Frequently asked questions

Terra Futura is a small, three-acre neighborhood in West Asheville where the design encourages neighbors to actually know each other. We’ve blended three concepts here: it’s an agrihood because our homes are built around shared gardens; it’s an intentional community because we make decisions together on purpose; and it’s a pocket neighborhood because our homes are clustered around shared open space rather than spread across separate lots. Each home is individually deeded, with homes available to buy or rent.

Terra Futura began with Jack, Kelsey, and a simple, stubborn belief that people shouldn’t have to choose between the comforts of modern home ownership and the deep connection of a true community. They wanted to build a place where daily life is rooted in the land and neighbors actually show up for one another. This wasn’t a casual project. They spent four years immersing themselves in the study of intentional communities across Asheville and beyond, learning from both their successes and their mistakes to lay a foundation built to last. You can read more about that journey on our About Terra Futura page.

Yes! Several households already call Terra Futura home, and over half of the neighborhood is built. It’s an exciting time to arrive as our first residents work through the early days together, proposing new projects and discovering how to share daily life in a way that works for everyone. We’re also preparing for the next chapter with Maple Crescent, a new cluster of two- and three-bedroom townhomes planned for 2027. We’re excited to watch this community grow and come to life!

The first step is to check our available homes, ask a question, or book a call. If you’re interested in moving forward, you’ll receive the community documents and attend an orientation, either in person or via video call. This happens before any lease is signed or any sale is closed.

Orientation isn’t an interview or screening process. It’s a chance for you to see exactly how we operate, ask the tough questions, and decide if this is where you belong. Once you move in, we’ll pair you with a community ambassador to help you get settled, start composting, and get to know the neighborhood.

We’ll walk through how the neighborhood works, including our self-governing structure (sociocracy), the HOA, shared spaces, composting, guests, pets, and how neighbors bring ideas forward. We’ll also talk about the neighborhood as it is today and the work ahead.

Please bring all your questions, even the small ones about what everyday life actually looks like here!

Terra Futura is designed to be self-governing, meaning the neighborhood is run by the people who live here. We do this through sociocracy, where neighbors who want to contribute to a specific part of community life form small groups called circles. Each circle is resident-led and has a clear area of responsibility. For example, the Land, Grounds & Farm Circle will look after the outdoor spaces while the Social & Resident Life Circle will handle things like community meals, workshops, and welcoming new neighbors. Learn more about sociocracy →

Each circle contributes 2 members to our General Circle, which connects these different groups and coordinates priorities across the whole neighborhood.

Because we’re still moving toward full resident governance, we have a Community Transition Steward who helps neighbors navigate this process. If you have an idea, you can bring it to the steward or add it to our Future Governance Agenda, a running list of questions and proposals for the community to work through. Decisions happen in person during circle meetings. Neighbors also keep up with day-to-day news in the community group chat.

We use a process called consent rather than simple majority voting. A proposal moves forward when the circle has addressed any serious objections about whether it might harm the community or interfere with the circle’s purpose. The guiding principle is “good enough for now, safe enough to try.” This allows us to act and learn from experience instead of waiting for a perfect plan that might never happen.

1. ProposalAnyone in the circle can bring one forward
2. Objections?A real concern for the community, beyond a preference
3. ConsentGood enough for now, safe enough to try
4. Try itRevisit and adjust later

Anyone in the circle can put forth a proposal. In a meeting, we follow structured rounds where each person takes a turn asking clarifying questions, offering reactions, and either giving consent or raising an objection. An objection goes beyond a personal preference and identifies a concern the circle needs to work through. The circle then works together to adjust the proposal until no serious objections remain.

Consent doesn’t require everyone to think a proposal is perfect. It means the circle agrees it is safe enough to try, knowing they can revisit and adjust it as residents see how it works in practice.

You don’t need to be part of a circle to have your voice heard. You can speak with a member of the relevant circle, bring your concern to an open portion of a meeting, or add your suggestion to the Future Governance Agenda. Every circle has a representative who carries neighbors’ ideas into the meeting and explains the circle’s decisions back to the rest of the community.

If you have a specific proposal, like a change to how a garden is arranged, think about what you’d like to try, who it affects, and what resources the change needs. This helps the circle understand the scope and move forward more quickly. If you’re unsure where to start or which circle should hear your idea, the steward can help you find the right route.

Yes! Adult residents, including renters and additional adult household members, can attend open meetings and ask to join a working circle. Joining a circle is a governance role, similar to serving on a committee. The circle itself agrees on who takes a seat so that the members can work together effectively on consent decisions.

Circle membership is separate from living here: it has no bearing on buying or renting a home. Every resident can bring ideas forward and attend open meetings whether or not they hold a seat.

The Deed Holder Circle is for owners and handles ownership matters, including any decisions the HOA’s governing documents require owners to vote on. The day-to-day life of the neighborhood is shaped by the working circles. Any full-time resident, whether an owner or a long-term renter, can be selected as a circle’s Leader or Representative and, through that role, serve on the community’s Board.

The circles and the HOA handle different types of responsibility. The circles are where residents manage shared life and make decisions within their assigned areas of responsibility. The HOA Board handles the legal and financial obligations of the association, such as contracts, formal records, and financial assessments.

The route your idea takes depends on what you’re proposing. An agreement about how to use a shared space belongs with the relevant working circle. A project that affects shared property or financial assessments also needs ownership-level review. Any changes requiring a formal owner vote follow the neighborhood’s Declaration and Bylaws. These distinctions are covered in detail during orientation.

Your participation here is entirely your choice. There are no required volunteer hours or mandatory quotas. Whether it’s joining a workshop, sharing a meal, or helping out on a workday, the invitation is always open but the pressure is off. We know that life changes. Some seasons might leave room for you to dive into a project, while others might only leave room for a quick hello to a neighbor on the path.

That said, we do encourage residents to attend our workshops on sociocracy and nonviolent communication. These aren’t just classes; they give us all a shared language to navigate decisions and disagreements without things becoming personal.

One important distinction: there is a difference between being a neighbor and holding a governance role. If you choose to serve on a circle, that is a real commitment. Those roles require consistency, preparation, and follow-through. But you can absolutely share your ideas and concerns without ever taking a seat in a circle.

While your social life is your own, living together requires some basic ground rules. Each household follows the same agreements that apply to their home and community property. This includes financial obligations, composting, and behavior expectations around guests and pets. Simple, common-sense rules like these keep the neighborhood operating for everyone who lives here. You’ll go through all of this information during orientation so you have time to understand what you’re agreeing to before you move in.

Yes! In fact, alone time is built into our culture. We believe that to be a good neighbor, you first need a place to retreat and recharge. Beyond your own home and porch, there are quiet spots across the property, including the woods. We respect personal boundaries here: sometimes that means an invitation to connect, and sometimes it means wearing headphones to let neighbors know you’re in your own world for a while. Both are perfectly acceptable.

Conflict happens. We don’t avoid it or pretend it doesn’t exist, because we believe that real closeness only grows on the other side of healthy conflict.

The physical layout of our neighborhood actually helps here. When your home is clustered around shared spaces, it’s hard to ignore someone you’re at odds with. Hiding out in your house becomes awkward pretty quickly, which gives us all a natural reason to want to repair things. We encourage talking in person, taking the time to explain what happened and hearing each other out until you reach a next step you both can live with. If you need help getting that conversation started, our steward is there to support you.

Our shared culture is built on curiosity, not canceling each other. We use nonviolent communication as a shared language, not to avoid the difficult parts of living together, but to understand why conflict arises and how to move through it without severing relationships. Sometimes a disagreement reveals that one of our community agreements needs to change; in those cases, neighbors can bring those concerns to the relevant circle to review them together.

It starts with the ordinary, small actions: saying what you need, listening to the other person’s experience, and following through on what you agreed to do. Depending on the situation, a resolution might look like an apology, a clearer boundary, or a different arrangement entirely. Each person’s capacity and limits are always part of that conversation.

The truth is that many of us have lost the skills needed for living in close proximity. We have to learn them again. That’s why we’re committed to ongoing learning, from the listening practices of sociocracy to workshops on family life and conflict. We don’t all share the same core values or histories, but we do share a commitment to move through conflict well and keep our agreements. This is our version of regeneration: rebuilding a social fabric where neighbors can actually depend on each other.

Terra Futura is built to be multigenerational, from babies to elders and everyone in between. We believe that children and elders belong in the everyday life of the neighborhood, sharing space with neighbors of all ages.

An alloparent is an adult, other than a child’s parent, who takes on a caring role in that child’s life. These relationships aren’t assumed but grow through individual connections and explicit agreement between the family and the adult. We recognize three different levels of connection here. There are community neighbors who are familiar faces in the neighborhood. Then there are trusted adults, who the family has specifically named as people their child can turn to. Finally, there are alloparents who have a deeper, ongoing caregiving relationship that is agreed upon with the parents and revisited as the child grows. Each relationship moves at its own pace, and we believe that being a kind, familiar neighbor is a valuable contribution all on its own.

These bonds are built through honest, direct conversations between the parents and the adults involved. They talk about what care looks like, what boundaries matter, and how to show up for the child in a way that works for everyone. While we can note these arrangements in a Children and Caregiving Profile for clarity, the heart of the matter is between the adults themselves. Parents remain ultimately responsible for their children, and adults have the freedom to decline a visit or a caretaking role based on their own capacity and needs.

We want our children to feel the freedom of the neighborhood, and we also want parents to feel at peace. That’s why we’ve agreed on a few clear expectations: a child enters another adult’s home only when that adult has been approved by the parent as a trusted adult or alloparent. That same care and protection apply to private spaces, whether it’s a room in a house or a quiet spot in the woods. When several children are involved, we make sure each family has given their approval.

Of course, the casual, everyday encounters that happen as we move through the neighborhood are part of the joy of living here. But if a child crosses a boundary or enters a private area without permission, we encourage adults to set that limit kindly and immediately let the parents know.

Safety is our promise to one another. If anything ever feels uncomfortable, children are encouraged to tell their parents or the Community Transition Steward. Adults are encouraged to do the same. We specifically teach children that they should never be asked to keep secrets from their parents. We discuss all of this during orientation because having a shared language around safety is how we create a space where both children and adults can truly relax. Any adult can speak up when a child is breaking a rule or doing something dangerous or destructive, for the safety of the whole community. Speaking up in the moment is separate from the care arrangements families agree on.

We built Terra Futura to work with the land rather than against it. The placement of our homes respects the natural slope of the hill, the existing trees, and the way water moves across the property. You’ll find native plants like pawpaws and persimmons scattered throughout, along with berry bushes and herbs. While the areas closer to the homes have more familiar ornamental landscaping, the wider grounds are managed for ecological function, which means it might look a little untidy in some seasons. This design extends to our water management: runoff from the homes and hill houses is reclaimed and directed into rain gardens and our central garden.

Yes. Composting and recycling are part of our shared commitment to the land. Composting returns nutrients to the soil and reduces our waste, which also means we don’t have rows of trash bins lining the private drive. If you’re new to composting, we’ll show you how it works during orientation.

Not at all! Gardening is entirely optional, and we welcome every level of experience. The space is there for anyone who wants a closer connection to the seasons or a place to learn. While we have more growing space than you’d find in a typical yard, these areas are for enjoyment and learning rather than full nutritional support. We still shop for groceries and support local farmers.

Picking food is a shared activity coordinated by our Farm Manager, who sets the schedules and workdays. Most of the larger harvests go toward our community potlucks, which happen several times a week. It’s fine to grab a handful of herbs for dinner as you pass by, but for anything more substantial, please check with the Farm Manager first. You can keep up with what’s ready through our community group chat or the notice board in the barn. For those who want their own space, individual raised beds are available within the housing clusters. More on community life →

Basic maintenance is covered by HOA assessments. That said, residents help shape how these spaces evolve through volunteer projects and daily care, like picking up after themselves and their guests. The Farm Manager currently oversees the grounds, but as resident governance develops, these responsibilities will be managed by the appropriate circles.

Yes, guests are welcome! We just ask that you introduce them to our community expectations regarding pets, care of the land, and any marked construction boundaries. If you’re planning a longer visit or a larger gathering, check the guest guides for more details.

Terra Futura has homes for purchase and homes for long-term rental. Our available homes page is kept up to date with each home’s current status, whether it is for sale, for lease, or already sold or leased.

Maple Crescent, the next cluster of two- and three-bedroom townhomes, is planned for 2027. If you’d like to know what’s open today, send us a note or book a call.

For our townhomes, assessments cover shared expenses including insurance, landscaping, maintenance, water, sewer, trash, recycling, compost, and internet. Each household is responsible for its own electricity. Before you buy or rent, we’ll walk you through the specific assessment and responsibilities for the home you’re considering.

We chose to cluster homes and build upward to preserve as much of the land as possible for open space and gathering. By building more efficiently, we keep the most important parts of the neighborhood close to our front doors. If layout or stairs are a concern for you, we recommend reviewing our individual floor plans and discussing them with us during a visit.

We’ve invested in construction that prioritizes privacy and quiet. Each shared wall uses separate wall structures and an air gap, combined with Rockwool Safe’n’Sound insulation, resilient channels, and Type X drywall to significantly reduce sound transfer between homes so your days and evenings stay private. We can show you more of these construction details during your visit.

Green Built certification means an independent third party has verified that our homes meet the standards of the Green Built Alliance’s program. Our homes at 54 and 62 Huffman Road are Gold-certified, and the Firefly Bluff homes on Fireside Drive are Silver-certified. This includes documented features like ENERGY STAR appliances and mini-split heat pumps that let you heat or cool only the spaces you’re actually using. These standards help us ensure healthier indoor air quality and lower resource use. More details for each home can be found on its property page.

Three-bedroom homes have two assigned parking spaces, while two-bedroom homes have one. We also provide additional spaces for guests. We just ask that all residents and visitors keep fire lanes and construction access routes clear at all times.

Absolutely! The best way to understand our community is to experience it in person. Book a call or send us a note to arrange a visit. Let us know if you’re considering buying, renting, or simply getting to know how we live here, and bring any questions you have.

Feel free to reach out in writing. We’ll reply via email within one business day. Whether it’s a technical question about a home or a question about what everyday life here is really like, we’re happy to answer it!