Hi there, future neighbours :-)
I'm super excited to confirm that I will be moving into Toi Ora High Street Cohousing with you all to live our 'wild and precious' lives together!
The below email brought some very kind and encouraging responses, with ideas to follow up and two financing offers, one of which is just right to enable me to settle (pay), then settle (in) and begin to reestablish my life over a couple of years. I'll need to refinance then, but by then, the circumstances with valuations, bank policies, other sales and so on will be quite different.
The generosity of thought and action in all this is exactly why I chose to be part of cohousing. I want, as we all do, to both give and receive in ways not always practised in our society. To begin by being desperately in need and by receiving (so much!), is incredibly humbling. It also fills me with hope that this against-the-tide social movement of living more cooperatively can and will succeed. I'm very grateful to you all for support over the three and a bit years I've been involved so far, to those who have written and encouraged me personally over the summer and in recent days, and to the two people who were willing to share their resources to get me over the finish line. Getting finance has in a sense been everybody's problem, with such a massive project at stake. For me personally, it was nothing but existential dread. Now it is everybody's cause to celebrate, and I'm joining you all in wanting settlement day to come ASAP. Bring it on!
Very best regards and wishes to all
From Claire