlington (Chittenden County), however a housing budget of 200k might not get you what you want. On the other hand, if you are willing to commute then small places with land might be available. Another option regarding the psychologist field could be with the VA if working for and with Vets is not an issue. The major facility is in White River Jct. and I know that they are ramping up more in that aspect with the current needs and the continuing escalation of greater numbers we will see in the years to come. Another benefit of the White River area is that across the border in Hanover/Lebanon NH exist numerous positions (not necessarily available jobs, but positions).

[organick]

thanks flu i will be glad not to see the old flag flying everywhere. Thanks for the info to. We would be ok with up to say a half hour commute to town. Ultimately she will open a private practice but that usually takes 2-3 years so we would need a community mental health center, school system, etc. or a practice she could work with. So that usually requires a certain number of people. Burlington sounds like a great area but it seems pretty spendy if you want some land? Thanks again

[ThinkingThinking]

I've been doing research for the past few days (mind you, I do not live in the area yet nor am I a realtor) and it seems that unless you're looking immediately in downtown Burlington, any house with a pricetag of 190-250k has at the very least a quarter of an acre under it.
A basic rule of thumb is the farther out, the cheaper the land.

[organick]

I know the farther out the cheaper but at the same time dont want a hour commute in winter. I dont really consider 1/4 acre land. I need at least 2 and preferably 5 or more. This is the delemma with burlington being a high cost of living area

[ThinkingThinking]

Coming from Houston TX suburbs, where it's McMansions smashed up so close together you can look out the window and read your neighbors paper at breakfast, i guess I consider a quarter acre to be a novel bit of land.

[mustmove]

5 Acres 30 minutes to civilization for under 200K. Doesn't exist. It might but finding something like that without a dumper of a house is unlikely. Everybody has already read 5 Acres and Independence the market is priced accordingly.

[organick]

mustmove...

are you saying it doesnt exist in vt at all?? or around burlington??

[vter]

It is possible..but its going to be a fixer. There is a 12 acre piece of land with an old house (which practically sits on the road and looks like it needs a lot of work) near me on the market for around $160K. About half the land is ledge. 30 minutes to Burlington.

[mustmove]

It will be hard to find in VT. There might be an exception but it looks like Burlington or DHMC/VA in the upper valley for you guys work wise. I don't know the Burlington market that well except that it is some of the most expensive in VT. We are 14 miles off the next exit up from DHMC/Dartmouth and when we were house shopping to live 10 miles closer near the exit(basically within 30 minutes) was at least another 100K for equivlant properties. You might find something if you don't mind a funky A frame or a trailer. Good luck.