I've found eden... and it's too expensive

I live in a truly wonderful part of the country, and have a good business set up here.

I recently visited a cohousing community that has been built… just out of curiosity.

But I was blown away.  This place is perfect.  Amazing.  Everything I've ever wanted out of a living situation.

but it is sooo outrageously overpriced that it is absolutely unattainable.  I've been buying lottery tickets, you know, just to give the Universe an easy way to bless me with this gift. :-)

Anyone else come across this?  Found your home, the place that feels *just* right, and been unable to attain that because of something like money? 

Re: I've found eden... and it's too expensive

Over and over again - more times than I can easily count.

Never with a cohousing development already happening on it tho.

Sounds like marketing to the rich.

Re: I've found eden... and it's too expensive

I find it rather ironic that in order to get back to a more natural way of life, one must have plenty of disposable cash.

I too, in my search for a community, was dismayed at the cost of membership. I have since given up ever living in that type setting. It's a shame, really, and I think there are hundreds -if not thousands- of people in this country that find themselves facing that wall as well.

My other deterent has been communities' apparent distaste for pets. There I was really surprised. You'd think people in tune with the natural world would be ok with dogs and cats…

Re: I've found eden... and it's too expensive

All true.

I've probably said this here before, but I have become, oddly enough, convinced that the most secure and reliable route to community starts with a kind of virtual community first - and it starts with paperwork.

If I wasn't a community-building burnout victim I'd be realy focused on building the paperwork structure a community needs.

Specifically, an 'open source' paperwork structure, one that is ocmpletely transparent and user-modifiable to meet the varying needs of different people and places and community ideas.

I keep hoping some other community-building obsessed types will come along and take that project out of my burned-out hands.

Re: I've found eden... and it's too expensive

what kind of housing/ communities  are you talking about ? would this be like sustainable living homes with greenhouses and such? and they don't allow pets? and they charge you to live there?ok I guess I am stupid..  May I ask where are these places are located? thank you..

Re: I've found eden... and it's too expensive

Hey LittleDove,

All questions are valid… better to ask than to remain in ignorance.

We are talking about co-housing communities. These are groups of homes build on a section of land that is own by the group itself. The houses are built in such a way as to minimize impact on the land itself, and keeping a section in its natural form, or including organic gardening / farming.

The houses tend to be slightly smaller than most, with a common house for all community members with kitchen, dinning room, guest rooms, and other, as decided by the community.

Most group dine together once or twice a week, taking turn preparing the meal for everyone. It's community living, though you own your own house, have your private space, and can share communal space.

You can find all kinds here:

www.ic.org

A very wide range exist, as you can see if you poke through the site a little. More and more are being formed everyday. 

Re: I've found eden... and it's too expensive

This would be such a great time to start a community.  Properties can be had for a song!

But I guess the same economy that makes property affordable, keeps us all more pinched than usual. 

I have an opportunity to move into a friends community.  It's not a great community (except for my friend)… but they have a plot of land available that I could put a home on.  It becomes affordable because the land is part of the trust, and I only have to pay for building the home.  But the equity has evaporated from my current house, so I can't do it.  I feel so stuck!

Ah, money.  it's the clay on our feet.