Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Move In Procedures?

[Katie Henry (katie-henry]

To clarify my previous post ... Berkeley Moshav is a 36-unit condo community in 
a single four-story building in a dense urban area, probably with limited 
parking/truck access. 

I'm guessing they have a large construction loan that needs to be paid off 
ASAP, so there's pressure to close on the units. In an expensive area like 
Berkeley, there probably aren't a lot of people who can carry two homes 
indefinitely to allow for a leisurely move-in. 

I'm also guessing there will be one inspection (fire? elevator?) that will 
delay occupancy. Once that inspection is passed, there will be a stampede of 
people wanting to move in immediately. Elevator scheduling is indeed part of it.

There will probably still be lots of construction going on in the common areas 
and the exterior during initial move-in.

Maybe I'm being melodramatic, but I've lived through this twice. Multi-family 
move-in is much more challenging than single-family homes. It's better to be 
prepared. 

Katie Henry
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Katie Henry wrote:
Hi Ann,

Community move-in is a one-time event. It's unlikely that anyone will have 
written procedures. You realize what you did wrong when it's over, but you'll 
never do it again, so why bother documenting it?

You need people who understand the buyer priority for closing (financial or 
other reasons) and people who know construction status and move-in logistics. 
For example, in my current community, we needed the cash buyers to close first 
so we could have comps for the buyers who were getting mortgages, so we had to 
prioritize the certificates of occupancy for the cash units.

This will be the most stressful and chaotic time in the life of your community, 
even if it's managed well. If you don't have members who can coordinate this 
effort while dealing with their own personal move, I encourage you to hire 
someone for that role. 

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