Illustration of a white Vermont farmhouse on a hillside with a glowing golden root system spreading beneath it

Quick Answer

If you bought a home in Washington County about a dozen years ago, it is likely worth roughly twice what you paid, based on the Federal Housing Finance Agency's house price index. That is not cash in your pocket, but it is real choice: to sell, to stay, to help family, or to plan. The first step is knowing your actual number, not a guess.

The Question That Comes Up Over Pie

Every Thanksgiving, somewhere between the turkey and the pie, someone at a Central Vermont table asks what the house is worth. The owner almost always guesses low.

That is not a flaw. It is how memory works. You remember the price you paid. You remember the furnace you replaced and the roof the year after. Nobody mails you a monthly statement showing what the house has quietly been doing.

Here is what it has been doing. The typical American seller this year had owned the home for 12 years, a record, according to the National Association of Realtors. In Washington County, a home bought 12 years ago has roughly doubled in value. That comes from the Federal Housing Finance Agency's price index, which tracks repeat sales of the same homes, from 2013 to 2025.

Doubled. In a county where nobody brags about anything except the maple syrup.

The index covers the county as a whole, not your road. A camp in Worcester and a Victorian near the State House did not move in lockstep. But the direction is not subtle.

If You Are Selling

Equity is leverage, and leverage is options. Here is what I tell my sellers who have owned for a decade or more: you can price to the market, not to your mortgage. That is a strong position in winter, when buyers are fewer but more serious.

The mistake is pricing off a neighbor's 2022 sale or an online estimate. Price off what sold near you in the last 90 days.

If You Are Buying

Sellers with deep equity are rarely desperate, so do not expect fire sales. They are often flexible on terms, though: the closing date, repairs, a credit toward your rate. Ask. A seller who doubled their money usually cares more about a clean, certain closing than the last thousand dollars.

If You Are Staying Put

Good. You do not need to sell to benefit. Know your number for three reasons. Your insurance should reflect what it would cost to rebuild. Your estate plan should reflect what the house is actually worth. And if you ever borrow against it, you should know the cushion before the bank tells you.

Vermont homeowners carry more equity than homeowners in any other state, according to ATTOM. A cushion only helps if you know it is there.

If You Are Renting or Still Dreaming

This is the hard part, and I will not dress it up. The same climb that helped owners raised the bar for you. The lesson of the last dozen years is that time in a home built the wealth, not perfect timing. A smaller first home in Barre or Northfield starts your own clock.

What to Do This Week

Before Thanksgiving, get an instant value range for your home. Then let me check it against real sales near you. Automated estimates in Vermont routinely miss acreage, views, outbuildings and the work you have put in. My number costs nothing and comes with no pressure.

By the Numbers

  • Washington County home values, 2013 to 2025: up about 101% (FHFA All-Transactions House Price Index, 166.68 to 334.90).
  • Since 2019: up about 75%. Since 2020: up about 69%.
  • Lamoille County (Stowe, Morristown), 2019 to 2025: up about 90%.
  • Typical U.S. seller tenure: 12 years, an all-time high (NAR 2026 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers).
  • Vermont mortgaged homes that are equity-rich (loan at or below half the value): 78.9%, first in the nation, vs. 41.1% nationally (ATTOM, Q2 2026).
  • Vermont foreclosure rate in August 2026: lowest in the U.S., 1 per 67,808 housing units (ATTOM, via Vermont Public).
  • Washington County homes, condos and townhouses listed on Nov. 9, 2026: 304, including some under contract. Sold in the past 12 months: 644 (MLS via nelandmark.com).
  • Caveat: the FHFA index is county-wide and annual through 2025. It is not a value for any single home and does not yet include 2026.

Find out what your home is worth before the holidays or call Tony at 802-233-4107.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much have home values gone up in Washington County, VT?

According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's house price index, Washington County home values roughly doubled from 2013 to 2025 and rose about 75% from 2019 to 2025. The index tracks the county as a whole, so any single home may differ.

How do I find out what my Vermont home is worth?

Start with an instant online estimate for a range, then ask a local broker to compare your home with recent nearby sales. In Vermont, acreage, views, outbuildings and condition move value in ways automated models often miss.

Are online home value estimates accurate in Vermont?

They are a starting point. Rural Vermont has fewer comparable sales and more unusual properties than most markets, so automated estimates can miss by a wide margin. A comparison with actual nearby sales is more reliable.

What is an equity-rich homeowner?

ATTOM defines an equity-rich home as one where the mortgage balance is no more than half the home's estimated value. In Q2 2026, 78.9% of mortgaged Vermont homes met that test, the highest share of any state.

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Sources

Tony Walton, Principal Broker, New England Landmark Realty, Waterbury Center, Vermont. 802-233-4107.