Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Any Small Places for Rent

[Raines Cohen (rc3-coho-L]

On Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 8:09 AM, 713Training <victoria [at] 713training.com> 
wrote:
> I have never lived in cohousing so I would like to rent
> a small space and give it a try before purchasing a
> home. Does anyone know of any small places (500-600
> square feet) - a 1-bedroom log cabin would be wonderful
> for a single lady.

Victoria, there are occasionally units for sale or rent here in
California's Cohousing neighborhoods that might meet your needs. But
you might best be served by renting a room in someone's home, or doing
a vacation-swap or short term rental (as featured in the Cohousing
Marketplace at http://www.cohousing.org/ ) to "try before you buy."

> A $300,000 home to me would
> be like living like the "Rich and Famous."

Come on out here, where $300,000 might get you 500-600 square feet, if
you're lucky. ;-)

Seriously, if you really want a "rustic" feel, you might be best
served by looking at the "lot-model" cohousing neighborhoods,
especially more-rural ones without zoning, where neighbors
independently create everything from mansions to yurts, cheek-by-jowl.
Some examples of lot model development that I've been to, based on my
80-some community visits over the past decade:

* Rosewind Cohousing (Port Townsend, WA)
* Two Echo (Maine)
* SolTerra (Durham, NC)
* Sharingwood (Snohomish Co., WA)
* Tres Placitas del Rio (Santa Fe, NM)
* Heartwood (Bayfield near Durango, CO)

Each of the above has a different type of location and different range
of varieties of homes; not all have small homes.

Raines Cohen, Cohousing Coach http://www.CohousingCoach.com/
at Berkeley (CA) Cohousing
where a room may be available for rent soon - join East Bay Cohousing
for announcements
http://www.ebcoho.org/

Northern California Cohousing Regional Organizer
http://www.NorCalCoho.org/
Where we're doing a table at SolFest this weekend, with help from
Cohousing Partners and several communities in the region: join us with
Coho/US Board Member Dave Wann and Finding Community author Diana
Leafe Christian, much fun, music, and learning.