Frequently Asked Questions
1 Are pets allowed?
Yes, we accept two animals per household. Dogs and cats must be on a leash except in the dog park and the shared trails. We have a more extensive pet policy if you would like more information about this.
2 How close are doctors and hospitals?
Elderberry is fortunate to have not one but two top 100 hospitals in the country nearby. Duke University Hospital in Durham is ranked 1st in North Carolina and 16th in the US. University of North Carolina Hospital in Chapel Hill is ranked 2nd in NC and 71st in the US.
Both hospital systems have top 100 US ranked regional hospitals with Duke Regional Hospital only 17 miles south of Elderberry. These hospitals of course have many specialist practices associated with them.
3 Where do members buy groceries?
So many choices. There are many national supermarkets, farmers markets and co-ops within 20-35 minutes from here. All these stores/markets provide (some) organic food.
We also have a gas station only 1.5 miles away that has a small general store where one can get a variety of last-minute items, like milk and snacks.
One of the best things about living in cohousing is the ability to reach out to your neighbors when you need something fast. Likely it will be only minutes before someone responds with that one egg you need and a smile. No store can do that.
4 How about local food?
Vegetable gardening here is year-round, so if you want to grow your own, you can join Elderberry’s community garden or you can grow your favorites in your own yard or in the raised bed area.
One of the many benefits of living at Elderberry is the plethora of local farms. We have eggs next door at Potluck Farm which are delivered weekly. There are several CSA (community supported agriculture) options within 10 miles.
There are farmers’ markets nearby in Durham, Roxboro, and Raleigh with lots of local food choices.
5 What are the monthly costs?
Currently, every home pays a monthly assessment of $224 per month. This covers such things as:
+ Maintenance and repairs of the interior and exterior of the Common House and most exterior maintenance of
individual homes
+ Maintenance of roads, pedway, paths, and parking area that serve the community
+ Trash and recycling removal
+ Well water quality testing and maintenance of the septic system
+ Landscaping and upkeep of common property
+ Community administrative services as needed, such as attorney fees, tax preparation and yearly audit
+ Insurance on Common House and liability insurance for the Elderberry community
+ A reserve fund, as required by the homeowners’ association to ensure the financial viability of the community
6 What other expenses do members incur at Elderberry?
Homeowners are responsible for their own telephone, Internet, TV; homeowners’ insurance; property taxes; interior home maintenance and repair; electricity.
The cost of electricity is shared, to save on monthly meter fees, and is pro-rated by the size of the homes. Our solar panels also help offset part of the cost. We have all-electric homes with heat pumps and a/c.
7 What laundry facilities are available?
Some homes have their own laundry while others use the three washers and dryers in the common house. There is no cost to use these units.
8 How much participation is required?
One of the wonderful decisions made early at Elderberry is that there are no rules regarding participation. We hope that by choosing to live at Elderberry, you will want to contribute in the bimonthly workdays, monthly plenary meetings and many events held. Each activity brings us closer to one another in the community. We help keep our monthly assessments low by doing the work ourselves as much as possible.
Another option to participate is to join one of the various committees we have at Elderberry. Currently, we have: Agenda, Culture Team, Exterior Maintenance, Facilitators, Finance, Hive Coordination, Infrastructure, Landscape, Marketing, Membership, Mowing, Resale, SWARM (Work Coordinating), and Trails. We also have a few groups, Gardening and Living Rightly. There is something for everyone.
9 What source of water and sewer do you have here at Elderberry?
We have two wells and four septic systems. The beauty of this arrangement is in rare case of repairs, there is always a backup plan, even temporarily. We also have a generator that keeps the water pumping in case of a power outage. We do not have garbage disposals because of the wells and septic. Well water is generally hard water. Some people here use filters or water softeners.
10 What about the generator?
The common house, aka the Hive, has a generator that provides power for the refrigerator, freezers, some electrical outlets, community internet, and range tops. The generator also keeps the pumps working for the wells and septic systems. Happily, the need for the generator is only a few times a year.
11 Do you use consensus to make decisions?
Elderberry has worked over many years to develop a consensus process that we believe works well. We are always looking at our process and trying to improve it, because consensus can be challenging.
12 Is there public transportation?
There is no transit route anywhere near Elderberry. It is possible to get taxis, Uber, Lyft or county transportation with advance planning. Driving a car is a necessity here, though we often rely on our Elderberry neighbors to help us when needed. It is a 45-minute drive to Raleigh Durham Airport and most visitors rent a car there.
13 How is your internet and cell phone service?
Currently our internet is through our local phone company, but we expect that to change to fiber optic cable very soon with a vast improvement in speed.
Unfortunately, we are in an area with very spotty cell phone coverage. Most members enable their cell phones through their internet, and they can get service in their homes. Some people have land lines and the phone in the common house is always available. Our members who work from home use our current internet and cell coverage adequately.
14 Where do you exercise?
We get plenty of exercise at Elderberry walking around the community and on our trails, working in the garden, lifting weights, doing Taiji, yoga, and using the exercise equipment here. Some of our members also bike on our backroads. The closest indoor swimming pools are 30 minutes away.
15 Do you have a minimum or maximum age limit?
Generally, we describe ourselves as an adult or sometimes a senior community. We are not a continuing care community. Probably age 50 would be our lower limit; there is no upper limit though we do encourage people to look at our health self-questionnaire on our website.
16 Are there two-bedroom houses? Can you build more houses?
Elderberry is fully built out with 18 homes. Our homes are classified as one-bedroom, though some members have extra beds in their spare room.
17 Do you rent?
Our history is that our homeowners usually don’t rent except on a long-term lease. In any case, renters must also go through the Elderberry Membership Process.
18 Is there a waiting list for your homes?
We do not use a waiting list because we realize that most people take a long time to research cohousing until they are ready to make the decision to start the membership process and buy a home. Also, the fit between members is critical to a small community like Elderberry and we feel it is crucial for prospective members to get to know the current members when they are ready to move here.
19 What, if any, religious affiliations do you have at Elderberry?
We are a very diverse community, with members of several different faiths as well as members of no faith. We have members who consider themselves spiritual with no religious affiliation. All are welcome at Elderberry.
20 How environmentally conscious or friendly is Elderberry?
We encourage environmentally conscious living, including composting and recycling. Our Living Rightly group offers several opportunities to repair items, like Repair Café and Mending Mondays.
21 Why choose Elderberry?
Each one of us will give you a different answer to this question. However, there do seem to be some common themes. We are in a rural location with all its benefits. We have a beautiful starry sky since we are not close to city lights and have access to 140 acres of beautiful woods and streams, and several miles of hiking trails. We are also close to many communities and cities within a 30-mile radius, each one with unique features that we can enjoy.
We are committed to sharing our time and talents with those in the community and in the surrounding communities. This enables us to grow and flourish in mind, body, and spirit.
We love having fun and enjoying life in this later chapter with others, giving us purpose especially as we age.
One of our members says that because we are only 18 homes, she has an opportunity to get to know all her neighbors. We agree.