Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: HELP MAKE COHOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE

[Katie Henry (katie-henry]

Ann's comment below reminded me of something. I had dinner last week with a 
group of people from my former cohousing community -- 67 units with a lot of 
common space in a rehabbed former office building in an expensive urban area. 
The office building next door is for sale, and they were jeering at the owner's 
asking price ($3 million or $4 million, can't remember exactly). I pointed out 
that their building, at the average selling price of $300 per sq. ft. x 95,000 
sq. ft., is now worth more than $28 million. I have no idea if that's an 
accurate way of estimating the total value of a condo building + land, but 
regardless it would be a big number. They were absolutely gobsmacked. They had 
no idea they were living in and responsible for something that expensive. It's 
easy for condo-dwellers to focus on their little corner of the universe and 
lose sight of the bigger picture.

Katie Henry

-----------------------------------


Ann Zabaldo wrote:

Well we hired the management company to take on more long term intensive 
projects because people are totally burned out dealing w/ sewer ejector pumps, 
CH flooring, major maintenance etc. etc. etc. which require many, many, many 
hours of research, bidding and then oversight.   Running a $15-20 million 
dollar property is a HUGE project.   That's why there are management companies.