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Thread: How to decide where to live

  1. #151
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    I wont even ask what ya'll are doing with a POD, I i just assume it is another thing you are paying for, storing BIL's stuff.

    But it does sound as though you are almost to the finish line with the sale of this house, yay!
    No, BIL pays for the POD.

    Yes, Yay indeed!! God help us, we're almost there!
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  2. #152
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    Hmm..if this was my story, I would sell the house you're in after the one next door closes and then rent for a while in your new locale. I speak from experience.

  3. #153
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pinkytoe View Post
    Hmm..if this was my story, I would sell the house you're in after the one next door closes and then rent for a while in your new locale. I speak from experience.
    That's probably the safest way to go, pinkytoe. I'm just trying to hedge my bets by holding on to the sure thing.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  4. #154
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    Hi!! I haven't been on the forums for awhile, but I need to address some of your concerns re: living in the Islands ( as we natives call them) or in Malletts Bay where my husband and I currently reside. First of all, most of the homes in the Islands are not on leased land. Those that are, are 99 yr leases. Homes on leased land are seasonal camps, not year round houses. What may be a 4-6 min drive in the summer can easily be 20-30 mins in the winter depending on the weather. Living in the islands in the winter is a feat unto itself. None of the restaurants are open year round, with the exception of the Irish pub in South Hero and Blue Paddle Bistro. There is plenty to do in the summer but, if you want to eat out or got the movies or the theater, you will either go to St Albans (route 78 is a wild drive in the winter) or into Burlington. It can take more than an hour in the winter to drive the 35 miles. The Ferry to NY is year round, and the only operating winter Vermont Ferry. The drive to Plattsburgh is approx 1 1/2 hrs one way by car. If the wind is high or there is little visibility due to blowing snow or a fierce storm the causeways will be closed . Island people are fiercely independent, and will help out their neighbors in an instant. They are very active in their communities, and will stand by their convictions. Many of the islanders are farmers and have been in the same families for over 100 years. The school system is excellent, but does not have a high school and may never have one. The kids and their families get to pick which town they want to have their high school education in. Usually Colchester or Essex. One of the main reasons for this is the families want their kids to get off the island and go to town to see what life is like there.It is my happy place, and has been for many years, altho I no longer liver there.
    Mallets Bay is a very interesting town. My husband has resided there for a good part of his life. We presently live in his late parents home. We have a couple of restaurants that have made it past the 2 year mark, and do well in the summer, not so much in the winter. The town is presently looking at the 20 year plan, and I am not a fan of the rotary that is being planned for Blakely Rd and Lakeshore Drive. It is a pricey town to live in as we are ( and the isalnds, Charlotte, Shelburne, and Ferrisburgh) in a Gold Town. This is the tax plan based on the amount of lakeshore in the particular town. Property taxes are very high. Schools are excellent. We have a bike path that goes from the old airport to the lake front in Burlington. It also goes to the bike ferry owned by Localmotion and connects to the Island Rail Trails which are on the old railroad beds and end in Alburgh if I am not mistaken. Spaulding East shore and West shore are seasonal homes and are not allowed to be lived in during the winter. Coates Island as you know is owned by the same family for 140 years. There are some year round homes but most are seasonal, therefore the reason for leased land. Coates Isalnd has a very interesting and rich history, it used to be a dairy farm. For the most part, leased land is not an issue, unless the owner dies and the surviving children, decide to make those leases null and void, as many on Lakeshore Drive found out this past winter. I highly suggest that you read the local town newspapers, it will give you more insight. They are: The lake Champlain Islander and the Colchester Sun. They are both on line
    As far as aging in place goes in the islands , there is a huge network of healthcare resources. CIDER has a senior center, and is also the main place for daily meals. Meals on Wheels are delivered every day. There are at least 2 senior living centers, that I am aware of. Visiting Nurses of Grand Isle Chittenden county has a huge presence there. The Island Health Center is brand new, replacing the old one on Rt 2 where the VNA is. You are not locked in to just one hospital, Northwestern in St Albans is an excellent hospital, and has great doctors.
    And yes, you can swim in the lake. There have been issues in the past with Asian milfoil and the towns spend money every so many years to eradicate it. There is a giant weed harvester in the Pelot Point Bay. As far as algae goes, some years we have it and some years we do not.
    Whatever your endeavors are in Vermont, I hope you find what you are looking for. Don't forget we have the most awesome farmers markets of any state!! Farm to Table and Eat and Buy local ARE who we are!! Not to mention the local craft sales/fairs. The craft shows are juried and there is a website that you can join for all of the latest info. Don't forget tourism is our number one business. Skiing is a huge industry and provides jobs for many families in those areas.

  5. #155
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Wow, thank you for this, mamarazz! Invaluable to have the insights from someone who lives there!

    I love Malletts Bay because it is such a nice lakeside "town" but so close to Burlington! If we lived there, we'd just zip down the Beltline and be at my son's house on North Champlain Street in 10 minutes. As I wrote in the earlier post, I really liked Coates Island, but the leases are very short, and that makes me nervous. And I don't like the idea of not owning the land. But it does make those beautiful areas more affordable. We are also looking at a seasonal home on Mills Point. BTW, I did read up on the Lakeshore Drive lease issues. My son sent me the articles, and I watched a youtube video with the homeowners who lost their homes.

    But there's the side of me that finds living in the Islands really appealing, too! I do appreciate the warnings about the winter, and the time it will take to get to the mainland. My realtor lives in South Hero, so she tends to be biased toward that area. As you know, it's pretty expensive if you want waterfront. The home we're interested in is in Grand Isle, on The Gut. We'll see.

    Anyway, we're still not closed on BIL's house. I don't even want to go into the latest crisis. In a nutshell, BIL never paid his sewer taxes this year ($875), and A WEEK AGO, on October 26, unbeknownst to us, the township sold a tax lien certificate for the property. Do you believe it???!!!! So NOW the title insurance company has to untangle it and find out how much BIL is going to have to pay to redeem the tax lien.

    And that's not all, but I don't have the strength to relive this stuff in writing. I'm just hoping we can close THIS week.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  6. #156
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Catherine, all of us here are rooting for you.

    I hope this firms up your spine to politely but clearly move BIL our of your sphere of responsibility.

  7. #157
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    So sorry Catherine. I hope you close quickly. BIL is a total loser.

  8. #158
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Thanks, IL and Terry. I know I'll get through it. It's just so aggravating when your very simple expectations are not met.

    [Deleting my rant because it already served its purpose]

    Thanks again for the well-wishes. This too shall pass. I feel no animosity toward him, because I really feel he has something missing mentally, so I can't really fault him. It's just aggravating and a big waste of my time. He doesn't want to live with us, but he has made NO arrangements to do anything during all this time. He hasn't even looked for any apartments or sublets. I told him he should take his money and buy a cheap condo in FL, but he doesn't want to do that. He wants to live in San Diego. He makes minimum wage in a seasonal job, and he thinks he'll be able to live in San Diego.
    Last edited by catherine; 11-6-17 at 8:28am.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
    www.silententry.wordpress.com

  9. #159
    Senior Member Teacher Terry's Avatar
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    Wow that is a lot of stress for you! Probably 3/4's of those clothes don't fit anymore. I think you will need to move yourself to get rid of him. One day this will all be a not so fond memory. It does sound like he is not very capable of making good decisions.

  10. #160
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    Time for a wheelbarrow, and lighter fluid (or what appears to be).

    That might also make him very afraid to move in with you or continue to live next door.

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