patrick.net

Probably haunted by a vaudevillian ventriloquist dummy that looks like this:

Aha... that must be it :)

Seriously though, why would you want to live in a house with character, genuine architectural value, acreage, and history...

A stately 1797 Flemish Bond brick Georgian homestead with 83.35 acres and approximately l mile of frontage on the Winooski River just 25 minutes from Burlington! This home was built for Martin Chittenden, son of Thomas Chittenden, the President of the Republic of Vermont and the first Governor of Vermont. Martin Chittenden served 10 years in Congress and was the state’s 8th governor. Evidence of the age of this home is suggested by a painted overmantel depicting the Federal eagle, a liberty cap and the American flag with 16 stars plus an early Vermont state flag. The house is magnificent; it offers 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, 8 fireplaces and extensive molding, wide plank flooring and significant period detail. A wing was added during the Civil War era. The grounds include beautiful trees, long-established gardens, an in-ground pool and a small barn-garage. With history and authenticity, with charm and comfort – all in an exceptional setting - this property is a rarity.

When, for the nearly the same price (799K), you could live in a generic shitbox like this in the south bay area, complete with tacky HELOC-grade kitchen and bath:

Large driveway providing good setback from Mary Ave. Beautiful home with newly finished hardwood floors. New granite in kitchen, new tile in master bath . All new paint. Easy access to freeways, shopping. Agent related to seller.

And yeah, I know they have that thing called 'winter' in Vermont...

terriDeaner says

And yeah, I know they have that thing called ‘winter’ in Vermont…

Heh. Have you just heard about them, or have you actually had one of your own?

25 minutes from Burlington might sound OK (it isn't really) but let's be honest, we're pretty much talking about Canada here. Not chilly foggy Vancouver BC Canada-lite, but permafrost icicles-on-your-eyebrows Great White North Canada, eh?

Oh, and then there's the local Jericho VT economy...oh no, that's right, there isn't. :-)

j/k. I spent enough time in rural northern New England to claim it as a kind of "home". It has its charms. It's cold tho, no lie.

How do you heat a house like that? How many watts to keep it at 68F if it is 20F outside?

quesera says

Heh. Have you just heard about them, or have you actually had one of your own?

Winter is awesome and beautiful. You just need to dress for the occasion.

quesera says

Oh, and then there’s the local Jericho VT economy…oh no, that’s right, there isn’t. :-)

Yeah, but Burlington isn't that far away. College town, plenty of dough sloshing around to support a strong local economy, right?

justme says

How do you heat a house like that? How many watts to keep it at 68F if it is 20F outside?

You don't. You just drink brandy for 8 months straight (yes, the winter is that long) and thicken your blood by direct injections of birch or maple syrup.

83.35 acres !!!
You have to hire 2 or 3 gardeners for that.

"Hiring people", that is so Un-American. We only fire people, then outsource to China.

Another problem is that with gas at $4. It costs $2 to just go in/out of the parking lot !

xenogear3 says

83.35 acres !!!
You have to hire 2 or 3 gardeners for that.

Nah, just use a pushmower around the house, and let the rest go wild. The freezing weather and snow will kill off the weeds in the winter anyhow.

xenogear3 says

Another problem is that with gas at $4. It costs $2 to just go in/out of the parking lot !

Bike in the summer and dogsled in the winter. Problem solved!

The upkeep would be outrageous - plus, it's probably on the National Register of Hysterical Places and therefore any changes to the place will be a long, drawn out affair. I'm willing to be that it's a money pit.

But a beautiful one.

justme says

How do you heat a house like that? How many watts to keep it at 68F if it is 20F outside?

20f would be a very warm day in upstate vermont in january. I've spent 2 week periods in Burlington where it didn't get out of negative numbers. Nice little city however.

If you buy this house, the price will stay flat, plus all the maintenance cost for 10+ rooms.

If you buy a bay area house, the price will guaranteed double in 5 years.
Plus it is less than 1000 square feet, so less maintenance cost.

25 minutes from Burlington? Doesn't seem that odd. You live out in the middle of nowhere, land is cheap.

Who cares that it was the home of the first governor? I used to live in the home that formerly belonged to one of California's Senators back in the late 1800's. Massive old place that had been converted into a 3 unit rental. Beautiful to look at, but kind of run down with old plumbing and wiring.

BTW, from the interior pictures, the place may be staged. Ignore the furniture and the romantic narrarative they are trying to sell you on, and look with fresh eyes.

As an aside, I spend a week in North Westminster (I think it was?), where my girlfriend's family had a summer home. Really a breathtakingly beautiful place in the summer time.

xenogear3 says

If you buy this house, the price will stay flat, plus all the maintenance cost for 10+ rooms.

If you buy a bay area house, the price will guaranteed double in 5 years.
Plus it is less than 1000 square feet, so less maintenance cost.

Sell the sizzle, not the house!!!

MarkInSF says

25 minutes from Burlington? Doesn’t seem that odd. You live out in the middle of nowhere, land is cheap.

Rural yes, but in the middle of nowhere??? 2 hours to Montreal, 3 to Boston, and just east of the Adirondacks. Sounds pretty sweet to me.

MarkInSF says

BTW, from the interior pictures, the place may be staged. Ignore the furniture and the romantic narrarative they are trying to sell you on, and look with fresh eyes.

I think it would look better without all of the cheesy staged furniture. Take a closer look at the custom, built in features and historical architectural details throughout.

MarkInSF says

Who cares that it was the home of the first governor? I used to live in the home that formerly belonged to one of California’s Senators back in the late 1800’s. Massive old place that had been converted into a 3 unit rental. Beautiful to look at, but kind of run down with old plumbing and wiring.

Sounds like it wasn't well taken care of. Very common in my experience with Bay Area real estate as well. I've also noticed much poorer construction in many older houses here than in other areas with harsher climates. Earthquakes aside, my suspicion is that lower quality construction persists here because of the milder climate. Poorly built houses just doesn't survive as long in places with harsher winter weather.

My guess is that it's a money trap. But really, isn't it startling how much you can get for so little when you're not paying for proximity to SF or the silicon valley. By the way, I lived in Vermont (Middlebury) for 4 years of college, and it was absolutely awesome. As my friends in Alaska say, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing."

everything looks cheap compared to CA and NY. It's cheap because you probably would have to pay someone to live in VT next to polar bears.

Having grown up right next door, I can tell you that acerage in that are is very cheap relative to major cities. Further, it's not terribly expensive to build a big house. This place may well be over-priced!

tclement says

But really, isn’t it startling how much you can get for so little when you’re not paying for proximity to SF or the silicon valley.

Agreed.

tclement says

As my friends in Alaska say, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”

Agreed, but I suppose I'd say, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just as long as you're sporting thermal underwear".