Vermont

Just had a home inspection on an 1850s farmhouse near Northfield, Vermont. The community is actually Brookfield, and is an idyllic little area. Just a handful of houses and a church.

But that's not the point. That's just the setting.

It's written right there on the furnace "Installed 1995". I mean, it's handwritten in Sharpie. That's got to be official right? Well, it's technically true. The furnace was installed in 1995.

Oh, except that when you look at the manufacturer's information sticker, it turns out that the furnace was actually built in 1989.

What was it doing for those six years? Finding itself? Studying with a yogi? Fulfilling its civil service duty? Sitting around in a warehouse, hopefully and tearfully waiting to be adopted by a loving family?

Lesson: Buyers: Do a little detective work to find out the true age.

Lesson: Sellers: Keep all that info and paperwork, and make it available for buyers. Full, accurate disclosure is the best way to go.

Thanksgiving Vacation at Mt Snow, Vermont- Need a vacation?

www.mtsnowvacation.com

3 Story home on the Mountain (West Dover, VT)

DOVER GREEN LOOP, WEST DOVER (MT. SNOW) VERMONT

Looking for a 3 Story Vacation home on the Mountain? (West Dover) to rent? You have found it !

CALL THE OWNERS AT: (BILL AND LISA) 631-563-7720 or 631-833-9069

We are able to obtain discounted lift tickets for our guests- 2 days for up to 35% savings ! Call for Information and to pick up lift tickets when you rent with us!

www.mtsnowvacation.com

www.mtsnowvermontcondo.com

www.mtsnowvacation.com

www.mtsnowvermontcondo.com

Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer Available ~ Our Calendar is here:

NOVEMBER 2009 DATES:

SUN~MON ~TUES~ WED~THURS~ FRI~ SAT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ELECTION DAY 3^RD Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs $ 200 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 VETERANS DAY 11^TH Fri & Sat, $ 250 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Thanksgiving- Wed-Sunday 5 days 4 nights $ 1000.00 including $ 50 cleaning fee

29 30

DECEMBER 2009 DATES:

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 PEARL HARBOR 7^TH Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs $ 200 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 CHANUKAH 12^TH Fri & Sat, $ 250 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 CHRISTMAS EVE 24^TH CHRISTMAS DAY 25^TH Christmas Wed-Sun 5 days 4 nights $ 1000.00 incl. $ 50 cleaning fee

27 28 29 30 31 KWANZAA 26^TH NEW YEARS EVE 31^ST

New Years Party Thurs- Sun 4 Days 3 Nights $ 900 incl. $ 50 cleaning fee

JANUARY 2010 DATES:

1 2 NEW YEARS DAY 1^ST

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs $ 200 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Fri & Sat, $ 250 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 MARTIN LUTHER KINGS DAY 18^TH Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues 5 days 4 nights $ 1000

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

FEBRUARY 2010 DATES:

1 2 3 4 5 6 DO THE DEW TOUR~ 6 Days 5 Nights $ 1,500 including cleaning fee http://www.mountsnow-dewtour.com/

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs $ 200 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 PRESIDENTS DAY 15^TH

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Fri & Sat, $ 250 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

28

MARCH 2010 DATES:

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs $ 200 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Fri & Sat, $ 250 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

APRIL 2010 DATES:

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 EASTER SUNDAY 4^TH

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs $ 200 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Fri & Sat, $ 250 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

25 26 27 28 29 30

MAY 2010 DATES:

1 Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs $ 175 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fri & Sat, $ 200 per night 2 night min plus $ 50 cleaning fee

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 MEMORIAL DAY 31^ST MAY 29, 30, 31, June 1st 4 Days 3 Nights $ 750 including Cleaning Fee

30 31

2009 Villa Rental Rates/Dates: (call us to determine up to date availability 631-563-7720)

"2:00pm check-in time ~ 12:00noon check out time"

All rental payments are required when you reserve the dates of your stay.

There is fee of $50 for cleaning associated with your stay.

A $250 Refundable Security deposit is required. (Security deposits are refunded timely within 2 weeks if no damage occurs)

Postal Money orders requested made payable to: Bill Merrell (Bill Merrell owns this 3 story home)

Call us at 631-563-7720 to confirm dates. We will send you a short term agreement. Please sign it, and return it with payment and ID's of all occupants.

We require a copy of each occupants drivers license to verify all identities. Children under 17 may not have ID, so their name will be fine.

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~ 3 Story town home ~ 2 Miles to Ski Lifts ~ We are right on the Mountain ~ 1 Mile to Golf Course ~ On Moover Route- which is the bus to the ski lift ~ Our town home is configured uniquely as per our floor plan below ~ End Unit ~ Plenty of space, light and Air...Mountain Breeze is the norm ~ We include use of towels, flatware, dishes, coffee maker, oven, range, pots and pans, microwave, dishwasher ~ Please Bring your own soap, paper goods, paper towels, garbage bags, and toilet paper

3 Story Home layout: (This is a 3 story End Unit home in our Mt. Snow Community)

First floor:

Front, covered raised porch, entry room which allows you to store ski equipment, etc. Hallway, with ample storage for coats. Front Bedroom with twin bed, futon (full bed) night stand, dresser and closet, Master bedroom with Full/Queen bed, 2 night stands, dresser, closet, linen closet, and door/access to full sized washer and dryer There is cable connected television in Master Bedroom. Please use natural, low phosphate washing machine detergent. 2 full bathrooms on this floor - Hall accessed bathroom with a tub bath and Master Bath with an enlarged stall shower. Both bathrooms have towels .(please bring your own toiletries incl. toilet paper, soap, etc.) Washer and dryer is on first floor off the master bedroom. Please bring washing machine detergent for your use. There is also an Iron/Ironing Board and Vacuum in front closet.

Second Floor:

Kitchen with basics for cooking. Dinette with Dining Room table, Living Room/Great Room with Cathedral Ceiling, a Center Fireplace and a 8' sliding door from great room to 2nd story deck, to allow for private dining outside, etc. 2 Loungers on deck for sun bathing in warm weather. Deck size is 150 square feet +-. Living Room has TV, VCR and DVD, Cable connected. Please bring dishwashing detergent for dishwasher. (Kitchen includes: Range, Stove, Microwave, Dishwasher, Sink with spray nozzle and full sized refrigerator)

Third Floor:

Loft with 2 twin beds, and a skylight, chair and dresser, ample lighting, carpeted with a 3' skylight between the 2 beds. (carpeted throughout)

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Home has individual thermostatically controlled heat throughout home. Separate rock lined hot water heater. Open Parking - Snow Removal - Plowing - Mowing - Leaf Collection - All provided by the Association. When you depart, lower the thermostats to away mode, verify fireplace damper is closed and turn off all lights. You will be asked to return key to our cleaning manager at end of stay or return it to us. Before your stay, you will receive a key which opens the front exterior door.

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Kitchen: Refrigerator, Range, Oven, Dishwasher, Coffee Maker and Microwave, Pots, Pans, Flatware, Dishes, Mugs, Glassware and Utensils.

Each guest should bring items such as Tupperware, aluminum foil, plastic bags, salt, pepper, sugar, coffee, paper towels, toilet paper, garbage bags, etc.

All garbage should be removed and emptied daily in dumpster at our condo community. All food should be removed at end of stay. Clean out refrigerator and freezer.

We want your stay to be enjoyable. This is a 25 year old 3 story semi attached town home on the Mountain. Plenty of hot water, full size washer and dryer and everything as listed .

Television, VCR and DVD (with remote) in Living Room , Television with remote and cable in Master Bedroom

Televisions are connected to Duncan Cable with multiple cable channels.

Firewood for Fireplace- stocked in adjacent shed for each stay- Split seasoned wood- shed key by front door- Return key please!

Bed linens and towels included during stay.

We have the home professionally cleaned/linens changed between stays. That is why you are charged $ 50 cleaning fee.

Please bring you own toiletries, paper towels, aluminum foil, baggies, garbage bags, toilet paper, air freshener, etc. We attempt to supply some of these items, however do to personal use, we ask you bring these items to our home. We also ask that you dispose of garbage each day in the community dumpster to keep the home clean

Guess the High Sale in Barre, Vermont

My wife's parents are from Southern California, and in so many ways, it's a different world from ours here in Montpelier and Barre. There's traffic, the ocean, gigantic malls, etc. But, as a realtor working my tail off for buyers and sellers in Montpelier and Barre, the funniest difference is in the cost of houses.

Two years ago the median home price in their county was $600,000. Now, with the California Correction, it's down to $400,000. How the heck does the "median" person buy a "median" priced home in that county?

In Barre, there were two homes that sold this year (so far) at or above $200,000. Both were listings from our office (don't mind tooting my own home now and then). What does that mean? It means that there are a lot of good values in Barre. It means that if someone's looking for a good house in a good neighborhood in a good community, they could do well by buying in Barre.

Is it a perfect town? No, but which town is? All I'm saying is that if I had $200,000 to buy a house, I'd rather have a 3 bedroom 2 bath nicely cared for home in Barre than whatever shack you can get for that in SoCal.

Stick Season In Montpelier and Barre

I will admit, the phones aren't ringing as steadily, and I'm getting fewer email inquiries about our listings as I did throughout the spring, summer, and early fall...but it's not dead. Not by a long shot.

Two weeks ago I had three offers come in (2 are accepted, one is a short sale, so you never know when that'll land). Last week I added another offer and a new listing. Today I'm headed out to see about a listing, and then this morning I had an email inquiry wanting to know about selling her house.

I'm not going to count any chickens before they've hatched, but this is certainly a busier November than I thought I'd have. Back in January when I started (I can't believe this is my first year...I should've been doing this for a long time!), people assured me that it was the worst possible time to start a career selling real estate. My (perhaps naive) response then was that if I could make a go at it and stay in business when the market's down, when unemployment's up, and when people think it's a bad time to start a career selling real estate, then I'd have a grand old time when things turned around.

I think I was right. When I hear veteran agents talking about how this was the strangest, least profitable year in which they had to do more work to close fewer deals than in recent memory, I smile to myself. You mean it gets better than this?

Perhaps I better bookmark this posting, and read it again in January to cheer myself up. Then again, I spent all summer telling my wife that she'll get enough of having dinner with me come November. Well, here it is the week before Thanksgiving..

We just had a very interesting experience with a multi-family property in Montpelier, VT. It gets pretty cold here in the winter, and, with this property there are two furnaces servicing the four units. Ideally, they'd be split off and have each unit with their own separate heat source, but that's just not happening.

I called Montpelier Construction, and Malcolm Gray came right out to do the blower door test. Turns out the old building is leaking air like a sieve. That's bad for the environment, and it's costing money. I had Montpelier Construction spray foam the basement sill, seal all the basement penetrations (where pipes, wires, and ducts come through the basement ceiling and into the house), airseal the attic, weatherstrip the doors, and take care of a couple egregious air leaks within some of the units. Total cost was just around $2000.

But then the incentives start piling up. The electric company throws a little money at it. There's the federal tax credit. And then there's another source of state money used to help incentivize weatherizing. At the end of the day, it's going to cost me right around $400.

Last year we burned close to $4000 worth of oil to heat the place. The estimated savings from the work that was done was somewhere around 20%. That's a 6 month payback!

I love it when the right thing to do, the good thing to do, and the easy thing to do are all the same thing!