Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: 100% Pre-Sold

[John Eaton (johne]

> 
> By far the most common reason I hear for not joining something is "Too much
> time".  Then it would be "Too many meetings", followed by a variation of not
> wanting to live in an identical house to one's neighbor, and feelings of
> restriction.  Then they might point out that although one can spend oodles of
> time, co-own all sorts of things, and be the financial risk-taker in the
> development, the end result is that coho is not cheaper than just walking 
> into a
> real estate office, buying a detached house, and moving in 30 days later.  
> This
> last observation, if true in a given situation, bears consideration.
> 
Thats why I have been staying on the sidelines rather than jumping in. Housing
in this country has become a commodity item dominated by players who know how
to quickly and cheaply deliver product. It may not be 100% of what you wanted
but doing it yourself will cost more.

Perhaps groups should spend less time looking for sites and simply hook up 
with a small developer. Find someone doing a development close to what you
want and then buy into it. You can offer a developer a 100 % presold complex
if he can design it to accomomdate co-housing. 


John Eaton