BUSINESS PROFILE: Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens
Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens provides comfortable/cooperative living in a quiet neighborhood
By Schott Thoma
Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens is a 50-unit cooperative nestled among pine trees and wildlife in a country setting, yet still within city limits of St. Cloud, which enables homeowners to shop, dine and attend entertainment venues without having to travel far.
Realife Cooperative is a form of multi-home ownership and not-for-profit organization, solely owned and operated by the residents who live there.
Currently, there are 13 original charter members living at Realife Cooperative. The homeowners have no one to oversee their decisions and set their rules. Realife Cooperative is owned collectively by its resident members, who elect a board of directors that provides direction to a management staff.
“We like this way better than an apartment because we are allowed to pick out our own appliances if we want and make any changes to our home that we want,” said Darlene Robak, who has lived at Realife for six months with her husband, Norman.
Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens will host an Open House from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
Many people enjoy owning their own home, but as they age, keeping up with maintenance inside and out gets to be too much. In that case, Realife Cooperative Housing Association Manager Brenda Williams urges people to sign up now to go on a waiting list so there will be an available home when they are ready to join the cooperative.
“The residents are free to do what they want to make their home more comfortable and enjoyable,” Williams said. “If they want to paint or fix up their home, they can. It’s their home.”
Andy and Kathy Doom signed up to be placed on the waiting list as they knew the day would come when maintaining a home might become difficult for them.
“We were anticipating that yard maintenance would eventually be an issue, so we signed up,” said Andy, who has lived with his wife at Realife Cooperative for 10 months.
“Both of us liked to do gardening at our home, and we are able to still continue gardening as we have a beautiful flower and vegetable garden here,” said Kathy. “I’m also on the Gardening Committee here.”
There is a myriad of committees that homeowners can select from at Realife, allowing them to make decisions that they feel will benefit other residents.
“I’m on the Library Task Force because I love to read,” said Kathy, who is also on the Activities Committee and the Repair and Restoration Committee. “The library here has a lot of books to choose from. The people that live here do a lot of reading, so this library gets used a lot.”
Andy joined the Security Committee and is also on the Activities Committee. Other committees include Grounds/Landscaping, Finance, Marketing, Kitchen and Entertainment.
Residents can also just relax with a cup of coffee while socializing if they choose, or they can enjoy a barbecue on the large patio area with comfortable seating, sit and read on a bench in the garden area, or view the many wildlife animals that can be seen roaming the grounds.
“We’re like a big family here,” said Darlene. “Everyone gets along so well and helps one another with different things. When we were first looking at places to move to, we were really impressed with how friendly everyone was here, and it has such a homelike atmosphere.”
Many residents enjoy the convenience of living on the edge of town away from the hustle and bustle of constant traffic and people in the heart of the city. Yet, they also enjoy the convenience of being close enough to stores, museums, and the hospital and clinic.
When a unit becomes available for sale, residents currently living at Realife Cooperative are given the first choice of purchasing it as they might want to live in a larger or smaller home than the one they currently own.
Features included in each unit include individual heating/cooling system, 36-inch doorways for easier wheelchair/walker access, lever door handles, large bi-level islands, dishwasher, step-in showers, comfort-height toilets, patios/decks, and phone/internet/television package.
Interested homeowners can choose from the following 10 various floor plans:
• 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 702 square feet
• 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 852 square feet
• 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1,067 square feet
• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1.179 square feet
• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,202 square feet
• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1.213 square feet
• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,239 square feet
• 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1,362 square feet
• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, den, 1,391 square feet
• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1.452 square feet
“It’s a community of your peers,” said Williams. “The friendships you develop here are amazing, and it’s a beautiful, quiet setting, while also remaining an affordable living option.”
Also available to each homeowner is a storage space, as well as raised dishwashers and dryers to make it more convenient for someone who may have back problems.
Among the other amenities available at Realife Cooperative is a woodworking shop with an abundance of power and hand tools, a craft room, seven laundry rooms, a heated and secure vehicle parking garage that includes a car wash bay, wellness room, fully-equipped kitchen with a large dining area, and a guest suite.
The homeowners celebrated the Fourth of July with root beer floats and are planning an Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social where homeowners and anyone on a waiting list are invited.
“We also have other social events like potlucks and we celebrate holidays together and things like that,” said Kathy. “It’s like a big family. Everyone has their quirks, but you know and respect your neighbors.”
Realife Cooperative at Mueller Gardens is located at 6670 Northwood Lane in St. Cloud. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 320-258-3094 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, or from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.
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