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I'm studying how I want to live next, and have looked at co housing communities online. It does seem most are in the South with many in Florida. Out of the question for me because I won't live in the South. I was born there but have lived in Colorado for over 44 years and will never go back unless I find myself sickly with no other options, and then I"d have to move near my son in Nashville I suppose.(love that man but not that region) But, I'm 71, healthy and perky so I don't have to think about that phase right now. If I'm lucky, I never will. Oh and when I say "healthy" I don't mean super hero healthy. Just normally healthy and active. Here in Summit County the old ladies like me are like sherpas! I've never seen a hardier bunch than the seniors here!
Seems like the next place most populated with senior cohousing opportunities is California and while I love the actual state itself (when I imagine it unpopulated or in the fifties) it's too expensive and a little weird. Plus uber liberal. I'm an independent in the truest sense and I don't want to live in either extreme if I can help it! There's so much more to a happy life than talking about damn politics. Yeah...be informed, vote, but good grief...is there nothing else of value to be obsessed with!?
What Stealth Rabbit describes is just the sort of thing I've been looking out for but haven't found one that seems like a fit. I haven't done a lot of research yet, but I'm selling my Summit County Colorado, house in June so now I have to seriously think about this. Currently, I am thinking of moving and renting...I wouldn't buy anywhere without trying it out...in Cannon City, Co. because I know people nearby, it's just at the edge of the mountains, it's easy access but not on I25 (or the really awful I70 from Denver to the Mountains). It's a nice little town I'm familiar with. But I wonder....isn't there something more interesting for probably my last nesting place? And...a really frightening aspect of Canon City to me: this year it was 101 degrees in May! I've always chosen where to live based upon climate, and 101 in the springtime was never an option.
There is a pretty senior co housing "neighborhood" on the outskirts of Taos, NM that looks nice. But pricy, and Taos is so off the beaten path and far from a major airport. I'd never see my kids if I were in Taos. There's one in Santa Fe, but Santa Fe is so touristy and crowded. I've been there many times and love to visit but....
I don't have to move into a town where I know a person, but I'd like to move into a situation where it's easy to strike up conversations that occasionally lead into relationships. It is the HOA aspect that is a negative for co housing. It surely depends upon what little faction grabs control of the HOA. I've had a few of those and have never had one that was not quite contentious and totally frustrating to all.
It would also be nice to be in a community where everyone isn't married. I'm single and plan to stay single and would love to be in a community with a lot of older single women and men who haven't thrown in the towel mentally and aren't looking for spouses. I also need a lot of alone time. I thrive on that, but I'm not a hermit! I'd like to be around other older people a little like me: I still like to dance and have fun. Be irreverent, listen to rock, smoke a little pot, enjoy a cocktail occasionally, read, study and learn, garden, cook, hunt rocks and commune with nature and have similar single folks to mingle with. Is this a silly dream and totally unattainable?
Are there others in this boat at this point in life?
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Senior community (IC / Co-op / Eco Village ...) Hint... NOTHING like a Del Webb / HOA (+/-) (Most of us looking for a 'commune / cooperative living' are FAR from Del Webb / HOA material)
pretty pricey, but Boulder and Lyons have some senior IC / co-ops.
Lower cost and more options, look into Port Townsend WA (IC + Eco Village)
Davis, CA area has highest # senior community options in one area (That I have found).
Senior community Developers (MN / WI), will claim it only works with Scandinavians. (they know all about sharing (homes and food) / hot dish dinners / housing jewish refugees...)
USA... "I want it MY way", No, your way has no merit (Thank you very much), have a nice day.
You want a big community or just cohousing? Don't sell your house yet. Recruit 3 other people who are open to cohousing and you all find a big 4-5 bedroom house somewhere together. Each has their own room, maintain the common areas, etc. Built in friends but yoy have your own space.
You want a big community or just cohousing? Don't sell your house yet. Recruit 3 other people who are open to cohousing and you all find a big 4-5 bedroom house somewhere together. Each has their own room, maintain the common areas, etc. Built in friends but yoy have your own space.
Until you start arguing over whose turn it is to clean the common areas. And fight over others eating your food. Life isn't like Three's Company or the Golden Girls.
I'm studying how I want to live next, and have looked at cohousing communities online. It does seem most are in the South with many in Florida. Out of the question for me because I won't live in the South. I was born there but have lived in Colorado for over 44 years and will never go back unless I find myself sickly with no other options, and then I"d have to move near my son in Nashville I suppose.(love that man but not that region)
Seems like the next place most populated with senior cohousing opportunities is California and while I love the actual state itself (when I imagine it unpopulated or in the fifties) it's too expensive and a little weird.
It is the HOA aspect that is a negative for co housing. It surely depends upon what little faction grabs control of the HOA. I've had a few of those and have never had one that was not quite contentious and totally frustrating to all.
There are a bunch of cohousing communities in Colorado, probably second only to California and the west coast. Third place is probably Massachusetts. Those are where the main cohousing developers are active.
Did you check the cohousing directory? There are not that many in the south, except for a cluster in North Carolina, and only two existing communities in Florida.
There's actually a unit for sale in a community in Nashville.
The whole point of cohousing is that there's no little faction that runs the HOA. Everyone in the community participates in the decision-making process. This can be time-consuming and tedious, but you can never say your voice wasn't heard.
Senior community Developers (MN / WI), will claim it only works with Scandinavians. (they know all about sharing (homes and food) / hot dish dinners / housing jewish refugees...)
Cohousing was brought to the U.S. by two architects (Chuck Durrett and Katie McCamant) who spent a several years in Denmark studying architecture and the Danish form of cohousing (cooperation, sharing, decision-making, etc.). More info:
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,722 posts, read 58,067,115 times
Reputation: 46190
USA Co Housing is NOT senior Co-op Housing (Far from it)
Co-Housing in USA is seldom a Cooperative ownership model .
Usually a corporation or LLC or private or shared equity ownership. ("American style")
+/- to each, but Co Housing USA is very expensive (as are most the USA co-ops) Because.... they are built and financed by developers.
As mentioned, the group I talked to in Seattle had to finally go to Europe to get financing (20 yrs ago) USA is NOT more lender friendly today (Bring cash. that seems to still work).
BIL just built a 24 unit senior memory care. North of $5m. (Still very cheap on a 'per-unit' cost.
I am targeting $80k (including public spaces) Left coast land and permit fees are very costly.
The places I found in Davis, CA were about 2x that (10 yrs ago). (they were really nice, built privately, very nice 2 story public space with commercial kitchen, Dining Hall, library, craftroom and (3) apartments for guests and caregivers)
Typical Senior Co-op (built by developer) is ~ 3x (new) Some have 2800sf+ units... (that is a bit much) I will keep it to 1200sf max, but hopefully a 10,000sf public space (including shops / craft / dining / kitchen / guest apartments.
Ideally I would like out patient OT/PT care as a profit center / social outreach for the community. My dad was in a place like that ~12 bed with 50+ daily out patients it was GREAT! (Spare cabins / apartments for attending spouse) A really good idea in Rural USA. (So spouse does not have to drive back and forth to home / farm / ranch / neighboring town 2x everyday)
And all of them are subject to State and federal fair housing regulations.
That means you have to accept decrepit old people who will never lift a finger to help, while they simultaneously demand you be at their beckon call every second of the day.
The only sure-fire way I can see to protect yourself and your personal assets, would be to create an S-Corp.
An S-Corp can have 100 shareholders, which is fine, because your commune would not likely have 100 residents.
S-Corps sell stocks over-the-counter, and merely telling people they have to buy a share of stock would eliminate most of the turds. You don't have to tell them the stock price up front, which you can set at $1 or $10 or $100 or even $1,000.
You would need to require people to add a Codicil to their Will, so that upon death, their stock share reverts back to the S-Corp so you can re-sell it to another, otherwise the stock share is an actual asset to be disposed of, and you might end up having to buy it back from the executor/executrix of the estate or the beneficiary.
Also, there's a difference between a commune and communal living. They are not the same thing, and in a commune, you have to actually work for a living, whether you're milking goats or weeding the garden.
Q: What's a beckon call?
A: It's an eggcorn!
And in anticipation of everyone's next question: LMGTFY
Until you start arguing over whose turn it is to clean the common areas. And fight over others eating your food. Life isn't like Three's Company or the Golden Girls.
A group housing set-up could hire a housekeeper, gardener, etc. and of course there would have to be rules regarding groceries and picking up after yourself. When I was young and had roommates, we successfully navigated these waters with a weekly grocery fund that was used to buy the food, weekly chore charts, and splitting the utilities/rent. It was very much like Three's Company and was a heck of a lot of fun. If I find myself alone in my later years, I already know several women I could do this with. Golden Girls here I come!
Senior community (IC / Co-op / Eco Village ...) Hint... NOTHING like a Del Webb / HOA (+/-) (Most of us looking for a 'commune / cooperative living' are FAR from Del Webb / HOA material)
pretty pricey, but Boulder and Lyons have some senior IC / co-ops.
Lower cost and more options, look into Port Townsend WA (IC + Eco Village)
Davis, CA area has highest # senior community options in one area (That I have found).
Senior community Developers (MN / WI), will claim it only works with Scandinavians. (they know all about sharing (homes and food) / hot dish dinners / housing jewish refugees...)
USA... "I want it MY way", No, your way has no merit (Thank you very much), have a nice day.
+/-
Ha ha. Yes, that sounds pretty American. I don't know how I would be. I would like to think I could get a somewhat Scandinavian mind set and grow to enjoy it. Maybe not though. But thanks for that list. I'm going to check it out for fun.
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(they know all about sharing (homes and food) / hot dish dinners / housing jewish refugees...)
I Can Imagine The Unpleasant Possibilities!
