You become a member of Arboretum Cohousing when you buy one of our dwellings, which include a mixture of condo units in two new multi-family buildings, houses, a duplex and a triplex. So we are a self-selecting group -- we have no formal approval process or vote on membership. Since cohousing may be unfamiliar to you, we suggest that you become acquainted with us by attending a couple of member meetings, open houses or community meals and meet the members. You can get your questions answered and decide whether this type of community life would be a good fit for you.

You should know that there is more work involved when you live in cohousing than with a typical house. Not only is it important to maintain open communication with many neighbors, but we have plenty of work to go around in taking care of our common buildings and grounds! Much of it is enjoyable, though, and our periodic work days can bring a sense of camaraderie. We believe the benefits -- a cohesive community made up of familiar faces, living in housing that was designed from community input, plus the assurance of being able to borrow little-known kitchen implements or know that you can always rely on a ride to the airport or bus! -- far outweigh the extra work that goes into it.

Also, there is a monthly condo fee that ranges between $200 and $300, depending on the size of the individual household unit and cost of its utilities in addition to paying a share of various community expenditures and to build a reserve fund to accommodate large repair items such as an eventual roof replacement. This way we avoid having to make special assessments when larger items arise.