All in the Family: Multigenerational Living Makes a Comeback
But in recent years, the line has begun curving again. This entrenched societal pattern is becoming upended in favor of a mode of living that harks back to an earlier era.
Fueled by economic and cultural factors, a growing number of people are moving back in with their folks or opening their homes to their aged parents. It’s a large-scale change making its impact felt in all corners of the real estate market—and American life itself.
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans is now living in a multigenerational household—a household with two or more adult generations, or grandparents living with grandchildren—a level that hasn’t been seen in the U.S. since 1950. About 60.6 million adults, or 19% of the population, were residing with their family in 2014, according to the Pew Research Center’s analysis of census data, up from 57 million in 2012.
Rising home prices, staggering child care expenses, college debt, longer life expectancies, and the growth of ethnic communities in which extended families traditionally live together are all fueling this shift. And as people become accustomed to this style of living, it’s altering the way they buy and build their homes, and how they plan for the future.
Modern homes built for many generations
With buyers seeking homes and renovations to suit multi generational lifestyles, builders and developers are responding to meet the demand—and a lucrative new market.
While cottages, casitas, and apartments over garages are still part of the picture, so are fully decked-out homes with ample square footage and a separate wing for the extended family. Many of these homes have modern amenities such as dual thermostat controls so the whole family doesn’t have to swelter when Grandma catches a chill.
Tracy Elkins, 39, lives with her husband, their three kids, her mother, and three dogs in one of the Next Gen line of homes from Lennar, the nation’s second-largest homebuilder. In their open and airy 6,100-square-foot home, the in-law suite is no afterthought: It has a separate living room, kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom, laundry, and private garage with a separate entrance. Lennar describes it as “a home within a home.”
The Elkins decided to partner with Tracy’s mother to buy the Thornton, CO, home in August 2016, when the Elkins’ landlord decided to sell their rental home. Tracy’s 63-year-old mom was retired, and the purchase seemed like a logical move.
“Even I have to admit I was a little scared,” Elkins says. “You come to a point where living with your parents is not an easy option. It wasn’t something we had to do, but it worked out really well.”
“As home prices increase, more families tend to opt for living together,” says Valerie Sheets, a Lennar spokesperson. “Everyone is looking for the perfect home for any number of family situations, such as families who opt to take care of aging parents or grandparents at home, or millennials looking to live with their parents while they attend school or save for a down payment.”
Lennar, which builds homes in 19 states, is offering Next Gen homes in 36 key markets. The blueprints vary by market, but they generally offer the main home and an adjacent unit with private living room, bedroom, bath, laundry, and garage.
“It has great benefits. There are some people who can’t live with aging parents in a traditional setup,” Elkins says. “If it wasn’t for this home, I probably wouldn’t want to live with my mother either.”
Learning to love the extended family
Economics might have forced the issue, but people now are rediscovering the advantages of this way of life, according to Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, a family research nonprofit and advocacy group. The Great Recession drove a lot of young-adult “boomerang children” back to their parents’ homes when they couldn’t find a job.
“People came together by necessity, and they stayed together by choice,” says Butts. “In many other countries, it’s just a way of life. It helps strengthen the family.”
The percentage of people residing in multigenerational homes peaked around 1950, when 21% of households had such an arrangement. But in raw numbers it amounted to only 32.2 million people—a far cry from today’s 60 million-plus.
Data suggest that multigenerational living is more prevalent among Asian (28%), Hispanic (25%), and African-American (25%) families, while U.S. whites have fewer multigenerational homes (15%).
Continued demographic shifts in the U.S. mean this trend isn’t going anywhere but up. In Asia and Latin America, multigenerational living is widely accepted. For example, an estimated 30% of urban Indian families and 60% of rural Indian families live in multigenerational households, according to a report by the International Longevity Centre Global Alliance. In the U.S., immigrants from those areas are more likely to live in multigenerational households.
Even immigrants who don’t have relatives living with them full time might need to accommodate long visits from them. Kyung Hae Karen Park sees this among her Korean and Chinese clients, who’ll plunk down a few million on a desirable dwelling.
Park, a real estate agent in New Jersey, caters to luxury buyers with budgets in the seven-figure range. Her clients often have in-laws who will visit for six months at a time from Asia to dote on their grandchildren. Considering where these relatives will stay while they’re in the U.S. is a key purchasing decision for Park’s deep-pocketed clients. Park says private first-floor suites and extra laundry rooms are especially critical to these buyers.
“Asians tend to be more attached to their grandparents and grandchildren,” Park says. “With a house purchase, they always think about their extended family.”
Diversity demands in Houston
Houston-based custom homebuilder Partners in Building sees an expanded definition of what it means to be multigenerational in the sprawling cities of Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Nashville. Company President and CEO Jim Lemming says he’s seen siblings and other family members buy a house together. It’s increasingly expected that they will help each other out.
“We live in a very diverse area,” Lemming says. “With that comes different aspects of multigenerational living.”
Lemming says he has seen increased interest in these types of homes among South Asian and East Asian buyers. His estimates say multigenerational homes account for as much as 30% of his company’s business.
Multiple kitchens, separate entrances, and more than one master suite are the norm in these dwellings that are priced for close to a million dollars. Lemming also sees demand for amenities that cater to the needs of older people, including elevators and bathrooms with grab bars, taller commodes, and wider doors for wheelchairs or walkers.
Zoning restrictions pose a challenge
Living with extended family members might require some adjustment in how you plan your home—and your future. As builder Mark Patterson points out, a big home meant to accommodate elderly parents might feel too big once they’re gone.
“Your parents are with you for five or 10 years. Then what?” asks Patterson, co-owner of PATCO Construction, which builds custom homes in Maine and New Hampshire.
Years ago, the norm was to put an apartment over a garage, but that might not be a long-term solution for a graying housemate.
“That works well until about 80, but after that, they are having challenges with their stairs,” Patterson says.
One solution is to create a house whose spaces can be adapted over time, he says. However, zoning regulations can be a challenge, he says. Some communities will allow a flexible floor plan, but rules governing the specifics of the finished product can be strict.
Across the nation, there’s a patchwork of local zoning restrictions on granny flats and other accessory dwellings. Some locales are fine with separate wings, but other places draw the line at a stove in an in-law suite. But California, home to some of the country’s most in-demand and expensive markets, passed a pair of laws this year that eased restrictions on building a second unit on a piece of land—a move that could usher in change elsewhere.
Secrets of success in multigenerational living
It’s also helpful to plan out how all these relatives across different generations can cohabit successfully.
Jessica Bruno, 44, has been blogging about her nine years living with four generations under one roof at FourGenerationsOneRoof.com. They all live in her childhood home in a small town about 45 minutes outside of Boston. The home was originally 1,600 square feet, but they expanded it to 6,200 square feet to accommodate more family members.
She says her key to success is a firm set of boundaries before anybody moves in. Agree on how bills are split, groceries are paid for, and who is allowed to eat your food. Lots of fridges and separate TV rooms are big.
“Having your own TV room is pretty important, so you don’t have to go watch ‘Bonanza’ with your grandparents,” Bruno said. “It’s kind of a time warp around here.”
Source: realtor.com
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