Appraisers and larger-than-needed cohousing units
From: Bob Morrison (morrisontook.enet.dec.com)
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 95 15:39 CST
  On 23-Feb-95, Jim Snyder-Grant wrote in part:

> Re: Cohousing costs and budgets

> Housing (land and construction) is way expensive out here in the Boston
> suburbs, plus in order to get to a reasonable match between appraisals
> and construction costs we had to build relatively large houses.

  This sort of thing scares me. Once again, the tyranny of the appraisers
raises its ugly head. Is there anything we can do to free ourselves from
this tyranny? 
  I am speaking not only for myself but also for many others when I say 
that I don't want or need a large home and don't want to pay for space I
don't need, whether the home is in cohousing or not. The fact that I may
get a higher percentage profit on resale if I buy a large home instead of
a small one doesn't make be feel OK about this. Having to buy a larger 
home than I want means I will have to overextend myself financially and
may not qualify for a mortgage at all. And that means I may have to forgo
living in cohousing altogether.
  Could it be that people who would prefer to buy and live in small homes
are being subtly discouraged from joining local cohousing groups by the
prospect of having to buy more house then they want, resulting in groups
that appear to be unanimously in favor of larger homes?

Bob Morrison

Home: Boxboro, MA               Work: Digital Equipment Corp., Littleton, MA

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