[chbowman]

Hi everyone! My husband and I are thinking of relocating to Burlington,Vt. I guess I am just a little scared/nervous and was hoping that some of you who have moved to Vermont could tell me about your experience. I have lived in North Carolina my whole life, but it just doesn't fit anymore I guess. I just graduated with my two year degree and now can go anywhere we choose. After much research, Burlington seems to fit everything we have been looking for. I will be flying up on Friday and have an interview at Fletcher Allen on Monday. So far, I am nervous about the rental/housing costs and the long winter. I am trying to make my self calm down about the housing costs. It is about double or more than what we pay here from what I gather in the classifieds and real estate websites. But, if you live in a better place, it can be justified. Can ya'll tell me what winter is really like? I have seen snow more than once, but never more than a foot(and that much only 2 times in my life) and never on the ground for more than 3 days in a row. Also, everything basically shuts down when we get more than an inch, so I have no clue about how to drive in snow. Do the roads get cleared or do you just learn to drive on/in a large amount of snow? My husband swears he loves snow and wants lots of it, but when you don't have any frame of reference, I am not sure you can really know. Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any help or advice ya'll can give me. Does everyone get the jitters like this when they move away from their home state? Don't get me wrong, I am super excited too, but just a bit scared. This will also be my first job in a new career,so I am sure that adds to the nervousness. Thanks a bunch!!

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by chbowman

Hi everyone! My husband and I are thinking of relocating to Burlington,Vt. I guess I am just a little scared/nervous and was hoping that some of you who have moved to Vermont could tell me about your experience. I have lived in North Carolina my whole life, but it just doesn't fit anymore I guess. I just graduated with my two year degree and now can go anywhere we choose. After much research, Burlington seems to fit everything we have been looking for. I will be flying up on Friday and have an interview at Fletcher Allen on Monday. So far, I am nervous about the rental/housing costs and the long winter. I am trying to make my self calm down about the housing costs. It is about double or more than what we pay here from what I gather in the classifieds and real estate websites. But, if you live in a better place, it can be justified. Can ya'll tell me what winter is really like? I have seen snow more than once, but never more than a foot(and that much only 2 times in my life) and never on the ground for more than 3 days in a row. Also, everything basically shuts down when we get more than an inch, so I have no clue about how to drive in snow. Do the roads get cleared or do you just learn to drive on/in a large amount of snow? My husband swears he loves snow and wants lots of it, but when you don't have any frame of reference, I am not sure you can really know. Sorry for the long post, and thanks for any help or advice ya'll can give me. Does everyone get the jitters like this when they move away from their home state? Don't get me wrong, I am super excited too, but just a bit scared. This will also be my first job in a new career,so I am sure that adds to the nervousness. Thanks a bunch!!

I live down in eastern CT about 40 miles from Block Island sound; winters here are considerably milder then Burlington Vermont. As a North Carolinian its going to be tough at first to adjust to the rigorous winters of Northern VT- where there is much snow and cold- In Burlington however the snow rarely shuts the place down; it can snow 1-2 feet and the next day things are running-most streets cleared and its business as usual. Burlington can average 70" or more snow a winter.

In CT we have much less snow and the cold is far less intense. I grow two fan palms in my garden- windmill palms- the type they have in NC (NOT Sabals)
Covered December- March-but no heat and are now thriving- so you can see even in New England there are vast climatic differences.

Burlington is a really beautiful place- as it sits on Lake Champlain. The people are very liberal and sort of bohemian- and the quality of life is high; costs for housing are high- but less then Boston, New York, Washington and Miami- about the same as the Hartford area- where I live-median price around 260K.

The snow and cold in the winter in northern Vermont would get to me-as I become tired of the much less severe winter conditions here. Its really up to the individual. I love Vermont- it has to be one of the most beautiful states- but the winters are too tough to take for me even in milder Connecticut.

[leggo]

Hey you're going the wrong way Everyone is moving from the NE to the SE.

Kidding aside - you'll like Burlington, tons of stuff to do, pretty scenery, Lake Champlain, Adirondacks in the background. Definitely go up for a visit.

The winters will be looooooong -- I lived up there for two years, and the wind comes off the lake and chills you to the bone. Snow ... you will get plenty of snow.

Real Estate will be expensive compared to NC -- check out nneren dot com - for MLS listings.

Why, may I ask do, you say NC has changed (I assume for the worse) - and what part of NC are you from. Like I said - a lot of us in NE are ready for the Southern weather -- and are making plans for our escape

good luck.

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Vermont does a great job of clearing the snow and you can
make it around even in non-4wd car. And yes, it is coooooold !
The main problem I had though, was a psychological one. It just
never seems to end ! It is dark all the time. About 5 or 6 months
into it you are really about to go nuts and have it be over with.
I rode my bicycle to work year 'round and that helped immensly, so I
guess if you get outside and try to get some light every day you'll do OK.
That being said, if you are from western NC you will already be used
to it here. The scenery is almost identical, but I give the nod to VT.
architecture and infrastructure
You will also love Burlington ! A lot of stuff to do and very lively !

Best wishes on your move.

[ontheroad]

I remember being in Burlington one winter, at Christmas break, I believe visiting my daughter. It snowed and snowed, but the biggest treat I had of that snowy visit was the way we could see each snow flake as clear as if we had drawn them or cut them out of paper.

It was a beautiful sight to behold! Worth the few minutes of cold, and discomfort.

[chaz longue]

nnren contains a very small portion of the State of VT.

Please pm me if you'd like rental contacts etc etc etc. There's no central location for rental information like we have with the MLS for homes for sale...

How to drive in snow? More slowly.

That's going to be a major adjustment for anybody moving to VT - it can take a while to get used to everybody smiling and yielding politely at the same time. Particularly when you have a mix of locals and folks from the rest of the country where tailgating, speeding and rudeness on the road seem to be a sort of civic religion...Things have changed since I got here... ;-)
ok - rant over...sorry.

Forgive me if I repeat myself, friends, (chbowman may be hearing this for the first time - everybody else just talk amongst yourselves ;-)
I myself live IN Burlington on a very steep street. I drive to ski county regularly (and if possible, on the snowy days, not the others) and I run all-season radial tires all year round. I typically drive a normal front wheel drive car. I never have a problem getting where I'm going. Except occasionally in my own driveway which I like to shovel before leaving. The city streets, as well as the "town highways" are usually kept extremely clear and the interstate (in all but the most unusual once-a-year sort of weather) is usually very well kept.
Having taught several adults to drive, and having taken the State Police Defensive Driving course (when managing a trasportation department) I can say without reservation that driving in snow takes practice. The first big snowstorm you enjoy (you'll be waiting longer than the rest of the state if you're in Burlington) just go to a parking lot you've found - when it's fairly empty (technology park in South Burlington is pretty good) and (traveling 20 or 30 miles an hour) stand on the brakes. You'll find this an odd thing to do - but trust me, it's great to know what's going to happen when the anti-lock brakes keep the car from skidding. I had to do this all over again as an adult, because when I learned to drive ...it was long before anti-lock brakes were invented. Front wheel drive and to a lesser extent, automatic transmissions were fairly new and exotic.

The technology built into new cars (I believe my first ones ran of coal or cordwood, but I could be wrong) now (anti-lock brakes, for instance) is nothing short of miraculous - but the laws of physics seem to have held up pretty well over the years, and following too closely is still a poor choice...

Now - You'll love The Burlington area. You may want to scour the threads here which discuss the good and the bad aspects of VT and of Northwest VT. There's a whole lot of great info here!

...hope this all helps!

How else can we help?

David Beckett

[vermontskiptracer]

First of all, welcome to VT! In terms of "housing costs", let me say that if you wish to be "walking distance" from Fletcher Allen, you will in-fact have to pay premium $$!

However, Fletcher Allen is a very short distance from the Interstate (I89). I happen to live in Barre Vermont and travel to Burlington daily. Unlike other areas there is seldom any delays traffic wise and of course no tolls like some states.

You will find remarkable differences in housing costs if you travel a bit outside of Chittenden County. Washington County which is the county east of Chittenden, the rents and purchase prices are much different that Chittenden.

My husband and I moved from the Mid-Hudson section of New York in December 2005 and purchased our present home (3 bedrooms with a great view) for a mere $122,000!

In addition, there is another hospital, Central Vermont Medical Center located in Berlin Vermont which is just east of Montpelier Vermont (the capital). It is rapidly expanding but of course isn't the size of Fletcher Allen which is an acute trama center where serious ill/injuried patients are sent via ambulance/helicopter. I do know that CVMC is hiring all kinds of staff and while the salaries might not be as high as Fletcher Allen, when you factor in as you say the high costs of housing, commuting costs, and general driving, CVMC might be a good choice for you, especially if you prefer suburbia and/or the country verses city!

As for winters, unless you live on an unpaved road, winter travel isn't bad. Like any other location, you try not to travel when it is really bad, but if you are talking about main roads (e.g. the Interstates and roads leading to/from hospitals, the roads are generally safe but like any driving one must be a bit cautious. If you never have driven on snow/ice, just slow down and with practice you will be able to drive in this lovely nature's fun place!

Good Luck,

Angelina Nolen
vermontskiptracer (at) gmail (dot) com

[nhyrnut]

Originally Posted by chaz longue

nnren contains a very small portion of the State of VT.

Please pm me if you'd like rental contacts etc etc etc. There's no central location for rental information like we have with the MLS for homes for sale...

How to drive in snow? More slowly.

That's going to be a major adjustment for anybody moving to VT - it can take a while to get used to everybody smiling and yielding politely at the same time. Particularly when you have a mix of locals and folks from the rest of the country where tailgating, speeding and rudeness on the road seem to be a sort of civic religion...Things have changed since I got here... ;-)
ok - rant over...sorry.

Forgive me if I repeat myself, friends, (chbowman may be hearing this for the first time - everybody else just talk amongst yourselves ;-)
I myself live IN Burlington on a very steep street. I drive to ski county regularly (and if possible, on the snowy days, not the others) and I run all-season radial tires all year round. I typically drive a normal front wheel drive car. I never have a problem getting where I'm going. Except occasionally in my own driveway which I like to shovel before leaving. The city streets, as well as the "town highways" are usually kept extremely clear and the interstate (in all but the most unusual once-a-year sort of weather) is usually very well kept.
Having taught several adults to drive, and having taken the State Police Defensive Driving course (when managing a trasportation department) I can say without reservation that driving in snow takes practice. The first big snowstorm you enjoy (you'll be waiting longer than the rest of the state if you're in Burlington) just go to a parking lot you've found - when it's fairly empty (technology park in South Burlington is pretty good) and (traveling 20 or 30 miles an hour) stand on the brakes. You'll find this an odd thing to do - but trust me, it's great to know what's going to happen when the anti-lock brakes keep the car from skidding. I had to do this all over again as an adult, because when I learned to drive ...it was long before anti-lock brakes were invented. Front wheel drive and to a lesser extent, automatic transmissions were fairly new and exotic.

The technology built into new cars (I believe my first ones ran of coal or cordwood, but I could be wrong) now (anti-lock brakes, for instance) is nothing short of miraculous - but the laws of physics seem to have held up pretty well over the years, and following too closely is still a poor choice...

Now - You'll love The Burlington area. You may want to scour the threads here which discuss the good and the bad aspects of VT and of Northwest VT. There's a whole lot of great info here!

...hope this all helps!

How else can we help?

David Beckett

Um Northern New England Real Estate Network - Official Website of the Northern New England MLS contains all of VT, NH, and Maine. Not all listings are there but 95% of them are listed there, if not more. But the listings isn't the main reason to use the site. The best part is NO realitors until your ready, And the town maps with all the tax info on each house is by far better than Using a true realitor until one is ready for that aspect. Than with all the realitors listed they can research who they want to use.

[vter]

That website shows that there are 0 houses for sale in my town, which I know for a fact is not true.

[ontheroad]

Does anyone have a similar link/site for southern New England? I googled and didn't come up with its equivalent.

Thanks.