MultiGenerational Homes! It's often Beyond the Economics

We read an Q and A today that really caused us to shake our heads. Fortunately, someone tagged us in a comment to bring the discussion to our attention. We're grateful. Once again, there seems to be a lot of confusion and misinformation about  multigenerational living situations. The question posed was this one: " Do you know 64 Million Americans live in Multigenerational Homes? That's 1 in 5 families." 

Here are some of the responses that surprised us,  

• " I did not know that."
• "The higher housing costs, the more it will be this way."
• "I'm sure we will see more lawsuits where parents are trying to get their deadbeat children to move out. " 
• "It's a sign of the times - and the times are not getting any easier for many."

 

The Pew research data has been available since 2016, and interestingly, the number of Americans living in Mulit-gen households has continued to rise despite improvements in the economy. We have been writing about this topic and sharing this data in our blogs for quite a few years now. We even have a wordpress site dedicated to the topic. In fact, we live in a multigenerational home! 

 

And like the numbers indicate, about 20%-25% of our ViewHomes of Clark County sales are with multigenerational families. What still surprises us, is the general consensus that most families choose this lifestyle for economic reasons - or out of some hardship. 

In our experience, this is simply not the case. Certainly, there are wonderful economic benefits to sharing living expenses. However, the families we work with choose this lifestyle out of love.  They express a desire to share their lives with their children and grandchildren, or their elderly parents, in order to help provide care and spent more time with their favorite people. 

 

We're guessing there are even more Americans living in multigenerational homes today, than the 2016 numbers indicate. It's worth understanding this lifestyle phenomenon and expanding stereotypical reactions as to why it's gaining in popularity.  Obviously, it's not a living arrangement for everyone, but it's an option worth further exploration and support.  

 

 

(This article is dedicated to James H Barkley (1929-2018). We enjoyed every minute of of our 11-year multigen experience with dad. We are all richer for the shared moments. And now, we choose to enjoy life with mom.)

 

 

ViewHomes™ grew out of our passion for nature, beautiful surroundings, and peaceful environments. Starting together in an urban environment, over the years we've gravitated towards areas with smaller populations and less density. We now enjoy our lifestyle in a rural environment, but with close proximity to metropolitan areas where we appreciate all the amenities of fine restaurants, shopping, and an easy drive to an international airport.
Living in ViewHomes™ is like having “elbowroom for the soul”.

 

360-608-4900 

info@natureasneighbors.com