Author Archive

I’ve learned so much about Bennington’s Recreation Center through the participation of family and colleagues that use the facilities.

First, the magnificent heated 25 yard, 6-lane swimming pool was a center of therapy and social interaction for my husband Jerry, a retired professor.  As the years increased, so did Jerry’s limitation of physical activity and he sorely missed his jogging routine.  I greatly admired that although swimming was the one thing Jerry had always hated  (he never learned how) he made his way to the Richard Sleeman Memorial Pool and bravely signed up for water walking to ease his arthritis and stenosis.  Little did he realize when he began this journey that he would meet people from all walks of life that were interesting to talk to and friendships developed over the years that were very important to him.  I love it that “the ladies group” included an invitation to him to go to Dunkin’ Donuts for coffee afterwards and he accepted!  He also went with another member to a Giants practice game in Albany and bonded with the children and grandchildren of other members who were attending college and wanted academic advice.  He was very proud of his friendship with the athletic guys who were marathoners….and he was often referred to as The Philosopher in the locker room.  Special thanks to Carrie Fabricious for diving in and saving Jerry at least twice that I know of … Jerry loved Carrie!

My grandchildren have attended the summer Day Camp for years at both Stark Street and Gage Street and this is the most phenomenal value for working parents.  My granddaughter Faith still attends and worked last year as a Junior Counsellor and dreams of the day when she becomes  a full time Senior Counsellor that gets paid!

Last but not least my wonderful Office Manager, Vicki Wilson, decided several years ago to really get fit and she started hitting the weight room during her lunch hour.  Wow! She totally changed her build and is more attractive than ever.  To this day, Vicki keeps up this schedule and brings others from the office into her group whenever she can.

More about Willow Park, coming soon!

Grab your sweetheart and stop by one of our Open Houses this Sunday!

 5 Stonehedge Drive, Bennington:  This elegant home is a rare find as featured in Taste of Home magazine.  Offering every convenience and comfort, you will be charmed by the large, bright kitchen, formal dining room, living room with gas fireplace, main level master bedroom and more!  Click here for more information.

Directions:  In Bennington from South Street/Route 7 South, turn west onto Elm Street then turn left onto Jefferson Avenue.  Continue up the hill where Jefferson becomes Stonehedge Drive.  Look for Open House sign on the right.

13 Greenview Drive, Bennington:  This great family home is located on a dead end street and features 4 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, spacious living room with brick hearth and woodstove, large back deck and more!  Click here for more information.

Directions:  From South Street/Route 7 South in Bennington turn west onto Weeks Street then turn onto Jefferson Heights.  Take a left onto Greenview Drive and look for Open House sign.

We would like to announce that David Beach of our Commercial Real Estate division is now also an Auctioneer/Realtor.  We will be experimenting with our first Auction on a magnificent historic Bennington home on November 22, 2009 at 1:00 pm.  The difference in our auction will be an attempt to present a home that has a very motivated seller who will do everything possible to sell before winter sets in but this is definitely NOT A DISTRESSED SALE and the owner will have the option to refuse all offers.

Just last Sunday we hosted an Open House/Auction Preview and despite the grey and gloomy day here in Bennington, we lit every light in the house, threw open the doors and set an all time record attendance for any open house that we have had in the forty year history of Hoisington Realty.

Sure, there were curious lookers who have always admired this home as well as a few interested buyers, too….it was a wonderful opportunity to renew contacts with old customers and clients and to meet several new people.

We are still finding our that properties in our upper price ranges are challenged and thought we would try this new marketing plan…Stay tuned and please come for the Auction and see a wonderful property located at 210 Elm Street, Bennington, Vermont. This property has already been reduced from $595,000 and is now listed for $395,000.  Click here for additional information about this property.

This Sunday, October 18th take the opportunity to view up to seven of our residential listings!  We will be hosting Open Houses in Bennington at the following properties from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.  Click on the photos of each property for additional information.

210 Elm Street, Bennington VT  $395,000; Listing Agent: Kathleen Hoisington

Directions:  From South Street/Route 7 South turn west onto Elm Street; look for Open House sign on the left. 

5 Stonehedge Drive, Bennington VT $299,000; Listing Agent:  Dorothy Halvorsen

Directions:  In Bennington from South Street/Route 7 South turn west onto Elm Street; from Elm turn left onto Jefferson Avenue and continue up the hill where Jefferson becomes Stonehedge Drive.  Look for Open House sign on the right.

1518 Route 7 South, Bennington VT $359,900; Listing Agent: Suzy Yucht

Directions:  In Bennington approximately one mile south of Bennington Four Corners on Route 7 South; look for Open House sign on the east side of the road.

206 Weeks Street, Bennington VT $189,900; Listing Agent:  Kelley McCarthy

Directions:  In Bennington from South Street/Route 7 South, turn west onto Weeks Street; look for Open House sign on right.

 223 Maple Street, Bennington VT $139,000; Listing Agent:  Timothy Corcoran II

 Directions: In Bennington from North Street/Route 7 North turn east onto Gage Street; then turn left onto Maple Street.  Look for Open House sign on the right.

From 2:15 to 4:15 the following properties will be hosting Open Houses:

320 Safford Street, Bennington $149,000; Listing Agent:  Suzy Yucht

Directions:  In Bennington from North Street/Route 7 North turn east onto County Street; turn right onto Safford Street.  Look for Open House sign on the right.

 712 Rocky Lane, Bennington VT $299,000; Listing Agent:  Dorothy Halvorsen

 Directions: From Bennington take East Road north for approximately one mile past Houghton Lane.  Turn left onto Rocky Lane and continue 0.9 mile; look for Open House sign on the left.

Hiland Hall, Trenor Park  and John McCullough were the patriarchs of the enormously philanthropic Park-McCullough family of North Bennington, Vermont but don’t discount the women!  Hiland’s wife, Dolly, endured a trip around the Horn, losing their first born son on the journey to San Francisco and then returned gamely to the Hall Farm where she efficiently and without complaint ran the family farm during her husband’s long absence. Their daughter, Laura, who married the entrepreneurial attorney Trenor Park, courageously joined her husband in his ventures in California despite her father’s misgivings.  She shared in her husbands losses and gains, culminating with their successful return to New York City and North Bennington.  Upon their return in 1865 they purchased 200 acres of the Hall Farm saving Hiland and Dolly from serious debt and in one year built the splendid Park-McCullough Estate.  In 1871 their daughter Lizzie married John McCullough, former Attorney General for California who later became Governor of Vermont.  She remained a resident of the Great House until her death in 1930.  Future generations of the family have been instrumental in providing North Bennington with its public library, train station (which has been converted to Town offices) and finally with the gift of the Park McCullough Mansion, now home to a non-profit organization that is the center piece of the cultural life in North Bennington to this day.

Read our next installment on what is happening at present day Hiland Hall.

North Bennington is a picture perfect New England village with cupolas and church steeples dotting the quaint and historic rooftops.  It is the home, past and present, of well-known authors, musicians of national note and poets of international reputation as well as home to Bennington College.   Main Street in its entirety is on the National Historic Register and many of the homes have been lovingly restored by families who appreciate the special quality that this village offers to their children.  North Bennington retains its separate village autonomy and the North Bennington Graded School is one of high parental involvement.   Where else can your children ride their bikes to a small, pristine lake that is maintained by a volunteer board?

If you are looking for a special place to raise a family or to enjoy your retirement - or any stage in between – please click here to see the listings currently available in this very special community.

Your home represents an important financial asset.  When it’s time to sell, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.  He’s in the same financial boat and will want the most house he can get for the money. The stakes are too high to play the do-it-yourself game in this monetary arena.  The best advice is – let an expert from Hoisington Realty work with you to sell it.

“Why a Realtor, when I can sell it myself and save the commission?” you may ask. “Right?”….WRONG!

The average buyer is far from naive.  Before you even start serious negotiations, he’ll expect you to deduct the Broker’s commission for HIS benefit.  Then you’re on your own in the critical areas of financing, mortgages, contracts and deeds, etc. Your home will be exposed to any and all unaccompanied strangers who knock on your door.

An agent from Hoisington Realty can help save you from these headaches and dangers.  He or she will protect your interest and assist in selling your Bennington area real estate at the best price.  To learn more about our agents, click here.

Over the years, I have been privileged to have ben the listing agent for several of Old Bennington’s historic homes including the Jedediah Dewey home (the first minister at Old Bennington’s First Congregational Church), the Governor Robinson manse the Govenor Tichenor residence.  I have also been involved in the sale and listing of both Robert Frost properties in Shaftsbury and many, many other prominent and non-prominent historic properties, all of which have been amazingly sound and historically preserved.  It is a joy to work on these properties from the 18th and early 19th century and to share our knowledge of them with new buyers.

Bennington’s Victorian homes are truly splendid, although many of them were built not far from the industry of their original owneres and as time has progressed, have become a part of our business district.  You will see some of these fine homes now converted to law offices, professional buildings, convalescent centers and Bed & Breakfast use. If built a little later in the 20th century, they may still be in use as residences although they may be situated on a surprisingly small lot for the size of the home.  They remain very popular.  The Arts & Crafts cottages are easily spotted in our fist settled village residential areas and they offer tremendous character and solidly built frames.  They add grace and history to our oldest residential streets.

I could go on and on about the summer homes in Old Bennington built at the turn of the century, including “The Priory” that belonged to Mary Sanford on Monument Circle.  I sold this property in 2001 and the new owners have lovingly restored the entire 3-story home along with returning the gardens to their original splendour – they are spectacular!

Every single historic home has a story; why wouldn’t I love to represent these properties and their very special buyers and sellers?

There are many such fine homes listed in the Bennington area. For more information click here.

Part of our mission at Hoisington Realty is to give back to the Bennington community through volunteerism.  One of our agents, Dorothy Halvorsen, has quietly done a remarkable job in this area since before she joined our company in 1999. 

Let me tell you a little bit about Dorothy.  She raised four children as a single mother and at the same time returned to college after a successful when she owned her own Bennington real estate company, Town and Country Real Estate.  She earned both her B.A. in English and a Master’s Degree in Education and Counseling.  She put her degrees to use first as an English teacher then as a Guidance Counselor at Mount Anthony Union High School before retiring in 1998. 

After retiring from education and before joining us at Hoisington Realty, Dorothy became a guardian ad litem representing the best interests of Bennington area children in the southwestern Vermont judicial system.  She has been doing this for over fifteen years and fits this into a very busy real estate career.  She also volunteers at the Bennington Museum where she assists with the Senior Tea at Christmas and other social functions.

She is an inspiration to all of us with her quiet, steadfast devotion to the Town of Bennington and its children.  Thank you,  Dorothy, for your work and example to all of us.

They say change is hard.  There is no greater change in real estate than the relocation process of uprooting someone from family, friends, school mates and connections in their current church, community and way of life.

When I started working with transferees back in the late 1960’s, it was quite different from how it is now.  The process was alot more complicated without virtual tours, http://www.realtor.com/, and the speed of email communication and faxes.  Ninety-nine percent of the time it was the husband that was transferring and the family followed.  I met my first “house husband” in the 1980’s when he transferred with his engineer wife and it was he that did the housework and took care of the children.  When they sold, I remember feeling odd when I would tell him how nice the house looked after a showing.  But he was proud!!  Soon after trends changed and the multitude of transferees were both working parents and the new challenge was finding a position for the other spouse in their field.

Today, transferees begin the process from across the country through www.realtor.com and individual Realtor websites.  They use the power of the internet to investigate local schools, churches and community amenities.  By the time we meet these buyers in person they are already quite knowledgeable about the Bennington area and southern Vermont.

What hasn’t changed is our understanding of how difficult it is to be uprooted.  We take great care to understand the needs of the whole family (including pets) when we start our relationship.  The house they choose is actually the last part of the process.  First we want to say “Welcome to Bennington! What is it that we need to help you find here – is it a sports or academic program that your child excels in, or is it a doctor with a specialty in a particular field? What kind of shopping needs do you have – do you need a list of attorneys, physicians, builders?”, and so on.  It takes a while to settle in, but nothing gives me more joy than meeting a member of this family a year later and to hear them say “I LOVE IT HERE!”