As someone who actively markets and sells homes and condos in each of these markets, along with living in Colchester myself, I can fully understand why each of these towns made the list. They each have wonderful attributes, ranging from excellent schools, access to wonderful and healthy lifestyle choices, and interesting and neat things to do around town. In addition to the criteria outlined in this analysis, the real estate has been fairly stable, and a good invest for most in each of these downs.

Give a call to Brad about buying or selling in any Chittenden County town, including the ones that made this prestigious list- South Burlington, Essex, Burlington, and Colchester.

Some builders certify their homes, some don’t. We ALWAYS recommend that buyers of new construction buy a home that is certified GREEN. Why? A green label is easy to put on an ad, but a green certification gives MERIT to a new home that is labelled green.

The main reason for this is that a green certification provides for a 3rd party to come in and verify a home’s energy rated by examining the home throughout the construction process. The verifyer will examine framing techniques, insulation quality, energy efficient fixtures, and much more. Most verifyers will perofrm a “blower air test” on your home when it is complete, to ensure proper sealing has occured, and the home is “tight” and not leaking more air than necessary.

We at Dousevicz Real Estate use our local 3rd Pary Energy Verifyer, Efficiency Vermont for all of our certifications, and we suggest new home buyers with other builders ask for the same. Efficiency Vermont is now using Version 2.5, but any home that is finishes AFTER June 30, 2012 will be required to use Version 3.0 for certification.

Contact Brad Dousevicz at Dousevicz Real Estate for any questions about what you should look for in the Vermont Green Home of your dreams! 802-879-4477

Why?  Well, interest rates are still at record low levels.  This, coupled with low and steady home prices means home affordability has never been better.  Some other factors that come in to play– especially in Vermont is weather.  Buyers have been out and about, looking at properties, and not locked up in their homes trying dig themselves out of a huge snow blizzard (I’m a skier- I NEED to look for the positive side of a snowless winter!)

The good news is Vermont is not the only place feeling a busy and active market…it’s a national trend, and that is exactly what the housing industry needs at a time like this.  Positive News!  See the link from the National Association of Realtors: http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2011/12/phs_nov

So, if you are thinking about making a move, call or email us today!  Join in this active market– we’ll be looking back at these times in a couple of years saying “that was the time to buy!” 

Brad Dousevicz

Dousevicz Real Estate

You may be surprised at the amount of areas in Vermont that actual qualify– it’s not just for the extremely rural areas of our state!  You’ll find properties that qualify within a short commute to Burlington, South Burlington, Williston, Essex, and many more.  Some of these towns even qualify themselves. 

USDA offers competitive rates, no down payment requirements, and much, much more!  Here is the piece from Kevin- Thank you!

Why USDA Loans Aren’t Just for Farmers

The USDA home loan program was originally established to help promote the development of rural areas by providing an easy and affordable mortgage to interested home buyers. Traditionally thought of as a home loan for farmers, the USDA actually provides a variety of loans that can be used for everything from housing to business expansion. The USDA Home Loan, however, has become one of the most popular of the USDA Loans.

What are the Benefits of a USDA Home Loan?

Contrary to popular belief, USDA home loans aren’t just for homes in highly rural areas. Several homes located on the outskirts of major metropolitan area, or in developing areas of already established cities and towns qualify for USDA Loans.

Choosing to purchase a home with a USDA loan is highly beneficial to borrowers because of the numerous ways the program reduces out-of-pocket expenses. Conventional lending programs might offer slightly lower interest rates, but they also require high down payments, near perfect credit, and generally high closing fees which can make financing a home almost unaffordable to most. However, USDA loans are 100 percent guaranteed by the government which allows lenders to offer eligible borrowers benefits they would normally be unable to obtain.

In addition to flexible loan terms and competitive interest rates, the USDA program makes a home purchase more affordable by:

ñ  Requiring no down payment

ñ  Not having loan limits

ñ  Requiring no private mortgage insurance

What if a Single Family Home Loan Isn’t for Me?

The monthly mortgage of a single family home isn’t always affordable, yet safe and comfortable housing is still a need of nearly every family in Vermont. The USDA recognizes this, and offers several programs to help families with lower incomes obtain quality housing.

Mutual Self-Help Loans help low-income families build houses by all them to help each other build homes. The Rural Rental Housing makes renting more affordable. There are also several loans available to make the purchasing of land easier.

The USDA home loan, and most of its other housing lending programs, has the most lenient eligibility requirements of any government backed lending program currently on the market. Aside from seeking to purchase a home in a USDA-approved area, borrowers must simply be able to afford monthly mortgage payments and not have an income that exceeds the area’s median by 115 percent.

The USDA home loan program is suited to most individuals seeking to purchase a USDA-deemed rural home. However, lenders will usually require a mid-range credit score of 620 or higher in order to approve the mortgage loan. Even if you have an imperfect credit history or believe that you may not be eligible, interest homebuyers are still encouraged to contact a USDA loan specialist.

Kevin Pearia

Content Director for USDALoans.com

If buying seems like a good near to mid term option, then start your search- the timing is great right now, in particular in Vermont.  Why?  Because our rental market is “tight”, so say the least.   Dousevicz Real Estate occassionally works with renters, and we even develop our own rental projects- we know.  Most vacancy rates for rentals in Chittenden County are BELOW the 3% mark, and there are even areas like South Burlington and Burlington where they are BELOW 1%.  This means too things for potential renters:

1. Low inventory to chose from for rentals.  You probably won’t find an apartment up to your criteria, location, and quality!
2. High rent amounts.  Yes, very high.  One bedrooms can go for up to $1300, and two bedrooms can go for up to $1700.  Wow. 

Maybe buying is looking better? When we look at the current market, you may be able to afford that condo or home of your dreams.  How?  Two main aspects:

1. Inventory- there’s plenty of it, even in Chittenden County and towns like Burlington, Colchester, Essex, and South Burlington, both for condo’s and homes.  Competition is GREAT for homebuyers because it equates to LOWER prices–the oposite relationship to #1 above, HIGHER rents.
2. Low Interest Rates.  Yes, we’ve all heard- they are at record levels.  Not just record levels people, levels we may NEVER see in our lifetime!  3.9%!  Wow…that means your $ goes a loooooong way when you buy a home or condo, and overall affordability raises considerably. 

Here’s a great article from the WSJ that does a much better job explaining housing affordability: