Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: waiting list advice

[Rob Sandelin (Floriferous]

At Sharingwood we have created a "friends of Sharingwood" list, with 
requirements pretty much as you mention, only we don't charge them anything. 
Rental spaces, homes or lots for sale get advertised to this list.  It is not 
a written agreement that any owner actually use this list, but obviously it is 
to their advantage to do so.

Banks, at least in our area, are VERY fussy about anything that restricts 
freedom of sale, thus in our case, this list is not documented in writing in 
our bylaws but just a "process" that we have created. We have many 
undocumented processes, such as community dinner, so this is not a problem. 
Everyone agrees that having a list of cohousing excited people in the wings 
interested in joining is good for the community.

Do you have people who will pay over $100 just to be on a list? I would think 
this would screen out people.

Folks on the waiting list are welcome and encouraged to participate in 
meetings and community life in general, and it is to their advantage to do so 
because announcements of future openings are generally first heard at the 
monthly meeting. This is how people have gotten into the scarce rental 
openings we have, by hearing about a future opening (so and so is moving in 
Nov.) and then immeadiately after the meeting connecting with the landlord for 
that space. 

3 of the 4 home sales have been the same way. This actually causes problems 
because of the competition sometimes. A person will miss the meeting that the 
opening was announced, and even though they have been around for quite a 
while, they miss out. So far, competition has been pretty substantial for our 
built spaces for sale or rent. Its a been much harder to sell lots, we 
currently have 3 phase 2 lots for sale, and no one interested so we are back 
in the marketing business again. Gaaakk. After being sold out for a almost two 
years,  dealing with marketing sucks.

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood
Cedar Village Permaculture Retreat Center (forming)