Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Owning units in cohousing communities as tenants in

[Fran Hart (hartmagic]

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008, Joani Blank wrote:

> So I'm wondering if anyone has purchased a 2, 3 or more-bedroom unit
> in a cohousing community and owns it with another individual or
> couple as tenants in common.
 

I love the idea suggested here and utilizing resources to meet multiple needs.  
I own a home in Heartwood Cohousing in rural southwest Colorado and am a single 
mom with a large mortgage so the idea is very appealing.  Yet I've had rental 
situations that have lead me to not consider co-ownership and I've known of 
others with similar situations.  Part of my home is set up where it can be a 
stand alone unit, a 500 sq. ft. apartment and I've worked with several 
scenarios I'll briefly recap.

 

Sharing the home with another family, we agreed it may be possible to co-own 
with only adults willing to work out the details but the complexities that 
arise with two different families with kids, different parenting styles and how 
it's always changing as they grow was too complex.

 

One person had a dog that was utterly impossible for the other person to 
tolerate, it actually became a health issue with asthma and one had to move.

 

As lives change it can really impact the other person, i.e. if a single person 
enters relationship, injury, illness, work.  And life changes are not always 
predictable.

 

Co-ownership may not have the common threads or commitment that a 'family unit' 
does.

 

People often have different home-care or cleanliness standards that may even 
vary some depending on what's happening in life.

 

Ownership seems riskier than rental situations if one person wants out, how to 
find a match to recreate the situation.  This may be less true in urban areas 
with waiting lists within the community.

 

I've settled that being a landlord is ok and it provides possibilities for 
those who can't afford home ownership a way to live in cohousing.  Then we play 
with 'prosperity attitudes' as a means of eventually bringing into reality home 
ownership. 

 

I look forward to hearing from others, options or possibilities I've over 
looked.  I'm sure there are situations where it can work beautifully for all.

Fran Hart
Heartwood Cohousing


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"The danger in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished."
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Heartwood Cohousing, Bayfield, Colorado   www.heartwoodcohousing.com
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