Cohousing-L Mailing List: market for cohousing?

[mimi (pwheeler]

Dear Folks, I have just joined your coho. list with the purpose of learning
more about cohousing as a definite possibility for housing for myself in the
future. I have visited a couple of sites and am strongly drawn to the people
, the idea, and the community life that I saw there. I have been cautioned
by perhaps wiser heads than mine to look carefully at the real estate
investment aspect of this venture before committing what will probably be
$85,000 to $200,000. This is a lot of money so I guess I need to know what
the prospects are for getting out as well as getting in. I also need to know
what the usual cost of buying in is since the two places I have seen have
widely differing basic costs.
        So, if any of you are willing to take the time to answer I will
appreciate your generosity. My questions are--
                1.How much does the initial buy-in for a basic unit big
enough for one person, including a share in the common property, cost in
your community? 
                2.What are the ongoing expenses?
                3.What has been your experience with selling already
standing units? How long does it take? How does the actual sale price
compare with the original cost plus ongoing expenses? Does the community
take any role in finding a buyer or is it entirely 
the responsibility of the seller?
                4.What about a new project which has yet to be built--is
there any protection in case the rest of the units or the common facilities
are never built?              I am sure that anyone who has become involved
must have dealt with these issues so your thoughts and experiences will be
very valuable. Thanks for your anticipated attention to my query. P.Wheeler