Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: modular cohousing community

[Mark Frauenglass (WORKGROUP/MAILDATA/Mark%Acquilano_Leslie_Inc+p]

>      Recently I have focused on developing a low-cost cohousing tract
using
>modular homes. ...
>       Briefly my current plan is to get an option on a  4-6 acre tract
with
>city services and then try to develop it like a mobile court.   A road
>around the outside with the lot hook-ups in place.   The  prospective
>dweller would purchase their own home ( a nice 1300 sq.ft. goes for about
>60K) and then buy into the  non-profit cohousing corporation for about 15K.
..

I think a low cost development model for cohousing is really needed.  Coming
from the high end of home costs at Highline Crossing, we have seen a lot of
interested people come by and not stop because they couldn't afford it.  The
lot development model allows a buyer to choose from the stock of either low
cost modular homes or to design and build their own.

On the other hand, the community doesn't form first.  Is having input into
the site design important to building community?  The design (and possibly
construction) of the Common House could be the shared community building
exercise to pull everyone together and a real draw to get people there.
 Everyone loves to put their two cents in.

What about the concepts of using less land by having shared walls between
homes and more open space for the community?

Overall, it sounds great.  If cohousing is to be more widespread, it needs
to be more affordable.
Mark Frauenglass
Highline Crossing
Paying more than I originally hoped to be in cohousing