There are certainly many substantive benefits of being an early investor and committed burning soul in the cohousing formative stages.

The most important of these are having a strong Influence in the

1. decision making

2. site selection

3. design decisions

4. project budget

6. priority of choice in selecting a lot, site or unit in the final allocation of home sites

7. overall crafting the foundational values and norms of the community including the Vision, Values and Mission Statements

8. other normative decisions that are either explicitly or implicitly made in the process, including determining the process itself

9. the early friendships which sustain the community through the development process and over time in the life of the community

and, the most important one …

10. sharing of a lot more potlucks!