She Co-bought with Friends, Then Became a CoBuy-certified™ Pro
Peggy Foster co-bought her Issaquah home with friends using CoBuy, then earned her CoBuy-certified™ Pro credential.
Peggy asked her friends a simple question: What if I help pay for the addition—and move upstairs?
One idea that changed three lives.
Terry and Ray loved the idea. They'd been priced out of their own renovation when construction costs spiked. Peggy had been looking for community and a way to stop renting. The math worked. The friendship was solid.
But between that question and closing, they discovered something most co-buyers learn too late: goodwill and a handshake aren't enough.
The Setup
Peggy met Terry and Ray when she came to view a listing in Issaquah, Washington. The three connected immediately—motorcycles, co-housing philosophy, shared values. They started spending time together.
Terry, an architect, had designed an ambitious remodel and addition for the home she shared with her husband Ray. But costs had exploded. They'd scaled back to remodeling existing space only. No addition. No upstairs suite.
Until Peggy's question.
The concept was perfect. The execution? Nobody knew. How would ownership work? What if someone wanted out in five years? What happens if Terry and Ray divorced? Who handles repairs, taxes, capital improvements?
The group had vision. What they didn't have: structure.
They needed CoBuy.
Video: Peggy, Terry, and Ray on Co-buying Together
Peggy, Terry, and Ray on how friendship, financial partnership, and CoBuy's platform made their co-ownership work.
What Peggy Discovered (That Changed How She Works with Clients)
Peggy started working through CoBuy's planning wizard. Within 20 minutes, the gaps surfaced.
The ownership split seemed obvious—until it wasn't.
Should equity match financial contributions? What about sweat equity? Ongoing responsibilities? The group had assumed "fair" was clear. CoBuy's questions revealed three different definitions of fair.
Exit rights felt theoretical—until Peggy imagined selling in five years.
Do Terry and Ray get first right of refusal? Can Peggy bring in a new co-owner without unanimous approval? What if she needs to sell and they can't afford to buy her out? These weren't hypotheticals. They were structural decisions that would govern the relationship for years.
The "what if Terry and Ray divorce" question felt awkward to ask.
Nobody wants to plan for their friends' marriage ending. But if it happened, what would it mean for Peggy's ownership stake? Does the divorce trigger a forced sale? Can one spouse buy out the other while Peggy stays? Most co-buyer groups never ask this until it's too late.
The day-to-day decisions felt manageable—until they thought five years out.
Who pays for a new roof? What if one person wants to renovate the kitchen and the others don't? How do you handle decisions when one co-owner is traveling for six months? What's the process for approving major expenses?
Terry said it in the video: "There were a lot of things, actually, that were not on our radar."
Peggy agrees: "I could not imagine going through this process without the assistance of CoBuy because there are just so many elements that are not in a traditional real estate transaction."
Here's what most co-buyers miss: the agreements CoBuy helped them create aren't sitting in a file drawer. Peggy, Terry, and Ray reference them regularly as they navigate co-ownership together.
That's what Peggy knows now that most professionals never learn: co-buying isn't a transaction. It's a lifecycle.
What That Taught Her About Clients
After co-buying her own home, Peggy earned her CoBuy-certified™ Pro credential and began working with other co-buyer groups through the process. That sequence—participant first, practitioner second—taught her things most professionals never learn.
When clients say "we've talked about everything," Peggy knows they haven't. She's been that client. She thought her group had covered all the bases too. CoBuy's planning process revealed a dozen gaps within the first hour. Now when Peggy hears "we're good," she knows exactly which questions to ask.
When clients assume "we'll figure it out as we go," Peggy knows that's code for "we'll fight about it later." Her group almost made that mistake. They were ready to handshake the deal and sort out details post-closing. CoBuy stopped them. The structure they built before closing is what keeps their co-ownership running smoothly.
When clients ask "is this normal?", Peggy doesn't guess. She's lived it. She knows which questions feel awkward but matter (divorce contingencies). She knows which decisions feel minor but aren't (repair approval thresholds). She knows what groups need not just at closing, but months and years into co-ownership.
Most professionals learn co-buying from textbooks or training modules. Peggy learned it from her kitchen table, her co-owners, and the real-life experience of navigating co-ownership herself.
That's the difference.
Why Co-buying Is a Lifecycle, Not a Transaction
Since 2016, CoBuy has been the only platform built specifically for small groups planning, buying, and managing home co-ownership together. Featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and TIME, CoBuy created the co-buyer category and has helped thousands achieve homeownership.
Co-buying isn't a transaction. It's a lifecycle.
Co-buy → Co-own → Exit. CoBuy is the only platform that supports groups through it all.
Peggy's group is proof. The structure CoBuy provided often saves groups $10,000 or more in custom legal fees. More importantly, it gives them the framework to maintain healthy co-ownership relationships over time with clear processes for decisions, expenses, and changes.
The Credential That Matters
CoBuy-certified™ Pro isn't just training. It's association with the recognized authority on co-buying.
Co-buying is a category CoBuy created. That means when Peggy tells clients she's CoBuy-certified™, they're not wondering if she knows what she's doing. They already know: she's trained by the company that defined this space—and she's lived the process herself.
Peggy didn't just certify. She co-bought first, then earned the credential to guide others through what she'd experienced. That participant-before-practitioner sequence is rare. It's also the most credible proof possible that the certification delivers real value.