Get your tickets for tonight's Wine & Dine for Stowe Schools event which will be held at Michael's on the Hill in Waterbury.  Sample various wines at a tasting that will be held from 6:00 to 7:30.  Admission to the tasting is a $50 donation.  10% of proceeds from all wine purchase and 20% of proceeds from dinner purchases will be donated to the Stowe Education Fund.  A raffle for a gift basket will also take place.   The event will take place at Michael's on the Hill located at 4182 Waterbury-Stowe Road, also known as Route 100, in Waterbury.  The event is co-sponsored with Fine Wine Cellars which is located at 344 Mountain Road in Stowe.  You may call (802) 730-6609 or go to StoweEducationFund.org to reserve tickets to the wine tasting.  Dinner reservations should be made by calling Mi... 05/10/2013

Stowe, Vermont is a wonderful place to live!  It has so much to offer, including a wonder downtown, a plethora of shops and restaurants as well as a world class ski resort! Bear Pond Books is one of my favorite places to shop!  Of course, no one can resist getting a raspberry ice cream soda at the olde fashioned Malt Shop! The Scoop Shop is very nice for ice cream on a sunny day as well! The Town Hall has a theatre that puts on some very good performances! The non-denominational Stowe Community Church's white landmark steeple is seen on many postcards. The Helen Day Memorial Library offers many art expositions. The Stowe Visitors Center staff are pleasant and helpful and can point you to many of Stowe's favorite tourist sites! Sample some of Stowe's many restaurants, such as Frida's. w... 05/01/2013

State of the Real Estate Market in Stowe, Vermont The first quarter of 2013 is over.  At the end of the quarters, I try to take time to look at the real estate numbers and make some sense out of them.  Trust me, this has been challenging lately. I keep reading about how prices of homes are going up around certain areas of the USA.  I hear there are bidding wars and low time on the market.   I have not seen that happen in Stowe - yet.  What I did notice is that the activity has picked up.  The buyers are back and looking again.  The number of pending or "under contract" properties is up.  The number of sales is up.  And the inventory of properties is down.  There's good news for Sellers and Buyers:FOR SELLERS - number of sales are up, pendings are up, and inventory is down.  But sale pri... 04/09/2013

Stowe, Vermont - Low Inventory of Properties for Sale - "There's Not an App for That" Inman News had an article written by Teresa Boardman, a broker in St. Paul, Minnesota.  It was entitled "Low Inventory: There's not an app for that".  It was a great article about the shrinking inventory of properties for sale in the St. Paul area.  I have certainly seen articles on a national level about this trend too.  This past year, Stowe, Vermont has had a higher volume of sales too.  So I decided to check my stats to see how Stowe's Property Inventory is doing compared to the national trend. Yes, it's true in Stowe, VT too!  Vermont tends to lag behind national trends and our increases/decreases are not usually sharp - more slow and smooth.  I used inventory numbers starting with 1/1/2005 throug... 01/23/2013

Stowe Vermont Land Sales - Market Report for Years 2005 through 2012 Now that 2012 is over, I have been compiling my year end data for my sales reports.  Land is hard to quantify because prices vary so much based on factors not easily apparent.  Such factors include:1.  Size of Lot - Generally, the larger the lot, the less it will cost based on a per acre formula.2.  Location of Lot - Some neighborhoods are definitely more desirable.3.  Views from Lot - a View of Mt. Mansfield can definitely command a higher price.4.  What's Included in the Price? - Survey, Septic Design, Subdivision, Covenants, View Easements, Power to Site, Fuel availability, Access/Driveway, Required Clearing, Topography (blasting costs), Ridgeline Overlay District, Land Gains Taxes, and the list goes on.... The obvi... 01/22/2013

Stowe Vermont Home Sales - Market Report 2005 through 2012 Stowe, Vermont is a beautiful, four season resort town.  Stowe has a full time population of about 4,500 people.  Many of Stowe homes and condos are vacation and second homes.  Below are market statistics by year and a chart for each year.  The data used is from the Northern New England Real Estate Network MLS.  Most of Stowe's sales are through the local MLS.  You can click on the charts for enlarged versions.  Towards the end of this article, is a year to year comparison.     2005 Stowe Home Sales# of Homes Sold:  82Average List Price: $735,080  Average Sale Price: $682,000Median List Price:  $495,000  Median Sale Price:   $475,000Average Number of Homes on the Market: 74Average Price per Finished Square Foot Sold: $224Average... 01/22/2013

Stowe Vermont Condo and Townhome Sales - Market Report 2005 through 2012 Stowe, Vermont as a four season resort has many condo/townhome projects.  The majority of these properties are owned by second home and vacation home owners.  As a result of the tightening of banking regulations, mortgage companies have made the purchase of condos, especially in a resort town, much more difficult.  Below are market statistics by year with accompanying charts.  You can click on the charts to enlarge them.  The statistics are from the the Northern New England Real Estate Network MLS.  The majority of sales are reflected in these market reports.    2005 Stowe Vermont Condo Sales# of Units Sold: 46Average List Price:  $364,415  Average Sale Price:  $352,040Median List Price:   $352,000  Median Sale Pri... 01/22/2013

Stowe Vermont Year End Data 2012 Based upon information provided by the Northern New England Real Estate Network (NNEREN) for all of 2012, there were 112 single family residential and condominium units sold within Stowe Vermont with a total sold volume of $50,304,279. Compare that number to a total of 97 single family residential and condominium units sold in 2011 with a total sold volume at $53,701,020. These numbers indicate an increase in the actual number of sales from 97 to 112 from 2011 to 2012 (an increase of 15.46%) and a decrease in total sold volume of -6.32%. The average sale price was down in 2012. In 2012, the average sale price of a home in Stowe VT was $449,145.35 down from $553,618.76 in 2011 a decrease of -18.87%.  Average days on the market  in 2012 was 331 compared t... 01/09/2013

Stowe High School Ranked #1 Public High School in State of Vermont by U.S. News & World Reports Congratulations to Stowe High School located on Barrows Road in Stowe, Vermont!  According to the newly released U.S. News Best High Schools 2012 rankings, only one school in Vermont received the Gold Medal and that was Stowe High School.  10 schools received silver medals and 4 received bronze medals.  SHS is nationally ranked at #258. For a small town with about 4,500 residents, Stowe tends to do well with her kids and cares deeply about education.  Both my boys attended Stowe schools from kindergarten through high school.  As a parent, I have been pleased with our school system and both my boys are doing well - scholastically and their overall well being. Here's a link to the report by U. ... 12/04/2012

Stowe, Vermont - October and Halloween - 2012 Foliage is my favorite season and it couldn't be more special than October in Stowe, Vermont. Not only does the temperature start to fall, the foliage colors peak and then dull, the tourists also peak and then almost disappear; Halloween comes!  Many home owners decorate and prepare for the trick or treaters and the Village of Stowe is home to the Annual Ghost Walk.  The local kids dress up in the costumes and walk down Main Street to the sounds of "ghost busters" and other appropriate music playing in the Village.  The parents, local businesses owners/employees, and curious onlookers stop and watch the parade of young trick or treaters.  Once it gets a bit later in the day, they can be seen going from door to door.  The young ones sometimes... 11/04/2012

Stowe Vermont - After the Storm Photo The Stowe, VT area had some severe thunderstorms last Sunday night - July 29th, 2012.  They hosted some strong winds, very dark and fast moving clouds, lighting hitting so close that you are scared to look to see if anything was hit, and thunder so loud you feel the house shake.   Actually, I like thunderstorms - unless they are in the middle of the night.   They usually mean the end of a heat wave.  What I find so incredible though is "after" the thunderstorms.  The clouds, the smells, the various shades of color in the sky after they pass through, and the variances in the light. After the storms, I went out and took some photos.  It was beautiful out.  Most of my photos look great in color, but there was one that was just asking to be black and wh... 07/31/2012

The Heat is On!  Stowe, Vermont Area Real Estate to Help You Keep Your Cool! Did you know that Vermont is the only New England State without ocean frontage?  BUT we do have lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.  We also have homes with beautiful in-ground pools.  Vermont may have a short summer season, but we do enjoy it with gusto! I have put together several specific searches to help you find properties which will help you enjoy summer.     HOMES with In-Ground Pools:  Stowe Homes with Pools Neaby Homes to Stowe with Pools  HOMES with Water Body Types:  Pond, Lake, River or Stream: Stowe VT Homes with a Water Body Type Nearby Homes to Stowe with a Water Body Type    HOMES with Beach Rights, Boat Mooring or Boat/Slip Dock  Stowe VT Homes with Beach Rights, Boat Mooring or Boat/Slip Dock Ne... 06/16/2012

Stowe Weekend of Hope - Held in Stowe, Vermont During the first weekend of May (since May of 2000), the Stowe Weekend of Hope Planning Committee puts together a three day event in Stowe, Vermont.  The weekend is jam-packed with amazing speakers, inspirational talks and workshops and exciting entertainment.  Also there is a Green Ribbon Campaign of local businesses which donate 10% of their sales during the weekend to the event.  Many of the hotel and inn rooms are free to the cancer survivors.  The event has grown every year.  Stowe has a large number of volunteers who put this gathering together.  The setting could not be better! As a resident of Stowe, I have seen this gathering of people from the "outside" during the past 12 years.  This year, I received a phone call from one of the ... 05/14/2012

Stowe High School Ranked #1 Public High School in Vermont! U.S. News rated Stowe High School as the best public school in Vermont.  As a resident and parent of two boys that graduated from Stowe High School, I am very pleased and proud of our school system.  Not only is Stowe a great town to raise kids, it's a beautiful, four season resort.                Stowe High School Overview                             Overview Student Body Test Scores Academic Indicators National Rank#285 College Readiness Index54.0Math Proficiency2.4Reading Proficiency3.4Student/Teacher Ratio12:1 06–12 Grades 399 Students 33 Teachers Stowe High School413 BARROWS RD STOWE, VT 05672 Phone: (802) 253-7229 District: Stowe School District Overview Stowe High School is ranked 1st within Vermont. Students have the opp... 05/11/2012

Stowe Vermont - Home Sales Report: 1st Quarter 2012 - Sales UP and Inventory DOWN It's a quiet Easter Sunday and it's actually snowing out.  Just a light flurry.  It's quiet so I decided to finish up my market reports.  My older son, Andrew, is now a paramedic in New Hampshire.  My younger son, Sam, is a student at Palm Beach State College in Florida.  No more Easter egg hunts....sigh. Real estate seems to be more active recently.  And the numbers in Stowe, VT seem to mirror the activity. Here's my chart comparing the number of sales, median & average sale prices, and inventory of homes in Stowe, Waterbury, Morristown, Hyde Park, Elmore, Johnson, and Wolcott VERMONT. SUMMARY: Stowe, VT - The number of sales is slightly up, the median sale price is down, the average sale price is up, and... 04/08/2012

Stowe, Vermont is home of The Stowe Derby, the oldest combined downhill/cross-country ski race in North America.  Mark your calendar for this 67th annual race on Sunday, January 26th, 2012. The Derby - What's this all about?    "The Derby", as locals call it, is a skiing race that starts at the top of Vermont's highest peak, Mt. Mansfield, and ends 20km (12.4 miles) and 2,600 vertical feet later in Stowe Village.  The race combines down-hill skiing with cross-country skiing...all in one race, all on just one set of skis! This whole concept started back in 1945 when Austrian Sepp Ruschp (1908-1990) and world famous Norwegian mountaineer, Erling Strom (1897-1986) cooked up a wild race idea.   Can't you just hear them? "Oh no, down-hill is the most challenging and difficult", "no, cross-c... 02/16/2012

Stowe Vermont Condo and Townhome Sales - Market Report 2005 through 2011 Stowe, Vermont as a four season resort has many condo/townhome projects.  The majority of these properties are owned by second home and vacation home owners.  As a result of the tightening of banking regulations, mortgage companies have made the purchase of condos, especially in a resort town, much more difficult.  Below are market statistics by year with accompanying charts.  You can click on the charts to enlarge them.  The statistics are from the the Northern New Enlgand Real Estate Network MLS.  The majority of sales are reflected in these market reports.     2005 Stowe Vermont Condo Sales# of Units Sold: 46Average List Price:  $364,415  Average Sale Price:  $352,040Median List Price:   $352,000  Median Sale Pr... 01/17/2012

Stowe Vermont Land Sales - Market Report for Years 2005 through 2011 Now that 2011 is over, I have been compiling my year end data for my sales reports.  Land is hard to quantify because prices vary so much based on factors not easily apparent.  Such factors include:1.  Size of Lot - Generally, the larger the lot, the less it will cost based on a per acre formula.2.  Location of Lot - Some neighborhoods are definitely more desirable.3.  Views from Lot - a View of Mt. Mansfield can definitely command a higher price.4.  What's Included in the Price? - Survey, Septic Design, Subdivision, Covenants, View Easements, Power to Site, Fuel availability, Access/Driveway, Required Clearing, Topography (blasting costs), Ridgeline Overlay District, Land Gains Taxes, and the list goes on.... The obvi... 01/17/2012

Stowe Vermont Home Sales - Market Report 2005 through 2011 Stowe, Vermont is a beautiful, four season resort town.  Stowe has a full time population of about 4,500 people.  Many of Stowe homes and condos are vacation and second homes.  Below are market statistics by year and a chart for each year.  The data used is from the Northern New England Real Estate Network MLS.  Most of Stowe's sales are through the local MLS.  You can click on the charts for enlarged versions.  Towards the end of this article, is a year to year comparison.   2005 Stowe Home Sales# of Homes Sold:  82Average List Price: $735,080  Average Sale Price: $682,000Median List Price:  $495,000  Median Sale Price:   $475,000Average Number of Homes on the Market: 74Average Price per Finished Square Foot Sold: $224Average D... 01/10/2012

  Traveling to Stowe VT and you need Gluten-Free Dining recommendations?  Stowetopia offers our list of the Best of Stowe VT™ Gluten-Free Food and Dining for the whole family   Gluten-Free in Stowe VT....sounds like a jingle, but, let us assure you, Gluten-Free travel is possible for your entire family here in Stowe, Vermont.  The staff at Stowetopia understands GF because several of our team members are Gluten-Free and we own a Gluten Free Inn in Stowe.  Who better to help you find the best "no fear" food and dining spots?      This is our 2011 Best of Stowe VT™ Gluten-Free Food and Dining Guide    A few notes:  Just like our 2011 Best of Stowe VT™ Dining Guide, we selected these food and dining locations based on a combination of personal experience and Stowe Meadows Lodge guest feedb... 12/12/2011