[defesediva]

I have lived most of my life in California: LA and very conservative Orange County. It's become intolerable to me and my boyfriend and we are thinking about a move to a place where a home cost less than a million dollars and we can enjoy nature. It is very congested where we are, beyond expensive and the people are faker than fake. I have lived in NYC for law school (ok weather) and Montreal, Quebec for a year during college (pretty bad weather) so I expect the weather moving east will be very different. I am lucky I can do my job from anywhere in the world as I telecommute (writing legal appeals for CA) and my bf is a professional photographer. We feel trapped here and are considering a move to VT, possibly in an area near Burlington, though we are still figuring this out. We would like to find a home on at least .75 acres for the dog and future kids to run around. I am also interested in upstate NY, as these are all places I have enjoyed when visiting. I know the economy is bad and we don't know much about snow but I feel confident we will adjust. We are very open minded. The other big issue for me is that I enjoy being involved in my community (which is not a value here) and am politically liberal (unheard of here) and I feel very stifled. We also are environmentally conscious (nobody here is) and I hope to find a place where we feel comfortable composting, installing solar, and really just being ourselves. I appreciate your input about VT knowing this info about us. Thank you.

[defesediva]

It would be great if someone would respond! Thanks!

[quickdraw]

If you considered Montreal's weather bad, you'll think the same about Burlington.

The social attitudes you mentioned are here for sure. You can get plenty of land too. Outside of Burlington, I don't know many people with only ,75 acres. Many of outside the city own 10.1 acres (don't know why but 10.1 is big in Vermont).

I love it here, it's nice being close to Montreal.

As for a photography career, I can't say.

There are a lot of cities like Burlington, liberal university towns like Madison, Boulder, Charlottesville etc. I can't say which you'd like, but there seem to be a lot of folks here who have lived in those cities as wel..

Not only is Burlington cold in the winter, but it's somewhat cloudy year round. The lack of abundant sun could get to you coming from California.

Many people come here looking for a liberal, green life and are very happy.
Others think they can handle the (relative) isolation and cold weather and leave.

Good luck to you.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

If you considered Montreal's weather bad, you'll think the same about Burlington.

The social attitudes you mentioned are here for sure. You can get plenty of land too. Outside of Burlington, I don't know many people with only ,75 acres. Many of outside the city own 10.1 acres (don't know why but 10.1 is big in Vermont).

I love it here, it's nice being close to Montreal.

As for a photography career, I can't say.

There are a lot of cities like Burlington, liberal university towns like Madison, Boulder, Charlottesville etc. I can't say which you'd like, but there seem to be a lot of folks here who have lived in those cities as wel..

Not only is Burlington cold in the winter, but it's somewhat cloudy year round. The lack of abundant sun could get to you coming from California.

Many people come here looking for a liberal, green life and are very happy.
Others think they can handle the (relative) isolation and cold weather and leave.

Good luck to you.

There used to be an exception in some of the septic permitting laws for homes on lots of at least 10 acres. I'm not sure if that fully explains all the lots of land about 10 acres in size but it may have had something to do with it...

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by defesediva

I have lived most of my life in California: LA and very conservative Orange County. It's become intolerable to me and my boyfriend and we are thinking about a move to a place where a home cost less than a million dollars and we can enjoy nature. It is very congested where we are, beyond expensive and the people are faker than fake. I have lived in NYC for law school (ok weather) and Montreal, Quebec for a year during college (pretty bad weather) so I expect the weather moving east will be very different. I am lucky I can do my job from anywhere in the world as I telecommute (writing legal appeals for CA) and my bf is a professional photographer. We feel trapped here and are considering a move to VT, possibly in an area near Burlington, though we are still figuring this out. We would like to find a home on at least .75 acres for the dog and future kids to run around. I am also interested in upstate NY, as these are all places I have enjoyed when visiting. I know the economy is bad and we don't know much about snow but I feel confident we will adjust. We are very open minded. The other big issue for me is that I enjoy being involved in my community (which is not a value here) and am politically liberal (unheard of here) and I feel very stifled. We also are environmentally conscious (nobody here is) and I hope to find a place where we feel comfortable composting, installing solar, and really just being ourselves. I appreciate your input about VT knowing this info about us. Thank you.

If the weather in Quebec was bad to you, you're going to hate the weather in Burlington...

Burlington is probably the sprawl capitol of Vermont. Liberal it is there (outside of places like Burlington and Brattleboro, etc., the state isn't as liberal as you may think), but green, I'm not so sure. If you buy 3/4 an acre in that area you may end up in some development full of control freaks telling you how to live (HOA's...). The state has forbidden HOA's/etc. from preventing people from using both solar power and, actually, clotheslines, but they may nail you if they have restrictions on the landscaping, fences (you'll need a fence to garden and get anything), or such.

[JRSully76]

VT is different than CA, consider that there are more people in Pima County AZ than in the entire state of VT. a good, semi-unbiased place to start is the State website. we are a tourist friendly place and when you see the State Parks, Lake Champlain, etc you will see why. Explore on-line before renting a car and exploring in person. If you go swimming in the Lake, beware of Champ !!!

[defesediva]

Thank you so much for all of your replies!

[j_jimerino]

In my town at least, 10 acres is the minimum lot size for subdividing property.

The community feel is probably better than in CA, especially in the smaller towns...but people from NE are generally pretty reserved and can come off as cold and unsocial sometimes. Outside of Burlington, you sadly must drive to most events. I personally find driving an unpleasant chore.

I don't know what your price range is for a house, but finding houses with around an acre close to Burlington was tough when I looked around...probably easier if you have some money to throw around. And if they're in a development, I wouldn't bother....some one will probably complain about your composting to the HOA. On the flip side of the coin, if you buy a house out in the country and your neighbor opens a junkyard then you'd better just plant some evergreen bushes on the property line because that's just the way it is! Further out, getting land isn't to hard...but getting a job can be. Probably not as much of a concern for you.

As for green living...well, my personal opinion is Vermont likes to talk a big game but when the rubber hits the road NIMBY trumps all. Vermont is about protecting the views, tourism and ski resorts first. About anything else, green or not, gets ensnared in the development process and generally dies there. So while much of the populace is generally amiable to green projects, I don't expect much interesting to happen on that front anytime soon. Wind towers are considered too ugly...and solar doesn't seem like a great investment in a state that is about as cloudy as England only with way more snow.

You're lucky you can bring your jobs though. One thing I would look out for though, since you telecommute, is availability of broadband. Many parts of the state are still on dial up as their only option, and this will be a particularly common concern if you buy a home away from a population center with some land. Additionally, I would not recommend trusting the availability websites from comcast (local cable monopoly) as it is often wrong.

I visited near OC, California a couple years ago, and while I used to rag on it and still don't feel its the place for me, I understand why people like to live there. The weather is predictably pleasant which makes travel, commuting and recreation a breeze to plan, there are hardly any bugs, the sheer infrastructure makes Vermont look like its in the dark ages and the food was quite a bit cheaper than what I was paying back home. (I mean groceries, the fast food places were better too but I'd prefer not to eat there to often!) Oh, and your cars can last forever! Here they're all eaten to death from underneath by rust well before the engine gives up.

Car insurance is pretty cheap in VT though, and compared to CA registration and inspection fees are nothing!

[VermontLori]

Hi Defesediva- I think you would thrive here and find a lot of like-minded people. In our neck of the woods (Shelburne and Charlotte), there are a ton of creative, fun, eco-conscious people (and yes, I know, there are many other types in this area, too). But my family has found exactly what you're talking about here.

[jackmccullough]

A friend of mine does the same job, but for a different state, so you're definitely right that you can do it.

Housing and the general cost of living in Vermont aren't cheap, but you may be impressed by what you can get for your money. a good site to look at for housing is www.nneren.com. And here's another: Picket Fence Preview : For Sale By Owner.

You can get a sense of what's going on in and around Burlington by reading Seven Days (www.sevendaysvt.com).

My wife and I moved here in 1983 with a lot of the same ideas in mind. It was definitely an adjustment, but we've been living in Montpelier for 27 years and we like it.

Housing prices tend to be higher in Chittenden County than the rest of the state, but you also have the benefits and drawbacks of being near a larger city with a university in it. You can get more house for your money elsewhere, and find some vibrant communities (Montpelier, Brattleboro; there are even things to be said for Waterbury and Randolph) outside of the Burlington area. I would, though, consider places like Richmond, Underhill, Charlotte, or Bristol, all of which are pretty nice small towns.

If weather is a concern, winters tend to be milder in Chittenden County than the rest of the state.

(I'll PM you with a link to the blog where you'll find the best coverage of Vermont politics. I can't post it here because I'm one of the writers.)