Cohousing-L Mailing List: The build out a shell idea, more info

[Rob Sandelin (floriferous]

The idea of building a shell and then having customers do the interiors
seems to be not all that uncommon in condo ads. The place I was referencing
was in Kirkland,WA and they had a big Sunday Real Estate ad offering first
owners the chance to "Design your dream". I have also seen similiar ads for
condos in Seattle. The owner gets to pick the kitchen, the flooring, the
bathroom, the wall coverings, and all the fixtures.

These places all have mortgages just fine, but I imagine they are carried by
large construction loans to huge development corporations, who then make a
killing off the customizing part. There were a variety of sizes available.
In fact, this same exact deal was offered in a big retirement complex built
across the street from where we held our NICA meetings.

These are not low income units either, the shell price, for the smallest one
at 600 sq. feet, was priced more than my 2400 sq. custom home on an
individual lot is worth. That's why I remember it, I was astonished at how
expensive they were, before you even put in your carpet.

I am not a developer so perhaps there are ways to make such a shell game
more affordable that I don't know anything about.

Rob Sandelin
Northwest Intentional Communities Association
Building a better society, one neighborhood at a time