From Empty Nest to Full House… Multigenerational Families Are Back!

From Empty Nest to Full House... Multigenerational Families Are Back! | MyKCM

Multigenerational homes are coming back in a big way! In the 1950s, about 21%, or 32.2 million Americans shared a roof with their grown children or parents. According to a recent Pew Research Center report, the number of multigenerational homes dropped to as low as 12% in 1980 but has shot back up to 19%, roughly 60.6 million people, as recently as 2014.

Multigenerational households typically occur when adult children (over the age of 25) either choose to, or need to, remain living in their parent’s home, and then have children of their own. These households also occur when grandparents join their adult children and grandchildren in their home.

According to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 11% of home buyers purchased multigenerational homes last year. The top 3 reasons for purchasing this type of home were:

  • To take care of aging parents (19%)
  • Cost savings (18%, up from 15% last year)
  • Children over the age of 18 moving back home (14%, up from 11% last year)

Donna Butts, Executive Director of Generations United, points out that,

“As the face of America is changing, so are family structures. It shouldn’t be a taboo or looked down upon if grown children are living with their families or older adults are living with their grown children.”

For a long time, nuclear families, (a couple and their dependent children), became the accepted norm, but John Graham, co-author of “Together Again: A Creative Guide to Successful Multigenerational Living,”says, “We’re getting back to the way human beings have always lived in – extended families.”

This shift can be attributed to several social changes over the decades. Growing racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S. population helps explain some of the rise in multigenerational living. The Asian and Hispanic populations are more likely to live in multigenerational family households and these two groups are growing rapidly.

Additionally, women are a bit more likely to live in multigenerational conditions than are their male counterparts (20% vs. 18%, respectively). Last but not least, basic economics.

Carmen Multhauf, co-author of the book “Generational Housing: Myth or Mastery for Real Estate,” brings to light the fact that rents and home prices have been skyrocketing in recent years. She says that, “The younger generations have not been able to save,” and often struggle to get good-paying jobs.

About Joann Samelko, REALTOR®

Hi, I'm Joann and it is my pleasure to serve your real estate needs. I am a Licensed Realtor and have been Licensed as a Broker since 2002. My business focus is on helping buyers and sellers with their real estate needs and goals. I enjoy working with first time homebuyers, people relocating to the area, individuals making a change in their lives, and of course, my former clients and friends. My Designations include the ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), ASP (Accredited Staging Professional), CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), GRI (Graduate of the Realtor Institute) and SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist). In addition to working with buyers and sellers I am also the Director of Relocation for Northside Realty. Prior to becoming a Realtor, my background includes over 20 years of sales and sales management experience in the corporate world.

folder_openBaby Boomers, Buying a Home, Investing in Real Estate, Multigenerational

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