About Washington County, VT

In Vermont, Realtors have a two year licensing cycle. During those two years, all Realtors are required to complete a certain number of continuing education hours.

I just want everyone to know that, while being something of a procrastinator, I have finished my continuing ed requirements for the 2008-2010 license renewal cycle. That's 16 hours of coursework.

When I was a kid, my parents used to take my brother, my sister, and me out for ice cream when we did well on our report cards. I'll be expecting similar treatment from my loyal readers. Besides, Village Pizza now sells cremees, and they're RIGHT across the street.

Really quickly, here are two things I love about Northfield, VT.

1. The playground at the Northfield Elementary School has the best playground views I've ever seen. Do yourself a favor if you haven't (and if you're moving to Northfield, and have kids, you're DEFINITELY going to want to do this), take the 80-something stairs to the upper playground. You'll see what I mean.

Many of you know that I used to teach 2nd grade at Northfield Elementary. That's how I know about the playground. I remember being up there are recess duty and wondering about what view my flatlander teacher friends had.

2. The pool/playground/skate park at the end of King Street. It's right in town, and it's easy to walk there, but you won't just accidentally walk past it. So, again, if you're moving to Northfield, VT, go there. I'm not sure when the pool actually opens. Also, the really long slide is wwwaaaayyyy less fun than it looks. Insider tip: Don't go on it.

More to come, but I can't be tied down to the constraints of a posting schedule. It's more of a free flow...

Oh, and Kyle--this post isn't about you either.

Negotiating When Buying or Selling in Montpelier

Or anywhere, really. I'm seeing this a little more lately, and I have to admit, it drives me nuts. Offers are put in, and sellers will sometimes simply not respond. No counter, no nothing.

Technically, there are timeframes within which offers need to be responded to, and the offers become void once those timeframes pass. So, it is a way of rejecting an offer on a home for sale in Montpelier.

Realistically, however, doesn't it make more sense to at least make a counter? You can come down $1000 and set the tone that the price is sticky. Granted, there's a good chance that'll end the negotiating.

Sellers: You don't have to "split the difference" between an offer and your asking price. If that were the case, everyone would offer zero, and get Montpelier homes for half price. Or asking prices would double. I don't know, but I love ad absurdum arguments.

Buyers: Lowball offers won't usually work. But even if you're making a realistic low offer, be prepared to "negotiate against yourself" if you really want the property. Testing a low price can be a successful negotiating strategy, provided that you're prepared to come up and meet the seller somewhere. Putting in low offers and walking with one round of negotiating isn't really making offers in good faith.

Realtors: Encourage your sellers to at least make counter offers. Unless you're 100% sure that the house is priced exactly right, and an appraisal will concur, there's always a little room for movement

A title like that ought to get people's attention...

I suppose there are places in the country where all the houses are the same, and where all the houses kind of make sense. What fun is that?

I had the pleasure of touring a few homes for sale in Barre today. My favorite adventure was for the one on Beckley Street. Spacious house, spacious yard, just need to get rid of the carpet and some of the religious schwag (I don't mean to offend, but I felt like I should genuflect and drop an envelope in a basket). Ok, all the saints aside, the best part was how I had to get into the basement.

The bulkhead door was locked. But, of course, there was an 18" by 18" hole cut out of a closet floor, a hinged trapdoor, a step notched into the foundation wall, and a rickety table strategically set on the basement floor. What house doesn't have that?

Ninja Realtor Ray squeezed into that hole in the floor in the closet (dear Liza, dear Liza) and found a perfectly pleasant basement.

Post script: Turns out that had I looked underneath one of the Marys in the kitchen (because one Mary in the kitchen just wouldn't cut it), I would've found a key to the lock on the bulkhead door. I wish I could make this stuff up...

Norwich University and Northfield VT Homes for Sale

Around this time of year, faculty and staff (military and civilian) at Norwich University who are coming or going, actually start coming and going. Both civilian and military faculty positions change frome time to time, and there are always people looking to move to Northfield, VT (or the surrounding area), and people looking to sell their homes in Northfield and move away.

In recent weeks, I have heard personally of three buyers looking for homes in the area, and two sellers looking to sell--all affiliated with Norwich University. And there's going to be more activity coming up.

The key to moving to Northfield, VT and to Norwich University is to know the area. Know the town. Sometimes, it's even good to know the neighbors. Last week I showed a property in Northfield, and, since I knew the neighbors, could tell the buyers just that much more information.

And just to be completely upfront--we don't live in Northfield. My wife is a professor at Norwich, I used to teach at Northfield Elementary, and we lots of friends who live there. I'm just saying that it can help to work with someone who really knows the town and the university