Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing as Investment?

[laura willits (dwn2erth]

perhaps my responses are too abrupt... i apologize. My sadness and anger
stem from the never ending sprawl that now attacks the northwest as well as
California and the east coast. This is made particularly poignant by the
contrast between the type of people who select the cohousing option (
hopefully enlightened) and the result (which i perceive as suburban sprawl)
..  I have lived on both coasts in communities both old and new. Currently
in a very old town in a very old house/ store/community center.  
I have also worked with land use for 20 + years and used to tell myself
that I was doing it better than everyone else and that if I didn't do it
they(other less sensitive developers) would and much worse. I think i was
wrong. I have focused on cleaning up our past messes both in community and
the environment... (rather than building new ones).. I was not bashing Rob
, He sounds like quite a pleasant person. .. I did however, think that this
was a forum for serious and in depth discussion of values goals and issues.
I still like to meet strangers though.   

----------
> From: Rob Sandelin <Floriferous [at] classic.msn.com>
> Subject: RE: Cohousing as Investment?
> Date: Thursday, May 14, 1998 11:08 PM
> 
> The experience in the NW is that the average built cohousing unit runs
about 
> $160,000, which is pretty close to the $185,000 new home construction
average. 
> Of course, for that price, you also usually get some common facilities,
such 
> as a commonhouse, shop, and other stuff. (At Sharingwood you get 24 acres
of 
> forest)
> 
> You can save quite a bit of living expenses once you buy your home, such
as 
> food costs (bulk buying, community meals, community gardens) Childcare 
> (usually freely swapped around) Transportation (opportunities to car
pool, 
> share rides, even car sharing)
> 
> But, if I am doing the math right, there are 620 built or soon to be
finished 
> cohousing units, of which less than 5% are not market rate or above. So
its 
> definately not low income as a rule.
> 
> Read my article in the current Communities Magazine for my perspective on

> money issues in cohousing.
> 
> Rob Sandelin
> Sharingwood
>