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Met Winter 2021 - 2022 Banter


HoarfrostHubb
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On 1/28/2022 at 10:59 AM, PhineasC said:

I always laugh when an older person in my family talks about "giving that person a piece of my mind" like it's 1980 still and your can shame some 22 year old waitress or checkout clerk into giving you better service. It's more likely that person will punch you or just walk out the door and quit than "work better."

I just expect bad service everywhere now and don't get stressed about it. Anyone who has traveled enough to Italy, Spain, or France knows the deal. The US just has the same vibe now. When you go into a cafe in Italy you expect to be left sitting for a while before anyone comes by, they may screw up your order/bill, and the kitchen/bar may be out of things. They don't care about your complaints either. People there are used to it and stay chill. Enjoy the scenery and conversation.

Imagine renovating a house in Italy or Spain? LOL

Anyway, that is coming to this country.

Ive spent three years in Spain and their service is way more varied than that. I would say cafe and restaurant service is comparable to here easily. The culture is different but the service is equal, perhaps more professional due to the ages of those involved and the fact that they can live on the wages they make. Other places, the trains for instance... Slow. Well, no, the trains are fast, the ticketing and customer service is slow.

Now, you travel there, or especially France during tourist season, and you won't get their normal employees, because they don't work for tips, and they have mandated and significant pto because they live in a civilized manner. Then, you might get horrible service. Because no one, at all, wants to be working when everyone they know is on vacation.

The part I'm falling down on us enjoying the scenery. Most of America's restaurants are in strip malls. If someone has the misfortune to be at an Applebee's receiving horrible service, what is their recourse, to look at a parking lot, stare at 4 lanes of surface streets, and bemoan the car culture?

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I had asked this question last year, but will open up the conversation again. My wife and I have restarted our search for investing in land (more than 10 acres), we were looking into VT and NH, but would like to expand our search into Maine. But we are not too familiar with the state. Pros and cons of each state will help, but narrowing down a particular region have been impossible so far on our end. We do need to be somewhat close to amenities like a hospital. We have young kids, so always good to have something within driving distance just in case. Snow, from a weenie standpoint is a must, no snow holes please, lol....We will be building a cabin, but will wait for the crazy building costs to drop before that happens....Always thankful for any input from the locals on here!

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2 minutes ago, Spanks45 said:

I had asked this question last year, but will open up the conversation again. My wife and I have restarted our search for investing in land (more than 10 acres), we were looking into VT and NH, but would like to expand our search into Maine. But we are not too familiar with the state. Pros and cons of each state will help, but narrowing down a particular region have been impossible so far on our end. We do need to be somewhat close to amenities like a hospital. We have young kids, so always good to have something within driving distance just in case. Snow, from a weenie standpoint is a must, no snow holes please, lol....We will be building a cabin, but will wait for the crazy building costs to drop before that happens....Always thankful for any input from the locals on here!

Here is my thread from 2020.

Some good perspectives in here.

@ORH_wxman can tell you if you are buying in a snow hole. He saved me from buying a dud.

NNE microclimates are such that a couple miles can make a huge difference in snow totals.

You will also need to think about what is more important: a lot of smaller, more reliable snows, bigger synoptic events that can dry up and miss for a long stretch, or to be a mega-retention queen where you hold on to every flake that does fall.

Each area has strengths and weaknesses in these aspects.

We like our area given we do OK in all of these aspects and we have civilization nearby in the form of several towns and Berlin which is a little redneck but still has schools, a decent hospital, etc.

In NH, I would not go any further north than Milan. Beyond that, it gets really desolate and frankly kinda depressing as a living situation, especially in winter. I'm sure there are great land deals up there, but it's bleak.

Stay out of Whitefield. Decent little town but has a snow hole that shows up in nearly every event.

A lot of SNE people seem to like the Conway zone but I find it to be way too crowded and touristy and they suck at snow (comparatively to here), IMO. It's always 5-7 degrees warmer there than here. I would stay away if you are looking for a quieter mountain retreat. Kinda reminds me of a tourist beach town transplanted into a somewhat mountainous area. 

The VT and Maine crew will know more about their areas. 

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8 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

Here is my thread from 2020.

Some good perspectives in here.

@ORH_wxman can tell you if you are buying in a snow hole. He saved me from buying a dud.

NNE microclimates are such that a couple miles can make a huge difference in snow totals.

You will also need to think about what is more important: a lot of smaller, more reliable snows, bigger synoptic events that can dry up and miss for a long stretch, or to be a mega-retention queen where you hold on to every flake that does fall.

Each area has strengths and weaknesses in these aspects.

We like our area given we do OK in all of these aspects and we have civilization nearby in the form of several towns and Berlin which is a little redneck but still has schools, a decent hospital, etc.

In NH, I would not go any further north than Milan. Beyond that, it gets really desolate and frankly kinda depressing as a living situation, especially in winter. I'm sure there are great land deals up there, but it's bleak.

Stay out of Whitefield. Decent little town but has a snow hole that shows up in nearly every event.

A lot of SNE people seem to like the Conway zone but I find it to be way too crowded and touristy and they suck at snow (comparatively to here), IMO. It's always 5-7 degrees warmer there than here. I would stay away if you are looking for a quieter mountain retreat. Kinda reminds me of a tourist beach town transplanted into a somewhat mountainous area. 

The VT and Maine crew will know more about their areas. 

I knew that thread existed somewhere, but couldn't find it, thanks for the additional insight!

It is definitely a tough decision and will take all things into consideration. Hope to pick an area within the next year or two. 

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4 hours ago, Spanks45 said:

I knew that thread existed somewhere, but couldn't find it, thanks for the additional insight!

It is definitely a tough decision and will take all things into consideration. Hope to pick an area within the next year or two. 

Bridgton/Fryeburg are nice places and probably run about 80"/year for snow and an hour or less from the Portland amenities, could be pricey near the lakes or Shawnee Peak.  Denmark, on the back (west) side of that mountain might also be an option.  For a longer move and further from pop centers, Rangeley would be my choice - 120"/year with lots of snow-season opportunities and growing 4-season infrastructure.  Can be pricey, especially near water or the newly re-opened Saddleback.

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On 1/28/2022 at 10:59 AM, PhineasC said:

I always laugh when an older person in my family talks about "giving that person a piece of my mind" like it's 1980 still and your can shame some 22 year old waitress or checkout clerk into giving you better service. It's more likely that person will punch you or just walk out the door and quit than "work better."

I just expect bad service everywhere now and don't get stressed about it. Anyone who has traveled enough to Italy, Spain, or France knows the deal. The US just has the same vibe now. When you go into a cafe in Italy you expect to be left sitting for a while before anyone comes by, they may screw up your order/bill, and the kitchen/bar may be out of things. They don't care about your complaints either. People there are used to it and stay chill. Enjoy the scenery and conversation.

Imagine renovating a house in Italy or Spain? LOL

Anyway, that is coming to this country.

One thing I was always careful about was treating the people who could go in the back room and spit in my food respectfully.

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Just have to vent about my car buying experience from a few weeks ago. I’ve been hounding the dealership for the full warranty paperwork from the Monday after I bought the vehicle. Countless messages and phone calls; never answered, and never returned.

So yesterday I tried a different approach, write a negative review, see if that gets their attention.

This morning as soon as they opened I got phone calls from 3 different people at the dealership, who magically finally wanted to return my messages.

My salesman called and was basically begging me to delete the review. I said no, not until the issue is rectified, and even then, I’m not changing it to 5 stars, as the only reason anyone got back to me is because I plastered your website with a negative review.

This whole experience bordered on insanity. It made me even more irate that they called first thing this morning after ignoring my messages for weeks. 
 

is there any place more scummy than a car dealership?

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27 minutes ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

Just have to vent about my car buying experience from a few weeks ago. I’ve been hounding the dealership for the full warranty paperwork from the Monday after I bought the vehicle. Countless messages and phone calls; never answered, and never returned.

So yesterday I tried a different approach, write a negative review, see if that gets their attention.

This morning as soon as they opened I got phone calls from 3 different people at the dealership, who magically finally wanted to return my messages.

My salesman called and was basically begging me to delete the review. I said no, not until the issue is rectified, and even then, I’m not changing it to 5 stars, as the only reason anyone got back to me is because I plastered your website with a negative review.

This whole experience bordered on insanity. It made me even more irate that they called first thing this morning after ignoring my messages for weeks. 
 

is there any place more scummy than a car dealership?

Sometimes: realty offices, law offices, financial advisor offices... there may be others but yeah car dealerships are up there for sure.

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10 hours ago, Spanks45 said:

I knew that thread existed somewhere, but couldn't find it, thanks for the additional insight!

It is definitely a tough decision and will take all things into consideration. Hope to pick an area within the next year or two. 

I almost bought a 30 acre lot up in Montgomery, VT. That's near Jay Peak. Received many good reports from @powderfreak and others about the snow potential there. May be some good land deals there to be had still. There were several options back when I looked.

If you plan to build new, be prepared to be very patient. Everything is slower up here and the locals don't move faster if you get all uptight and yell at them. :) 

Given the current situation with shortages and labor issues, it might be even worse. I would strongly consider buying an existing place if you can find something that works for you. Or build but be prepared to wait and deal with delays. It all depends on your personal desires and timeline.

Exciting stuff, please keep us posted as you make your decisions down the road.

 

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5 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

I almost bought a 30 acre lot up in Montgomery, VT. That's near Jay Peak. Received many good reports from @powderfreak and others about the snow potential there. May be some good land deals there to be had still. There were several options back when I looked.

If you plan to build new, be prepared to be very patient. Everything is slower up here and the locals don't move faster if you get all uptight and yell at them. :) 

Given the current situation with shortages and labor issues, it might be even worse. I would strongly consider buying an existing place if you can find something that works for you. Or build but be prepared to wait and deal with delays. It all depends on your personal desires and timeline.

Exciting stuff, please keep us posted as you make your decisions down the road.

 

Does that tactic work elsewhere? :lol:

I'd be happy to answer any questions about snow up this way... depends on how much it matters too because I can tell you anywhere up and around the mountains will be a lot snowier than southern CT on the whole.  Consistent snow cover, better arctic air masses, etc.  There are so many microclimates you may not know about one until you move there.

If you want a true weenie heaven, check out the Alpine Haven neighborhood near Jay Peak.  I've known two people who live in there and I have to imagine that is one of the snowiest spots in New England.  Nestled in a valley at 1,400-1,800ft right along the spine.  They get a stunning amount of snow just off the fabled RT 242 and even radiate at night.  Never really knew about that neighborhood until I started seeing friends posting photos on FB who live there.  They definitely get more snow than the base of Stowe at 1,500ft IMO.  It's just a pocket in a gap and you don't need to be rich to live there, pretty sweet.

AlpineHaven.thumb.jpg.c5a846006c944a9cb580113cfe2d0965.jpg

And if you want to go for a weenie drive, the road goes up over 2,000ft within two miles.

If I was to pick one weenie spot in VT right now, that's it.  Until I find the next best spot :lol:.

AlpineHaven2.thumb.jpg.e0cc2a1d849e580ec48d0e9958ecc37d.jpg

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26 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

There’s a bunch of lots for sale near 242.  Montgomery is down at the start of 242 and 118 and the snow difference is huge.  Generally, around 1200-1500 ft up 242 is where the big snows start.  I think the neighborhood pf is talking about is on the Jay side, past the resort, correct?  Keep in mind that anywhere around here you need to drive about 20 minutes to get to stuff and I think the closest hospital is in Newport.  But you aren’t going to be disappointed in snow totals.  The top of 242 at about 2200’ is like 300” a year vs. the “snow hole” at the bottom of about 150”.  I also noticed lately that down there on those really cold nights they were beating up here by about 5-10 degrees often.

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19 hours ago, tamarack said:

Bridgton/Fryeburg are nice places and probably run about 80"/year for snow and an hour or less from the Portland amenities, could be pricey near the lakes or Shawnee Peak.  Denmark, on the back (west) side of that mountain might also be an option.  For a longer move and further from pop centers, Rangeley would be my choice - 120"/year with lots of snow-season opportunities and growing 4-season infrastructure.  Can be pricey, especially near water or the newly re-opened Saddleback.

I love the idea of being close to areas with views of the mountains, great summer time adventures, while being close to the Maine coastline.

Thanks for the info!

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13 hours ago, PhineasC said:

I almost bought a 30 acre lot up in Montgomery, VT. That's near Jay Peak. Received many good reports from @powderfreak and others about the snow potential there. May be some good land deals there to be had still. There were several options back when I looked.

If you plan to build new, be prepared to be very patient. Everything is slower up here and the locals don't move faster if you get all uptight and yell at them. :) 

Given the current situation with shortages and labor issues, it might be even worse. I would strongly consider buying an existing place if you can find something that works for you. Or build but be prepared to wait and deal with delays. It all depends on your personal desires and timeline.

Exciting stuff, please keep us posted as you make your decisions down the road.

 

I have been looking for properties that have existing wells/septic systems. That would help skip a few steps to start. My wife wants to make this place a vacation spot/potential retirement location so she wants it to be the perfect cabin. So, we are open to a fixer upper if the price is right. 

We are in no real hurry, so now is the time to narrow the goalposts. 

We got a couple quotes from cabin builders and they are sky high right now due to lumber costs, definitely will be waiting on that part. Might have to buy a plot of land and park an RV there for a bit, lol...

My kids are just as excited, they want 100+ acres so they can go explore their own forest.

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