Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: 2 LOW-COST CONDOS AVAILABLE (Income limits apply) IN COHOUSING/INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

Hi Elke!

Where is Mariposa Grove?

Ann Zabaldo
Takoma Village
Washington, DC

On Mar 1, 2007, at 12:05 PM, Elke wrote:

> Clucking chickens, shared meals, children, artists, bicycles,
> musicians, social change work, biodiesel, fruit trees...
>
> These are some of the things you'll find at Mariposa Grove.
>
>
> 2 LOW-COST CONDOS AVAILABLE (Income limits apply)
>         IN COHOUSING/INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY
>
> MARIPOSA GROVE MISSION
> Mariposa grove is a member-owned, consensus-based intentional
> community in an urban setting that supports sustainability, social
> justice activism, creativity and the arts.  We are creating a
> permanently affordable home, a physical and social space where we
> share resources and responsibilities, grow together and support each
> other to fulfill our personal dreams while providing a model for the
> larger community of which we are a part.
>
> We have a rich web of relationships and history among the adults and
> children living here. Our community culture attempts to reflect our
> mission, supporting us and our society.
>
>
> All applicants must attend one of our open houses, read all materials
> supplied, and complete a written application. A description of our
> community, open house & application information, membership criteria
> and directions are contained in this email after the descriptions of
> the units.
>
> FIRST UNIT
>
> Unit's Description
> Sweet 2 BR approx. 530sq. ft. apartment
> This first floor unit has beautiful Pergo style floors, new slate
> floor in bathroom, ample closets in the bedrooms, gas heat and stove,
> a dishwasher, an herb and flower garden outside the south facing front
> window and a kitchen skylight. It was entirely remodeled in 2001.
>
> Financial Details
> Move in: Negotiable between now and May 1
> Maximum Annual Income for this unit:
> $46,350 (for a 1 person household) $53,000 (for a 2 person household)
> or $59,600 (for a 3 person household)
> Recommended Minimum Income: $41,000 (less with large downpayment, or
> you have access to ultra-low interest loans)
> Estimated Unit Purchase Price: $190,000
> LLC investment & down payment: $5,500.00 (Required before move-in.
> Applied to purchase as down payment)
> Monthly Rent Until Time of Purchase: $1,135    (+ supplies fee)
>
> SECOND UNIT
>
> Unit's Description
> Charming 2 BR approx. 634 sq. ft. apartment
> First floor apartment, multi-pained glass door opens out to the
> courtyard. Living room and kitchen window look out into the backyard
> (soon to be lush gardens). Both bedrooms have ample closets;
> convenient eat in kitchen with refrigerator and gas stove. Gas heated.
> Beautiful, unique, hardwood floors, trim, & little details like
> decorative door knobs. Terra Cotta style tiles in bathroom and
> kitchen.
>
> Financial Details
> Move in: Negotiable between April 1 and May 1
> Maximum Annual Income for this unit:
> $46,350 (for a 1 person household) $53,000 (for a 2 person household)
> or $59,600 (for a 3 person household)
> Recommended Minimum Income: $41,000 (less with large downpayment, or
> you have access to ultra-low interest loans)
> Estimated Unit Purchase Price: $205,000
> LLC investment & down payment: $5,500.00 (Required before move-in.
> Applied to purchase as down payment)
> Monthly Rent Until Time of Purchase: $1,236    (+ supplies fee)
>
> BOTH UNITS
>
> Currently, these are rentals in a cohousing community. However, we're
> in the process of converting to condominiums. During the time it takes
> to become condos (4-6 months?), the units will be rented by our new
> member/purchaser. This means that you should be prepared to to invest
> $5500 in the LLC and prequalify for a loan to buy the unit before
> moving in and to purchase and qualify for a mortgage based on credit
> and income within 4-6 months.
>
> If your income is higher than the maximum above for your household
> size, your application can not be considered. This must be verified
> through pay stubs and/or tax returns.
>
> Depending on your income & household size, there may be $75,000 -
> $100,000 in combined subsidies from the city of Oakland for first-time
> homebuyer downpayment assistance.
>
> COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION (more info in person and in application packet)
> 3 buildings on 2 lots sharing back, side and front yards. Total of 6
> units, plus a common unit, cohousing style.
>
> 10 min from Ashby Bart in North Oakland, close to Berkeley Bowl, Whole
> Foods, Independently owned cafes and farmers markets.
> Collective/cooperative/consensus-based group with some shared meals
> (currently about twice/week). Our common unit contains shared living &
> dining rooms, kitchen, guest room, laundry, art room, office, and
> more. Our property hosts fruit trees and front gardens (soon to be
> back gardens too), 8 chickens, children's play area, cozy swing
> nestled in back yard, kiwi vines, many fruits and vegetables growing
> around the back yard, a covered workshop area, and two redwood common
> decks, one especially ideal for movement classes and gatherings, the
> other for quiet contemplation over morning coffee/tea.
>
> A friendly non-profit (Northern California Land Trust - NCLT)
> purchased the property in 2005. Mariposa Grove members are co-owners
> with the Land Trust and formed an LLC corporation which oversees the
> property and works with NCLT to continue on the path toward
> condoization (individual purchase of units estimated July 2007).
>
> Monthly rent of each unit includes water & sewer, but not PG&E. There
> is also a small household fee assessed per adult that covers supplies
> like toilet paper, DSL, laundry soap, dish soap, community retreats,
> chicken feed and some shared entertainment.
>
> OPEN HOUSES & APPLICATION
> We are having 2 open houses for anyone interested in the units:
>    Sunday, March 4th from 10am- 2pm
>    Saturday, March 10th from from 10am- 2pm
>    more dates may be added - please see our website for details
>
> We will hand out applications and other materials at the open house.
> We will not distribute applications by email, or at any other time
> other than open houses.
>
> If you are interested, you MUST come to one of the open houses. We
> will give you an application to return by March 14. NO applications
> will be considered after the deadline.
>
> If we invite you to an interview you must submit copies of:
>    - Two most recent federal tax returns
>    - Current income documentation (either 3 recent consecutive
>      paystubs, OR 12-month profit & loss statement if self-employed,
>      or other form of documentation)
>    - A recent credit report (within the past 90 days) which is a
>      merged report (i.e. from all 3 reporting bureaus: Equifax,
>      TransUnion & Experian) OR $25 for us to run a report for you.
> This information MUST be submitted in advance of the interview.
>
> Please do not email questions. We will answer questions at the open
> house and after. If you are still curious about Mariposa Grove, please
> visit our website (which is in the process of being updated. Please
> revisit within a couple days) at
> http://www.healthyarts.com/mariposagrove. We are requesting this due
> to an overwhelming response of emails. Thank you for your
> understanding and interest.
>
> MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
> Here is part of what we will look at in choosing a new member.
> More details are in the application packet.
>    - desire to live in a cooperative/collective environment
>    - willingness, interest, & ability to share the
>      workload of organizing the community including
>      attending regular co-op meetings
>    - willingness & interest in cooking for the group
>      semi-regularly
>    - skills in dealing with conflicts
>    - emotional and communication skills
>    - involvement in social justice/social change
>      work/activism
>    - interest and ability to carry projects that will
>      make Mariposa beautiful, interesting and open to
>      broader communities
>    - creative, artistic sensibility
>    - experience living or working in diverse environments
>
> DIRECTIONS
> Mariposa Grove
> 828, 832 & 834 59th St., Oakland
> cross street Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
>
> via BART: get off at Ashby. Come out on the west side of
> the station (towards MLK rather than Adeline), cross MLK,
> and walk South down MLK. Stay on MLK as it goes under
> the BART tracks. Turn right on 59th St. to 828 & 832.
>
> via CAR/FREEWAY: take 580 to rte 24, then take the 51st
> Street/MLK exit (first exit). Stay to the left for
> MLK. 59th street is the 3rd light. Turn left onto 59th
> and go to 828 & 832.
>
> BOTH: 828 & 832 are a little past halfway down the block,
> on the right. Down the driveway in the middle is the
> backyard and where you will likely find people. Give a yell
> if you need to. If you don't find someone quickly, knock on
> any door. We will most likely be inside 828A or 832 (the units
> available) or the upstairs of 828 (the common house
> __,_._,___
>
>               Mariposa Grove
>     CoHousing / Cooperative / Community
>          Creativity & Social Change
>
> email: <mariposa [at] ic.org>
> web: http://www.healthyarts.com/mariposagrove/
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