Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Mosaic Commons & Affordable/Low Cost Cohousing

[Brian Bartholomew (bb]

> I don't know if ownership would be available to the 30% below median
> income, partly because of a bank's unwillingness to give a mortgage
> at that rate. And very few of us can afford a house with no mortgage
> unless we own a house and are downsizing.

It doesn't matter if someone did make a loan for a Tumbleweed house,
or you already owned a travel trailer outright; zoning prohibits you
from living in it in a setting dense enough to use bicycle and bus.

Chili Head's family has a multiple medical disaster, then NIMBY zoning
keeps her out of a low-cost house.  That's awful.

Rob wrote on Thursday:

> If you can't get a mortgage because of bad credit, poor job history,
> or just don't qualify for home ownership based on your income you
> are locked out. Not by the community, by the lenders. This is no
> different than any other housing ownership.

No, the minumum house size/cost/features are set by the local
permitting/zoning authorities, not the coho or the lenders.

Houses are depreciating assets, like cars.  Some people want to buy
low-cost houses because they understand that a house is not a monetary
investment if you live in it.
                                                        Brian