Membership Procedures at Wasatch Commons

Cohousing is quite different than an ordinary home. The decision to join a cohousing community is more than the choice of a place to live; it is the choice of a lifestyle. It is in the best interest of everybody at Wasatch Commons to give new members joining our community enough information about the cohousing concept in general and Wasatch Commons in particular that they can make an intelligent decision.

If a unit comes up for sale, the homeowners association, in cooperation with the seller, to make sure that all buyers understand the membership requirements of Wasatch Commons. We will be able to get better "fits" for our community and and also fill vacancies more quickly if we engage in an ongoing advertising campaign even before particular units come up for sale. Therefore the welcoming committee is placing a continuous ad in the "Catalyst" (which was our most successful advertising outlet in the past), and organizes monthly open houses in order to inform non-members about cohousing. The goal is to assemble a waiting list of prospective residents in case a vacancy occurs.

If a home becomes available for sale, this will be mentioned in the ad, and the welcoming committee will take an active role in advertising the vacancy and informing prospective buyers or renters about cohousing, in cooperation with the present resident who wants to sell. In particular, the following steps are involved:

• The community pays for advertising and maintains a continuous ad in the Catalyst. If a vacancy occurs, this will be mentioned in the ad.
• The contact address in this advertising is Colleen Dinsdale as a phone contact and Hans Ehrbar and Lynne Dickey as email contacts.
• The welcoming committee will meet prospective residents, show them around on the premise, and give them literature about cohousing and Wasatch Commons.
• After this briefing about cohousing, the prospective new member should contact the seller and negotiate price and conditions.
• Within two weeks of signing the contract, but before occupancy, the prospective new member should attend an orientation meeting with the welcoming committee, and three cohousing community functions: one committee meeting, one all-community meeting, and one social function (party or dinner etc.). If there are children in the household newly joining us, a visit to the parent's committee is recommended. During this time, the prospective member is free to back out of the contract, all the deposits will be refunded in this case.
• If there are special circumstances, this procedure can be modified, but an attempt should be made to keep it in the same spirit.

Renters are expected to take part in cohousing life like anybody else. Rental applicants go through the same steps and get the same information as prospective buyers. Here is an example lease with option to buy of one of our Units. This lease makes it clear that the tenants are expected to actively participate in the community. Back to the Home Page