Cohousing-L Mailing List: Spaces available in Oakland Ca coho

[Elke (kweenz]

*Playful shared meals, clucking chickens, children, artists, outdoor
movies, bicycles, musicians, social change work, biodiesel, fruit trees...*
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*These are some of the things you'll find at Mariposa Grove.*
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*Is this for you?*


*2 2**BR LOW-COST CONDOS AVAILABLE (Income limits apply)*
*        IN COHOUSING/INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY*

*MARIPOSA GROVE MISSION (open house info below)*
Mariposa grove is a member-owned, consensus-based intentional community in
an urban setting that supports sustainability, social justice activism,
creativity and the arts.  We are creating a permanently affordable home, a
physical and social space where we share resources and responsibilities,
grow together and support each other to fulfill our personal dreams while
providing a model for the larger community of which we are a part.

We have a rich web of relationships and history among the adults and
children living here. Our community culture attempts to reflect our mission,
supporting us and our society.

All applicants must attend one of our *open houses*, read all materials
supplied, and complete a written application. A description of our
community, open house & application information, membership criteria and
directions are contained in this email after the description of the units
available.

*FIRST UNIT - 828A*
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Description
828A 59th St. - 2 BR, approx. 530 sq. ft. apartment
This efficient first floor space has beautiful Pergo style floors, new slate
floor in bathroom, ample closets in the bedrooms, gas heat and stove, a
dishwasher, an herb and flower garden outside the south facing front window
and a kitchen skylight. It was entirely remodeled in 2001.

**Financial Details*
*Rough Estimated** Purchase Price: **$197,000*
*Estimated Monthly Cost: ~$1050 (Including mortgage, taxes, condo fees,
etc.) (based on $10,000 downpayment and good credit)*
*Monthly Rent Until Time of Purchase: **$1,135    (+ supplies fee)**
*

*SECOND UNIT - 834A*
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*Description*
834A 59th St. - 2 BR, approx. 696 sq. ft. apartment
This bright first-floor unit is great for entertaining. It features
a combined kitchen/living room layout and a large picture window that looks
out onto the community center. It also has hardwood flooring and windows
North, South, East and West. The unit is toward the back of the property,
and so offers privacy and quiet as well.

*Financial Details*
*Rough Estimated** Purchase Price: **$235,000*
*Estimated Monthly Cost: **~$1300 (Including mortgage, taxes, condo fees,
etc.) (based on $10,000 downpayment and good credit)*
*Monthly Rent Until Time of Purchase: **$1,359    *(+ supplies fee)

*BOTH UNITS*

Move-in date is January 15th for both units. Currently, these are rentals in
a cohousing community. However, we're in the process of converting to
condominiums (to be completed in the next few months). Our new
member/purchaser should expect to rent initially from the LLC, which is the
corporation that currently owns the property.

*Required Initial Investment*
Our new member/purchaser must invest $5500 in the LLC. This will be applied
to the purchase as part of your downpayment.

*Loan Qualification*
Since the unit will be sold to our new member/purchaser shortly after moving
in, you must *prequalify with a bank* for a loan to by the unit *before* moving
in (not necessarily before applying) and to purchase and qualify for a
mortgage based on credit and income once condoization is complete.

*Income Qualification*
 order to qualify for properties at Mariposa Grove, applicant families'
total combined GROSS ANNUAL income (of all family members) must be below 80%
AMI and fall within the following ranges (based on family size). If your
income is higher your application can not be considered. This must be
verified through pay stubs and/or tax returns.

Annual Income MUST be less than:

     * $46,350 for 1 person
     * $53,000 for 2 people
     * $59,600 for 3 people
     * $66,250 for 3 people

This is also for people who have not owned a home during the last 3 years
(possible exceptions for displacement due to divorce, or comparable
situations).

Depending on your income & household size, from *$100,000-$140,000 in
combined subsidies* should be available for you from the city of Oakland and
the state for first-time homebuyer downpayment assistance. This is what will
keep the monthly purchase cost as low as listed above.

*THE COMMUNITY (more info in person and in application packet)*
3 buildings on 2 lots sharing back, side and front yards. Total of 6 units,
plus a common unit, cohousing style. A neighbor interested in cohousing has
torn down their fence as well, making an unusually large yard space.

Physically we're about 10 min from Ashby Bart in North Oakland, close to
Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods, independently owned cafes and farmers markets.
We're a collective/cooperative/consensus-based group, and we eat together
about twice a week right now. There's also lots of shared space - our common
unit contains shared living & dining rooms, a kitchen, guest room, laundry,
art room, office, and more. Our property hosts fruit trees and front gardens
(soon to be back gardens too), 7 chickens, a children's play area, a cozy
swing nestled in back yard, kiwi vines, many fruits and vegetables growing
around the back and front yards, a covered workshop area, an enclosed deck,
especially good for classes and gatherings, and an open deck ideal for quiet
contemplation over morning coffee/tea.

We're also just plain good folk. We enjoy a good time, both together and
separately. Most of us have also been involved in both the arts and social
change work. Among the owners we include (aside from the folks moving away)
2 couples, 2 single adults and 1 child (age 5). Adding renters and  folks in
the neighboring house there are 12 adults, 3 children under six, and a 13 yr
old. With you and likely new neighbors we'll up to about 22 altogether.
Hopefully you'll get a bit of a sense of some of us at an open house. We
also have bios of us in the application packet.

A friendly non-profit (Northern California Land Trust - NCLT) purchased the
property in 2005. Mariposa Grove members are co-owners with the Land Trust
and formed an LLC corporation which oversees the property and works with
NCLT to continue on the path toward condoization (individual purchase of
units will happen very soon!).

Monthly rent of each unit includes water & sewer, but not PG&E. There is
also a small household fee assessed per adult that covers supplies like
toilet paper, DSL, laundry soap, dish soap, community retreats, chicken feed
and some shared entertainment.

 *OPEN HOUSES & APPLICATION*
We are having two open houses for anyone interested in the units:
   Sunday, October 21st, 11am-1pm
   Saturday, October 27th, 3pm-5pm

We will hand out applications and other materials at the open house. We will
not distribute applications by email, or at any other time other than open
houses.

If you are interested, you MUST come to one of the open houses. Applications
are due Tuesday, October 30th.

If we invite you to an interview you will need to submit additional
financial information.

We will answer questions at the open house and after. Please do not email
questions. If you are still curious about Mariposa Grove, please visit
our website (which is in the process of being updated. Please revisit within
a couple days) at http://www.healthyarts.com/mariposagrove. We are
requesting this due to an overwhelming response of emails. Thank you for
your understanding and interest.
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*MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA*
Here is part of what we will look at in choosing a new member.
More details are in the application packet.
   - desire to live in a cooperative/collective environment
   - willingness, interest, & ability to share the
     workload of organizing the community including
     attending regular group meetings
    - willingness & interest in cooking for the group
     semi-regularly
   - skills in dealing with conflicts
   - emotional and communication skills
   - involvement in social justice/social change
     work/activism
   - interest and ability to carry projects that will
     make Mariposa beautiful, interesting and open to
     broader communities
   - creative, artistic sensibility
   - experience living or working in diverse environments