Visit Many Different Cohousing Communities First!

On August 1st, Fostermamas wrote in the "Researching Your Cohousing Community" Forum in this "Finding Your Community" Topic Room (http://www.cohousing.org/ma/findingforum/test):

"As potential co-housing members we're constantly refining what factors are important in our cohousing search. Each visit to a potential community has given us more insight into what we're looking for in our ideal community.

"After visiting our first cohousing community we decided that our multiracial family probably wasn't a good fit for a rural community.


"After visiting our second community we decided we wanted an older established community that already had some of it's "kinks" ironed out.


"After visiting our third community we decided we didn't want anything strictly urban as we are current urbanites looking for more green in our lives.

"After visiting our fourth community we realized how difficult it was going to be to find a home with enough bedrooms for our larger-than-normal multi-generational family.

"Reading here and on the cohousing list has influenced some of our search criteria too. We're already planning more visits to other potential communities across the US as we continue to refine what we're looking for in our ideal cohousing community."

Fostermamas' experience totally confirms my own view that you just can't know too much about community when you're searching for one. Each community you visit increases your knowledge base and your personal empowerment re your future community.

If you're searching for a cohousing community to join, I urge you to take the cohousing bus tours and visit as many as you can on your own as well. Information is power!