VT Places to Walk or Hike after your Weekend Lunch. Yes, In Winter. Vermont has multiple places to go to burn off some energy or lunch any day of the week. Being a small state, they are all pretty close by. Many are wide, level and flat, so ideal for groups with varied energy and […]
Get Started! Hiking on and around Vermont’s Long Trail: Trailheads, Crossroads, and History Vermont’s Long Trail is the oldest continuous footpath in the US. It extends over 272 miles along the spine of the Green Mountains. This iconic trail offers breathtaking scenery, challenging terrain, and a deep, quiet connection to Vermont’s natural beauty. Many have […]
Ten Important Phrases in VT Property Listings Searching for your #VT country dream home online can be exciting, but it’s important to look beyond the photos and catchy descriptions. A property listing will highlight the properties’ best features and may not openly note potential issues. Here’s a guide to help you spot hidden hints in […]
Vermont real estate rules require specific terms are used to describe the status of a property listing and those terms are often misunderstood. Here’s a primer on the differences of a key few. Active This identifies a property that is available for purchase, and if you want a showing as a ready, willing and able […]
Avoid these Five Big Mistakes Selling Your VT Property Vermont’s pancake-griddle hot real estate market is proof that plenty of people want to buy a home in Vermont. Read our list of 5 common mistakes we see Sellers make in Marketing their property. Here are the top five. No, you can’t just ‘throw a tarp […]
Ten Not-so-Weird Tips for VT Home Buyers This is a Fast, High Prices, Low Inventory Market… 1. 📞 Communicate openly with your real estate agent! Let them know your must-haves, deal-breakers, and budget to avoid wasting time on unsuitable property features. #HouseHunting #RealEstate 2 🗝️ Be candid about your financial readiness. Share your pre-approval funding […]
Gorgeous, tastefully finished, relaxed country home tucked up and in the woods on 10.25+/- acres. 3700+finished square feet with 4+BR/4-1/2 BA. Freshly refinished gleaming oak floors. Large chef’s kitchen featuring Thomas Moore Cherry cabinets is open to dining and and enormous, sunny family room with stone hearth fireplace and Rumford wood stove. Main floor also […]
 The VT Lake Life, 6 steps from the water! Rare, unique Lake Eden, VT waterfront camp for sale. This is 3 levels of gorgeous lake view, nicely perched six steps above the shore line facing East with 34′ foot long newer deck for awesome lake life. Main floor; full kitchen, spacious living/dining area, one bedroom, […]
Ticks are a common concern for anyone walking in Vermont’s woods and tall grass. Even in Spring. And, there are fourteen different species of ticks found in VT. Sure, it’s not fun to spray/coat every time you go outside, and then check later for these nasty insects on pets and people. Yet tick repellant is […]
The Northwest Vermont REALTOR® Association (NVRA) has released their VT Real Estate Market Report March 2023 today. This includes three northern VT counties. The Northern VT report covers total listings, pending sales, days on market, closings and more. Closings and Median Sales Prices In short, closed sales are still down; -11.9% compared to this month […]
Don grew up in Vermont, loving the outdoors. After college, he had an illustrious career as a professional ski instructor at Smugglers Notch Resort where he enjoyed sharing his love of the mountains and the sport with kids and adults. The off-season led to Don shifting roles to a year-round position in permitting and planning for the resort. This provided him a foundation of knowledge and experience in these areas that has extended into Don’s current career in Real Estate.
Don lives in Jericho with his wife, Lindsay and two teenage daughters. Life revolves around the kids many activities (ski racing, soccer and dance), family outdoor pursuits (snowsports and anything on, in and under the water) and ever an embrace of the mountain lifestyle. Don’s personal interests include: building and paddling wooden kayaks, live music, backcountry touring, maple sugaring and collecting interesting/shiny rocks.
Don has served on a number of municipal boards in area communities and is currently on the Board of Directors of the Smugglers Notch Ski and Board Club and the Jericho Community Development Corporation.
Real Estate appeals to Don’s interest in helping people move forward in their lives, be it a real estate transaction involving investment/commercial, residential, or land. “Getting you from where you are to where you want to be” is his mantra and describes what gives him fulfillment from his service to you.
Tami has lived in Vermont her entire life and loves it. For a major part of her life, Tami’s focus has been raising five beautiful daughters. As her children grew, she enjoyed the opportunity of working in education, tutoring literature and directing a Shakespearean Theater Company for teens that raised money for charity.
After seeking a home in the country, her transition from Essex to the small town of Bakersfield included raising Nubian goats, chickens and horses, making cheese and kefir, and selling dozens of eggs.
Gary grew up on the West Farm in Jeffersonville.
Gary bought his first piece of land at 18. With a friend, he bought 80 acres that included a gravel pit for $300. The taxes on that 80 acres was $10 a year. Soon, they sold the town gravel for $12 a year, each making $1. They also planted Christmas trees for sale.
He joined the Army out of high school. While he was away, he had a friend take care of his sole Holstein cow. In exchange for keeping it, the friend could keep it until its second lactation, at which time Gary would get it back to keep or sell.
When Gary got out of the Army, he worked for Lake Buick; first in the body shop, then soon on the sales floor.
One day reading the Burlington Free Press, Gary responded to an ad for 190 acres in Westford for sale, with owner financing. He walked it with a hand-drawn map from the Seller's agent. Gary asked if the owner would take a cow as a down payment. The owner went to see the cow, and agreed to the cow, and $200. It was a deal. Gary soon planted many Christmas trees on it. Later, he added 50 more acres to it, for $200.
When visiting friends from Lake Buick in Fairfax one day, he saw a pretty, new teacher in town and decided she needed to upgrade her aging VW Bug, for a recent trade-in on the dealer lot. That happened. Later, Gary Jr., Amber and Donald happened, and we are ever grateful. He then had a partner for planting Christmas trees, too. They later built a house on it.
Gary started his official real estate career in 1976, selling both properties and insurance. He has been selling properties in the area he grew up for forty two years. His favorite color remains blue.
Amber Foote joined Blue Spruce Realty this June, after a 10 year career as a civil rights advocate helping families in Pennsylvania obtain special education services for their children. Prior to that she worked in design and marketing for area non profits and small business clients.
She grew up in a real estate household in Richmond, where her father gave she and her siblings college cash if they took a full accurate message that lead to a closing. After graduating from Mount Mansfield Union High School, Amber earned a fine arts degree at Syracuse University, while doing event marketing for fun.
After graduation, she worked in NYC for a few years in public relations and marketing for Doubleday Publishing. She and her husband Bryan have two dogs- a Bichon/Shitzu; Buddy and a Golden; Keisha, and live in Bakersfield. Two children attend college; at Penn State and Kutztown University. Her daughter lives in NYC and an older son Rob moved to seek his fortune in Indiana.
For fun Amber makes jam, hikes, kayaks and takes photos of birds to paint, so her real estate funded fine arts degree does not get too dusty. Her favorite color is blue, and she readily admits to being a tech and gadget nerd, but has refrained from buying an InstaPot, so far.
