Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: cohousing and resale

[Dahako (Dahako]

Hi Ray -

When we sold our house in Eno Commons, I assumed I was going to have to 
educate the appraiser, bank people, buyers, and possibly realtors. 

So, I prepared an audiotape tour of the house (side 1) and the common house 
(side 2) running through all the features.  I also resuscitated our old 
marketing book that included a transcript of the audiotape text, a Fine 
Homebuilding 
article about the house, information about the geothermal heating and cooling 
system, the house plan, the common house plan, charts showing energy use 
history, an old community mailing about community, and some other stuff I 
forget 
now.  I made an extra copy for the appraiser and insisted on walking the 
property with her (that's your right in most states).  I made sure she 
understood all 
the features, the low running and maintenance costs, all the common 
facilities, and gave her directions to two other cohousing neighborhoods in 
neighboring 
communities.  We also discussed how our community was somewhat similar to the 
country club community up the road, minus the golf course. It was work, but 
we got a good solid appraisal that everyone could live with - seller, buyer (hi 
Robin!), realtor, and bank. (Also a wonderful keepsake for us.)

-Jessie Handforth Kome
Eastern Village Cohousing
Silver Spring, Maryland
Where my husband and I just got a tour of our unit-to-be and the 
workshop-to-be.  Eastern Village is 48 households strong now (heading for 56) 
and all are 
waiting impatiently to start moving in this fall!  Especially my kids, who 
grew up in cohousing and want back in ASAP.