Retrieved by Pat Darnell | Nov 18, 2012 | Bryan TX
According to the National Association of Homebuilders, although home sales were down in recent years, this niche product "multigenerational" appears to be solid and growing.
What has happened in the housing market is that it has become impossible to sell a house while buying a house. In the past a seller could make the switch within a reasonable time. The federal government yelled FRAUD, and made everyone suspect to fraudulent practices. Loan underwriters barricaded themselves in a reactionary system of checking a buyer's closing papers over and over and over into oblivion. The switch from old house to new house has taken a turn for the worse. A buyer might end up waiting a full year for his financing to go through. That means paying two mortgages while waiting.
Families today might opt to add wings to their casa's, wings and "L's" and mother-in-law additions, on property already paid for. Sounds like an old idea when children got married and the mother and father would build a house adjacent to the old farmhouse. In other words the children stayed close to the farm.
In the last century,with post-modern building came the idea of single family dwellings and efficiency's. You choose a parcel of land with a dwelling on it. That dwelling is usually designed to be the least for the most, or smallish rooms overall, with great rooms instead of living rooms or dining rooms.
Today, in the 21st century, formal living has given way to ubiquitous spaces. And work a day has been chopped into work a shift, while shopping has become bulk shopping, and storage for that is nil in post-modern dwellings. There is a shortage of storage space and closets in modern efficient home design.
As the article says: "... Though it was not financial woes that initially drove Bruno and her family to move in with her parents ... they had "temporarily" moved in after the housing collapse made it impossible to sell and buy simultaneously ... "
Multigenerational Homes: Real Estate's Next Big Thing as More Families Share a Space | AOL Real Estate: "Being roommates with your parents after age 21 sounds like a nightmare for most, but Jessica Bruno wouldn't have it any other way. Bruno, a 40-year-old mom, wife and DIY blogger, lives with her 62-year-old parents, Connie and Fred, in their Sutton, Mass., home. Oh, and there's Bruno's husband, Tony, and their 6-year-old son, Tony Jr. Think that's a lot of people under one roof? There's more. Bruno's grandparents, Grace, 80, and Fred, 82, live in the house, too. That's seven people from four generations living together in one home. Actually, make that nine: Bruno's two stepdaughters, 12-year-old twins Alexia and Gabriella -- Tony's kids from another marriage -- stay with them on weekends." (Krisanne Alcantara. Nov 16, 2012. HERE) ... "
'via Blog this'
" ... Though factors such as high unemployment, a battered economy and the recent housing crisis have pushed more people into multigenerational living, studies show that it's a trend that's circled back from a similar era. History Repeating Itself Just prior to World War II, a quarter of Americans lived with extended family, as the U.S. struggled through the Great Depression. But by 1980 the number of such households was slashed by half -- down to 12 percent from 25 percent in 1940. But that number has risen again -- spiking as the Great Recession hit in 2008, experts say. The Pew Research Center now estimates that 16 percent of Americans live in multigenerational households. ..."
" ...However, that may have economic benefits. Pew reports that the poverty rate among those who live in multigenerational homes is significantly lower than those who don't live with other adults other than a spouse or partner. Additionally, multigenerational households have much higher median incomes than other "average" households ($48,542 vs. $41,115 in 2009). ... "
According to homebuilder Tusino, who owns New England's largest housing developer, the rise in multigenerational households over the past few years has changed the landscape of modern home construction. The GBI-Avis CEO said that many families are now looking to either build a multigenerational-friendly home from scratch -- more informally known as the "in-law" setup, with separate entrances, custom floors and sections that feature senior-friendly kitchenettes, bathrooms and amenities -- or retrofit their existing structure with a modular room to accommodate extended family." ... But will these multigenerational living arrangements stick, or is this just another retro fad? According to Pew, if the demographic forces of immigration and delayed marriage continue, along with economic forces such as unemployment and a depressed housing market, we should certainly expect to see more and more families come together under one roof to rally resources and provide each other emotional support. ... ? ..."
It looks like designers will be putting the extra rooms into conforming formats that don't deviate from neighborhood regulations for housing. Same old facades, modified interiors. Two problems stand out immediately. One, where are the extra automobiles going to be parked, and two, there will be a need for a large storage pantry, for bulk grocery buying.
MooPig suggests that this is a retro-fad that is following the stark realization that we cannot afford two mortgage payments, and if we could, we would have built for multigenerational possibility in the first place.
We would have bought more acreage to begin with, then we would have put a larger shack on it, with plenty of "Guest Rooms."
So we look for the middle weird floor plan and here is 'Balls and All' ...
_________________________Reference
http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/11/16/multigenerational-homes-real-estates-next-big-thing-as-more-fa/
http://new-homes.lennar.com/Fresno-Central-Valley/
http://www.google.com/imgres?http://www.myfusionhome.com/2012/04/multigenerational-home-trends/
http://www.architecturaldesigns.com/canadian-house-plan-80599pm.asp
