The way to build in Vermont is to find somebody who can process wood in exchange for other services or goods. Buy land on the cheap in a super rural area on forested land for as many acres as you can afford. Clear out the trees and brush with friends and family, get GMP (or other) to run lines, drill a well and build a septic system. These three things will be your largest costs. Build the place yourself, and you can slowly add on when you have the money. Buy common products for building so they will always be around when you go to add on. If you develop a piece of land into a homested, you can easily double or triple your input when you go to sell. This is how my immediate family developed middle class wealth through property ownership in Vermont.