CoHome
RESOURCES FOR CO-BUYERS, CO-OWNERS, & THE CO-LIVING COMMUNITY
CO-BUYING/CO-OWNING WORKSHEETS & HANDOUTS
Our glossary of Common Real Estate Terms includes some terms particularly relevant to the co-buyer or co-owner.
A comprehensive chart of the ways a party may hold title to real property (courtesy of CW Title)
TOOLS + GETTING STARTED
Collection of 1-3 minute videos from Salmon Bay Community Lending chock full of helpful information about all things mortgage-related in bite size pieces. If you’re looking for an answer to a specific question, search the Mortgage Minutes playlist. Click HERE
A robust Substack written by the founders of Radish, a co-living community in Oakland. It has a wide range of articles on subjects such as financial structures, finding property, managing conflict, decision-making, etc, as well as stories by people who have created co-living communities themselves.
Cobudget is a simple tool that allows people to create ‘buckets’ for things they’d like to fund. You can allocate your own money and encourage housemates to contribute to your ideas.
Braid - A Braid Pool is a way to collect, manage, and spend money with friends and family. Braid Pools can be used for one-off and ongoing shared expenses.
Notion is a platform a number of communities (such as Fisher House) use to create a shared "wiki" with public and private pages. There are pre-designed templates available.
PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
Wilson Law Group
Terrance Wilson
Attorney & Owner
(206) 805-6238
Addresses a wide array of Real Estate, Land Use, and Development issues, working with Land Surveyors, Civil Engineers, Architects, and other related Land Use professionals on boundary issues, easements, CC&Rs, subdivisions, Condominiums, Boundary Line Adjustments, as well as other regulatory processes and legal issues surrounding them.
Michael Safren, Senior Partner
The Law Offices of Jenny Ling, PLLC
14900 Interurban Ave. S., Ste. 280,
Seattle, WA 98168
(206) 859-5098
msafren@jennylinglaw.com
www.jennylinglaw.com
As part of his real estate specialty, Michael drafts tenancy in common (co-ownership) agreements; deeds; boundary line adjustments; and helps landlords in residential real estate disputes, as well as other RE legal services. Michael also specializes in estate planning and probate.
Pacific Evergreen Law Group provides estate planning services, including wills, trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, and Probate.
Harbor & Hill Design & Development in Bellingham provides early feasibility analysis, site strategy, and residential projects where understanding zoning, constraints, and realistic scope is critical before design or construction begins. List of services here.
David Judge
david@harborhilldd.com
616-773-8055
David also is a guest speaker to specialized CoHome talks focusing on building & feasibility.
Office of Ordinary Architecture is a woman-owned, generalist firm, working on a variety of disciplines including residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. They approach their projects through a lens of integration, focusing on architectural and interior design simultaneously. Can be retained as an ongoing consultant to do feasibility studies when looking at different properties.
See examples of their residential work here.
Sandy Wolf, Architect/Founder
sandy@officeofordinary.com
206.457.3382
Matt Hutchins, Principal
CAST Architecture
matt@castarchitecture.com
CASTArchitecture.com
CASTis committed to improving the lives of individuals, families, and the community through vibrant and thoughtful design. CAST is at the forefront of sustainable architecture, creating high-performance buildings designed to endure. Their approach prioritizes responsible resource management throughout a building’s lifecycle, integrating climate-responsive design, the best available building science, and site-specific strategies.
Check out their blog about DADUs here.
Bruce Parker, Founder | Lead Designer
Microhouse
Bruce@microhousenw.com
206.428.8599
MIcrohouse is an expert in the design and permitting of ADUs in Seattle.
Check out their blog about DADUs here.
Ten Penny Studio Design and Construction
| Kelly Sommerfeld, Co-Owner, Lead Designer |
| (206) 445-5008 |
| kellys@tenpennystudio.com |
Ten Penny Studio Design and Construction offers support for shared living in a few key “buckets”:
- Social Infrastructure – Supporting the dreams, values, and interpersonal dynamics that make communal living successful.
- Design & Built Environment – Creating architecture that supports and enhances shared living arrangements.
Their specific niche lies in the built environment, particularly on 1-3 single-family lots where homeowners might already have some equity and the zoning allows for creative additions like ADUs and additional units. They focus on working with individuals and groups invested in their neighborhoods— people who want to take down fences, host block parties, and create spaces that invite connection.
CIC Consulting Group, LLC
Rebekah Baze | Owner & Founder
(425) 681-3381
Rebekah@cicconsultinggroup.com
Condos come with a dizzying array of legal and financial documents (alternately called the "Resale Certificate", "Resale Package", "condo docs" or "HOA docs") which can be difficult to decipher for even experienced buyers. Rebekah analyzed those documents and goes over them with a prospective buyer in a video call, along with data comparing the property to similar condos in the area. A short interview with Rebekah can be found here.
Group facilitator Karen Gimnig is a relationship trainer and process consultant who offers classes and workshops to support cohousing groups across the country. Karen prefers to have long term relationships with communities getting to know them well and providing the ongoing support they need over time to continue to grow together.
Karen Gimnig 678-705-9007 gimnig@gmail.com
INFORMATION & RESOURCES FOR ZONING, ADUs, etc.
SRS Architecture has put together a clear, helpful summary of how 2026 One Seattle Zoning Code Update effects the city's Middle Housing zoning:
- a summary of how rules have changed across Neighborhood Residential zones,
- updates to ADU regulations that may have flown under the radar, and
- some context on what this first phase signals for Seattle’s longer-term zoning framework.
One Seattle is the roadmap for where and how Seattle will grow and invest in communities over the next 20 years and beyond. Includes a new Growth Strategy that guides the proposed zoning update.
Downloadable PDF of Seattle's generalized zoning boundaries (last updated June 15, 2022).
Can cross reference against the OneSeattle draft Zoning Map to see what is being proposed for the future.
On February 7, 2024, the Washington Legislature passed HB 1998, allowing occupancy of multiple tenants/residents who have private sleeping quarters, but use shared kitchens, dining areas, and community spaces with other tenants/residents. Further reading:
- HB 1998 Bill Report (summary)
- Washington State Standard: WA House approves bill to expand dormitory-like housing
- The Urbanist: Seattle Proposes Co-Living Ordinance Seeking to Meet New State Mandate
- MRSC: Six Housing and Planning Bills that Help Washington Communities Confront the Housing Crisis
CO-HOUSING PROJECTS & COMMUNITIES
The CoHousing Association of the U.S. is a national nonprofit advancing cohousing and community-rooted housing models that foster connection, sustainability, and shared purpose. CoHoUS hosts in-personal regional summits twice a year in different U.S. cities.
CoHo's learning platform, the CoHousing Institute, offers webinars, online trainings and live and on-demand programming is designed to support people at all stages of their journey into cohousing. It serves serve the cohousing curious, explorers, new and veteran residents, advocates, and cohousing professionals.
TEDx talk by CoHoUS Director Trish Becker-Hafnor here.
re|Space
Rick Romanowski | Co-Founder
Rick@reSpace.co
In its infancy, re|Space is rolling out homes featuring "fractional ownership." Fractional ownership differs from a group co-buying a property themselves in that re|Space would configure the home's ownership structure and individuals can buy in on their own. Watch a King5 news story about it here.
Frolic Community enables communities to build projects that reflect the way they want to live. They partner with single-family homeowners to co-develop multi-family housing on their properties. Homes in their projects can be purchased with low down payments and are affordable to middle-income families. You can read about current projects here.
Head of Community Architecture
kalen@frolic.community
Crow Woods is a nine-unit cohousing community in North Seattle on Meridian Ave N between N 117th & 120th Streets. Units are advertised as being move-in ready Fall of 2025.
(We have no connection to or further knowledge about the community so please contact them directly for information.)
Sunnyside Village is an intergenerational community in Marysville, WA, just 35 miles north of Seattle. They are building 32 individually owned cottages on five acres of land, with shared gardens, orchards, and gathering spaces. Construction slated to begin summer 2026.
Rooted NW is an agrivillage outside of Arlington, WA. Individual homes built around common areas encourage community, efficiency, and human connection. Sited on farmland to provide regenerative farming opportunities for both the community and commercial sale. The community will promote opportunities to learn and share skills in sustainable design, farming, communication, leadership, and other earth- and community-based topics.
Fisher House is a cohousing community begun by a single family in 2024 in a beautiful 1909-built 10,000 square foot home in the historic Harvard-Belmont district. They have rental opportunities and are developing paths for ownership for renters who wish to stay and own in the community. Open potlucks the first Sunday of every month.
Foundation for Intentional Community is an international resource hub for local Intentional Communities movements. Listings can be found HERE
HELPFUL READING
SuperNuclear is a robust, comprehensive Substack created by the founders of Radish, a co-living community in Oakland. It has a wide range of articles on subjects such as financial structures, finding property, managing conflict, decision-making, etc, as well as stories by people who have created co-living communities themselves.
The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen
A re-examination of the default assumption that one should form one's household and emotional needs exclusively around a romantic relationship. Both novel and traditional, returning to village/tribe/extended family connections that were the norm before the elevation of the Nuclear Family.
The 6 Types of Working Genius by Frank Lencioni
While using a bit too much corporate lingo, the book can be a useful tool for a group to get clarity around the strengths/weaknesses and natural tendencies of each individual. It can go a long way to mitigate unspoken expectations and encourage clearer, judgment-free communication when working together.
