[bmcewan]

My wife and I grew up in Columbia County, in a small town about an hour south of Albany, NY. After college, I took a job in the DC suburbs of Northern Virginia. The area is highly overdeveloped, and we long to return to an area we're more familiar with. With the recent crash in real estate and jobs in our area, the stress of the suburbs isn't worth it anymore.

What we'd really like is to get a reasonably sized house (1500 sq ft is enough for us) with lots of land - 25-100 acres. I'd like forested land with a stream, pond, or lake. The job I have lets me work anywhere in the country, so work is not an issue for me.

I'm very hands-on and industrious and am looking for a parcel of land I can make into whatever I want. We're friendly, but private people. I'd like to be within a couple hours of Albany to be near the family. How would you approach this problem?

[vter]

I'd start looking on realtor.com at areas you are interested in. Sounds like you'd want to be south of Rutland and west of Route 100, so basically the Route 7 corridor between Rutland and the Bennington area. Some nice small towns in that area would be Wallingford, Pawlet, Rupert, and Danby. If you'd rather be in a "larger" town, then check Rutland, Manchester and Bennington.

[Rosanero10]

If you are okay with "small towns" and both the pro's and con's of such a place, then VT is for you. The entire state is small towns. Burlington is the largest city in state, and that makes it the "smallest largest city" of ay state in the country. Rutland has a population somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 and is the second largest "city" in the state. Pittsford is just outside of Rutland and is a "nice" small town. Middlebury is very nice, quiet, and because of the local college has a rare distinction in vermont; educated residents. Woodstock is three to four hours from Albany, and is east of Rutland on route 4. It is the prototypical postcard New England town.

I would say that given your desire for land and living space perhaps places like Ira, Castleton, Poultney, Pittsford or any of the small towns surrounding the base of Killington would be of interest. You may have to drive twenty minutes to get to a grocery store (which to me is mildly insane) but it will offer you the peace you may want. If Vermont is one thing, it is definately NOT overdeveloped.

Best of luck.