Economic reasons

• The economy is on shaky grounds
• If I lose my job, I may need a safety net
• The cash from the sale will come in handy
• We would save $200 per month each
• Pittsfield property taxes are too high and likely to get higher
• Skiing is getting expensive especially for a family of four
• $100 lift ticket is coming soon
• Leaving it to our kids after our deaths gets messy
• Which one of our sons and daughters will takeover the maintenance work, the payments

It’s a good time to sell

• The house is in good shape, we just painted the upstairs and everything works
• It’s possible that we won’t have another chance to sell in several years
• The neighbors are about to build a new house in the next property
• They will be close to us reducing the sense that you’re out in the middle of the woods
• Some big expenses might be happening soon (roof, deck)

Practical reasons

• It requires a lot of time throughout the year to maintain
• We don’t use it often
• We worry that the pipes might freeze in the winter when no one is up there
• It’s too far (4.5 hours from me)
• It’s hard to get to with small kids
• Miki doesn’t like it
• It’s a source of strain in our marriage
• We’ve done many of the trails and unique natural features in the area
• The delights associated with VT have run their course
• We want to vacation elsewhere
• Uncle Carlos has been very generous with his invitations to his house in Jamaica

I’m allergic to mouse hair, mouse shit, mold, dust, fireplace smoke

• I don’t know exactly what it is, but I do know that it is the only place on the planet where I regularly take asthma medicine
• Mice activity seems to be increasing
• My kids may be allergic to it too

We should not be identified with what we know we own

• We are not what we own
• Almost every time I have told someone, "I own a Vermont house 12 miles North of Killington" I was bragging

There is very little community in VT

• After 16 years we basically only know Roger and Joyce and maybe Doug the bartender
• We don’t even know their last names
• We often don’t see them when we go up
• We know the Simpsons, but they’re 45 minutes away
• Compare with the community of Birch Island

Environmental reasons

• Climate change seems to be ruining the skiing
• 2011-2012 was lousy except for March
• Lack of snow might get worse in the future
• Hurricanes are getting worse and more frequent – Irene, Sandy
• It’s bad for the environment to spend hundreds of dollars a year on heating oil to heat a more or less empty house

Counter arguments

• The skiing is excellent
• The hiking is excellent
• It has ensured that I ski every winter and hike every summer
• The mortgage on the house is paid off so the expenses are low
• It’s been a bonding experience for the three brothers and our family
• We've lent it to our friends and family and they've enjoyed it
• It has enabled us to learn about a part of New England that we wouldn’t otherwise have learned about
• Getting stuck in the driveway or not being able to make it up Hawk Mountain Road in the snow is cool
• I’ve gotten good at lighting a fire