My New Blog

The final days of the tax Credit are soon approaching. If you are near a decision it would be best to make it quickly as you have until April 30th of this year to put a property under deposit to qualify for the credit, be it a first time home or a move up sale. The credit for first time home buyers (anyone that has not owned a home for more than 2 years or has never owned a home) $8,000, is available as is the the $6500 credit for those who have resided in their current properties for more than 2 years and are selling this to purchase a different home.

so beware the dates: must be under agreement (contract, pending) by April 30th 2010 and must close by June 30th 2010.

good luck and keep these dates in mind!

          TOWN MEETING DAY: WHERE TO GET THE LATEST NEWS!

 Tuesday March 2nd we all gather at our local voting centers and have an open venue for discusiing such things as town and school budgets, local situations and anything in general that we need to prepare for our coming year.These topics are on the agenda every year and this year is no exception. Let's talk about our schools here in Underhill today and I will follow up the rest of the week with information on our other local area schools as the week passes.

Underhill Central School is a Kindergarten through fourth grade school. Enrollment currently stands at 160 kids. It is a 18:1 ratio (for every eighteenn students there is one teacher). We are nestled at the foothills of Mount Mansfield and our kids have the good fortune to have an incredible setting with remarkable views and wide open outdoor spaces and a very nuturing atmosphere within the school itself. Parents are encouraged to participate and become involved in the school, day to day activities.

It is a remarkable group of teachers. They work well together and plan together how they will approach each year and how to assist the students with the transitions they go through. I have been very impressed with this system, having had a daughter go through this school.

For more details please feel free to contact me at 899-3890 for more information about the Underhill Central School located on Pleasant Valley road in Underhill Center.

Mountain views from your kitchen

                                        It is On!

So we live here and we know the skiing is good, but for those of you not living in the mountains this is not always obvious; so come and join us out in the woods, at Smuggler's Notch   or out your backdoor .

Remember we drive to work out here but we come home and Play!

   photo by Kate Carter

Now I am not talking about the annual 'White Sale' I am talking about how incredibly beautiful it is here in the mountains this time of year.

With all the recent snow the trees branches are still holding snow and the meadows and fields are pristine and white; just begging for someone to lay some tracks and enjoy its fine beauty.

While the winters can be long here they can also be a lot of fun. You don't need to be an athlete to put on a pair of snow shoes and go for a walk in the woods. Many places in our surrounding communities offer ample opportunity just out your door to enjoy Mother Nature in her winter glory. However, outside you must go or cabin fever strikes hard around February.

If you are in our neck of the woods stop by the Underhill Country Store to obtain some maps of local trails and catch a hot cup of coffee and a scone before you head out. By all means come on up and get a digital tour of all the local listings as well.

We are looking at a much different real estate market now vs. a year ago, when the bottom fell out from under us in the stock market.

Without a doubt the $8000 tax incentive/credit has proven a positive force in the real estate market. While it encourages first time home buyers to buy, in turn these sellers now move up into the next level of housing.

Currently the $175000-$250000 market has certainly picked up as has the $250000-$395000. The $400000+ market is still soft, with a small amount of activity, especially in the eastern edge of Chittenden county.

My advice for sellers in this range is to look hard at what properties with comparable features, location, and square footage are selling for and be sure you are being competetive. Otherwise you will be in for a long wait, and you will be trying to chase the market down rather than setting the 'pace'.

It will be interesting to see if the government continues the tax credit to further enhance the activity in our real estate market.

I often think of Cindy Lauper and her song "Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun" when I think about where I live. I meet my friends on a whim and we head up to the Smuggler's Notch to the Upper Parking lot and we get our boots on and grab our skis and poles and hit the slopes for a half a dozen runs and then go back to work if we have to. Other seasons it is the same thing but just a different venue. For instance we bike, hike, swim or I drag my friends to the lake and we go sailing.

Vermont, it is a wonderful place to visit but it is even a better place to live.

Come see for your self and try out hiking, biking, skiing or just plain have some fun! You, me and Cindy Lauper.

Lea Van Winkle

Well, put your cursor over the red jeep and that should partly answer  the reason why people choose to move to rural Vermont. It's a life style choice.

We like to come home to play, to enjoy the mountains all year round, to enjoy the beautiful vistas surrounding us, to enjoy having a little more elbow room, to enjoy the small town community where life moves just a little slower.

So, come visit us here and play with us at Smuggler's Notch or hiking up the Long Trail, or snowshoeing up to Taylor Lodge, come cross country ski at many of the local trails where we mountain bike other times of the year. Or just come and enjoy the beauty of the area, the white fields of snow, an exciting slide down Casey Hill, whatever the reason, you might find it a wonderful life style.