How to Join

Step 1

Attend A Thursday Introductory meeting

Step 2

Attend ‘everybody’ meetings as an Observer, and Social meetings as a participant

Step 3

Become an Explorer and get to know us

Step 4

Become a Member and reserve your home!

How to Join the Community and the
Steps Needed To Reserve a New Home

Get To Know Us

Explore our website to find out more about our vision and values, our members, and the community design.
Attend an Introductory meeting on Zoom any Thursday, 5:30-6:30 Pacific time. (The Zoom link is located at the bottom of this page.)
Attend events to get to know us, such as Happy Hour and schedule a site tour to see the property and talk with some of our members. You may attend two events before we will ask you to consider becoming an Explorer.
To become an Explorer, a household pays a $100 fee (non-refundable). Explorers have the ability to attend and participate in meetings and discussions, but not vote. Your household may be Explorers for two months. If you wish to continue, then we request that you become a Member. If circumstances require you to remain Explorers longer than two months, please talk with the leader of the Marketing Circle.

Explore Your Financial Ability To Purchase A New Home

If you plan to have a mortgage, confirm with your financial institution how much you can qualify for (“pre-quality”). While you are free to obtain a mortgage from any institution, Sunnyside Village is working with a preferred lender, please contact the leader of the Marketing Circle for additional information.
Determine how much your current home might be worth by contacting a realtor (Zillow gives a rough estimate). Consider your assets and how you will pay for a new home.

How to Join - Become a Member

Tell a member of the Marketing Circle that your household wishes to become a Member.
You will be assigned a buddy who will help you through a Membership Orientation. This will acquaint you and your household to our cohousing community, to our form of consensus decision making, and how our community works. It is an essential part of understanding our community. After your orientation, the Marketing Circle will make a recommendation to the General Circle and your membership will be voted on by the Members.
A big part of living in cohousing is participating in the work (and play) of the community. Decide which circles (work teams) you want to participate in and jump in! Like most things in life, you’ll get out of it what you put into it.

How To Join - The Steps in Financing Your New Home

Explorers who wish to become Members will pay a $500 non-refundable membership fee, and a $20,000 deposit toward purchase of their home. The $20,000 deposit is the beginning of the 20% down payment on the home. The remaining 20% of the down payment needs to be received within two months after joining. If there are extenuating circumstances, please discuss this with the Leader of the Marketing Circle. The actual date of joining is the date the $20,500 is received.
We are striving to keep costs as low as possible while building a community with a low carbon footprint and environmentally friendly design.
If you change your mind and wish to withdraw, after the last home is sold and the project has been completed, and if there are funds available, you are eligible to obtain a repayment of the funds you have deposited. We want to be clear that this is a risky investment with no guarantees. We are doing everything we can at each stage to reduce risk and ensure that each of us receives full value for our investments. Remember that we are in this together as “owner/developers.” If you choose to withdraw, you are not obligated to continue investing in the project.
Choosing your home: Once you have completed an application, prequalified, attended a Membership Orientation, paid your $20,500 ($500 non-refundable and $20,000 deposit toward your down payment), agree to the Required Capital Contribution, and the Members have approved your membership, you will be on the priority list for selecting your home site. You will be able to select your home once the 20% down payment is received.
Special Incentive for Families: Families with children under the age of 18 who live with them are eligible for a $10,000 discount on their home purchase price.