Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Informing potential buyers about cohousing

[Lynn Nadeau / Maraiah (welcome]

Thank you for the blog compilation on turnover. 
There's not a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, RoseWind Cohousing is in 
a town of 9000, and so there is not a significant population of people who can 
just "move over from where they already live in the city" when a resale becomes 
available. Most of our new people are moving TO Port Townsend, and want to buy 
in a very specific time frame. Either we have something right then --- and we 
do not have frequent resales -- or they buy elsewhere in town (and don't then 
want to move again). 

Also, our houses are all different, so a resale might be too large or too small 
for a particular buyer. 

Those who are selling are apt to be among the least enthusiastic cohousing 
afficionados: maybe an estate, maybe a dissatisfied member. Or they don't have 
time to wait for the perfect buyer: maybe someone who has to quickly turn over 
their real estate so they can buy where they have to move because of work, 
family illness, or whatever. So although we encourage and assist sale-by-owner, 
many in the mentioned categories will choose to work with a realtor. Realtors 
are motivated to simply make a sale, collect their commission, and move on. So 
educating realtors (from the three local realty companies) is helpful. We have 
found at least one realtor we really like, who understands cohousing and tries 
to find a good match for us. When an estate or leaving family is planning to 
use a realtor we make a pitch for using this one, and she has established a 
good reputation for both buyers and sellers. 

More of what we do, to increase our chances of good new members:
Respond promptly and with hospitality to inquiries, making time to answer email 
questions, show visitors around. 
Provide sellers with handouts for prospective buyers and for realtors who come 
through their place, 
Post attractive photos and informational material where they will be seen by 
people coming to events hosted by members at our common house. 
Keep good records of those who inquire or visit, with their contact 
information, situation, and date of contact. 
Occasionally write an article for the local weekly newspaper. 
Maintain a web site www.rosewind.org

We will soon have a resale on the market: quality custom-built home with about 
1600 sf on the main level, plus 700 sf one BR apartment in the daylight 
basement level. I'll post it to the list as soon as we have the info on price 
etc. 

Maraiah Lynn Nadeau, RoseWind Cohousing, Port Townsend WA