CORVALLIS, Ore. — After seeing the marketing websites other communities were using, Lora Dart knew her neighborhood would benefit from having one. The online platform would be a great way for her and her neighbors to showcase exactly what their Colorado Lake Cooperative neighborhood is about.
The new marketing website for the central-western Oregon ROC recently launched, full of information, photos and videos of the 44-home community.
“We feel like it makes our organization look more professional,” Dart said.
Dart is a membership coordinator for Colorado Lake and one of her jobs is to help new homeowners become Members when they move into the ROC. Having all the information online makes this education process easier by creating a one-stop shop for all the documents, ensuring nothing is missed or lost, she said.
“As a buyer, it’s important to be able to read the bylaws, the rules and regulations, and to know all things about resident-owned communities,” Dart said. “We want everyone moving in to feel happy and that it would be a good transition for anyone.”
Those looking to sell their home are able to list it directly on the website for free. ROC Members are also eligible for a discount when listing their home on MHVillage.com, a real estate website designed exclusively for manufactured homes.
Having the photo gallery and virtual tour of the community is a real boon as well, giving perspective residents an idea of layout of the community more easily.
“It’s nice that people can see things online rather than having to drive through,” Dart said.
The site also highlights some of the local amenities in the area to give perspective residents a sense of the larger community in which they will be living.
Colorado Lake Cooperative, formerly Lakeshore Estates, Inc., was originally established as a commercial mobile home park in 1969. In 2007, the residents purchased the park and became the second resident-owned community in Oregon. In 2017, with the help of CASA of Oregon and ROC USA, Lakeshore Estates, Inc., refinanced its mortgage and reorganized as a cooperative, becoming Colorado Lake Cooperative and a member of the ROC USA network.
ROC USA® has built more than 50 marketing websites for ROCs all across the country. The sites serve as a thorough online real estate brochure designed to attract new Members to either homes for sale. The service is part of the ROC Marketing Program and is free to ROCs that formed since ROC USA’s launch in 2008. Older ROCs can contract for a similar site for a fee. To learn more, write to us at contact_us@rocusa.org.