Why Choose Us?

Real People, Real Community

Exceptional Quality of Life

Plenty of Activities

Worry-Free Living

Financial Benefits

New neighbors and friends – Enjoy living among adults with similar life experiences. Need a cup of sugar or just want to visit with a neighbor? Friends are only an “indoor” door away.

“When I moved in to Realife Cooperative of Coon Rapids, it was the first time I ever lived in a new house. It is so nice and everyone is so friendly. There are so many activities that people can participate in if they like. This co-op plan is a wonderful idea.” ~ Mary

“We went away for a month and were worried we’d miss our grandchildren too much. It turns out we missed our new friends in the cooperative as well.” ~ Dick and Helen

There are many aspects of living at Realife Cooperative of Coon Rapids that make for an exceptional quality of life.

Home Designs – We offer a variety of floor plans. Our homes offer many unique features to make day-to-day living easier. Spacious kitchens, wider doorways, lever-set door handles and slider windows are a few features that help people age in place.

Common Areas – a variety of common areas such as a great room with a full kitchen, activities/game room, craft room, library, exercise room, and woodshop add to members’ enjoyment. Life in a Realife development is like having two homes in one – your individual unit and all the common areas to spend time with new friends and neighbors.

Staff – Professional on-site management staff handles day-today operations like bookkeeping, assisting the board and committees, as well as scheduling any maintenance.

Location - Easy access to major highways and Riverdale Shopping Center. 

Being a resident at Realife Cooperative of Coon Rapids means that you have decided to live a worry-free life. Just imagine ...

• No home or yard maintenance – sit back, relax and leave the work to us! The Realife staff takes care of all the yard work and building issues so you have the time to do the things you want to do.

• Repairs and replacements – If a standard appliance needs repairs or replacing due to normal wear and tear, the cooperative staff schedules the needed maintenance and it is paid for out of the cooperative’s replacement reserves.

• “While You’re Away” service – You can travel year round without worrying about taking care of your home, yard, or even picking up your mail.

• Superior soundproofing and fire protection

• Secure building with controlled access

All of this will help you sleep better at night and enjoy your days - truly wonderful!

Your social life will be as full as you want it to be with everything we have planned. There are multiple scheduled activities that you can participate in on a daily basis. Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual events make sure you have something to do with other residents who share your common interests. Here's a sample of some of the activities we have throughout the year: 

• Holiday Celebrations incuding choir concerts
• Potlucks
• Meals ordered and delivered weekly
• Social Hour
• Exercise class three times a week with a professional trainer
• Bible Study
• Pinochle
• Cribbage
• Pony Tail
• Pool & Women's Billiards
• Bingo
• Dominoes & Chicken Foot
• Texas Hold'em Poker
• 500 card games
• Summer Hamburger Nights
• Annual Garage Sale
• Annual Craft & Bake Sale
• Puzzles

A cooperative is operated on a not-for-profit basis. Thus, any increases in monthly housing costs are limited to actual increases in operating costs. You’ll also appreciate your investment.

•  Earn Equity – Realife cooperatives are a smart way to downsize and still be able to earn equity in your home. Each year you live in the cooperative you earn a pre-determined amount of equity. This annual appreciation amount is added to a member’s original share price to determine the selling price of a unit.

•  Tax deductions – If you itemize your taxes, you can deduct your proportionate share of real estate taxes and mortgage interest paid. Just like a single-family home.

There are also advantages related to financing. The cooperative corporation holds a 40-year master mortgage resulting in lower monthly payments when compared to a traditional 30-year mortgage. This keeps the prices affordable and easier to sell than market-rate housing.

Consider owning a Realife home, because who doesn’t like saving a little extra money every month? Do you homework and compare the numbers with the worksheet below of typical monthly expenses.

Ownership and operation are the distinguishing factors in housing options. Below is a brief comparison of options independent seniors have to choose from …