FW: Interest in Living at Headwaters
Gwendolyn Hallsmith
Here is an application and financial statement from another applicant who is interested in Headwaters. He would like to come to visit. Will that be possible this weekend?
Cheers, Gwen
From: Trevor Green
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2022 2:18 PM
To: Gwendolyn Hallsmith
Subject: Re: Interest in Living at Headwaters
Hi Gwen,
I've attached my application, along with a recent statement from my brokerage. Apologies for the delay, I look forward to planning a visit!
Thanks,
Trevor
On Mon, Mar 7, 2022 at 8:37 PM Trevor Green <tgree...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Gwen,
That all sounds great, I will get a completed application back to you soon. I just need some time to check in with my references and put together an updated resume. Thanks again!
Cheers,
Trevor
On Mon, Mar 7, 2022 at 8:02 PM Gwendolyn Hallsmith <gwen...@headwatersvermont.org> wrote:
Hi Trevor,
Thanks for the note! Yes, a letter from your brokerage would suffice. Did I send you the application? I’ll attach it. Since you live nearby, once you send in the completed application and the financial information, I’ll forward it to the community and we can start the process of setting up visits. It’s really important that people meet everyone before decisions are made. It sounds like you’d be a good fit, at least from your interests.
Full disclosure, there are already people ahead of you in line. One family has been approved to buy my house, the other family has met everyone and is just waiting for them all to meet again. There are no contracts yet, but they are creeping along toward it. But if you went for a visit, you could see what’s there and if you wanted to WWOOF next summer, they will have met you already.
There are no length of stay requirements for WWOOFers, it’s basically what you can work out. Last summer we had a nice young couple who had a scholarship from Harvard to be there. We have a little guest house (with heat) that has a summer bathroom with two composting toilets, a sink, and a shower right next to it. It has its own kitchen.
Hope that helps. You can see more pictures, including the little guest house, on an ad I’ve placed for the whole thing on Zillow (for when the option expires).
Cheers, Gwen
From: Trevor Green
Sent: Monday, March 7, 2022 7:51 PM
To: Gwendolyn Hallsmith
Subject: Re: Interest in Living at Headwaters
Hi Gwen,
Thanks for the response! I am still interested in the home site; the house is more than I can afford. WWOOFing might be a good option too, I will consider applying for that. How long of a stay would be required to WWOOF? What sort of work schedule is expected? Would I be able to bring my dog?
I also have a question about proving that I'm financially qualified for the home site. The majority of my assets are in the form of stocks, some of which could be sold to comfortably cover the cost of the site. A recent statement from my brokerage would show that I am financially qualified, would you accept that in lieu of a letter from my bank? I don't have much money in the bank, and my current income is somewhat irregular.
I want to be transparent about the fact that the majority of what I have is a result of luck, privilege, and generational wealth. I seek to leverage this towards reparations to BIPOC and ecological restoration, and have actively directed a portion in that direction, but I still do have a relatively large financial safety net at this point. If I were to buy the home site, I would view it as an opportunity to experiment with various methods of building affordable ecological housing, which I intend to continue developing and sharing widely.
Cheers,
Trevor
On Mon, Mar 7, 2022 at 3:41 PM Gwendolyn Hallsmith <gwen...@headwatersvermont.org> wrote:
Hi Trevor,
Thanks for the note! Right now we have a house for sale that costs $242,000 and a home site for $58,000. I know that might seem like a lot. There are three families already in line for the two home sites, but if you are still interested, you can fill out the attached application form and provide me with a letter from your bank that you are financially qualified. Then I’ll work to arrange a visit.
Another possibility would be for you to apply to be a WWOOFer in the summer – Worldwide Workers on Organic Farms. We have people live in a tiny house we have in the summer to help with all the gardening work. It’s not permanent housing, but it sounds like it might give you an idea about what it’s like.
Cheers, Gwen
From: Trevor Green
Sent: Monday, March 7, 2022 3:25 PM
To: gwen...@headwatersvermont.org
Subject: Interest in Living at Headwaters
Hi Gwen,
My name’s Trevor, and I would love to learn more about living at Headwaters. I am excited by the potential of ecovillages to help restore our collective connection to land and the web of life, and I feel deeply aligned with the published vision and purpose of Headwaters. Would it be possible for me to come visit the community at some point?
I’m currently living in an earthship in Huntington VT, just over an hour west of Cabot. I’m very interested in natural building and ecological design, and have spent the past few years exploring this field through a variety of projects and courses. I’m also a civil engineering technology student, expecting to complete my bachelor’s degree at the end of this semester. I am looking for a place to grow roots and practice regenerative ways of being, and your ecovillage seems like it could potentially be a great fit. I look forward to hearing from you!
Best wishes,
Trevor Green