Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Group Forming need advice

(continued)

Hi Nathan!  What is the name of your group and where are you located?

Ann Zabaldo
Takoma Village Cohousing
Washington, DC

On Jan 25, 2007, at 5:46 PM, nathan schomber wrote:

Thanks for the info so far!

I'm curious if anyone has experience or knowledge of different ways  

to set up a legal structure whereby a group still has full control  

over membership/"who buys in" while still qualifying for bank  

loans. Is 'first right of refusal" an option that actually works.  

Have groups successfully used it? If so what were the general  

circumstances. It seems that there are opposing views on this.  

Maybe there are other options?

  If our group decided that we could forgo bank financing, would  

that give us the legal power to select our members? I'm wondering  

if it must be a choice of the two- either no banks and we can have  

control or involve banks and we lose control?

  I've read a lot of posts about how many CH's are set up to self  

select and have read about how that seems to work pretty well.  

However, the majority of our group is really concerned about  

wanting to have full say over who joins; IE our group wants to have  

that control. This is because our group plans to be more closely  

associated with each other than most coho'ers. Our plan involves  

setting up a business(es) together so we don't have to work outside  

of the community although participation is optional(one can work  

where they choose). We are shooting for a closer group dynamic,  

probably more like some intentional communities than most cohousing  

groups. Since we already share a majority of our lifestyle/  

cultural views and will be living and working together daily for a  

majority of our time, it is very important that we are able to  

choose carefully who joins us in the future.

  For some more general info: Our system involves elements from  

several models- cohousing, intentional communities and ecovillages.

  For example- from cohousing: the balance of privately owned  

parcels (individual homes) and communally shared space (community  

center/common house, school,workshop, etc.)

  From intentional communities: Sharing a livelihood-working  

together in (optional) communal business(es), also schooling our  

own children,etc.

  From ecovillages: We'll be rural. We desire to grow/raise as much  

of our own food and consumables. We will utilize solar, water,  

wind, biofuels to become as energy self-sufficient as possible.

  I'm also wondering if there are any other groups out there like  

this.

  Any feedback is greatly appreciated by our group! Thanks
  Peace to You- Nathan

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Re: Group Forming need advice	<– Date –> <– Thread –>
From: Ann Zabaldo (zabaldoearthlink.net)
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:13:00 -0800 (PST)