Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Reserve Study Redux...

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Aug 25, 2006, at 10:53 AM, Lyle Scheer wrote:

> Anyone with a spreadsheet that calculates
> amount needed to reserve based upon an item's life, current price,
> interest rate, etc?

The problem is that the item's life and cost of replacement varies 
widely from one geographic location to another and in specific periods 
of time. A professional reserve study firm ( a good one ) should be in 
touch with these price fluctuations on a regular basis because they are 
looking at the every day.

Also, one community does not have the same infrastructure or building 
materials as the next. You would have to look at a very similar 
community in the same geographic area to get a good itemization of 
construction items. Exterior wood surfaces are measured in linear feet. 
Sprinkler heads counted along with the linear feet of pipe. Square 
yardage of flooring and walls.

I also will repeat that our reserve study people have been engineers 
who have much more extensive knowledge of green building materials and 
the most reliable maintenance technology than anyone else we have 
consulted including property management specialists, materials 
specialists, or contractors. The person who conducts our study has 
become our most reliable and useful resource.

I notice that you are still under construction. Much of this data might 
be more available to you since you MAY be able to get it from your 
plans. But not all plans are very accurate, and as built drawings hard 
if not impossible to get. Having a building engineer looking things 
over during construction is a very good idea.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org