Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Ongoing insurability concerns for cohousing

[Katie Henry (katie-henry]

I posted a couple months ago asking for experiences with condo policies because 
our premiums seemed way too high. I'm pleased to report that we just finished 
switching companies and our annual premium dropped by about half, with better 
coverage. 

Our finance guy had the initial discussions. I'm not sure how/if he explained 
cohousing, but we all know to downplay it when talking to "the man." He's a 
retired CPA who knows how to sound corporate.

I was present for the site visit. He asked if we had a management company. I 
introduced myself as the resident on-site property manager (which I am) and 
took him on a tour of our safety features - recent construction, monitored fire 
alarm/fire suppression, a tornado-resistant room in each unit, security 
cameras, induction cooktops throughout, no steps anywhere, big wide sidewalks. 
I produced inspection reports, maintenance records, and all the construction 
plans they requested. We talked about our reserve study and how we're planning 
and saving for future maintenance needs. 

We had no problem getting approved, I think because we presented ourselves as 
organized, competent, and on top of things. That's really what they care about. 
Some small "normal" condos don't want to pay a management company and call 
themselves self-managed, but they're actually poorly managed or not managed at 
all, so stuff falls apart. I think for us, they saw cohousing as a quirky 
social aspect to an otherwise well-managed condo community, which is exactly 
what we wanted. I don't think we misled anyone about anything. 

I should mention that we don't have any obvious hazards. No pool, no workshop, 
no heavy landscaping equipment, etc. That may have been a factor. 

Katie Henry
Heartwood Commons - Tulsa (Oklahoma)
https://www.heartwoodcommonstulsa.com/