Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: cohousing and resale

[Elizabeth Stevenson (tamgoddess]

Southside Park Cohousing is a condo. We don't have right of first refusal in
our bylaws, and owners are free to sell to whomever they like, in accordance
with California law. While this has thrown a wrench in maintaining
affordability, that's another discussion.

We aren't worried that this will somehow dilute cohousing down to
not-cohousing. Every single house that has been sold so far has been to
someone who has improved, rather than diluted, our community. This makes a
fair amount of common sense, as those who are leaving are usually
withdrawing from the community long before they go. As has been said before,
it's quite self-selecting, especially in an urban setting. It's very close
quarters if you don't plan on being friendly with your neighbors.

We have an interested buyers/renters list, which gets consulted if we are
looking for people. So far, only one person has come off of that list. What
happens instead is that those who are interested in living here usually have
rented a house or a room first, and are already known to the people who live
here before they buy. Often, these people are originally friends with
someone who already lives here, and are thus pre-screened to begin with.

I think this scenario applies more to those who have plenty of demand for
their houses, rather those who are having difficulty finding buyers.

Liz