How to attract younger members to a summer bungalow colony?
December 10, 2016 10:07 AM Subscribe
I own a bungalow in a three season colony in the Hudson River Valley. It's a lovely, kooky, historic, snowflake of a co-op style community that is run by volunteers. However, the place has unintentionally turned into a NORC. How can we attract younger (under 60) folks to buy bungalows and be participatory members?
Our community is 70 bungalows on 22 acres one hour from NYC by train. It backs up to a hikeable state park, has a pool, a community garden, fitness classes and entertainment facilities. It is surprisingly affordable for the area. It was founded in the 30's by Jewish communist garment workers to escape from NYC summers. The community no longer has any particular political or religious affiliation, but skews middle-class white liberal (we have a number of LGBTQ members, but very few people of color). About 70% of our members are now over 65.
Age is becoming a problem because of the volunteer nature of the place. It's managed by an elected board and key tasks are handled by volunteer committees. We are financially stable and hire people to do most of the actual physical labor, but projects are proposed and managed by community members. As our members age, a significant number of them can't or won't participate. Participation isn't a requirement, but it's certainly essential to maintaining the infrastructure and vibrancy of the community.
We also need people who can abide by community rules. The most important ones relate to our tax status that keeps our yearly dues quite low. Members absolutely may not live in bungalows over the winter, and there are strict limits on what renovations can be made to bungalows. We also don't allow dogs.
We want to attract younger, diverse, community-minded members who will abide by rules (or are willing to work through our existing membership structure to change them). Where should we advertise or promote our community either online or in more traditional venues in the tri-state area? Other thoughts about how to connect with folks for whom our colony might be a good fit? Facebook groups? Web communities? For a number of reasons we don't want to do high-profile advertising, and prefer a more targeted approach. Send me a memail if you are interested in specific info!
Our community is 70 bungalows on 22 acres one hour from NYC by train. It backs up to a hikeable state park, has a pool, a community garden, fitness classes and entertainment facilities. It is surprisingly affordable for the area. It was founded in the 30's by Jewish communist garment workers to escape from NYC summers. The community no longer has any particular political or religious affiliation, but skews middle-class white liberal (we have a number of LGBTQ members, but very few people of color). About 70% of our members are now over 65.
Age is becoming a problem because of the volunteer nature of the place. It's managed by an elected board and key tasks are handled by volunteer committees. We are financially stable and hire people to do most of the actual physical labor, but projects are proposed and managed by community members. As our members age, a significant number of them can't or won't participate. Participation isn't a requirement, but it's certainly essential to maintaining the infrastructure and vibrancy of the community.
We also need people who can abide by community rules. The most important ones relate to our tax status that keeps our yearly dues quite low. Members absolutely may not live in bungalows over the winter, and there are strict limits on what renovations can be made to bungalows. We also don't allow dogs.
We want to attract younger, diverse, community-minded members who will abide by rules (or are willing to work through our existing membership structure to change them). Where should we advertise or promote our community either online or in more traditional venues in the tri-state area? Other thoughts about how to connect with folks for whom our colony might be a good fit? Facebook groups? Web communities? For a number of reasons we don't want to do high-profile advertising, and prefer a more targeted approach. Send me a memail if you are interested in specific info!
Are you in touch with realtors in NYC? Because there is a subset of early 30s tech people with loads of disposable income and an affinity for projects and have summer Fridays at the office.
If limits to bungalow renovation is limited to stuff that impacts exterior aesthetics, that might be workable. But if the community is preventing plumbing upgrades, or forbids garages entirely those might be tough.
Though seriously, no dogs and no winter occupancy (especially with that awesome park!) is going to be a major pair of barriers.
posted by bilabial at 10:38 AM on December 10, 2016 [9 favorites]
If limits to bungalow renovation is limited to stuff that impacts exterior aesthetics, that might be workable. But if the community is preventing plumbing upgrades, or forbids garages entirely those might be tough.
Though seriously, no dogs and no winter occupancy (especially with that awesome park!) is going to be a major pair of barriers.
posted by bilabial at 10:38 AM on December 10, 2016 [9 favorites]
Yeah, the no-winter thing will be a very hard sell to most younger people. You're asking people to maintain two homes or couch-surf for several months. I don't know what your current members do, but for people who are still actively working, or who have school-aged kids, this doesn't sound reasonable.
That said, I think your target market would have to skew pretty rich. Maybe try advertising to the Ivy League clubs around NYC? Harvard Club, Yale Club, etc. I imagine have a young alumni section. (Yes, I know most young Ivy League alumni aren't going to have much disposable income either, but you stand a better chance there than, say, CUNY.)
posted by basalganglia at 10:42 AM on December 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
That said, I think your target market would have to skew pretty rich. Maybe try advertising to the Ivy League clubs around NYC? Harvard Club, Yale Club, etc. I imagine have a young alumni section. (Yes, I know most young Ivy League alumni aren't going to have much disposable income either, but you stand a better chance there than, say, CUNY.)
posted by basalganglia at 10:42 AM on December 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
Well, you need to offer something that people couldn't get if they bought a regular cabin. Like, presumably there are cabins for sale in the area where one could bring a dog and use the cabin during the winter and not volunteer their time for group projects, right? So why would anyone move into a community where there are rules and volunteer expectations? A pool's not enough. Fitness classes (presumably targeted at the existing (elderly) population) are not enough. Being part of a community (full of elderly people) isn't enough. So what else can you offer?
posted by goodbyewaffles at 10:43 AM on December 10, 2016 [13 favorites]
posted by goodbyewaffles at 10:43 AM on December 10, 2016 [13 favorites]
I personally prefer to rent my vacation spaces. I suspect that few people under 50 want to deal with the hassles of owning a vacation home unless they are quite wealthy.
Is it a child friendly community? Are there playgrounds, sandboxes, etc.? Can children run around unsupervised without people grumbling?
Also, I am very interested in cohousing, but was turned off by the rules of all the communities I visited. Like, one was very proud that they prevented a family from re-siding their house with more affordable materials rather than the artisanally planed cedar or whatever that needed replacing. Even if I was okay with the specific rules in place, it made the culture feel very snobby and out of touch... perhaps make sure your structure doesn't set off that vibe.
Also, obviously, people like to live with people like them, and your community isn't attractive to thirtysomethings because no others are there. Maybe some marketing incentives could change that... give people under a certain age a discount, or encourage people to buy neighboring houses with their friends, or allow timeshares and rentals, etc.
posted by metasarah at 10:44 AM on December 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
Is it a child friendly community? Are there playgrounds, sandboxes, etc.? Can children run around unsupervised without people grumbling?
Also, I am very interested in cohousing, but was turned off by the rules of all the communities I visited. Like, one was very proud that they prevented a family from re-siding their house with more affordable materials rather than the artisanally planed cedar or whatever that needed replacing. Even if I was okay with the specific rules in place, it made the culture feel very snobby and out of touch... perhaps make sure your structure doesn't set off that vibe.
Also, obviously, people like to live with people like them, and your community isn't attractive to thirtysomethings because no others are there. Maybe some marketing incentives could change that... give people under a certain age a discount, or encourage people to buy neighboring houses with their friends, or allow timeshares and rentals, etc.
posted by metasarah at 10:44 AM on December 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
Until there's a critical mass of families with kids, this is going to be really unappealing for families with kids. Once there are a bunch of kids, it becomes fun again, because kids will want to go to there to hang out with their bungalow colony friends. But it's hard to know how to get that critical mass of families, assuming you even want it in the first place. It's also not clear to me that most of the things you list, with the exception of the pool, are going to be super exciting for children. What that means is that for parents, this is going to sound stressful, not relaxing. It's not the place you go to relax: it's the place where you're cooped up with the kids 24/7, with no friends for them to play with and the obligation to plan activities to keep them occupied.
If you don't want to attract families with children, then you need to think hard about where to find younger people who don't have and aren't planning to have kids.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:44 AM on December 10, 2016 [8 favorites]
If you don't want to attract families with children, then you need to think hard about where to find younger people who don't have and aren't planning to have kids.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:44 AM on December 10, 2016 [8 favorites]
Want to echo what everyone else is saying: lack of dogs and winter occupancy are going to keep younger families out. I live in the Hudson Valley and have a young kid. Many of our friends-with-kids are NYC transplants. These days, the thing to do when you want to spend time in the Hudson Valley is to buy a property and move out of the city entirely, not summer up here. It's too expensive to maintain a property in NYC and one up here (I have several friends who intended to do that but ended up moving up here entirely.)
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:49 AM on December 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:49 AM on December 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
It sounds like an ideal summer getaway for young NYC families to me. Play down the three seasons, play up the pool, which I assume can only be used in the summer. Play up offering children the opportunity to spend unstructured time in a natural setting. It occurs to me that one group of people who might really be attracted would be NYC public school teachers. They're diverse, have a chunk of summer off, and many have children. They're not rich. Also people who work in local colleges. Creative financing might be necessary. Is the existing community in a position to offer low down payment mortgages?
posted by mareli at 10:51 AM on December 10, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by mareli at 10:51 AM on December 10, 2016 [7 favorites]
It is surprisingly affordable for the area.
You don't have to provide the costs here, but this could be a major barrier if relatively "surprisingly affordable" is still expensive in absolute terms. Unpacking the costs a bit and being realistic about who can afford to buy in (e.g., would they need parental assistance?) will help you figure out your target market.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:54 AM on December 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
You don't have to provide the costs here, but this could be a major barrier if relatively "surprisingly affordable" is still expensive in absolute terms. Unpacking the costs a bit and being realistic about who can afford to buy in (e.g., would they need parental assistance?) will help you figure out your target market.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:54 AM on December 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
I know some places where there are young people who might consider buying into a community like this — but crucially, they're all places where those young people started out as occasional visitors and formed happy memories first. Like, there's a pagan retreat center I know of where some regular attendees have bought property close by, but they started out just attending events there. There are rural places with a big folk music scene where young people have moved (and where I could imagine maybe one or two of them might buy into a summer colony like this if one existed for cheap), but they started out just showing up for dance weekends.
Is there anything like that going on in the vicinity of your colony — arts events, craft stuff, festivals, retreats, conferences, anything that draws a big crowd of young people a few times a year who have already come to love this particular corner of the Hudson Valley? Because you're going to have a much easier time getting people to buy into your specific community if they already deeply love the park it's next to or the campground it's up the road from or whatever, and events like that are the best way to get people to fall in love with a place they can't live in year-round.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:57 AM on December 10, 2016 [15 favorites]
Is there anything like that going on in the vicinity of your colony — arts events, craft stuff, festivals, retreats, conferences, anything that draws a big crowd of young people a few times a year who have already come to love this particular corner of the Hudson Valley? Because you're going to have a much easier time getting people to buy into your specific community if they already deeply love the park it's next to or the campground it's up the road from or whatever, and events like that are the best way to get people to fall in love with a place they can't live in year-round.
posted by nebulawindphone at 10:57 AM on December 10, 2016 [15 favorites]
It occurs to me that one group of people who might really be attracted would be NYC public school teachers.I have a relative who is a retired NYC public school teacher and who owns a weekend place in the Hudson River Valley. However, the only reason she could ever afford to buy it is that she has lived in the same rent-controlled apartment, which comes with a free parking space, since the early 1960s. If she were paying anything like market rent, there would be no way. I don't think that younger public school teachers are going to have that kind of disposable income.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 10:58 AM on December 10, 2016 [10 favorites]
So, which older neighbors have families who might want to move in after they depart? Which older neighbors are interested in pooling their money and offering downpayment assistance to younger buyers? Where do the older neighbors go during the winter months, and what younger people do they interact with in those places that would be interested in a similar lifestyle?
posted by juniperesque at 11:02 AM on December 10, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by juniperesque at 11:02 AM on December 10, 2016 [9 favorites]
(Or, like, this is a long shot here, but could the bungalow colony itself host occasional weekend events? Ideally ones that let the visitors interact with existing residents and become fond of the place and its ethos? Like I said, it's a long shot — I'm just thinking that the set of "cooperative houses I would consider moving into" is pretty much coextensive with the set of "cooperative houses where I regularly attend cool stuff," and for all you aren't exactly That Kind Of Housing Co-op you're still asking people to buy into a community and not just a piece of land.)
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:09 AM on December 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:09 AM on December 10, 2016 [5 favorites]
It sounds like by and large everyone is pretty happy with the community the way it is, and that the main reason you want younger people is to use them as labor that current residents don't want to do. Unfortunately that's not a very attractive prospect for younger people considering the place: they're going to be (understandably) worried that they will end up being the unpaid staff for the place.
You don't say how *many* new people you're looking for -- how many of the current 70 bungalows are vacant? If it's only a handful, I wonder whether it makes sense to professionalize the role of 'bungalow community manager' and offer a highly reduced/free rent to people willing to live in the community in exchange for doing much of the work.
posted by crazy with stars at 11:25 AM on December 10, 2016 [37 favorites]
You don't say how *many* new people you're looking for -- how many of the current 70 bungalows are vacant? If it's only a handful, I wonder whether it makes sense to professionalize the role of 'bungalow community manager' and offer a highly reduced/free rent to people willing to live in the community in exchange for doing much of the work.
posted by crazy with stars at 11:25 AM on December 10, 2016 [37 favorites]
I think this is a common problem in longstanding vacation areas around the country. In the 40s and 50s families who could afford it would send the mothers and children to cottages in cooler often water-centric locations to escape urban areas where hot, humid summers were unbearable without air conditioning. The fathers would come up on weekends or for occasional breaks. Airplane travel wasn't commonplace so fewer families considered using vacations to see the world.
Things are different now. Many families require two incomes to get by, living in urban settings is more comfortable with a/c, children's calendars seem as crowded as their parents with sports obligations and activities, people often want to spend their vacation money on trips abroad rather than pouring it into a second home. Also, if families with cottages want to keep them in the family when the older generation passes away, the increase in property taxes can kill any dreams of that. Retired people become the only ones who can afford a second home.
All that said, these things are cyclical. Younger people "discover" older quaint places and make them hip again. So you have to get them there to discover it for themselves. The community could buy a few cottages and rent them on platforms that younger people use like Airbnb. Or offer a class to show existing older cottagers how to list their places on those platforms and make them appealing to younger vacationers. You could offer programs for younger people to attract the families of the older owners to come for a visit.
The 3 season thing is not that unusual in these types of communities. Most of the cottages in places like this are not winterized and can't be lived in during the winter what with the lack of insulation, heat, or protected water pipes. The dog thing you may need to bend on. Pets have become people's children and many won't leave them for long periods of time.
posted by cecic at 11:30 AM on December 10, 2016 [15 favorites]
Things are different now. Many families require two incomes to get by, living in urban settings is more comfortable with a/c, children's calendars seem as crowded as their parents with sports obligations and activities, people often want to spend their vacation money on trips abroad rather than pouring it into a second home. Also, if families with cottages want to keep them in the family when the older generation passes away, the increase in property taxes can kill any dreams of that. Retired people become the only ones who can afford a second home.
All that said, these things are cyclical. Younger people "discover" older quaint places and make them hip again. So you have to get them there to discover it for themselves. The community could buy a few cottages and rent them on platforms that younger people use like Airbnb. Or offer a class to show existing older cottagers how to list their places on those platforms and make them appealing to younger vacationers. You could offer programs for younger people to attract the families of the older owners to come for a visit.
The 3 season thing is not that unusual in these types of communities. Most of the cottages in places like this are not winterized and can't be lived in during the winter what with the lack of insulation, heat, or protected water pipes. The dog thing you may need to bend on. Pets have become people's children and many won't leave them for long periods of time.
posted by cecic at 11:30 AM on December 10, 2016 [15 favorites]
It would take some research, but looking into how other summer colony/camp-meeting/chautauqua communities have managed to survive and attract young people might be helpful.
posted by cecic at 12:00 PM on December 10, 2016
posted by cecic at 12:00 PM on December 10, 2016
Response by poster: To answer some questions:
I say young when I mean younger... like under 50. I realize that most people under 40 don't have resources for a vacation home.
The affordability vs proximity to NYC is probably the key draw. Most bungalows range in price between $40k and $75k depending on size and condition. The annual fee including taxes, electricity, water and amenities is between $3k and $4k per year. Members pay for their own gas and insurance. You own your bungalow... and the land is owned by the community as a collective.
The no winter thing along with the restrictions to dwelling alterations is a condition of our low tax base within the town where we are located. If people live there year round, then we would pay much, much higher residential taxes. Most of the houses aren't winterized anyway. The town also insists that the footprint of the houses doesn't change. So no additions or permanent structures like decks or porches. No additional doors or windows can be added. But external cosmetic upgrades can be made, and replacement of existing doors, windows and roofs is fine. There are no real restrictions on interior improvements and infrastructure.
The community was once full of kids. But that slowly dropped off in the 90's. People's kids grew up or lost interest. New members were either childless or their kids were grown. Now there are visiting grandchildren, but only one family has young kids. There is some playground equipment for younger kids, but it's pretty much unused. We realize that it is hard to attract families when there are so few other kids there.
No dogs. Sigh. This one has been challenged a number of time, but so far the membership continues to vote to keep dogs out. They worry about barking and people cleaning up after their dogs. That's just the way it is at the moment. Also, we have a bunch of cats.
Also, to clarify, these are not meant as primary residences. The vast majority of our members live in NYC full time and spend weekends (or some subset of the week) at the community. A few others are snowbirds and live in FL (or elsewhere) during the winter, and then come up full time during the summer. At first, I primarily did the weekend thing because I worked full time. But my love for the place is a big reason I started freelancing... so I could spend more time there.
Volunteer/labor... okay, so this isn't like a major component of the place. There are onsite groundskeepers that do most basic landscaping and maintenance. People aren't doing hard labor or anything. It's things like... hey, the laundry room is peeling and needs to be repainted. Can somebody call a couple of contractors from this approved list and get bids? Can someone take an hours on Sunday morning to show prospective buyers around? Is someone willing to reach out to local musicians to play a paid gig some weekend? Can someone pick up coffee and bagels for the membership meeting? The same 25 people do most of this stuff. If there were twice as many it would just be easier on everyone. Also, this is how we get new things going. Someone was interested in water aerobics, so they found an instructor and asked the board to pay for a weekly class. Now we do two classes a week, and it's well attended. But we just need folks who are willing to help contribute building community opportunities as well as participating in activities.
posted by kimdog at 12:01 PM on December 10, 2016
I say young when I mean younger... like under 50. I realize that most people under 40 don't have resources for a vacation home.
The affordability vs proximity to NYC is probably the key draw. Most bungalows range in price between $40k and $75k depending on size and condition. The annual fee including taxes, electricity, water and amenities is between $3k and $4k per year. Members pay for their own gas and insurance. You own your bungalow... and the land is owned by the community as a collective.
The no winter thing along with the restrictions to dwelling alterations is a condition of our low tax base within the town where we are located. If people live there year round, then we would pay much, much higher residential taxes. Most of the houses aren't winterized anyway. The town also insists that the footprint of the houses doesn't change. So no additions or permanent structures like decks or porches. No additional doors or windows can be added. But external cosmetic upgrades can be made, and replacement of existing doors, windows and roofs is fine. There are no real restrictions on interior improvements and infrastructure.
The community was once full of kids. But that slowly dropped off in the 90's. People's kids grew up or lost interest. New members were either childless or their kids were grown. Now there are visiting grandchildren, but only one family has young kids. There is some playground equipment for younger kids, but it's pretty much unused. We realize that it is hard to attract families when there are so few other kids there.
No dogs. Sigh. This one has been challenged a number of time, but so far the membership continues to vote to keep dogs out. They worry about barking and people cleaning up after their dogs. That's just the way it is at the moment. Also, we have a bunch of cats.
Also, to clarify, these are not meant as primary residences. The vast majority of our members live in NYC full time and spend weekends (or some subset of the week) at the community. A few others are snowbirds and live in FL (or elsewhere) during the winter, and then come up full time during the summer. At first, I primarily did the weekend thing because I worked full time. But my love for the place is a big reason I started freelancing... so I could spend more time there.
Volunteer/labor... okay, so this isn't like a major component of the place. There are onsite groundskeepers that do most basic landscaping and maintenance. People aren't doing hard labor or anything. It's things like... hey, the laundry room is peeling and needs to be repainted. Can somebody call a couple of contractors from this approved list and get bids? Can someone take an hours on Sunday morning to show prospective buyers around? Is someone willing to reach out to local musicians to play a paid gig some weekend? Can someone pick up coffee and bagels for the membership meeting? The same 25 people do most of this stuff. If there were twice as many it would just be easier on everyone. Also, this is how we get new things going. Someone was interested in water aerobics, so they found an instructor and asked the board to pay for a weekly class. Now we do two classes a week, and it's well attended. But we just need folks who are willing to help contribute building community opportunities as well as participating in activities.
posted by kimdog at 12:01 PM on December 10, 2016
Yep, the only people I know who have summer places anymore are families where the mom doesn't work AND they have money but not enough to buy a beach house. Not too many of those anymore.
posted by fshgrl at 12:04 PM on December 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 12:04 PM on December 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
2nd crazy with stars, I don't know. All that is still a lot of work. I think you might have a hard time recruiting people to do those things voluntarily - particularly the people who could theoretically afford this kind of space, and would want time off during the summer, presumably. (Particularly if there isn't already a feeling of like-me-ness that might make them want to invest that kind of energy into it, together with the possible constraints on developing a sense of ownership that were mentioned).
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:24 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by cotton dress sock at 12:24 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
The other obvious thing to do is to consider what other bungalow colonies are doing. Some ideas gleaned from their websites:
* Do you have a website advertising the place, like the Lansman or the Rosmarins bungalow colonies?
* Do you allow/facilitate summer rentals, so that people can try the place for a year before they commit?
* Have you considered running a summer day camp, to recruit children and hence their families?
* Full-time concession area?
posted by crazy with stars at 12:35 PM on December 10, 2016
* Do you have a website advertising the place, like the Lansman or the Rosmarins bungalow colonies?
* Do you allow/facilitate summer rentals, so that people can try the place for a year before they commit?
* Have you considered running a summer day camp, to recruit children and hence their families?
* Full-time concession area?
posted by crazy with stars at 12:35 PM on December 10, 2016
Response by poster: One more point.... we only have 3-6 bungalows for sale or rent any given summer. Clearly we aren't the ideal summer getaway for MOST people who aren't retired. But we can't accommodate a huge turnover anyway.
So given what I've outlined above... where might we reach people who would groove on this kind of scene?
posted by kimdog at 12:37 PM on December 10, 2016
So given what I've outlined above... where might we reach people who would groove on this kind of scene?
posted by kimdog at 12:37 PM on December 10, 2016
Until there's a critical mass of families with kids, this is going to be really unappealing for families with kids. Once there are a bunch of kids, it becomes fun again, because kids will want to go to there to hang out with their bungalow colony friends.
You could look for people with kids who are attracted to cohousing groups. They might be interested in a bungalow community while they're wrestling the real-estate to build cohousing where the jobs are. Would you be OK with selling four houses to eight families, or something, to reduce the cost?
posted by clew at 12:55 PM on December 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
You could look for people with kids who are attracted to cohousing groups. They might be interested in a bungalow community while they're wrestling the real-estate to build cohousing where the jobs are. Would you be OK with selling four houses to eight families, or something, to reduce the cost?
posted by clew at 12:55 PM on December 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
You have a very narrow target market. That's not a bad thing, but keep in mind that super-niche people like this are hard to find and engage. You'll need a budget for this, as well as good graphic design. Without good design and a consistent plan (and a nice website to boot) any money you spend will be effectively wasted.
People in that age range are reachable through direct mailers in a way that the younger generation isn't. Go to Lexus Nexus (ask for a free trial of 5,000 names) and do a pull of 40-55 year old people in the tristate area that own homes and have an income of over $150000. Hire a *good* designer to create a glossy brochure to mail with a card to mail back to you if they are interested.
If direct mail is too expensive, you could do it by email (Lexus Nexus can provide emails as well), but I think you'll find your open rate drops quite a bit because your email is going to be shunted to a Promotions folder, or sit unopened because they have never heard of you.
Other than direct marketing, you have advertisements -- targeted FB ads can be quite effective if done well, as long as they link to a nice looking website. You can also advertise on places like Zillow and Trulia that target people looking for homes. In print, there are plenty of niche magazines for the outdoors, architecture, tiny houses, etc that are read by younger people interested in purchasing a cabin.
Hit up all your members who are alumni of prestigious schools or organizations to put an article or ad in the alumni newsletter.
I'm not sure what you mean by high-profile advertising, but if word-of-mouth isn't getting you where you need to go, direct marketing or advertising is what you've got left. Best of luck, the place sounds really nice.
posted by ananci at 1:07 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
People in that age range are reachable through direct mailers in a way that the younger generation isn't. Go to Lexus Nexus (ask for a free trial of 5,000 names) and do a pull of 40-55 year old people in the tristate area that own homes and have an income of over $150000. Hire a *good* designer to create a glossy brochure to mail with a card to mail back to you if they are interested.
If direct mail is too expensive, you could do it by email (Lexus Nexus can provide emails as well), but I think you'll find your open rate drops quite a bit because your email is going to be shunted to a Promotions folder, or sit unopened because they have never heard of you.
Other than direct marketing, you have advertisements -- targeted FB ads can be quite effective if done well, as long as they link to a nice looking website. You can also advertise on places like Zillow and Trulia that target people looking for homes. In print, there are plenty of niche magazines for the outdoors, architecture, tiny houses, etc that are read by younger people interested in purchasing a cabin.
Hit up all your members who are alumni of prestigious schools or organizations to put an article or ad in the alumni newsletter.
I'm not sure what you mean by high-profile advertising, but if word-of-mouth isn't getting you where you need to go, direct marketing or advertising is what you've got left. Best of luck, the place sounds really nice.
posted by ananci at 1:07 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Advertising at Dwell, Cottages and Bungalows, Apartment Therapy and Domino. Tiny House Magazine is not accepting new advertisers at this time. Some media outlets will do "featured stories" type advertising, and you might look to small space, urban homemaker blogs for profile opportunities too. (The two linked are based in NYC.)
This is a truly niche group you're seeking. Are you comfortable sharing how you found out about the colony and came to buy your bungalow? That might help the folks here notice some avenues that you're not seeing from your POV.
posted by furtive_jackanapes at 2:06 PM on December 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
This is a truly niche group you're seeking. Are you comfortable sharing how you found out about the colony and came to buy your bungalow? That might help the folks here notice some avenues that you're not seeing from your POV.
posted by furtive_jackanapes at 2:06 PM on December 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks again for everyone's thoughts. I've added the link to the community in my profile.
As far as doing any sort of commercialization (day camps, AirBnB) that's not possible. Again it has to do with our tax status and relationship with the town.
We do longer term rentals (at least a month), but that's a choice individual members have to make about their own bungalow. Generally only people who are trying to sell their bungalows go that route.
I found out about the place because my partner spent his summers there as a child. We went to visit a friend of his who still had a bungalow there, and I fell in love with the place. We were able to rent for two summers. I wasn't sure about the feasibility since I was working during the week and we didn't have a car. But it those weren't significant barriers. Then we were able to buy a bungalow that needed work for a great price. We did most of the work ourselves last summer and this summer. And I was elected to the board in Sept.
Most people find out the place through word of mouth. There is already limited advertising in the back of alumni magazines, retired teachers newsletters, and some hiking magazines. But I'm not sure those are finding the under 50 crowd.
When realtors have been involved, we've been inundated with inquiries from people who are looking at the place for investment opportunities or as a permanent residence. Even though we are pretty upfront about what the place is about, we've had people get pretty far along in the membership process (there's co-op style interviews) before we realize that they are planning to try to flip it or rent it out for profit.
furtive_jackanapes... ah, yes. Those places make sense! I had started looking at tiny house communities, but then realized those folks are primarily looking for tiny homes as permanent residents.
posted by kimdog at 2:31 PM on December 10, 2016
As far as doing any sort of commercialization (day camps, AirBnB) that's not possible. Again it has to do with our tax status and relationship with the town.
We do longer term rentals (at least a month), but that's a choice individual members have to make about their own bungalow. Generally only people who are trying to sell their bungalows go that route.
I found out about the place because my partner spent his summers there as a child. We went to visit a friend of his who still had a bungalow there, and I fell in love with the place. We were able to rent for two summers. I wasn't sure about the feasibility since I was working during the week and we didn't have a car. But it those weren't significant barriers. Then we were able to buy a bungalow that needed work for a great price. We did most of the work ourselves last summer and this summer. And I was elected to the board in Sept.
Most people find out the place through word of mouth. There is already limited advertising in the back of alumni magazines, retired teachers newsletters, and some hiking magazines. But I'm not sure those are finding the under 50 crowd.
When realtors have been involved, we've been inundated with inquiries from people who are looking at the place for investment opportunities or as a permanent residence. Even though we are pretty upfront about what the place is about, we've had people get pretty far along in the membership process (there's co-op style interviews) before we realize that they are planning to try to flip it or rent it out for profit.
furtive_jackanapes... ah, yes. Those places make sense! I had started looking at tiny house communities, but then realized those folks are primarily looking for tiny homes as permanent residents.
posted by kimdog at 2:31 PM on December 10, 2016
I'm familiar with these communities and I know how resistant they can be to change, so good luck in this quest!
One of the main barriers to suggestions is the taxes rising due to these changes. Maybe accepting the rise is inevitable and just accepting it as the new normal is the only way to go. Have talks with the town (and a lawyer/accountant) about steps you can take to minimise the tax increase) and enjoy less restrictions. However, this may be a long process, especially if you are asking for variances. Knowing the actual impact, financially and otherwise, is good information to bring back to the membership.
posted by saucysault at 3:23 PM on December 10, 2016 [7 favorites]
One of the main barriers to suggestions is the taxes rising due to these changes. Maybe accepting the rise is inevitable and just accepting it as the new normal is the only way to go. Have talks with the town (and a lawyer/accountant) about steps you can take to minimise the tax increase) and enjoy less restrictions. However, this may be a long process, especially if you are asking for variances. Knowing the actual impact, financially and otherwise, is good information to bring back to the membership.
posted by saucysault at 3:23 PM on December 10, 2016 [7 favorites]
Can you create a mailing or other contact list of former residents who are like your partner: now-adults and in the demographic you're interested in? People who spent part of their childhoods there probably have lost track of the place, and are unaware of its affordability. (From looking at the link, the community organic garden might be a feature worth making more noise about in general.)
posted by furtive_jackanapes at 3:32 PM on December 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by furtive_jackanapes at 3:32 PM on December 10, 2016 [3 favorites]
Seems to me that AT and Dwell have a huge audience and this maybe doesn't require that much exposure.
The community and governance model sound like it would mesh pretty well with people who live in (or aspire to live in) cohousing communities. Maybe you can find publications that are directed to that crowd, or send informational materials to the cohousing communities within a few hundred miles of your site?
posted by Sublimity at 3:40 PM on December 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
The community and governance model sound like it would mesh pretty well with people who live in (or aspire to live in) cohousing communities. Maybe you can find publications that are directed to that crowd, or send informational materials to the cohousing communities within a few hundred miles of your site?
posted by Sublimity at 3:40 PM on December 10, 2016 [2 favorites]
Sigh. Why didn't I know about this place thirty years ago? What about advertising or writing a guest blog in online parenting blogs in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn? There must be groups of friends with kids who work remotely who would go for this to get out of the city in the summer. What about putting up enticing bulletin board ads in food co-ops, co-op preschools in the city? "Free-range cottages for free-range families." I dunno--something like that. I know I'm romanticizing this, but coming up on the train with kids seems so appealing--"Monsieur Hulot's Holiday Avec Famille."
posted by Elsie at 6:06 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Elsie at 6:06 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
I would consider advertising with the places whose people can afford to buy there: private school parents in NYC and public school parents in nice neighborhoods. (Park Slope Parents, etc) The parents there are often in their 40s and are more likely to have the disposable income, because they already have that kind of income already.
posted by corb at 7:28 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by corb at 7:28 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Can you get the NYTimes to write a piece about it? I think you could give them a good pitch - affordable, summer homes near NYC, cooperative in nature. Their real estate section is always slobbering over stuff like this.
To the points listed above...
3 seasons, no ability to build out, no dogs: I was down on all that stuff at first and then realized this is exactly like the fancy shmancy place that my family has always rented in. So, actually I don't think that those things are really problems.
posted by Toddles at 10:39 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
To the points listed above...
3 seasons, no ability to build out, no dogs: I was down on all that stuff at first and then realized this is exactly like the fancy shmancy place that my family has always rented in. So, actually I don't think that those things are really problems.
posted by Toddles at 10:39 PM on December 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Why isn't this in Washington State? I'm in my late 30s and would absolutely consider something like this. At that price point, I can't help but think there has to be a market for people who can't afford to buy in the city but would like an inexpensive place for weekends.
Are you near any of the Hudson Valley cultural centers? What about finding some way to advertise to people visiting those areas for the weekend?
Also, this may seem a bit random, but I keep thinking of Unitarian Universalists. I feel like your standard UU congregation would be the kind of place to find these types of community minded people.
posted by lunasol at 12:20 AM on December 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
Are you near any of the Hudson Valley cultural centers? What about finding some way to advertise to people visiting those areas for the weekend?
Also, this may seem a bit random, but I keep thinking of Unitarian Universalists. I feel like your standard UU congregation would be the kind of place to find these types of community minded people.
posted by lunasol at 12:20 AM on December 11, 2016 [2 favorites]
I really, really think you need to make headway on the dog restriction. I could think of several people to whom I could send info on your community right now--but they're dog owners.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:54 AM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:54 AM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
Members of the Park Slope Food Co op - so either advertise in the Linewaiter's Gazette or post on the member bulletin board inside, if a member of your community is already a PSFC member.
posted by sideofwry at 7:59 AM on December 11, 2016
posted by sideofwry at 7:59 AM on December 11, 2016
This is something that would appeal to crunchy people - so I think working through food co-ops and other similar progressive/crunchy organizations is a very good idea.
As for the labor: it may be time to charge a dues so you can compensate the people to take on the tasks. It sounds like a recipe for nothing but complaint that "the new people have to do everything/the new people aren't doing things the way."
That being said, is it impossible to consider that the community would just cease being an organization and disband? I think it's a tough sell. Some models don't translate to new eras, like how hotels aren't tourist cabins any more. What would happen if it just liquidated?
posted by Miko at 3:16 PM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
As for the labor: it may be time to charge a dues so you can compensate the people to take on the tasks. It sounds like a recipe for nothing but complaint that "the new people have to do everything/the new people aren't doing things the way."
That being said, is it impossible to consider that the community would just cease being an organization and disband? I think it's a tough sell. Some models don't translate to new eras, like how hotels aren't tourist cabins any more. What would happen if it just liquidated?
posted by Miko at 3:16 PM on December 11, 2016 [1 favorite]
This could be perfect for professional artists/craftsmen who travel for shows. Many I know have a modest 3 season home in the north and spend the winter in Florida doing the show circuit. Painters, jewelers, textile artists are all possibilities that can produce work in smallish spaces.
Pass out flyers at quality summer art shows, contact national or regional guilds to place a classified ad, Crafts Report targets this group too.
If I were still doing the winter show circuit I'd be very interested in a community like this.
The craft community is a exactly that - a community with a history of assisting each other. As such, the community involvement tasks you mention would not seem excessive.
I hope you find ways to reach new members who will keep the community growing and viable.
posted by cat_link at 11:35 AM on December 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
Pass out flyers at quality summer art shows, contact national or regional guilds to place a classified ad, Crafts Report targets this group too.
If I were still doing the winter show circuit I'd be very interested in a community like this.
The craft community is a exactly that - a community with a history of assisting each other. As such, the community involvement tasks you mention would not seem excessive.
I hope you find ways to reach new members who will keep the community growing and viable.
posted by cat_link at 11:35 AM on December 18, 2016 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Young, "diverse" people often have dogs, and often don't have the disposable income to buy a property they can't benefit from year-round.
posted by mynameisluka at 10:18 AM on December 10, 2016 [44 favorites]