Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Home prices - cohousing vs non-cohousing

[Dahako (Dahako]

Hi all -

Since Robin Alexander is the one who bought our unit in Eno Commons, and then 
he said such nice things about the value of the neighborhood, I just had to 
jump in here.

As part of my job, I'm trained as a federal Uniform Relocation Act specialist 
(long story) and I've walked a few appraisals and read more (including one 
for a vacant skyscraper).  I can tell you one of the most interesting 
afternoons 
in my life was spent walking through our cohousing neighborhood in North 
Carolina with the bank appraiser.  She was not used to looking at more than the 
house and lot, and she had lots of trouble figuring out exactly how to value 
out 
the common house, common acreage. . .

Here in Eastern Village Cohousing condo in DC, the appraiser had a better fix 
on how to value common spaces, but he wouldn't add much in for them because 
the spaces weren't finished yet when he appraised our unit.  I would love to 
get a group of local appraisers out for breakfast (someday, when we have a 
stove 
and dining furniture), and just walk through with them to find out how they 
would value the real estate.

Jessie Handforth Kome
Eastern Village Cohousing
Silver Spring, MD