Location: Stowe, Vermont
May 1, 2007
When the famous singing von Trapp
family decided to sink roots into American soil in the early 1940s, they chose
Stowe, a quaint Vermont town north enough to call Canada their neighbor. A
half-century later, Stowe retains the magnetic appeal that lured the
Sound of Music brood—a combination of pristine natural beauty and passionate
civic-mindedness that conspire to entice those in search of a destination that
isn’t buffeted by fads, celebrities or thoughtless zoning.
These Stowe listings from Lang McLaughry Spera and
Carlson Real Estate range from $1.1 million to $2.75 million. (Click images to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
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"Folks in Vermont are fiercely loyal, independent and dedicated
to the natural environment, and that brings in likeminded people of all types,"
says Pall Spera, partner at Lang McLaughry Spera real estate company. "Corporate
titans come here for not only the tranquillity, but to head down to the hardware
store unnoticed, so they can do the kind of manual labor that keeps them
grounded."
That sort of sensible approach to life is echoed throughout
Stowe, whose surrounding mountains and lakes provide four-season fun. Instead of
sprawling, 10,000-square-foot-plus estates that dot resorts such as Aspen, most
new homes in Stowe range from 2,500 to 6,500 square feet, and are usually
accompanied by a few acres of land. Construction quality is "top notch," says
Spera, and typically hovers close to a reasonable $250 to $300 a square foot,
depending on finish materials.
"The focus here is always on capturing a view with a house
that’s designed with both ergonomics and the environment in mind," he says, no
surprise for a state whose citizens are known for achieving corporate success,
while embracing a practical and green lifestyle (such as ice cream
entrepreneurs Ben and Jerry).
Top: Seven Springs, an 1861 classical estate on
the market through Spera for $3.85 million. Bottom: A $1.9 million rustic
Carlson property. (Click images to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
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One noted area architect has dubbed Stowe’s new ar-chitecture
style Adirondack Revival, an embrace of rustic and simple traditions, whose
clean lines evoke simpler yet richly lived times.
"The pattern among the newly wealthy who are building homes here is to pursue
a vision that is fundamentally casual," says Milford Cushman, principal of the
Cushman Design Group. "They’re looking for fireplaces, porches and large family
areas, all built with the best natural materials and by the top builders. They’re not looking to bang out another
commodity. They’re looking to buy time to truly relax."
And at what cost such rural bliss? While Stowe, like much of
the nation, has enjoyed its own bump in prices over the past half-decade, the
area remains affordable compared to some of its equally well-known
counterparts in the West.
Back in 2000, "a small chalet on two acres ran about $300,000,
but today it’s $700,000," says Jill Anne of Vermont Country Properties/Sotheby’s
International Realty. More expansive properties—say a 4,000-square-foot,
four-bedroom home with a few acres—can run between $1 million and $3.5 million,
depending on views or proximity to the ever-charming village of Stowe.
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