My friend had to take his kid to Albany, NY to get an eye exam and some glasses in less than three months' time. So, I'd say we are going out of state for the simplest and most common things, too.

Boy, you sure told off that dead mentally ill person. So brave!

Interesting. This was Peak Mechanical in Waterbury.

Speaking of that 3-4 hour install, I had a local contractor quote me 10,000 to install two, in addition to the equipment costs. Even if three people put in an 8 hour day doing two units, by my math that's $416/hour for the install. And the electric work to run the 220 line wasn't included in that number. No thanks.

Makes sense. It sounds like they'd be easy to remove/replace.

How was the heat pump experience? I can't find a contractor who I know isn't charging me a premium.

In addition to this bit of advice, have you considered leaving the tanks in place? If they are underground, I believe they can be filled with something inert, or so I have been told, and left in place. Unless you plan to keep your house forever, the next owner might want to have the option for propane for cooking, or backup electricity generation, or maybe just a redundant heat source--just in case.

If only anybody who argues policy from the position of self-identified "common sense" had any.

It seems like "fiscally conservative" usually means, "I get social security and medicare, a property tax prebate, my acreage is in Current Use, and I think it's a zero sum game, so T.S. for you."

Correct.

What, five and ten acre zoning? It's a type of zoning district that only allows one house on each 5 or 10 acre parcel, respectively. If you want country roads lined with million dollar "rustic modern" post and beam houses (you know, the ones built to look like old farmhouses connected to a barn, so they put red siding on the attached three car garage) and that are owned by people from other states, it's the best way to do it. By setting the acreage requirements so high, it eliminates entry level houses, because the lots themselves go for $150,000 before you've broken ground for a foundation.

It's also really inefficient from a tax perspective. First, because the houses are fewer and further between, there is a smaller tax base, even though individual houses are more valuable. Second, even while 5 and 10 acre zoned houses are highly dispersed, their owners still need municipal services, which take more effort to provide and are therefore more expensive.

There's also the Current Use program to discuss, which is its own huge problem for affordability. But you asked about zoning.

They should eliminate 5 and 10 acre zoning, as well.