Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: questions about reselling homes in cohousing

[Larry Israel (lisrael]

On 2/1/97, Cindy Carpenter said:
>I'm writing from Cambridge Cohousing, where we are about to start building
  . . .
>We will be structured legally as a condo association.  I think this means
>that units will be offered for sale by their owners pretty much the way that
>any other housing is, and that the highest offer will get the unit.
  . . .
>We would also like to
>offer priority to current members who want to change units within the group.
> I think that technically this would be discrimination and will be illegal
>once we change from an LLP to a condo association.   Anybody know anything
>about this?

We have a right of first refusal written clearly and legally into our condo
docs. If anyone is selling their unit, they are required to give the condo
association the option to buy it for 15 days. The community (condo
association) can also designate a buyer of our own choosing. Our chosen
buyer, if any, can be another resident who wants to switch units or anyone
else who we could all agree on. Such a designee has the first opportunity
to meet a purchase offer. (I think I've explained this correctly.)  Of
course there are other elements to our unit resale process as well.

Larry Israel
Puget Ridge Cohousing
Seattle