Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohesiveness of community after a sale?

[R Philip Dowds (rphilipdowds]

And that’s pretty close to our emerging one-third persistence rule for 
25-year-old cohos.  48 turnovers in 21 years for 34 units is an average tenure 
of appx 15 years.  If we discount the ten units locked up by founders, then 
it’s appx 10-11 years for the 24 units actually in play — which is closer to 
post-pandemic averages.

However … I am guessing that maybe, of the persistent one-third, about half 
were actually engaged in much or most of the hard development work of site 
selection, financing, planning and design — while the other half are 
late-comers who made their commitment and paid their dues only after 
construction started.  But even these late-comers tended to be participants in 
writing the bylaws and policies, figuring out how to do the meals program, etc. 
 And so bonded into at least a part of community self-creation.

But once it’s fully sold out and occupied, fully up and running,  … is the 
community culture still open and welcoming of change and evolution?  Or has it 
ossified into some sort of putative "stable state" that resists new members and 
new challenges (like, increasing average age of the membership)?  Candidate 
buyer pre-qualification may have some importance; but more important for 
“cohesiveness after sale", in my view, is community culture adaptability (or 
resistance) to change.  And intentional acculturation of novices.

———————————
Thanks,
Philip Dowds
Cornerstone Cohousing
Cambridge, MA

> On Jul 23, 2025, at 1:00 AM, rlkohl [at] earthlink.net wrote:
> 
> Casa Verde Commons, built in 2002-03 has 34 units.  We have 10 of the 
> original owners still here.
> 
> A tabulation of our resales per year:
> 
> 2025 3, 2024 3, 2023 1, 2022 2, 2021 1, 2020 3, 2019 3, 2018 3, 2017 2, 2016 
> 3, 2015 2
> 2014 3, 2013 1, 2012 2, 2011 1, 2010 2, 2009 5, 2008 2, 2007 1, 2006 3, 2005 3
> 
> Dick Kohlhaas
> Casa Verde Commons, Colorado Springs, CO
> 34 households on 4 acres  Built in 2002-3.
> www.casaverde.us
> 
> 
> 
> On 21 Jul 2025 at 19:17, R Philip Dowds via Cohousing-L wrote:
> 
>> Homeowner occupancy "turnover rate" statistics are kind of flaky and 
>> broad-brush, but decades ago, the rule of thumb for an average was every 6-7 
>> years or so.  Now, given the recent stress of the pandemic, plus a very 
>> "tight" national housing market, that average is more like 9-10 years.  So 
>> with 32 units, Cornerstone might anticipate 70-80 unit sales in a 25 year 
>> period.  ???  Or, if we consider 11 units locked up by founders who refuse 
>> to go away, that would be more like 21 units in play, or 40-50 sales 
>> transactions.  Cornerstone, of course, has not had anything near this 
>> turnover rate - which is consistent with my understanding that cohousing 
>> turnovers are low and slow compaed to the cono market generally.
>> 
>> None of which answers your question: Is one-third persistence after 25 years 
>> common on Planet Coho?  That doesn´t feel wrong to me, but I have no 
>> research data.  One thing to watch out for is:  What´s a "founder"?
>> 
>> -----------
>> Thanks,
>> Philip Dowds
>> Cornerstone Cohousing
>> Cambridge, MA
>> 
>>