About

The Urban Homesteaders blog was inspired by the belief that by sharing our adventures, trying to evolve into a more sustainable lifestyle, that we could possibly inspire others to make a stand and demand a more sustainable culture. We hope to serve as an educational tool, a model for creating social change, and simply to promote the public discourse on sustainability. There are plans for guest appearances and off-site video featuring many of the local efforts going on in the Rochester area to promote topics including energy independence, green building practices, organic farming, and land use planning.

This blog exists only in the hopes of engaging people in the topic so please, don’t hesitate to email us with story suggestions or comments.

Ben Munson

Ben grew up in Penfield, NY and went on to get a degree in Finance at RIT. He spent five years working in Boston, Philadelphia, and Richmond and traveling to many others for business. Deciding it was never too soon to get in to real estate investing, he bought two investment properties in the city of Rochester, NY and became a licensed real estate agent. Most of the time you can find him updating something in the house, co-developing an apartment listing internet company, consulting with area non-profits on sustainability issues, and working to make free municipal wireless internet access (Muni WiFi) a reality as a member of the South Wedge Planning Committee Board.

Kristin Cox 

Kristin was also raised in Rochester, NY and at the age of 21 became a landlord when she bought a two-family home in the South Wedge neighborhood. As luck would have it, the South Wedge has prioritized sustainable community development and community is thriving. Kristin works as a loan originator for Preferred Mortgage helping home buyers get mortgages and existing home owners refinance. Aside from being the South Wedge’s biggest fan, she is a provisional member of the Junior Leagues of Rochester, and spends her spare time writing and keeping this blog running.