Your questions, answered.

You buy a $5,000 share in Lambert Woods Cooperative instead of buying the unit itself. The share gives you the right to live in your home. There is no mortgage and no credit-score requirement. You reserve with $500 now and pay the $4,500 balance at move-in. After that you pay one monthly charge that includes heat, electric, water and trash.

Pay online through the cooperative’s secure PayPal page (www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/WDVDYN6BA4UWW), or by check made out to Maine Cooperative Development Partners, with your name and “Subscriber deposit” on the memo line, mailed to 6 City Center, 3rd Floor, Portland, ME 04101. The deposit holds a specific home and is refundable until construction begins.

The date is not set yet. The current estimate is June 2027. Reserved members hear about the schedule at the monthly members’ meetings.

Your $5,000 share plus an estimated 2% a year. You don’t sell the home the way you would a condo; the cooperative keeps it affordable for the next household.

The cooperative carries one mortgage on the buildings, and its cost is built into the monthly charge. There is no set plan or date to pay it off; the members decide that together as the co-op grows. The goal is that being a member always costs less than renting or owning a comparable home.

Yes. A MaineHousing or Housing Choice Voucher can be used at Lambert Woods Cooperative.

There is no elevator; the buildings are three-story walk-ups. The first-floor homes have no stairs; ask us which ones are still open. They are not certified ADA units, but they are built to accessibility standards and a wheelchair can get in. Tell us what your household needs and we will tell you honestly whether a home fits.

Yes. There are 4 EV chargers on site, which are also open to the public. Parking is not included in the monthly charge.

Most homes are for households earning under 100% of AMI (Area Median Income), and up to 20% can go to households at 100–120%. We’re currently prioritizing households under 80% of AMI. One-bedrooms are for 1–2 people and two-bedrooms for 2–4, so a single person takes a one-bedroom. Income is verified once by the City of Portland before move-in.

Yes. Your Lambert Woods home must be your primary residence, and you need to live there at least 51% of the time. It can’t be a second or part-time home.

You can’t own another home that could be your primary residence, like a house, condo or co-op. A seasonal place is fine, and so is owning an apartment, as long as you live at Lambert Woods at least 51% of the year. If you own a home now, you can still reserve, but it is best to sell before you join. We are glad to help you plan the sale and the timing.

The cooperative’s governing documents are being finalized now. You will get them to review as part of signing up, and members shape the house rules together at the monthly meetings.

These homes are income-restricted: your household must earn at or under 100% of Area Median Income when you purchase (Phase 3 also includes homes for households at 80% AMI). The income test only applies at the time of purchase — if your income changes later, you keep your home. There is no asset limit, except you can’t simultaneously own another home you could live in.

Yes. The future resale price rises with Area Median Income, you build equity by paying down your mortgage principal, and if you itemize you save on the property-tax and mortgage-interest portions of your payment.

For a 3-bedroom (any household of 3 or more), everyone’s income is counted — even people not on the mortgage — because those homes were funded by MaineHousing’s AHOP program. For a 1-bedroom, only the income of the person(s) on the deed and mortgage counts; a partner who is not on the mortgage counts only if they contribute a fixed amount to household expenses. Seasonal and part-year income is annualized.

Gifts and family loans toward your down payment and closing costs are fine, and savings never count against you. A co-signer or guarantor who will not live in the home is not allowed, because everyone on the mortgage must be part of the income-qualified household.

It can pass to a spouse, children, or anyone who has lived in the household for three years, with no new income check. A transfer to family while you are alive works like a sale: the new owner must be income-eligible.

These are intended to be owner-occupied. You can have housemates, but you can’t rent out the whole unit.

Household size is set at closing based on who considers the unit their primary residence — an elderly parent or a college student who lives there counts. Children must live with you 50%+ of the time (183 days/year, with proof of the custody arrangement) to be counted.

Yes. At Dougherty Commons dogs must be leashed outdoors and the owners’ association can add reasonable rules. At the Lambert Woods Cooperative dogs and cats are welcome with no breed restrictions; the members’ house rules include pet provisions (registration, leashed outdoors, and a limit on the number of pets: the draft rules allow up to 2 dogs and 3 cats; service and assistance animals are always allowed).

Saco Falls Management (Portland) manages the Dougherty Commons condominium. The fee — $129/month for a 1-bedroom and $299 for a 3-bedroom in the larger building, $305 in the four-unit townhome building (set Sept 2026) — covers water and sewer, trash, grounds and snow removal, a replacement reserve, and the master insurance policy. You carry your own condo owner’s policy (about $35–40/month). Fees are set by the owner-run association and were raised in September 2026 to cover water; they can change again.

Every home is wired (Cat5 and cable in each bedroom and the living room). Fidium 1-gig internet is available for $55/month through the association, or bring your own provider. Rooftop solar is installed on the condo buildings; owners can opt in and typically save about 25% on the part of their electric bill above the minimum. Homes are all-electric heat pump, so there is no oil or gas bill.

Yes — a two-year builder warranty from Backyard ADUs, with scheduled check-ins at 1, 6, and 11 months after closing to catch punch-list items.

Six raised beds are coming to Dougherty Commons with Phase 3. In-ground food growing is not allowed there because the site was a former city landfill, capped and cleaned under Maine’s Voluntary Response Action Program — the raised beds use clean imported soil. Lambert Woods has community gardens and 15+ acres of woods and trails.

Very. They’re all-electric with heat pumps, achieve DOE Zero Energy Ready certification, and have a HERS index of 34–42 — 58–66% less energy than a standard new home. Estimated electric costs run $144–150/month for 1-bedrooms and $209–250/month for 3-bedrooms, covering all heating, cooling, and appliances.

Yes. The homes are built as precision modular boxes at the KBS factory in Poland, Maine and assembled and finished on site by Backyard ADUs, with advanced air sealing, continuous insulation, and high-performance windows.

Street parking on Douglass & St James Streets is free (Douglass is a designated snow-parking location). A parking-lot space is $150/month extra.

Yes — a day or two before closing you confirm everything is complete and functional. Any punch-list items are handled through the builder’s warranty, with check-ins at 1, 6, and 11 months.

Dougherty Commons is in the Rowe Elementary and King Middle School zones. Lambert Woods is in North Deering — confirm current school zones with Portland Public Schools.

Dougherty Fields is next door — playground, outdoor pool, skate park, playing fields, and basketball. The #1, #4, #5, #7 & #9 Metro bus lines and the Portland Transportation Center (Amtrak Downeaster & Concord Coach to Boston/NYC and north) are a short walk away.

With MaineHousing down-payment assistance (up to $5,000 Advantage, or $10,000 First Generation) plus possible FHLB grants, some buyers have purchased with under $3,000 in cash. MaineHousing loans are also exempt from the real-estate transfer tax, saving buyer and seller about $600 each.

One real buyer’s 1-bedroom with 3.5% down: mortgage (principal, interest, taxes & insurance) $1,771/mo, condo fee $110/mo at the time (now $129), internet ~$55/mo, and winter electricity including heat ~$200–250/mo.

One buyer put 3.5% down and stacked the MaineHousing First-Time Homebuyer grant ($5,000) with a First Generation grant — and paid just $2,200 at closing.

About 1.25% of the price a year. For example, a $325,000 Dougherty 3-bedroom’s 2026 tax bill is about $4,050, or roughly $340 a month. Portland sets a new tax rate each year. Down-payment assistance grants are generally not counted as taxable income (per IRS guidance).