Saturday, May 21, 2011

Stowe Patrol has moved!

I've just launched my personal real-estate website: ExperienceStowe.com, into which I have incorporated this blog. And in conjunction with all of this, I am pleased to announce that I have joined Coldwell Banker Carlson Real Estate on Main Street in Stowe.

If you've been using www.stowepatrol.com to get here, then you've already been redirected.

I hope you'll make the move with me!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Whose Launch Doesn't Run Late?

Yup, I'm late with the launch of my new website. We ran into a bit of snag importing this blog into the new one. We're back on track now; and, I'm hoping to launch next week. Stand by...

Sunday, April 3, 2011

We're moving

Within the next 2 weeks, I will launch my own real-estate website, into which, my blog, stowepatrol.blogspot.com (aka www.stowepatrol.com), will be incorporated. Until then, and unfortunately, I won't be able to post new entries

When the launch and conversion are complete, I'll post the new website address here. I hope you'll continue to visit! If you'd like me to notify you when the change is complete, send me an email here.

  --Charlie

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

St. Patrick's Day Lift-Ticket Special at Stowe Mountain Resort

Ski and Ride Stowe on Thursday March 17, 2011  for ONLY $39 to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! Purchase a $39 one-day lift ticket at Stowe Mountain Resort and enjoy the great conditions.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

The 2011 HGTV Stowe Dream Home

Fran and I toured the Dream Home at Stowe Mountain Resort this afternoon. It was designed by architect Paul Robert Rouselle, and built by Brendan O'Reilly, owner of Stowe's Gristmill Builders. The tour price-of-admission benefits Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy.

With the winner's identity having been leaked earlier this week, it felt a bit wierd knowing in whose home we were together with a bunch of strangers, without the new owner who doesn't know any of us. I'm sure you've seen the home on HGTV and an abundance of photos taken by the more than 2,000 visitors who've already toured it. Here's my iPhone-photo perspective:



Mudroom Cubbies
Living Room to Mt. Mansfield
Mt. Mansfield view
Living Room towards Driveway
Dining Area & Eat-in Kitchen
Kitchen Island
Kitchen counter detail
Stairs to the Lower Level - looking out to the Driveway
Stairs to the Lower Level - looking inside
Master Bedroom with Mt. Mansfield views
The "Dorm" - 8 built-in bunks
The "Dorm"
The "Dorm" Bathroom - 3 sinks
The "Dorm" - 3 showers
Lower Level - from the "Dorm" to the Family Room to the Guest Suite
Guest Suite on the Lower Level
If you didn't win, I can help you find yours!
Write or call 802.730.4343

Maple's Moment (See Michael's on the Hill, Waterbury Center, after the break)

From the Wall Street Journal
FOOD & DRINK | MARCH 12, 2011

From scrambled eggs to side salads, a guide to all the marvelous places the golden syrup can go.

F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Karen Evans
Thanks to the historic lashings of snow that hit the Northeast this winter, we're poised, pancakes stacked, for what's likely to be a banner year in maple production. Icy nights and warmer days are essential to a good syrup season—the end-of-winter rhythm of freeze and thaw coaxes sap from the trees for as long as they can resist the urge to bud, usually four to six weeks. Last year overheated prematurely, leaving some producers with a maple bust. But it's been a snowy season, and chances are good that the sugar bush (as tapping areas are cheerily called) will stay chilled and the sweet sap will flow.

With a glut of nature's most bewitching sweetener headed our way, it's high time to break maple out of its brunch hour rut. Under that sticky toffee veneer are layers of smoke and tannin that play just as well at dinner or cocktail hour. In search of a few unexpected ways to use the spoils, we turned to chefs across the Northeast.
—Kristen Miglore

Sunday, March 6, 2011

MERS? It May Have Swallowed Your Loan (NYT)

By MICHAEL POWELL and GRETCHEN MORGENSON
Published: March 5, 2011

An obscure company claims to hold title to roughly half of the home mortgages in the nation — 60 million loans.

Never heard of MERS? That's fine with the mortgage banking industry—as MERS is starting to overheat and sputter. If its many detractors are correct, this private corporation, with a full-time staff of fewer than 50 employees, could turn out to be a very public problem for the mortgage industry.

Judges, lawmakers, lawyers and housing experts are raising piercing questions about MERS, which stands for Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, whose private mortgage registry has all but replaced the nation's public land ownership records.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Sold in Stowe VT!

I'm pleased to show you this home in Stowe, VT that I sold, a week ago today, to a family from Boston. It's on a private road, adjacent to Trapp Family Lodge mountain-bike and cross-country ski trails, and less than 10 minutes from Stowe Mountain Resort. This 3-level, 4-bedroom, 3½-bath home has more than 4,300 square feet of living space and is beautifully sited on five very private acres.

Photographed by my colleague Teresa Merelman

Can I help you find yours?
write or call 802.730.4343

Photo of the Day - February 17

Autostitched from 3 iPhone Photos

Mt. Mansfield Panorama from Spruce Peak
Color corrected, straightened, and cropped

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Right now in Stowe, VT

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Photo of the Day - February 9

A peaceful moment on a quiet trail

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

A Testimonial - What my Clients have to say

The following letter was sent to my Managing Broker last week. I am posting it with my clients' permission.
------------------------------------------
Mon, 31 Jan 2011

"My wife and I closed on the purchase of [address], Stowe in June 2010.  This correspondence is long over due, but nonetheless, we are writing to express what an asset Charlie Aronovici is to your company/ business. 

We reached out to Charlie in the Fall of 2009 to fulfill our dream of owning a ski home in Stowe.  We have been coming to Stowe for most of our lives with our families and knew that Stowe is where we wanted to invest in a second home.  Denice had reached out to several real estate agents to find the right person to help us in our search.  And right away we knew Charlie was the right person to help us.  He was quick in responding to our initial inquiry and followed up weekly with new homes on the market.  His attention to detail in our first communications along with his warmth made us so comfortable.

We were ready to travel from our home in Dedham Mass, for our first “tour” of homes. Charlie had sent us a very thorough schedule of times and homes we would be seeing over a 2 day time frame.  This would be one of many weekend tours we did with Charlie.  And each and every time we met, he prepared such organized daily tours.  He was always honest and willing to share his expertise on the market.   The time he spent away from his family on the weekends spoke for itself.  He was ALWAYS committed to our best interest.

We had an accepted offer on a property in 12/2009 which unfortunately did not go through due to some unforeseen title issues. The reason we bring this up is because it was within this very difficult time where we let this property go, is when Charlie’s professionalism and commitment to us, his customers, was exemplary.  He stood by our side and brought a sense of calm during a very tough decision process. 

There were more tours after the new year and finally in May of 2010, he brought us to [address].  We had an accepted offer 1 week later and closed within 30 days.  Charlie was there to answer questions and offer insights every step through the purchase process. I have been in the mortgage industry for over 14 years and I have never come across a buyers agent so truly aware of his buyers needs.  His commitment to providing the best customer service coupled with his caring and unconditionally supportive personality, has set a level excellence that we will never forget.

The closing went seamlessly. And to put the icing on the cake, Charlie came [back to the house] with us after the closing and took a photo of us on the deck of our new Stowe home.  He then blew the picture up and personally matted and framed it for us as a house warming along with a maple sap bucket filled with all types of Vermont treats.  Charlie was exceptional from start to finish.  He helped make a dream come true and we will be grateful to him forever.

There is no doubt that we will refer all of our friends and family to Charlie in the future.

With our deepest gratitude-
Jamie and Denice
Stowe VT"

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Panoramic Photos with Autostitch

Here are 3 iPhone (horizontal) photos I took at the Mountain, from the top of West Run, last week. I took the middle shot first -- you can see how it doesn't convey the reality of Mt. Mansfield's presence. So I shifted left for another shot; then, I shifted right for one more.

Left                                           Middle                                             Right

Then, I used the iPhone App, Autostitch, to create a panoramic photo. From my iPhone's Camera Roll, I selected the 3 photos above, and pressed "Stitch." In seconds, it produced this panoramic photo:


Autostitch has a built-in crop function that automatically selects the largest possible complete crop. You can select your own crop points manually, too. I used the auto crop, which produced this version: 


Autostitch is unbelievable fast, amazingly accurate, and easy to use. It's only $2.99 at the iPhone App Store. Get it. 

Learn more here.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Meet Gary Gendimenico

Gary is the Lift Operations Manager at Stowe Mountain Resort. I took this photo, at 7:59 a.m., while I was waiting to ride 'line check' on the Easy Street lift. Gary was just about give the top operator a ride on his snow machine, to the lift terminal at the top of Easy Street.

Gary Gendimenico 1-27-2011

Mt. Mansfield from Spruce Base - 1-27-2011

Monday, January 24, 2011

Arctic Blast

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Watering Holes: The Alchemist Pub and Brewery (Outside Magazine)

The Alchemist, in Waterbury, Vermont is the only eatery (and brewpub) in Waterbury, Vermont that my wife and I frequent! Here's an excerpt from the The Guide: Watering Holes in the July 2010 issue of Outside Magazine.

The Alchemist Pub and Brewery
Waterbury, Vermont
"Yes, it's always remarkably jamming, and, yes, they have the requisite gluten-free beer on tap. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill upscale gastropub: The beer (award-winning-Light-weight pilsner) is so good and the food (sweet potato fries with herb sour cream) so local and fresh that, after a day of skiing or mountain-biking at nearby Stowe Mountain Resort, we'll happily wait in line with the local neo-hippies, greennecks, or whatever they're calling themselves these days."

Go: 23 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05676
If you're lost: 802.244.4120

Monday, July 5, 2010

4th of July Parade and Marathon - Stowe (Moscow), Vermont

My friend and colleague, Teresa Merelman, shot these yesterday. Enjoy! (Click on "HQ" at the bottom right of the screen for a high-quality viewing)

4th of July Fireworks - Stowe, Vermont