Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Small "retrofit" "community"

[Jerry McIntire (jerry.mcintire]

Marsha,

Your landlord probably doesn't understand the purpose of the PFAC intake
form, which is to help them understand the finances of the particular
community you're trying to form so that they can work on affordability
strategies, and help you structure the community. PFAC also helps with
marketing, but you're not likely to need much marketing with only 4 units,
already occupied with people who are interested in cohousing (to some
degree).

I think you will probably have to understand the possibilities and the
process to a great degree in order to answer his questions and make it
clear to him that converting the 4 unit building to a community would
involve him being bought out, at a fair price. In other words, he would
make the money he's counting on for his retirement. You might ask Jerome
Garciano for examples of this occurring, as well as the folks on this list.
Several communities have bought their properties from a single owner who
was a member.

Have you read *Cohousing* by McCamant & Durrett, or the *Cohousing
Handbook*by Chris Scott-Hansen, or *Creating
a Life Together* by Diane Christiansen? You will want to thoroughly
understand one of more of these in order to succeed at the process of
forming a cohousing community.

Once you can explain to him and answer his questions, you'll probably be
able to determine if he wants to do this, or not.

Jerry McIntire
stonesthrowcommunity.wordpress.com