Recent comments in /f/vermont

buried_lede t1_j4nnvy2 wrote

Reply to comment by timberwolf0122 in So buying is unaffordable...what about building? by thebaerfetus

I realize it’s been really messed up for anyone coming of age since the 2008 downturn, if not before, and it infuriates me and all my Boomer peers.

If it’s not inflated tuition and predatory student loans, it was until recently, horribly suppressed wages and now a housing shortage. It’s crazy unsustainable and horribly unfair. And we aren’t all sitting pretty in giant garrison colonials worth 900k that we bought for $100k, either.

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[deleted] t1_j4nlmcj wrote

Reply to comment by DDozar in So buying is unaffordable...what about building? by thebaerfetus

Also, decimating unions and defunding community colleges means there's few ways to enter the trades. If you think college is a ripoff, wait until you hear about for-profit "trade schools." Everything in this country is a fucking scam.

Plus, the way we build houses in this country is ridiculously inefficient. Bring back the commieblocks and Sears houses FFS. Bring the local zoning boards and NIMBYs to heel. It shouldn't be so hard to build in the first place. We need to prefab a lot more to reduce the labor costs, especially in this climate. There's a reason the Europeans laugh at our single-story shacks made of sticks and glue...

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ChocolateDiligent t1_j4nldlo wrote

Reply to So buying is unaffordable...what about building? by thebaerfetus

I built my last home in central Vermont on land that was on my family property, with existing septic. I calculated that I spent roughly 150k when all was said and done and used the help of a contractor friend for the framing and finish work. On top of all of my freetime dedicated to this house I also spent the majority of my vacation time managing this build. If you are paying ‘retail’ by using a team or well known builder/developer I’m sure that you’ll spend twice this amount. The real question is, would I do it again? My answer is probably not. While it sounds like a good way to beat the system there are just too many variables when trying to do it yourself and I was lucky to know so many contractors and tradespeople to help along the way and even still there were plenty of things that went wrong and I spent 3+ years completing is house.

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squish261 t1_j4niree wrote

Reply to If you had to pick one restaurant in the greater BTV area which would be your favorite? (Pick 1) Why is it your favorite? Is it the food, atmosphere, people? by thegateway_way

I wish I could still say the Parkway Diner :(

This place, pre-pandemic and with the old owner was my absolute spot. Every single weekend my girlfriend and I would go, maybe both days.

Now, it's a shell of its former self, with respect to the diner food.

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Key-Understanding770 t1_j4ni8m5 wrote

Reply to comment by escobert in So buying is unaffordable...what about building? by thebaerfetus

Framing materials are back to pre-pandemic levels. All other sub-trades continue to see price increases. Labor cost is higher due to demand and lack of new (young) labor coming into the trades. Couple that with high development costs in Vermont along with an energy code that continues to drive up costs. There is no affordability for new homes. Without permit reform and a streamlined process the cost of building won’t come down.

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