FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cohousing?
Cohousing is... "a type of collaborative housing that attempts to overcome the alienation of modern subdivisions in which no-one knows their neighbors, and there is no sense of community. It is characterized by private dwellings with their own kitchen, living-dining room etc, but also extensive common facilities. The common building may include a large dining room, kitchen, lounges, meeting rooms, recreation facilities, library, workshops, childcare.
"Usually, cohousing communities are designed and managed by the residents, and are intentional neighborhoods: the people are consciously committed to living as a community; the physical design itself encourages that and facilitates social contact. The typical cohousing community has 20 to 30 single family homes along a pedestrian street or clustered around a courtyard. Residents of cohousing communities often have several optional group meals in the common building each week."
- The Cohousing network
What books are there on cohousing?
How did this group start?
Mosaic Commons has been meeting actively since January, 2000. Our group initially evolved from conversations among members of the Sudbury Valley School community, and has since grown and expanded to include families with many other educational philosophies. We envision a community in which people from various backgrounds are celebrated.
How did you choose the name?
Choosing a name was our first exercise in consensus decision-making. We like the image of a mosaic because it describes a form where individually different pieces combine to make a larger picture.
What are your goals?
Our vision and goals are best described here, in our Vision Statement. It says in part, "Our goals are friendship - both within and outside of the community - sharing - of energy, resources, ideas and lives - and learning together. Our aim is to develop a safe, dynamic and nurturing place for all of us, children and adults, to grow, both individually and as a group."
Read the rest of our Vision Statement here
Where is your site?
Berlin, MA is a lovely small town. Check out the town website!
Berlin is located just north of the intersection of I-495 and I-290.
We're about 15 minutes from two Commuter Rail stops, Littleton (Fitchburg Line) and Southborough (Framingham Line).
Berlin is about a 45 minute drive (or carpool!) into Cambridge, a little less to the 128/95 belt. For those commuting west, it's about 20 minutes into Worcester.
Recreation
The Assabet River Rail Trail held its Grand Opening in the fall of 2005.
Ice skating, roller skating, music lessons at Mockingbird Music!
There is wonderful hiking on our land and adjoining public trails, and the Wachusett Reservoir is quite nearby.
In the winter, Wachusett Mountain is 45 minutes away, and Nashoba Valley Ski Area is less than half an hour.
Davis Farmland and the Megamaze are fifteen minutes away, and playgrounds even closer.
Worcester is about 20 minutes away, with theatre, ballet, and nightclubs of all sorts.
Shopping & Restaurants
We are just five minutes from the Solomon Pond mall, with nearby Target, Borders Books, Best Buy, and other stores. There's also great local shopping even closer by, in Hudson center, and of course in Marlborough as well.
Local restaurants include Olive Garden, Bertucci's, and TGI Friday's at or by the Mall, or finer dining at Chloé in Hudson, Romaine's in Northborough, or sushi at Shiro in Berlin. There is an assortment of pizza and Chinese places nearby, as well as Indian, Thai, and others.
How much land do you have?
Our site is about 60 acres, of which around 25 is held in conservation. There will be two neighbourhoods on the land, each building on 2-3 acres each, and leaving the remainder as open space.
What units do you have left?
10 of our 34 homes are reserved for people who qualify for affordable housing in our area. The allocation of the 40B units will occur in cooperation with the Town of Berlin, and we will post further details here as they become available. We welcome participation from households that anticipate that they will apply for one of the 40B units, though we can't guarantee that you will be allocated a unit.
Of the remaining market rate units, we have the following types left for sale:
| Unit type |
Units left |
| 1 bedroom flats |
Yes |
| 2 bedroom townhouses |
Yes |
| Small 3 bedroom townhouses |
Sold Out |
| Large 3 bedroom townhouses |
Sold Out |
| 4 bedroom townhouses |
Yes |
If you would like to get on our waiting list for the small 3 bedroom units, please read about it here.
You can also look at the Floor Plans.
How big are your units?
Our units vary in size from 1 bedroom to 4 bedrooms, from about 750 to 1800 square feet. In general, cohousing units are smaller than single family homes because of the availability of the common space.
For floor plans of the different unit types, click here
How will you do unit selection?
We will attempt to find an amicable and optimal allocation of units.
This will probably be done by an ad-hoc team, which will ask each member household for its first choice of a unit (and if possible, second and/or third choices) together with a statement of what factors are important for that household's members. If not every household can get its first choice unit, the team, in consultation with the households involved, will attempt to find the next best allocation.
If there is any impasse, the deciding factor will be seniority. Highest priority will be given to those who have been members for the longest time. To break ties between members who joined on the same day, the length of involvement as associates will be used. To further break ties between members who became associates on the same day, the length of involvement as friends of the group will be used. The group's secretary is in charge of maintaining a database of members and associates to keep track of seniority.
To participate in the unit selection process, a household has to have contributed the minimum 5% towards the unit cost and have mortgage pre-qualification for the amount they will need to finance.
How do I get on the Waiting List?
Our small 3 bedroom units are sold out - all other unit types are still available!
We maintain a ranked waiting list for each type of unit that has no available units or has only one left. Associate households will come first on this list, followed by prospective households, followed by equity households. To get on the waiting list, interested households must at least attend an introductory meeting, review and and agree to support our existing decisions, and must pay a $100 fee to join the waiting list.
Equity households on the waiting list for a particular unit type will be ranked relative to one another according to seniority (as defined in other policies), giving preference to longer-term members.
Both associate and prospective households must be approved by the Finance Team before going on either wait list, following guidelines similar to that for Finance Team approval for equity membership.
Associate households on the waiting list for a particular unit type will be ranked according to when those households announced their intention, during a General Meeting, to be on that unit type\'s waiting list, giving preference to those who announced earlier. (If more than one household joins the list on the same day, preference will be given based on date of becoming associates)
Prospective households on the waiting list for a particular unit type will be ranked according to when those households announced their intention, during a General Meeting, to be on that unit type\'s waiting list, giving preference to those who announced earlier. (If more than one household joins the list on the same day, preference will be given based on date of first attending a meeting)
When a unit of a particular type becomes available, the Finance Team will attempt to find a compromise solution that will meet the needs of all parties. If no such compromise cannot be found, the Finance Team will determine which approach maximizes pre-sales. If maximum pre-sales would result in offering the unit to a new household, we will offer it to the first household on the list. If they decline or fail to make a decision within 2 weeks, the unit is offered to the next household on the list, and so on. However, if all approaches would result in the same number of pre-sales, preference for the unit will go to the existing equity household at the head of the the waiting list for that unit type.
When do you plan to move in?
As of February 6th, the Appeal Period for our Comprehensive Permit expired with no appeals! We are off and running an on track to break ground this summer, and should move in in the Fall of 2008
How much is it going to cost?
The following prices are based on a 34-unit shared project in Berlin (68 units total). There are several factors which may significantly impact the unit costs, including septic system, water system, design decisions and construction costs. We share detailed information about how the finances work during our introductory meetings.
| Unit Type |
Square Feet |
Preliminary Price |
5% minimum for Equity Membership |
| 1 bed |
700 |
~$269.5k |
$13,475 |
| 2 bed |
850 |
~$312k |
$15,600 |
| 3 bed (small) |
1040 |
~$337k |
$16,850 *Sold Out* |
| 3 bed (large) |
1400 |
~$447k |
$22,350 |
| 4 bed |
1800 |
~$554k |
$27,700 |
To become an Equity Member, you must contribute a minimum 5% of your unit cost (as above), and pre-qualify for the amount of the mortgage you will need on your unit.
Mosaic Commons is part of a 40b project, and 10 of our 34 units will be sold below market rate in keeping with state affordable housing guidelines.
Mosaic Commons is committed to making our project as affordable as we can make new construction. We're also researching various possibilities for state and local affordable housing grants. Here is our Affordability Statement.
How do I figure out what mortgage I can get?
Never bought a house before and need help figuring out what you can afford? Check out the "Mortgage Calculators" box on the right hand side of this page.
What are you doing to make this affordable?
Please see our Affordability Statement. In addition, Mosaic Commons is part of a 40b project, and 10 of our 34 units will be sold below market rate in keeping with state affordable housing guidelines.
How do I get involved and buy a unit?
Can people who don't live locally join Mosaic Commons?
Mosaic Commons welcomes households who are not local to participate in our community and purchase units. Non-local households are asked to spend some face-to-face time with Mosaic - specific details will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Since we do a great deal of business by email and maintain a strong web presence, it's easy to stay in touch!
While those participating at a distance will in many ways need to trust the wisdom of the group for decision-making during meetings, we will make our best effort to publish all proposals and agendas with enough time beforehand for online discussion so that we can get input from everyone involved.
What does it mean to be a member?
Members are those who will purchase a unit in our community. We also have other ways to get involved.
What should I expect at a General Meeting?
You are welcome to participate in the discussions as much as you feel comfortable. It's also fine to sit back and listen! We're working with a number of professionals - for a list of the names you may hear during the meeting, see our Who's Who guide, which we'll hand out as part of your Welcome Kit.
We use color cards as a tool to help organize our discussions. Take a look at the explanation here, or on page 27 of The Cohousing Handbook. Please use these cards during the meeting, or if it gets confusing, simply raise your hand.
When we are ready to get to consensus, the associates and equity members will also use the cards to indicate their position on the proposal.
If you have any questions about the card or the meeting process in general, please feel free to talk to someone on the facilitation team.
What is 40b and how will it work?
Chapter 40B is a state statute, which enables local Zoning Boards of Appeals (ZBAs) to approve new housing under flexible rules if at least 20-25% of the units have long-term affordability restrictions. Also known as the Comprehensive Permit Law, Chapter 40B was enacted in 1969 to help address the shortage of affordable housing statewide by reducing unnecessary barriers created by local approval processes, local zoning, and other restrictions. Its goal is to encourage the production of affordable housing in all communities throughout the Commonwealth.
Mosaic Commons is part of a 40b project. 10 of our 34 units will be sold below market rate in keeping with state affordable housing guidelines. Here is what we know about how these units will be priced and what the process will be to apply for one.
- Application dates will be widely advertised and will be about 6 months prior to move-in. We will keep a list of people who want to be notified. People will apply for a unit in the combined Mosaic Commons and Camelot Cohousing project, and will be able to select a specific unit based on their lottery number. They will have detailed information about both projects when they do.
- Selection from those who applied will be done by a lottery process, and will be supervised by the state. It is an advantage to live or work in Berlin at the time of the application.
- People do NOT qualify if they have over $50,000 in assets, if they have owned a house in the three years prior to application, or if they annually earn over:
- $46,300 for a single person
- $52,950 for a 2 person household
- $59,550 for a 3 person household
- $66,150 for a 4 person household
(These are the 2007 income requirements and are subject to revision every year)
- The prices of the homes will be set based on a formula from the state that calculates what sales price a family making 70% of Area Media Income can afford if they pay approximately 30% of their monthly income on housing expenses such as mortgage, condo fees and taxes. The formula presumes a down-payment of 5% for the mortgage, and the household must qualify for a mortgage for the remainder of the home price.
Mosaic Commons welcomes the participation of households who qualify for 40b and plan to apply for the 40b lottery. Participation is not required in order to apply for the lottery, and we cannot influence the lottery or guarantee a 40b slot. Such households are welcome to join and participate in the group process and decision making as Associates of Mosaic Commons, and must meet all of the regular Associate requirements. They are not required to make an initial contribution and may pay reduced monthly dues of $20 per household.
What is the legal structure of the group?
Mosaic Commons is incorporated as an LLC, a Limited Liability Corporation.
An LLC is a very good way for a group of partners to hold capital and other assets in common in a legally recognized way. The equity members are partners in what we're doing. The agreement between us is a legal framework which is enforceable by commonwealth law. It's also a legal framework recognized by banks and lending institutions; our bank would not open an account for the group without some type of corporate formation.
An LLC is a Limited Liability Corporation. As such, it provides the partners with a significant measure of individual liability protection: in the event of legal action against us, it's harder (though not impossible) for a litigant to reach through the LLC to get at its individual members' assets.
Who is in the group?
How do you make decisions?
Will my kids be going to school with other kids from Mosaic Commons?
It is a strong concern and wish of most parents that their children grow up in a neighborhood with friends who attend the same school or, for homeschoolers, with other families who homeschool. Our group currently has two families whose kids attend Sudbury Valley School, one family with a child in Montessori School, one family homeschooling, and three families with children in public schools. The rest of our families have children under school age. Of those families, there is about an equal mix of those considering private school, public school and homeschooling. Our goal is to build a community that is supportive of educational diversity and choices. We also hope as individual parents that all of our kids, however they are schooled, will know a few other families with kids schooled in the same manner. We have reached out (and will continue to do so) to families with varying educational philosophies.
Cohousing: A Contemporary Approach to Housing Ourselves
The Cohousing Handbook: 
Senior Cohousing: A Community Approach to Independant Living
Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities
Reinventing Community: Stories from the Walkways of Cohousing
Sustainable Community: Learning from the Cohousing Model