Membership Team
Revised 10/15/21
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide support and resources for Heartwood members who wish to rent or sell their homes, and to inform landlords and sellers about community needs and expectations when a home is being rented or sold.
We all know that selling and renting homes in cohousing is different than it is in other neighborhoods or HOAs. It is a delicate balance of trying to meet private and community needs simultaneously, and sometimes those needs are very different. Landlords and sellers are free to rent or sell to whomever they choose, while honoring community agreements and respecting the self-selection process of prospective members. (See Membership Agreement and Prospective Member Checklist.) Transparency and clear, open, and timely communication are the keys to a successful transition.
Here are some guidelines for Landlords and Sellers:
Revised 10/15/21
The purpose of these guidelines is to provide support and resources for Heartwood members who wish to rent or sell their homes, and to inform landlords and sellers about community needs and expectations when a home is being rented or sold.
We all know that selling and renting homes in cohousing is different than it is in other neighborhoods or HOAs. It is a delicate balance of trying to meet private and community needs simultaneously, and sometimes those needs are very different. Landlords and sellers are free to rent or sell to whomever they choose, while honoring community agreements and respecting the self-selection process of prospective members. (See Membership Agreement and Prospective Member Checklist.) Transparency and clear, open, and timely communication are the keys to a successful transition.
Here are some guidelines for Landlords and Sellers:
- When you decide to rent or sell your home, inform the community of your intentions — the more we know what your needs are, the better we can support you with our thoughts and actions. Let us know if there are specific ways we can help you move forward with your intentions.
- Contact the Membership team, and provide marketing information and pictures for the “What’s Available” page on the website.
- Review the Marketing Your Home resource page on the Heartwood website.
- Review the Membership Agreement so that you understand what is required of prospective members. Especially note that buyers must complete the Prospective Member Checklist before the contract inspection objection deadline, and renters must complete it before moving in or signing a long-term lease.
- When you are contacted by prospective renters or buyers:
- Inform the community.
- Invite the prospective renters/buyers to visit Heartwood and introduce them to the community. The Membership team can help you set up a visit, or you can refer to the Plan a Visit page on our website.
- Encourage prospective members to post an introductory ‘bio’ to the chat. You might also want to help them make connections with other members in the community.
- Refer prospective members to our website, especially encouraging them to read our Core Agreements and Membership Agreement.
- Put prospective members in touch with the Membership team, who will help them get started with the membership process. Since the membership process is designed to help people know whether or not Heartwood is the place for them, it is never too soon to start it.
- Keep in mind that while you may be moving on from Heartwood, whoever rents or buys your house will be joining the community, a change that has a large impact on those of us still living here. This is important to remember so that you understand why it is important to the community to be kept in the loop about who you are considering renting or selling your house to.
- Once you enter a contract with a buyer, please contact the Treasurer ASAP (currently Mary Walker). The Heartwood Treasurer will be contacted by the Title Company and asked to provide information that will be needed at the closing. If you delay contacting the Treasurer, and she is unavailable when the Title Company calls, this can potentially cause a delay in your closing. So please give her plenty of warning. And make sure the Title Company knows the Treasurer’s name and best contact number. Note that the process will go quicker if you are completely paid up on your HOA dues before the Treasurer is contacted.
- Because marketing homes at Heartwood rarely involves realtors, who typically charge 6% of your home purchase price, at closing, please consider a donation to the community of 1% - 3% of your home purchase price in recognition of the time and money put in by the Membership team and the whole community to help sell your home.