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Celebrating Winter in Vermont – No Place does it better
By LandVest
 

Vermont is a State For All Seasons
But No Place Does Winter Better

It is all about the Green Mountains, snow and New England tradition. Here are 6 keys to a great year-round property for the winter months:

  1. 1.  Keep it close. Vermont is within driving distance
  2. 2.  Give me the mountains. The Green Mountains stretch the length of the state
  3. 3.  Out my back door: snowshoeing, x-country skiing, downhill skiing and skating
  4. 4.  Escape for Dinner one night: Sophisticated local foods – Downtown Grocery
  5. 5.  Private, not remote: Slopes, shops and village amenities
  6. 6.  Room for the family and friends: Bringing together the people we love

Living room of Highlands Reserve
with exposed post and beam

Vermont barn in the winter
- a New England winter snowscape

LandVest’s great Vermont escape for sale:

Highlands Reserve: Set in the Southern foothills of the Green Mountains, bordering state and national forest, this 627± acre tract provides complete mountain privacy within six miles of the white clapboard village of Weston and ten miles of Okemo Mountain Resort. A summer trout pond becomes winter’s ideal spot for pond hockey at the center of this 20-acre± compound. The main residence is an exposed hemlock Post & Beam with 3,000± s.f. and three bedrooms. The New England Post & Beam barn with attached camp, and a 3,000± s.f. two-suite guest house overlook each end of the pond. A stone turret folly in a hillside field above the residence provides a perfect go to place at sunset. South of the pond is a glade with a stream at its border and the “Kids Camp” fitted with a wood stove and bunk beds and a well-framed mountain view. A short distance by snow shoe there is a series of ten connecting natural ponds in a beautiful woodland setting. A larger trail leads off towards the center of the property to an area of an old settlement identifiable by a series of stone walls. From here, there is a trail to “Tabletop” hill, a great site for a cabin with views of the valley and mountains. A five-mile network of trails, great for skiing, snow shoeing or snow machine, provide sightings of moose, beaver, grouse, woodcock and turkey. The 600 acre managed timberland provides additional value. Offered for $2,100,000.

Contact Story Jenks: sjenks@landvest.com, 802-238-1332

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Vermont Blog – Ski Properties
By LandVest
 

New England’s first snowfall with a forecast for more
has warmed the hearts of many a winter sports enthusiast recently.

Vermont's numerous ski resorts
attract thousands of skiers every year

Vermont’s natural beauty and mountain environment provide a striking setting and a true escape from the everyday with some of the best ski and hiking terrain in the East. Located 45 minutes from Burlington, Vermont’s International Airport, a three-hour drive from Boston and five hours from the George Washington Bridge, the area boasts diverse terrain, tons of snow and an idyllic way of life.

LandVest’s  listings in the heart of Vermont ski country offer exceptional opportunities.

Panoramic view of Sugarbush Bowl as seen
from Wakanta in Warren and Waitsfield, VT

“Wakanta” meaning “Mountain Spirit”, is aptly named for it captures the essence of this property.  Set on a mountain hillside on 44± private acres, overlooking a spring-fed swimming pond, Wakanta is surrounded by stunning mountain vistas, and offers full-on views of Sugarbush resort. The well-designed and impeccably constructed 4,750 square foot Vermont vernacular residence has enough room to handle a crowd but is just as easily adept at smaller gatherings with comfort and style.   Wakanta features 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, an 8-person steam room and wonderful spaces for entertaining, including a spacious living room with Rumford fireplace and an outdoor heated stone terrace with hot tub.  Located within minutes of two of Vermont’s most popular ski areas, Sugarbush and Mad River Glen, Wakanta also includes a 2-story barn.

Worcester Range Farm, Middlesex VT
- just a few miles to Stowe and the best downhill skiing in the East

Worcester Range Farm offers end-of-the-road privacy and a classic setting of a proper Vermont hill farm with 649± acres of woods, meadows, trails, and stunning mountain views. The historic farmhouse, c1900, was renovated in 1991 and 1997 to the highest standards by Vermont craftsmen leaving the magnificent original features, and adding all the required upgrades. The home includes 3 bedrooms, 4 baths, a formal living room, a chef’s kitchen, a sun porch, sauna, and all new mechanicals.  It’s location in Middlesex is a few miles from shopping and services in Vermont’s Capital city of Montpelier, and some of the best downhill skiing in the East is in nearby Stowe.

Watershed Farm, Roxbury, VT 570 acres of stunning mountain and valley views provide diverse recreational opportunity for the sports enthusiast

Just over the gap from the Mad River Valley, Watershed Farm also offers incredibly diverse recreational opportunities for the winter sports enthusiast.  Miles of trails wind through this 570-acre hilltop property approached by a mile-long driveway and is absolutely private.  The 6,400 sq. ft. Victorian residence is well-maintained and offers stunning mountain views from almost every one of its 15 rooms as well as from the wide wrap-around porches.  Also included is a 20-stall barn, indoor riding arena and an observatory.

Vermont is fortunate in that we are never over-inventoried with quality properties.  Many of these properties only come available once in a generation.  Although we have only mentioned above the properties that are in the Sugarbush Valley region, there are several other outstanding opportunities with large acreage and with extraordinarily well-maintained and private houses all within a very short distances of major ski areas up and down the Green Mountains.  Please check our website regularly for new property opportunities in Vermont.

For more  information on these or other Vermont real estate for sale, contact Wade BC Weathers Jr .   Phone: 802-651-5392, Email: wweathers@landvest.com

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“A Gentleman’s Farm, Perfected” – Uphill Farm for Sale in Woodstock, Vermont
By LandVest
 

Private and exquisite Vermont Gentleman's farm on 104 acres within three miles of Woodstock Village

Uphill Farm is the Vermont farm, perfected.  It is an idealized Vermont landscape, protected by abutting conserved land, with each of the components: meadows, views, ponds, ski hill, brook, red barn, cow pastures and ancient maple trees… on a manageable scale.  From the air, the artists’ palette of green rolling meadows, and managed landscapes begin to tell the story of the exceptional detail of Uphill Farm.  To fully understand the quiet excellence of this property, one needs to experience it in person. There is a magic to the place.

We are struck by the effect Uphill Farm has on visitors.  They step out of their cars, take a big, deep breath and just stand quietly for a minute.  They visibly relax and their shoulders drop as they take in the clean air and the sounds of the breeze in the big old sugar maples and the brook down the hill.  And so it begins…

The current stewards of this farm took great care in keeping the property fresh without interfering with its sense of place and history.

Main residence is a 5564 sq ft expanded/renovated post and beam farmhouse

The renovated and expanded c1805 Post and Beam main residence has all the expected luxury amenities, with tremendous craftsmanship and Vermont farm character.   The main house is manageable for a couple, but expands to accommodate children and guests due to its well-designed floor plan.  The main living space includes open areas that flow well to accommodate today’s lifestyle with plenty of light and top of the line amenities.  The ground floor master suite is separate enough from the main living areas to afford privacy, but close enough to accommodate a young family.  Amenities are as one would expect for a property of this caliber.   The kitchen, for example, comes equipped to serve a crowd with two Dacor wall ovens, two SubZero refrigerators, and two Bosch dishwashers.  The library has a stone fireplace and French doors that lead to the summer dining porch, and SubZero wine cooler. The elegant billiard room features cherry raised panel molding, fireplace surround, coffered ceiling, built-in cabinetry, a wet bar and bay window overlooking the rear yard and pool.  The master bath has a jetted tub with marble surround and heated towel racks.

The artfully crafted Gunite pool and spa includes a cascading waterfall and heated terrace

The master suite also has a dressing room with two cedar closets, and wonderful big marble tub.  The outdoor living touches are also remarkable with several covered porches and patios to choose from.  The nature-scape pool with cascading waterfall and spa offers respite after a day of being out and about the farm and the pool terraces are heated to keep your feet warm on your way to a soak.

Ample guest accommodation is provided by the open and airy three story 19th century farmhouse at Down The Hill Farm, which also features an elegantly updated floor plan and amenities, and can comfortably sleep a couple or a big extended family.  Both residences are offered completely furnished and the extensive inventory of farm equipment, vehicles and carriages convey with property as well.  The new owner need only bring a toothbrush!

Renovated in 2008, stable has 6 box stalls, cedar shake roof, cedar doors and teak and copper walls.

The multiple barns are  well equipped for horses and provide ample storage and opportunity for creative and functional endeavors.

There are so many opportunities for a family and friends to enjoy the property, from casual meals in the open and bright kitchen to a big celebration in the huge Down the Hill loft, sugaring at the sugar house, skiing with the snow cat on the little ski hill, mountain biking, cross-country skiing or horseback riding on the beautifully maintained trails, fishing in the brook and ponds, quietly gathering herbs and flowers in the charming fenced kitchen garden, a barbeque in the outdoor kitchen followed by an evening of friendly competition in the billiard room, or curling up by the fireplaces with a good book.  The tour is not complete without mentioning that this private escape is within three miles of everything the charming village of Woodstock has to offer, and a quick hop over the hill to a great day of skiing at Killington or a fun family day at Suicide Six.  This is a true dream farm.

LandVest has recently produced a short video which distills the essence of Uphill farm and we invite all those considering buying or selling a farm to view this video (see link below).
For those who are interested in Vermont Farms for sale, or, if you have a farm and are considering it for sale, contact Ruth Kennedy Sudduth. (rsudduth@landvest.com)

Click link to View Uphill Farm, Woodstock, Vermont Video

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Price Reductions for Vermont Gentleman Farms
By LandVest
 

Recent Vermont Real Estate Price Reductions:  Gentleman Farms for Sale in West Windsor and Springfield, VT

For more information, click on the photos, call the LandVest office in Woodstock, VT (802) 457-4977 or contact the LandVest real estate brokers listed below.

Craggle Ridge Farm

92.70 acres

255 Delano Road, West Windsor, VT 05089

$1,345,000

For more information contact Story Jenks or Ruth Kennedy Sudduth.

_________________________

North Mowing

230.30 acres

30 Fairground Rd., Springfield, VT 05156

$2,295,000

For more information contact Jon Weber or Ruth Kennedy Sudduth.

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New Lake Champlain Waterfront Properties for Sale
By LandVest
 

New Lake Champlain Waterfront Properties For Sale in Charlotte, VT, Panton, VT and Westport, NY

For more information click on photos or contact: Wade B.C. Weathers, Jr - wweathers@landvest.com or call 802-651-5392

Rock Harbor

11 acres overlooking Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains of Vermont

356 Rock Harbor Way, Westport, NY

$1,995,000

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124 McNeil Cove

Exquisite Lake Champlain estate on 2.99 acres

124 McNeil Cove Road, Charlotte, VT     05445

$2,350,000

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Bay Point

125 acre peninsula is one of the finest Gentleman Farms on Lake Champlain

1872 Arnold Bay Road, Panton, VT     05456

$4,900,000

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Click here for Wade B.C. Weathers, Jr info

Click here to view Wade’s current listings.

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2011 Shows the Way to a Gradual Real Estate Recovery in Vermont
By LandVest
 

Landvest This entry is brought to you by Story Jenks who assists buyers and homeowners  of distinctive Land, Estates and Farms throughout Vermont.  

2010 was a year of consolidation across the markets we serve. With pricing well off the highs of 2005, and approaching 2001 levels in many markets, seller expectations became realistic and buyers stepped in to pick up attractive deals with cash. Yankee thrift largely avoided the distressed market prevalent in the Southwest and California, and bottom-fishers have largely been frustrated at trying to pick off superb properties which hold considerable value despite the market.

LandVest led record sales through this challenging market, reflecting our strength and the quality of the properties we represent. Wyck Estate – spectacular waterfront French chateau reproduction in Manchester, MA was offered for $12.25 million. Lochland – eclipsed only by the previous New Hampshire record set by LandVest in 2006, this former home of Babe and William Paley on Squam Lake sold for $6.85 million. Round Pond Road – remarkable Martha’s Vineyard beachfront property was offered for $18 million and sold in early 2011, setting the tone for a stronger spring market.

North Mowing, located in Springfield, Vermont is privately set on 230± acres and is currently for sale. The amenity-rich estate offers nine clapboard buildings in an idylic Vermont setting.

Vermont

Sales Volume
The Vermont high-end market is predominantly a second (or third…) home market, driven by want rather than need. 2010 volume of state-wide residential sales over $1 million topped 60, improving ever so slightly from 2009’s trough of 54 sales, but down over 57% from the peak in 2005. Sales over $2 million showed a similar trend with a bigger rebound in 2010, but off the peak by 62%. The average marketing period lengthened to over 1.5 years.

It was not until end of 2009 and beginning of 2010 that the scale of price decreases became clear. Here are sample sales in the primary high-end markets in Vermont. (more…)

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Best Places To Live: Woodstock-Area Vermont Country Farm for Sale
By LandVest
 

Landvest This blog post is brought to you by Jon Weber, who assists buyers and sellers of distinctive real estate in the Woodstock, Vermont area, and by Ruth Kennedy Sudduth, who directs LandVest’s Residential Brokerage Division and serves buyers and sellers of distinctive properties throughout New England.

The main house of the classic Kent Hill Farm sits on Happy Valley Road.

LandVest properties tend to be the realization of an owner’s dream. Kent Hill Farm, just outside Woodstock, Vermont, is no exception. The owners had a vision of a classic Vermont farm set in an unspoiled valley. They wanted a private, comfortable home with the ease of modern layout and construction where they could control their views. Over the course of several years, they assembled a substantial landholding on both sides of Happy Valley Road (which is as pretty as it sounds), just outside Woodstock Village. In 2000, on the west-facing side, they built what looks like a reproduction Cape style house, correct in scale and feel for rural Vermont. The home evokes the feel of an antique—wide pine floors, hand-hewn beams, a stone fireplace with forged iron pot rack—with the light, flow and understated luxury of modern living: cathedral ceilings, big windows, radiant heat and an open chef’s kitchen. In addition to the main house, there is a charming guest house, big workshop and ten bay equipment shed. Equestrians will appreciate the well-thought through horse barn with run-in shed, tack and feed rooms and fenced paddock. The property is being offered on 181 private acres which are a part of the 653 acres assembled on both sides of Happy Valley Road. The owners will convey the property with protective covenants and will add protective covenants to the land they own across the road so that the views from Kent Hill Farm are preserved from both sides of the road.

A large workshop, equipment shed, and barn are a part of the privately-set Kent Hill Farm.

View of lush Vermont countryside from Kent Hill Farm.

This is a beautifully conceived Vermont farm for sale, offering sizable acreage, complete privacy and a gracious comfortable home. It is less than ten minutes into Woodstock Village with its charming shops and restaurants, thirty minutes to Killington and twenty minutes to Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth College and the renowned Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

This comfortable, private Vermont farm is located just minutes from Woodstock Village.

Click to view additional Vermont farms for sale.

Click to view additional New England farms for sale.

For more information on Vermont Real Estate and Properties for sale, contact Jon Weber at jweber@landvest.com, or click here for Jon Weber’s Contact Information. Contact Ruth Kennedy Sudduth at rsudduth@landvest.com or click here for her Contact Information.

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Best Place to Live – Vermont: Finding Privacy and Quiet on Lake Champlain
By LandVest
 

Landvest This entry is brought to you by Story Jenks, who advises and assists distinctive real estate homeowners and buyers of  land, estates and farms in Woodstock, Vermont and surrounding areas.

Farm Bay, Charlotte

Farm Bay in Charlotte offers private waterfront vista

Remember the real estate axiom: “Location, location, location”?

 The LandVest corollary to that axiom is that location and site quality determine value.

A great example of how great location and great site quality make a property is Farm Bay Point on Lake Champlain.  There are a few lakefront locations on this magnificent body of water that are private and still within 20 minutes of Burlington’s amenities. 

At Farm Bay Point you are transferred to idylic surroundings where only the peaceful sound of birds singing break through the quiet. This special conserved enclave is at the southern end of the town of Charlotte where it meets Ferrisburgh, on the aptly named Town Line Road.  A large dairy farm straddles both sides of the road and at the gateway to the property.   Thoughtful planning by previous landowners has resulted in the surrounding land’s permanent conservation by the Vermont Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy and the Lake Champlain Land Trust, guaranteeing the quiet rural character in perpetuity.  The confluence of  Thorp and Kimball Brook at the end of Town Farm Bay is a well-known bird sanctuary accessible by boat. 

Access is at the end of Town Line Road, via a private dirt road shared by just three landowners.  The offered property benefits by the privacy and quiet of the surrounding conserved land, though its own acreage is a modest (and tax saving) 1.8± acres.  The site is wooded with large maples, hickory and pine with a spine of ledge outcropping creating high points with wonderful views of the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain.  The property has 460 feet of lake frontage, making for superior boating and swimming access with a mooring and boat dock on one side and a dock for swimming on the other.

Enjoy the tranquility of a lakefront view

Farm Bay Point is very well priced: The 20 acre parcel south of Farm Bay Point just sold for $1.1 million, and the new owner has razed the house for replacement.   The modest house on the property is built for year-round use with the great charm of a camp, but can be renovated and enlarged.  The outdoor shower at the edge of the lake, discretely sited among shrubs, has some of the finest views of the water. 

Beautiful Lake Champlain

Click here for more information on Farm Bay Point, a Vermont lakefront property, or for additional Properties for Sale on Lake Champlain.

For more information on Vermont Real Estate and Properties for sale, contact Story Jenks at sjenks@landvest.com or click here for Story Jenks’ Contact Information.

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Keith Ross of LandVest Leads N.E. Forest Conservation Initiative
By LandVest
 

LandVest Senior Advisor Keith Ross is a leader in the effort towards collaborative land conservation.  In a recent article that appears in the fall edition of Northern Woodlands magazine, Conserve More Land Today through Parcel Aggregation, he promotes this concept of collaborative “aggregation” of woodlands; combining or “bundling” preserved land from separate owners into one larger project.  This process conserves large landscapes and attracts interest from motivated landowners and investors alike. 

The strategy may seem like a difficult feat, but recent examples in New England prove this is feasible and beneficial.  In Western Massachusetts, seven land trusts are working together to obtain funding to buy conservation easements for more than 10,000 acres of timberland owned by 71 landowners, and have raised over seven million dollars to-date.  Several other areas throughout New England have been replicating this land aggregation concept and have been successful lowering costs related to conservation easement monitoring, and appraisals.

Why is land aggregation beneficial for land owners? 

Not all forest conservation projects are significant enough to be completed as stand-alone individual projects.  Most are smaller acreages that have significant ecological values to maintain large forest blocks or protect lakes, ponds, streams, wildlife habitat, etc.  By grouping these projects together they can attract funders that don’t normally focus on small individual projects and the costs of the transactions can be reduced by grouping together the appraisals, negotiations, baseline documentation, etc.

 Why is land aggregation beneficial for the land? 

Most forest land conservation projects are not the highly visible road frontage pieces people drive by every day, nor are they the large mega acreage tracts that are conserved up north.  Most are much smaller tracts that are important to knit together to ensure we have large blocks of forest necessary to ensure the production of clean air and clean water that support all of us.

For more information on Collaborative Land Conservation Contact Keith Ross

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Grand Vacation Home With Rare Amount of Acreage on Lake Champlain for Sale
By LandVest
 

On the Shores of Lake Champlain, Bay Point in Panton, Vermont offers a renovated home with rare acreage in a setting steeped in history…

View of Green Mountains and Arnold Bay from Bay Point

Lake Champlain is a fascinating water body with an enormous amount of history. Not only was it the birthplace of the American Navy and the home of such fascinating facilities as Fort Ticonderoga, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and known for such battles as the battle of Valcour Island during which Benedict Arnold led his fleet against a far superior British fleet. The results of this battle essentially devastated the fledgling American Navy however its success was in turning the British fleet back north for at least six months allowing Arnold to escape and warn soldiers at Fort Ticonderoga of the impending potential attack.
Arnold’s escape brought him to what is now known as Arnold Bay in the town of Panton, VT on Lake Champlain where he scuttled what was left of the American fleet to keep the boats from falling into the hands of the British. Benedict Arnold was a hero of the times by delaying the British from taking Lake Champlain. He was acquainted with Peter Ferris of Panton and chose his bay to scuttle his fleet and save them from being captured by the British. It is widely believed that this delay gave the Americans time to regroup and the next year defeat the British at Saratoga. Peter Ferris’s home was a well-known location to the militia, and it is thought that a delegation consisting of Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase and Charles Carroll , commissioned by the Continental Congress,  spent the night there.
Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire signed the Panton charter of 1761. Panton is located on the western shore of Lake Champlain in Addison County between Ferrisburgh on the north and Addison to the south. Sweeping views exist from the Green Mountains to the east and the Adirondacks to the west. Bordering on the east is The Otter Creek and running through the Town is the Dead Creek, both well-known spots for fishing, hunting and birding.

Although the major endeavor in the town is agriculture, there are several small home-based businesses, a feed store, and a campground. There has been a general store in the center of Panton since 1908; it has also housed a doctor’s office, and post office. There are farms and houses that can document their past to the original settlers.

The Penninsula on Arnold Bay

In the early 1950s, Arnold Bay and the peninsula to the south was acquired by a New York attorney and industrialist who eventually accumulated some 1500 acres now known as Arnold Bay Farm. The stone residence on the peninsula on the southern point was built in the 1920s of locally quarried stone and well known in the area as Panton stone. The stone and clapboard residence grew to the size of approximately 3900 ft.

Bay Point's Grand Residence

Bay Point's Grand Residence

The site for this grand residence was selected because of its level ground, protected bays, magnificent views west to the high peaks of the Adirondacks, and fertile farm grounds. Apparently, the original builder of the Bay Point residence was quite diminutive which resulted in a design that offers grand scale rooms but several areas of narrow hallways.  Subsequent owners renovated the early 20th century bathrooms and now have created a magnificent residence currently used as family vacation site.
In addition to the 3900 ft.², six bedroom house is a separate carriage house/caretakers apartment that includes a two-car garage on the lower level and open studio type apartment on the second floor. A pool house contains 2 changing rooms, a bathroom and shower and the pool filtering and heating equipment.

The entrance to the property off the Lake Shore Road is through and along the proper white fence with farm fields on both the north and south side of the of the west facing drive.   Entering the property through these fields then into mature pine oak and hickory woods ensures the absolute sense of privacy that prevails throughout this entire property. It’s rare to find 125 acres on a lakeshore.

Additional land is available.

For more information on this Lake Champlain property for sale visit the BayPoint Website

For more Panton, Vermont History or information on this or other Vermont real estate for sale, contact Wade BC Weathers.   Phone: 802-651-5392, Email: wweathers@landvest.com
Click for more information on Wade BC Weathers Jr.
Click to view additional Vermont Real Estate for Sale.

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