Cohousing-L Mailing List: No Subject

[Berrins (Berrins]

Dear Lynn:

I have to agree with Vicky.  A waiting list is necessary.  We haven't even 
moved in yet and we already lost one household.  We were all just about to 
sign purchase and sales agreements with the builder, and we would have lost a 
significant amount of time if we hadn't had someone in line already.  It 
would also be helpful to have several prospective members in line in case 
someone has to sell a house in a hurry.

Someone at the recent cohousing conference mentioned that they were starting 
up a national data base for waiting lists.  I assume that the idea is to go 
through your own list first, then go to the national lists.  Does anyone have 
any more information on that?

    -Roger

    -Roger




> This is addressed to groups which have had resales, and which do not (as
> with coops) have a built-in connection with finding the new owners.
>
> As we approach selling the last of our 24 home sites, there is a debate
> about how much energy and money we should invest in continued outreach
> and advertising.
>
> Personally, I think it worth quite a bit to have a "groomed" list of
> people who already are informed about the project and have expressed
> interest in living here.
>
> We have already had one situation where an elderly member died, and her
> estranged family sold the place overnight through a real estate broker
> who had hardly any information about what it was. To a buyer who was
> looking for a cute house at a good price, and hadn't met any of us or
> come to any of our gatherings. Two years later, after some upsets, that
> owner has moved away (and nearly resold in the same fashion).
>
> Over time, inevitably others of us will die and estates will sell. Or
> even when the sellers are alive and open to getting well-matched buyers,
> they may not have the luxury of the time it takes to reach such buyers
> and cultivate them.
>
> So, even though resales generate no money for the project, there could be
> a considerable difference, long term, in the value to the group of what
> kind of buyer joins us.
>
> Or should we just relax when the last lot is sold? What is your
> experience?