How long we will be using the phrase “in the current economy”? It is a point of reference, one that calls our attention to important considerations when deciding where we want to live and how to arrange our finances to ensure our comfort extends beyond the walls of our homes, to include our wallets and [...]

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Are you an optimist or a pessimist? In today’s economy, well, let me rephrase this, in any economy, it is easy to take one stance over the other. It depends on what we hear from the media and from others and how we respond to this. Massachusetts Mortgage Broker and friend, Bill Nickerson, recently made [...]

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A popular French Canadian song goes something like this: “The nest is in the tree, the tree is by the house, the house is on the street, the street is in the town, the town is in the county,” and so on. What’s happening in our own backyard? Even long-time Vermont residents often feel like [...]

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The For Sale sign in front of the neighbor’s house, and the moving van that arrives and leaves, reveal immediate changes in the community. A bird’s eye view, or in our times a webcam view from the International Space Station, would reveal a complex migration choreography with For Sale sings going up and down, vans [...]

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On average, American homeowners move every five to seven years. One immediate reason may be that Americans do not pass houses down from one generation to the next as much as they used to in the past. As they reach adulthood, children map out their own course, which includes a very personal lifestyle within walls [...]

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On a weekly basis, HSH.com, a recognized and long-established publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information, collects current data from mortgage lenders coast to coast. This week’s report, published on Monday, March 7, examines the current slight fall in mortgage rates. “The drift downward in interest rates over the last few weeks, a cumulative move [...]

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The sun certainly does its part in uplifting spirits today. It must be an absolutely magical day on the slopes and a great day to be a little chirping bird. Nature follows its proper course, even while we humans focus on the bitter cold air that enters our lungs. March, already! Since this happens to [...]

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We often hear people say that January and February are “the toughest months of winter”. This January brought record snowfall, much to the joy of skiers and winter weather enthusiasts. It also tested our resilience to sharp falls in temperature. A Burlington Free Press Blog headline dated January 20 reads, “Coldest Weather in Two Years [...]

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Sunny day in Lamoille County. Over twelve inches of fresh powder on the slopes and cross-country trails. It is clear that Mr. Woodchuck did not see his shadow yesterday. In fact, he may have been reluctant to come out, sensing the sort of crispness that makes one want to stay under the blankets. 34 days [...]

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Storefronts and Inns that become traditional landmarks reveal, very clearly, the ability of entrepreneurs and businesses to sustain the trials of time and the variations in consumer behavior. More than this, such landmarks reveal an ability to capture and understand the tastes and needs of residents and visitors. The Vermont Economic-Demographic Profile is a yearly [...]

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