I have a few friends (and family members thereof) within relatively close proximity (either walkable or a <5 minute drive), and it's indeed been pretty handy.

I have a few friends (and family members thereof) within relatively close proximity (either walkable or a <5 minute drive), and it's indeed been pretty handy. A couple of us have even talked about someday together investing in someplace we can all live (be it a multiplex, some chunk of land with a few double-wides, or - only half-seriously - one of the mansions that periodically hit Zillow in our city), much like what's described in the article. The big issue is that friendships ain't permanent, and navigating the financial and legal implications of jointly owning real estate entails a need for quite a bit of permanence. I and the friends in question believe we trust each other enough to make it work (should we ever all be sufficiently financially secure to pull the trigger on that plan), but it's hard to be sure.