Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: affordable cohousing, not "gated"/ Habitat

[Elizabeth Magill (pastorliz]

Mosaic's condo fees for the affordable homes are around $80, $90 and  
$100 per month for 1, 2 and 3BR homes. (They did just go up, so they  
probably are a bit higher).

For market rate homes they run from about $200 to $450. (Proportional  
to the share of the common facilities associated with each home, from  
1 to 4BR in size, and with additional amenities such as carports and  
basements.)

Obviously we don't know what the future will bring, I can only offer  
that we listened to all the advice from other coho groups in figuring  
this stuff out.

On top of the condo fee, households pay a cohousing fee that is  
sliding scale--each household decides how much to contribute and our  
goal this year was an average of $72 per household. When we asked for  
pledges they came in slightly over the average needed.

The state calculates the cost of the affordable homes by taking of  
the maximum salary for each household size, and multiplying that by 80%.
Then, they presume a down payment and interest rate, set a condo fee,  
estimate insurance, and use all that to calculate what home price  
would need to be so that the housing cost is 1/3 of the person's  
income. (The cohousing fee is not included in that calculation.)

So we can tell you what we know: the state believes that at $138,000,  
$154,470 and $173,000 for a 1, 2, or 3BR home, people who make about  
80% of the median income can afford our homes.

-Liz
Elizabeth M. Magill
Mosaic Commons in Berlin MA
Where we are still seeking neighbors. Join us!