[vter]

picante...the OP asked about new construction with acerage. I agree with you...you can find starter homes in that price range, but if you want new construction with acerage (when I say acerage, I'm assuming 5+ acres) you're going to pay more. If you don't care about the new construction and don't mind a fixer, you can find stuff for under $200K. There is a 12 acre lot with an old, needs lots of work farmhouse near me on the market right now for $154K. There is also a 10 acre plot of land with a to be built cape on the market near me for $280K. Guess it all depends (as you know as a realtor ) whether you want new vs. older, land vs. no land, and location.

[ex-springfielder]

So you'll get a job at a ski area to tide you over, you'll make $8.00 an hour and be out of work by the end of March then what will you do? I doubt there are a lot of teaching jobs open in vermont for an art degree either. Your house an hour away from civilization is also an hour from shopping and the highest concentration of available job opportunities. I'd advise you to make sure you have a job before you move to Vermont or a way to make a living that you're sure of and winters id Va, are nothing like winters in vermont. But on the bright side the shortest day is past us, just four more months of winetr.

[g-bus]

$8.00/our at a ski resort? Isn't that being a bit optimistic? I'm currently working as a snowboard instructor at a resort here in VA, and yeah, its definitely not a job you do for the money, really just to ride for free and maybe some gas/beer money. So what kind of jobs do most people do to get by in the more rural areas of VT? Telecommuting would be great, but I know that those types of jobs are usually rather specialized, and I know the retail industry isn't all that prevalent (as much as I'd hate another retail job, I was able to make a better living than most people around my area working as a supervisor at the good old Home Depot). Thanks a for all the input/advice/reality checks.

[GlassPipe]

With $86 lift tickets at Stowe, $8.00 seems a pretty reasonable wage. When I saw how much their tickets were I just about fell over. I grew up in Northern Michigan. We had Shanty Creek and Boyne Mountain. Boyne was around $40 a few years back and Shanty was right on it's heals. The locals had to ski on the radio speclal nights just to be able to afford it! lol - I subjected myself to being Shanty Creek's mascot for two years just so that I could ski for free. But skiing in a 7' tall purple goose suit gets old after a while.