Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Closing Sales

[lilbert (lilbert]

Dear Sharon,

This is of no help whatsoever, but I had to laugh when I read the part in 
your post about "firm prices"!  I joined my community after building had 
begun, and we didn't have "firm prices" until after we moved in!  We had 
an extremely complicated situation here, where we couldn't buy our houses 
when they were finished because we couldn't get mortgages(long story).  
My point is that those prices will likely change, and you shouldn't try 
to guarantee them, although a ballpark figure, naturally, is necessary. 

 As I said, I wasn't in the group at the stage you're in, but I can tell 
you what brought it to my attention. There was a newspaper article on it 
and I went to see it.  I met one of the group when I was at the site, and 
was invited to a meeting.  The meeting was a difficult one, where they 
were making some tough decisions and were not happy with each other.  In 
spite of that, they were extremely respectful to each other and the 
meeting was run very well.  I was so impressed with their community that 
I made my decision to join then and there.

People have to know you are there, and they have to like what they see.  
Our group advertised in places where people open to the idea were likely 
to see it, like the co-op supermarket newsletter, and the local 
"alternative" newspaper.  They also got written up in the local 
newspaper's real estate section a few times.  They set up booths at open 
air markets, and used lots of word of mouth.  After you get people to 
come to a meeting, they need to see that it is well run, with serious 
people who get the job done. If you're not organized, nobody will want to 
join.   You'll need well done informational pamphlets that show what it's 
going to look like and tell about the group, and what cohousing is all 
about.  

You also have a resource we didn't, and that is the newly updated 
cohousing site.  I'll bet there's more there about this topic.  Good Luck!

Liz Stevenson 
Southside Park Cohousing