Expert: David Beckett - 8/3/2009

Question
Hi David,
I am a high school choral director in Cheltenham, PA., and will be retiring at the end of this coming school year in 2010.  It has always been a dream of mine to move to Burlington.  I visited the city often in my youth and have very fond memories!  When I retire, my youngest daughter (I am a single parent) will be ready for college and (with no coaxing from me) she is actually interested in the Univesity of Vermont (wouldn't that be convenient).  My oldest daughter is encouraging the move because, after her mother died, she wants me to be happy.  I have a 3 part question:  Where should I look for a condo (2/3 bedroom)?  How difficult is it to be accepted into UV?  What opportunity would I have to find a part-time job in the Arts (my specialty is choral music as well as directing Broadway musicals however I am willing to learn anything!!!!)?  Thanks for your time!

Answer
Thanks for your note. I'll do my best and would welcome any other questions as you look at Burlington. The hardest question for me to get a handle on is the one about the part time job in the arts, simply because there are SO many variables.

Getting into UVM is more difficult now than it has been, I'm told (right now my wife's in the other room, coaching a friend of the family about SAT prep and he's going to go to UVM - but perhaps via the Gap Year program, because his grades may not be quite there this time around. But that Gap Year program is only available to VT kids...). UVM isn't Yale...but they can be selective these days...and you know, there are a number of great schools in VT and in NH - close enough to Burlington to come do laundry on a weekend ;-)
I'm partial to St Michaels College (I've been doing a Jazz radio program there for almost 20 years now), and the state schools are very good. Johnson State in particular I like a lot.

Condos? Well, I like Burlington. But I'm partial: I live just a few blocks South of Church street Marketplace, and I can walk to the lake, the cafe's, the Flynn Center,  (www.flynncenter.org www.lyrictheatrevt.org) UVM, the  and all the rest. I wouldn't move for all the tea in China, as my mother used to say. Here a bit of what's on offer just IN Burlington. You'll want to look at South Burlington, Colchester, Winooski, and Williston too, I'd guess - at least on line... Here are all the condos on the market right now, sorted by town offered for under 200,000 in the towns I mentioned. You may need to cut and paste the link into a new browser window...
http://www.vreinmls.com/ver/maildoc/h001kN6490.html

You've got a friend in Burlington. Drop a line. I'm here to help.

David Beckett, Realtor, CBR
david@askdavidbeckett.com