497 Elmore RoadWorcester, VT 05682Price: $375,000

There is a version of Vermont life people carry around in their heads for years before they find it: a house in the woods, a river running below the windows, and town still close enough to matter. This is that house. Hancock Brook spills over falls into a swimming hole that belongs to this property and no other, and the water stays in view from inside, green in July, gold in the trees by October, ice-edged and quiet by December. Southern light crosses the floors from morning through evening. The seasons turn in plain sight. This is one of the last houses before the Worcester woods and the 17,000 acres of C.C. Putnam State Forest begin. Where the trails run further than a person can go in a day. Out front, a short drive carries you to Worcester Village in 5 minutes and Montpelier in 15, work, groceries, dinner out, all of it near at hand. Inside, the updated kitchen is the heart of it: maple butcher block counters, updated appliances, and an open floor plan that pulls everyone into the same room. Three bedrooms, beautiful wood floors, windows sized for the view they hold. Metal roof, covered parking, wood stove, and propane forced-air heat. Much has been updated and will allow for years of warmth and comfort for years to come, without worry.