Although many retired couples need to buy homes in a cohousing community at less than market rates. others do not. However, prices are important to everyone.
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Retirement Cohousing Directory
Ecovillages
in DFW
Hidden-Lake
in DFW
Wildflower Village: Dallas
Aging
Here Is Both Delightful and Graceful
Are
Rentals a Source of Income or Nuisance?
Attracting Younger People
Common House in Retirement Cohousing
Deciding
If Cohousing Is Your Correct Choice
Ecohousing:
A Green Retirement
Features of Common House
Finding DFW Cohousing Communities
Friction
Making Community Decision
Gardens
in Retirement Cohousing
How
Much Does It Cost?
Importance of Autos Recedes
Innumerable Benefits
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Locating Retirement Cohousing in
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Universal Features
Planning Outdoor Common Areas
Retirement
Cohousing & Your Active Lifestyle
Social Isolation & Loneliness Relating to Dementia &
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What About
Children?
What
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Areas?
What
Is Shared, Private in Retirement Cohousing?
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Market rate in DFW is around $100 per square foot. That is considerably below the rest of the country and very much below the Boulder cost in Martin Sheehy's quote below.
Martin Sheehy writes for the Wall Street Journal, "Co-housing isn't necessarily an economical option. Units at Silver Sage, situated on prime Boulder land, start around $400,000. Six homes were set aside as "affordable" -- about $119,000 or $140,000 apiece -- for which Colorado residents are most likely to qualify. Applicants currently must have annual income of roughly $35,000 or less to qualify for the $119,000 units and $45,000 or less for the $140,000 units. In Abingdon, Va., where a group of former nuns sparked the formation of RetirementSpirit Community, with 29 cluster homes and apartments, prices were kept in the $100,000 range by searching for a bargain-basement land price and winning state grants."
As with RetirementSpirit described above, costs can be kept down by building on lower-priced land. This is accomplished by moving further away from the center of the urban area (possibly into the rural area surrounding a city) or by moving into an area that is less desirable for most of that city's inhabitants. Since this usually means an area of high crime, the preferable solution for most seniors is to move further out from town.
There is another alternative that might work in the future: modular homes. Modular homes are probably tighter construction than the majority of builders can accomplish and they are also constructed in a dry atmosphere. Unfortunately, energy-efficiency stops there for most modular manufacturers.
It makes no financial sense to save on construction costs, then pay increasingly higher utility bills so passive solar design and energy-efficiency is a must for retirement cohousing.
One concept that is being considered for the cohousing communities in Hidden Lake Village in Texas is modular housing with additional energy-efficient features by green-building expert Jim Sargent.
Modular housing has one other advantage. The entire community builds quickly, this allowing savings on interim financing costs.
The availability of grants and subsidies for retirement housing is increasing. We will report on that in the future.
Wildflower Village
Retirement Community
More Information
DFW
Ecovillages
Retirement or Intergenerational
Green Housing and Villages
in many areas of
Dallas-Fort Worth.
Retirement Cohousing
Hidden Lake Village
Red Oak- Waxahachie Area
Small lake on property
Golf course three blocks away
Energy-efficient, green housing