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My husband and I moved here from LI. Are you familiar with Brookhaven Township? One huge advantage to living on LI, very expensive to live there but you get paid much more.
This is the kicker. You look at the prices of homes in Chittenden county, and while expensive for rural New England, not outlandish to those seeking escape from big city areas. But when you get ttat first paycheck, you realize that's how much you were making 10 years ago in your previous job.
I wonder what is going to happen on a local as well as a national level when the energy companies have sucked the economy dry. When a heating season heads for $3,000 and commuting cost go to $0.25 per mile there is not a lot left over for food, clothing and health. There will be nothing left over for entertainment, toys and vacations at all.
I wonder what is going to happen on a local as well as a national level when the energy companies have sucked the economy dry. When a heating season heads for $3,000 and commuting cost go to $0.25 per mile there is not a lot left over for food, clothing and health. There will be nothing left over for entertainment, toys and vacations at all.
I live in a small log cabin, maybe 1100 square feet. This season's oil supply, if it lasts another month will be about $1200, though we keep our house cool.
I paid $600 for snowplowing. Our private road has taken a hit from all the snow and I imagine we'll owe another few hundred for that. Vermont's expensive, there's no way around it. For those seeking an escape from the city, there are much cheaper places in pretty areas (Virginia or North Carolina).
I love it here, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. But it's deceivingly expensive. Be ready.
And if you move here and discover that it's expensive (or really cold) even though you have been warned - don't move back to where you came from and continually trash the state in this forum. It's annoying. And you look dopey for not researching your move.
I wonder what is going to happen on a local as well as a national level when the energy companies have sucked the economy dry. When a heating season heads for $3,000 and commuting cost go to $0.25 per mile there is not a lot left over for food, clothing and health. There will be nothing left over for entertainment, toys and vacations at all.
Quite a few of us are real close to the figures you mention if not already there. As easy as it is to direct our frustration and angst at oil for the sucking sound on our finances there are plenty of other local sources driving the average family into economic oblivion. Despite who or what is putting the squeeze on us it is true that the many facets of life so many of us have been able to enjoy in terms of hobbies, entertainment, vacations, etc will not be able to be experienced anymore. I sure will miss the interesting road trips I used to take in different parts of the country. I guess in many ways we might be heading to a point where more and more people will be much more localized, never really being to travel out of their immediate environs.
My husband and I moved here from LI. Are you familiar with Brookhaven Township? One huge advantage to living on LI, very expensive to live there but you get paid much more.
Where about in VT did you move to, how long ago, and are you happy with your decision?
I live in Stony Brook -- so I am familiar with Crookhaven.
It's true that people are paid more on LI, but my taxes here are double those on my house in VT. The cost of heating oil is about the same. CVPS is much cheaper than LIPA.
I am curious about the cost of health insurance policies in VT as I am paying $16K/year for health ins in NY.
I live in a small log cabin, maybe 1100 square feet. This season's oil supply, if it lasts another month will be about $1200, though we keep our house cool.
I paid $600 for snowplowing. Our private road has taken a hit from all the snow and I imagine we'll owe another few hundred for that. Vermont's expensive, there's no way around it. For those seeking an escape from the city, there are much cheaper places in pretty areas (Virginia or North Carolina).
I love it here, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. But it's deceivingly expensive. Be ready.
And if you move here and discover that it's expensive (or really cold) even though you have been warned - don't move back to where you came from and continually trash the state in this forum. It's annoying. And you look dopey for not researching your move.
How do you heat your hot water - oil or electric? I would love to have spent a total of $1200 on oil for the heating season. I'm jealous!
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We have lots of people fleeing LI for the Carolinas and they constantly come back to the LI forum bashing the LIers who choose to remain behind. They tell us of this nirvana they've found, cheap this, cheaper that! But then one or two eventually return and tell us about how much they miss LI.
People like the trashers you mention are never going to be happy, no matter where they go. You're right -- it's annoying.
Where about in VT did you move to, how long ago, and are you happy with your decision?
I live in Stony Brook -- so I am familiar with Crookhaven.
It's true that people are paid more on LI, but my taxes here are double those on my house in VT. The cost of heating oil is about the same. CVPS is much cheaper than LIPA.
I am curious about the cost of health insurance policies in VT as I am paying $16K/year for health ins in NY.
We are hoping to perhaps move north.
We moved to the Hubbardton area about 4 years ago. We were trying to find a farm in the Lake George area. My husband and I took a ride this way to look at a house and decided to stay.
We sold our small farm in Brookhaven Hamlet. We both worked for Crookhaven so I know exactly what you mean. Unfortunately, it is only going to get worse. Foley's hands are tied because the Republicans are in control. They are hiring all the old Repubs back, the Dems are fleeing. Have you ever been on LIpolitics.com or 631Politics.com? History will repeat itself. Very sad situation.
The first year living in VT my husband had a really hard time adjusting. He is a very social guy and it has been very hard for him to fit in. I, on the other hand, love it here. If I had the chance to do it over again, I would have moved closer to Burlington, maybe bought a place on one of the islands. What we miss the most is the fresh seafood and sandy soil!! This clay is horrible. The school system in VT is TERRIBLE!! There are too many schools and too many teachers per student. In some schools, you have 1 child in a grade!! I spent some time in the schools here and I didn't see them getting much of an education. I am paying over $5,000. just for school taxes. There are less than 150 children in the school!! If we move out of VT, that will probably be the reason. My husband and I work very hard and to see our tax money wasted like this is just unacceptable. The answer is to consolidate the schools and they will never do that.
Where is your home in VT? I love the Stony Brook area. I remember when they built the Smithaven Mall!!! I was so happy when they opened a Macys in Burlington, so disappointed that it is NOTHING like the one at the SM. My fondest memories are boating with my parents on the Sound! Or driving around Old Field when I was in my 20's looking at the beautiful homes and shopping at the Old Country Store in St. James!! Still don't want to move back though!!! LOL
We moved to the Hubbardton area about 4 years ago. We were trying to find a farm in the Lake George area. My husband and I took a ride this way to look at a house and decided to stay.
We sold our small farm in Brookhaven Hamlet. We both worked for Crookhaven so I know exactly what you mean. Unfortunately, it is only going to get worse. Foley's hands are tied because the Republicans are in control. They are hiring all the old Repubs back, the Dems are fleeing. Have you ever been on LIpolitics.com or 631Politics.com? History will repeat itself. Very sad situation.
The first year living in VT my husband had a really hard time adjusting. He is a very social guy and it has been very hard for him to fit in. I, on the other hand, love it here. If I had the chance to do it over again, I would have moved closer to Burlington, maybe bought a place on one of the islands. What we miss the most is the fresh seafood and sandy soil!! This clay is horrible. The school system in VT is TERRIBLE!! There are too many schools and too many teachers per student. In some schools, you have 1 child in a grade!! I spent some time in the schools here and I didn't see them getting much of an education. I am paying over $5,000. just for school taxes. There are less than 150 children in the school!! If we move out of VT, that will probably be the reason. My husband and I work very hard and to see our tax money wasted like this is just unacceptable. The answer is to consolidate the schools and they will never do that.
Where is your home in VT? I love the Stony Brook area. I remember when they built the Smithaven Mall!!! I was so happy when they opened a Macys in Burlington, so disappointed that it is NOTHING like the one at the SM. My fondest memories are boating with my parents on the Sound! Or driving around Old Field when I was in my 20's looking at the beautiful homes and shopping at the Old Country Store in St. James!! Still don't want to move back though!!! LOL
We're in the Chester/Andover area. I love it, it's very pretty on the green. When friends ask what Chester is like, we tell them, "It's like Stony brook, but without the arseholes." (Coming from Brookhaven, having worked for the town, I am sure you know what I mean )
We've considered making the move up, but with husband's business, it wouldn't be easy starting from scratch. If we were to move up permanently, I would consider the outskirts of Burlington. I've been to Williston, Essex Junction, but the areas were a little too built up for me and had way too many big box stores. It was a bit soulless, sort of like the stores Route 347 near Smithhaven Mall on steroids. My parents live in northern Florida and the sad thing is, that the Williston/Essex Junction shopping area looked just like their shopping area on US1. Only thing that was missing were the palm trees....same box stores with virtually the same configuration of retailers in each outlet.
Another poster on the board had a family member who was involved with the local Chester schools and was able to give me some insight. I'd sooner see my oldest graduate from Ward Melville (2 years away) and take with him all the benefits of that school than pull him out and start anew in Chester. My youngest has another 9 years to go, so there's another wrinkle.
The school taxes are following in LI's footsteps, which is a scary thing for everyone in VT. I've seen the school portion of my taxes in Stony Brook
quadruple. The hard working people in VT are going to be taxed out of their homes if they don't stop the politicians now.
I forgot to add: my husband's family owned a house across from the land that eventually became Smithhaven. They watched it being built. Now it's taken on a whole new wing (where Sterns was: it's been leveled) of more big box retailers and cookie cutter factory restaurants.
Even Old Field is changing *sigh* people are buying the properties, subdividing and building McMansions.
If you are ever outside of Ludlow, Black River Produce on Rte 103 has fresh seafood. I realise it's a haul for you, but keep it in mind if you're out that way.
And thanks for the two political websites. I am always interested in new sites for insight!
With all due respect I have to disagree that Williston appears congested with box stores. Having grown up in NYC and knowing LI well, and also having been in 42 of the 50 states the layout, size, and footprint of the shopping area in the area referred to Tafts Corners (I89/US2/VT2A) is perhaps the least intrusive both aesthetically and traffic wise than any other comparable area for retail that I have seen. While I agree that I would not choose to buy a home in immediate proximity, it's more for reasons of wanting land versus the degree of congestion.
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