Charming house with garden and trees, outdoor setting.

Mountain Laurel House

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Forming
  • Home-sharing
  • Urban

Founding year

  • 2023

What we do

Mountain Laurel House has upcoming room openings on August 1 and September 1 to share our house in central East Austin close to downtown.
Rent is $925 per month with $75 to cover your share of the utilities and maintenance. You provide your own food. We occasionally enjoy sharing a meal at the dining table. I welcome this for at least once a month to check in on our lives or housekeeping together.
Mountain Laurel House is in a great location! It’s on a green cul de sac, with a wooded lot to the southwest and a green open space to the west. It’s close to the East 11th & Rosewood dining and entertainment district and right across from the Carver Library and a bus stop. We’re in walking distance to downtown Austin, the State Capitol, Huston-Tillotson University and a short bike or bus ride to the University of Texas; and, south or east of here, Lady Bird Lake and Boggy Creek hike and bike trails, park lands, swimming pools, pickleball and basketball courts. I like to kayak on Town Lake aka Lady Bird Lake or go swimming just across downtown at Deep Eddy or Barton Springs fresh-water, spring-fed swimming pools.
Whole Foods is about a ten minute walk from here on 5th St.; and HEB is a short 5 minute drive east on 7th St.
Amenities in the house include a dishwasher, utility room with a clothes washer-dryer and an optional clothesline, high-speed internet, a big dining room table for meals or activities, and a large screen TV for movie nights.
The yard has beautiful native wildlife habitat gardens, veggie and herb pots, a large Cedar Elm, Live Oak, a fruit-bearing Fig tree and Champenelle grape vine, and a Chili pequin bush.
The cul de sac is a large park-like, green space for short walks or meditation, and one of us is active at a neighborhood garden a few streets away where neighbors are welcome. We’re currently building an outdoor kitchen there.
To apply, email do*************@***il.com with subject line Room at Mountain Laurel House. Request the brief application questions.
We’re looking for a housemate who likes the idea of or has practiced intentional living and has some skills or positive experience in group communication and community-building. Here are the qualities we’re looking for…

  • Self awareness, self compassion, self care
  • Positive, friendly Communication skills
  • Monthly Community Dinner for fun and to decide about how we want to take care of the shared spaces
  • Environmentally-Conscious, Sustainable Lifestyle
  • Mutual respect for quiet time 10 PM – 7 AM
  • Healthy eating habits would be a big bonus!

Artists, gardeners, scholars, social and environmental justice activists or professionals, people of color, LGBTQ folks, vegetarians, vegans are especially welcome and encouraged.
If you are further interested in developing co-ownership in the land and structure or are interested in building in downtown Austin, there is a small piece of land available for purchase or land-lease next to the house that is part of this property.
There is also a large costly piece of land currently for sale that is not part of this property but is immediately adjacent to the west, at the back of the house.
I welcome interested intentional community visionaries to contact us to discuss the possibilities.
Email do*************@***il.com.
Thank you.
Donna

Our Mission

We enjoy living in downtown Austin; we practice sustainable living to care for the planet, ourselves, each other, and the critters.

  • Purpose
  • Home-sharing
  • Community type
  • Coliving
  • Activities
  • Property management

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2023
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2024
  • Started living together
  • 3 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
3

How to join

Email do*************@***il.com for application questions. Visit to meet, preferrably in person or via Zoom. Existing housemates discuss and accept or not, and notify you via text, phone call, or email. Pay a joining fee of $200 and the first month’s rent to hold the room. After the first month, if housemates agree, sign a year’s lease. Also, discuss options to purchase and further develop Mountain Laurel House as an intentional community. Thank you. Best wishes! Donna

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Email do*************@***il.com. Text 512-299-5776 to let me know you’ve emailed me.
In your email, let us know when you wish to visit and the main interest of your visit.
Thanks!
I look forward to meeting you.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Single Leader or Founding Couple

One person or partnership has ultimate authority.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Conflict resolution approach

We consciously consider how to share space equitably and cooperatively when one member is an owner and other members are renting. Or better yet, how to fully convert Mountain Laurel House into a cooperative shared intentional community!

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • There is a one-time fee, investment, or share purchase to join the community separate from accessing housing
  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Join fee: $200
Regular fees: $4
Labor: Encouraged or suggested (1 hrs/week)

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • 1-3 times per month

Significant food acquisition practices

  • Locally sourced

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association

Substance use culture

  • Substance use occurs primarily at celebrations or ceremonies
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community
  • Religions
  • Buddhist
  • Wiccan, Paganism, or Earth Religions
  • Unitarian Universalist

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Mixed adults (few or no children)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a single individual, couple, or Family Trust

Setting

  • Urban

Within city limits with access to urban amenities and infrastructure.

Community type

  • Coliving

    Shared living spaces with private bedrooms/bathrooms and communal
    kitchens, dining, and social areas.

Self-produced energy

  • 33 - 66%

Energy sources used

  • Wind
  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • 33 - 66%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Land area size
    0 acres

Needs & Offers

Offer
  • Communities with Openings
1 month ago

Rooms in Beautiful Location in downtown East Austin

Mountain Laurel House has upcoming room openings on August 1 and September 1 to share our house in central East Austin close to downtown. Rent is $925 per month with $75 to cover your share of the utilities and maintenance. You provide your own food. We enjoy sharing a meal at the dining table at least once a month for fun, to check in on our lives, and talk about housekeeping together. To apply, email do*************@***il.com with subject line Room at Mountain Laurel House. Request the brief application questions and we’ll provide more info and answer your questions. Mountain Laurel House is in a great location! It’s on a green cul de sac, with a wooded lot to the southwest and a green open space to the west. It’s close to the East 11th & Rosewood dining and entertainment district and right across from the Carver Library and a bus stop. We’re in walking distance to downtown Austin, the State Capitol, Huston-Tillotson University and a short bike or bus ride to the University of Texas; and, south or east of here, Lady Bird Lake and Boggy Creek hike and bike trails, park lands, swimming pools, pickleball and basketball courts. I kayak on Town Lake aka Lady Bird Lake or swim just across downtown at Deep Eddy or Barton Springs fresh-water, spring-fed swimming pools. We enjoy sharing a meal at the dining table at least once a month for fun, to check in on our lives, and plan housekeeping together. HEB is a short 5 minute drive east on 7th St. and Whole Foods is about a ten minute walk from here on 5th St. Amenities in the house include a dishwasher, utility room with a clothes washer-dryer and an optional clothesline, high-speed internet, a big dining room table for meals or activities, and a large screen TV for movie nights. The yard has beautiful native wildlife habitat gardens, veggie and herb pots, a large Cedar Elm, two Live Oaks, a fruit-bearing Fig, a Champenelle grape vine, and a Chili pequin. The cul de sac is a large park-like

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • Texas, United States

Mountain Laurel House

Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Communities with Openings
2 months ago

Community House in SE Portland Seeks Membership!

Ellis Street Community House is seeking kind, present, and engaged new housemates with experience in community living. We are currently 3 adults, one baby, and two cats living in a 6 bedroom, 3 bath house on ÂĽ acre of land near Powell Butte nature park and the Springwater Corridor bike trail. We expect to be joined by a shy and sweet 2 year old in the next few months. For us, living in community is a collaborative process, one that helps improve our quality of life. We’re able to eat great food, keep the place clean, maintain a garden, and hold a space large enough to host guests and events by working together. We have an extensive community library and art/craft material collection, as well as a great tea selection, stocked pantry, and functional kitchens ready for feast-making, canning, and fermentation dreams. We make kombucha, ginger beer, sauerkraut, bone broth, natto, and apple/pear butter on a rotating basis. With two fridges and two deep freezers we can save blueberries and blackberries we harvested from close by and get meat directly from farmers. We hold potlucks and other events like bonfires and game nights about once a month, and make a house dinner together weekly. We maintain a home free from artificial fragrances and voice-activated technology. The larger downstairs room is available for $740 per month. The smaller downstairs room will be available for $600 per month starting on September 1rst. The main kitchen is on the second floor. We also have private outdoor space for someone sleeping in their home on wheels available for $200-500 per month depending on the size of the vehicle. This would include membership in the community and use of the common spaces. Guest space is available for friends and relatives of residents – upstairs there is an office/guest room for longer visits, and the couches/pads in the common areas are available for shorter stays. The home has heating and cooling through an efficient heat pump, and we ju

Information

Communities

A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

Plus Community Memberhsip

  • Find people with Profile Match
  • Access to your community listing statistics
  • Create Discussion Groups
  • 50% commission when your members purchase a Plus Membership
  • Access to our affiliate program
  • Member badge on your community profile
I am an official member of this community
Disclaimer
I affirm that my information is accurate and I am authorized to manage this listing
Foundation for Intentional Community FIC Member badge logo.

Free Plan

Free Membership
Free

Intentional Advertising

  • Subtotal

    {{ currencyFormat( pricing_summary.total_amount ) }}

Icon representing community connections and collaboration for intentional communities.

Plus Membership

  • Find communities with Profile Match
  • View detailed reviews about communities
  • Direct message and view contact information
  • Create free listings in Needs & Offers
  • Plus Member resources in CommUniversity
  • Plus Member badge on your profile