Welcome Explorers

Why We Use a Multi-Stage Pathway

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Our Full Membership Pathway is intentionally designed to make what might feel overwhelming — moving abroad, contributing to the development of a village, making a financial commitment — feel doable and supported.

Each stage gives you space to settle in, get oriented, contribute meaningfully, and shape the village together.

It’s designed to help you:

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1. Take the leap in manageable steps — psychologically and financially — instead of all at once.

2. Work alongside future neighbors in real ways: joining circles, trainings, and decision-making so that you’re learning and shaping together as you go.

3. Co-develop the village’s legal, financial, and governance structures in collaboration with professionals and each other. This isn’t about sitting back and evaluating a finished plan — it’s about building the foundations together so they reflect shared values and are legally and financially sound.

4. Shape both place and culture. The village you move into will be one you’ve helped bring to life — architecturally, socially, and organizationally.

5. Belong to a pioneering community that’s intentionally built through shared work, trust, and commitment — not just property purchases.

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You’re not expected to have it all figured out before joining. The pathway is designed so you can step in, contribute, and grow your commitment over time, supported by others doing the same.

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🌿 Full Membership Stage 1: “First Step”

— GVC Membership

Laying the groundwork for your new life in Greece

Commitment to Engage and Mutually Support, Not to Buy

 

This stage is designed for those who love the vision and want to invest, but aren’t yet ready to put down 20% or sign binding contracts.

By becoming a Pathway Member of Greek Village Cohousing (GVC) and paying the €2,000 non-refundable membership fee, your money goes to both receive support to move forward financially and logistically and become a voting member of GVC for 6 months.

This stage gives you access to specialized support, structured information, and community connection to help you overcome the hurdles of moving abroad and prepare for full membership at your own pace.

✨ Benefits
•    Transition Support: Guidance and vetted referrals to Golden Visa attorneys, tax advisors, and financial professionals experienced with relocation to Greece.
•    Early Community Integration: Access to member-only working groups, orientation sessions, and governance learning spaces to understand the legal, financial, and cooperative structures of TCV that work intimately with the professionals to shape the village.  You have influence over your future village and are part of the founding group.
•    Supportive Network: A community of fellow pioneers on the same journey.
•    A Clear Roadmap: Personalized guidance toward full membership and investment when you’re ready.

🤝 Responsibilities
•    Engage Actively: Participate in meetings, circles, and community processes at a level that suits your capacity, helping shape the direction of the community.
•    Contribute to the Collective: Bring your perspectives, skills, and energy to projects that reflect our shared vision and values.
•    Prepare for Next Steps: Use this stage to organize your personal financial, legal, and logistical plans with the support of GVC and the community.

⏳ Duration & Next Steps
Pathway Membership is intended to be short-term and purposeful—typically up to 6 months. This gives you focused time to consider and take the next step forward in prepareing legal, financial, or family matters before advancing to Community Partner status.

Please note: Unit priority numbers for home selection are only provided once you become a Full Community Partner by signing the Community Partner Agreement and making the 20% investment.

🚪 Eligibility
Because our community grows through steady shared commitment, those who step away from Explorer Membership will not be eligible to advance to Pathway GVC Membership later. This is out of fairness to others and helps ensure the community pathway remains clear, focused, and made up of people ready to walk it together.

👉 This stage is perfect for those who know they want to be part of this but need structured support and time to work through logistics, finances, or personal timing.

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👌 Summary: What you get here is time, support, and influence and participation:

• Help + professional resources for planning their move abroad

• Participation in co-creating the village structures and culture

• A serious seat at the table (the only option for a seat at the table is a commitment to be a part of our intentional community)

• Eligibility to purchase later with early investment discounts, if they proceed within the requisite time period

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🤝 Next Steps

1. Sign the GVC Full Membership Agreement 📝
   (This is similar to most cohousing membership agreements.)

2. Pay your Stage 1 Membership Fee

   These dues fund professional services and GVC operations that support your village’s development and your early relocation planning.

   • €1,500 — if paid on or before the last day of the trip

   • €2,000 — if paid within 2 weeks of the trip end date

   • €3,000 — if paid within 3-4 weeks from the date of the trip

⚠️ One month after your return, your Explorer membership expires. Once you leave Explorer status, you no longer have the option to purchase a home.
If you choose not to join as a GVC Member, you may instead opt to be part of our Supporter Circle, which allows for 1–2 week Common House visits (fee-based to benefit community meals program and Common House operations).

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🏡 Full Membership Stage 2: “Step Into Community” —

Community Partner (Pre-Investment Stage)

Engage deeply with your chosen village — before investing
 

This stage marks your formal entry into the village entity and your active role as a co-creator of the community. By this point, you’ve moved beyond preparation and are now helping shape the physical, social, and cultural foundations of Taygetes or Ariadne Cohousing Village.  However, you also provide yourself time for obtaining the down payment and signing legally binding documents.

You sign the nonbinding but serious communication “Letter of Intent” to provide the developer of your chosen community, and you sign the Community Partner Agreement with your chosen community, formally committing to the community entity project while deepening your engagement socially and organizationally.

✨ Benefits
•    Formal Community Partner Status: You secure your legal and organizational role within TCV or ACV.
•    Unit Priority Number and Unit Selection Available: Once the 20 % investment is made, you receive your unit priority number for home selection.
•    Co-Creation Influence: You help shape key aspects of village design, policies, and culture as part of the founding group.
•    Decision-Making Power: You participate fully in sociocratic governance, bringing your voice to the core processes shaping the community.
•    Clear Path Forward: A structured timeframe helps you complete any remaining legal and financial steps with full support.

🤝 Responsibilities
•    Full Sociocracy Training: Complete the full sociocracy course from SOFA (not just the 3 short abbreviated videos we do in the Empowered learning circles) so you can participate effectively in governance and co-creation.
•    Active Participation: Continue at a serious engagement level in at least one circle or working group. Engage regularly in collaborative decision-making and project work.
•    Financial & Legal Steps: Move forward with the 20 % investment in an escrow account and any personal legal/financial requirements needed to advance to full Community Partner status.
•    Cultural Contribution: Embody and model the values of collaboration, shared leadership, and mutual support that define our community.

⏳ Stage 2 Duration
Stage 2 is intended to be a short and purposeful bridge between commitment and investment, up to 3 months at most. Members then have up to 3 months from signing the Letter of Intent and Community Partner Agreement to make their initial investment.  At the initial construction stage, that will be 20%, and as each construction milestone is completed, the additional percentages of investment will be due.  

Extensions for payment may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the developers (for example, Golden Visa processing delays, tax issues, or family circumstances), but they must be intentional, time-limited, and approved by both developers and the relevant group circle (if necessary to construction). This ensures that the community continues to move forward together without unnecessary delays and with fairness to all.

👉 This is where you truly step inside the community — legally, socially, and creatively. You are no longer preparing; you are co-creating the village you will live in.

👌 Summary: This stage ensures that your decision to invest is grounded in real participation and shared vision, not just enthusiasm. You choose your village (Taygetes or Ariadne) and commit to becoming a Community Partner in the Pre-Investment Stage. 

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🤝 Next Steps

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1. Sign a nonbinding Letter of Intent (LOI) ✍️

2. Place down payment in escrow as a demonstration of ability to pay

3. Sign up for and complete a SOFA 6 week, online, interactive sociocracy training

4. Join a village circle or working group and actively contribute in a deeper way

5. Begin shaping village-level decisions and policies in deeper way

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🌳 Full Membership Stage 3: Full Community Partner

Invest, commit, and become a full Community Partner of your village
 

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Invest, commit, and become a Full Community Partner of your village

This is the stage where your formal legal and financial commitment is made and your place in the community is fully secured.

To enter Stage 3, you will:

• 📝 Sign the Taygetes Cohousing Village (TCV) Membership Agreement and all relevant purchase and ownership contracts for your village and unit.

• 💶 Place your 20 % investment (or complete your remaining investment according to the agreed payment schedule).

• 🏡 Receive your unit priority number, which determines the order in which members select their homes. (Priority numbers are assigned based on the date of investment, not earlier stages.)

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Once you complete these steps, you become a fully vested Community Partner in Taygetes Cohousing Village and a full member of Greek Village Cohousing.

This means:

• You hold your full legal and financial rights in the project.

• You gain full participation in village governance and decision-making.

• You have secured your unit and your role in shaping the daily life of Greece’s first symbiotic cohousing village.

• You are no longer “preparing to join” — you are in.

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🌿 Stage 3 is the point where your vision becomes a real home in intentional community.

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💰 Refunds After Investment in Your Home

We understand that life circumstances can change. For that reason, if you choose to withdraw after becoming a Stage 2-3 Full Community Partner and making your 20 % investment, you are entitled to a full refund of your investment under the following terms:

• Refunds are issued only after construction is complete and your unit has been resold to another member.

• Refunds do not include interest.

• Your investment remains in the project’s account throughout this period to demonstrate financial stability to the developer and to support the collective project.

• Refunds are not provided for initial stage 1 GVC membership, as that money has been spent on services and operations.

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Importantly, the Community Prosperity Circle, operating through sociocratic governance, acts as the custodian and steward of Taygete or Ariadne investment funds—not any individual, including Evi. This ensures that decisions regarding withdrawals and refunds are made collectively, transparently, and with the health of the entire community in mind.

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This policy protects both you and the community by ensuring that:

• The funds you’ve committed remain secure and visible during construction.

• The project maintains the financial stability required to proceed smoothly.

• Refunds are handled fairly and equitably through community-based processes.

👉 In essence: your commitment is real, but so is your protection. If life leads you elsewhere, your funds will be returned once your unit is resold—no penalties, no loss—while ensuring the community remains strong and viable.

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🏡 Why do these stages exist?

Cohousing communities thrive because members move forward in intentional, transparent steps. This pathway is designed to:

• Give you time and space to explore before committing

• Ensure financial commitments match readiness

• Build strong community culture and trust

• Create a fair, transparent structure for all members

Each stage is a milestone of shared commitment, not a test. We’re building this village together. 🫶

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A list of useful documents and links:

• 📄 GVC Full Membership Agreement (PDF)

• ✍️ Letter of Intent Template (PDF)

• 🧭 Sociocracy Training Portal

• 💬 Community Prosperity Circle Overview

• 📅 Orientation Calendar