Multigenerational Living Finally Being Embraced in America

Lennar's Next Gen-The Home Within a Home® Attracting Strategic Homebuyers

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Nov 06, 2012, 11:47 ET

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of multigenerational households has increased by 60% since 1990, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This dramatic change in the American lifestyle is primarily due to two trends. First, Baby boomers are living longer and are faced with deteriorating pensions, a failing Social Security system, and ever-increasing healthcare costs. Secondly, college debt and the amplified cost of living means that many children move back home after college, and stay for several years. To satisfy this evolution in the American household a respected national builder has created Next Gen - The Home Within a Home® by Lennar. This intelligent home design includes a separate suite with its own entrance, eat-in kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom, laundry room and living room. Lennar is now bringing this revolutionary design to the Tampa area with homes being built in Concord Station in Land O'Lakes, Live Oak Preserve in New Tampa, Triple Creek in Riverview, and River Bend in Ruskin, Florida.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121106/FL07021 )

Lennar's Next Gen - The Home Within a Home is the ultimate solution for multigenerational living. According to John Graham, co-author of Together Again, a book about multigenerational living, and Professor of Marketing and International Business at University of California Irvine, "We are seeing the nuclear family going back to the interdependence of the extended family. For the last 50 years the American ideal was the nuclear family living independently, but with the economic changes of recent decades that no longer is the solution of choice." He added, "multigenerational living is very customary in most countries. It is now becoming much more common in the U.S. I am happy to see progressive builders like Lennar addressing this change."

The housing crisis expedited the shift to multigenerational living. Buyers want the most for their money and are strategizing long-term. Sherry and Timothy Biggs of Tampa considered resale homes but selected a Next Gen - The Home Within a Home by Lennar in the Ayersworth Glen community in Riverview, because it not only cost a great deal less, but also gave her parents a sense of privacy. "My parents are in their 60's and this home design appealed to their needs as well as ours," said Ms. Gibbs. "They have their own separate entrance and suite which allows them to enjoy their independence," she added. According to Sharon Graham Niederhaus, co-author of Together Again, after interviewing over 100 multigenerational families, "it became clear that the balance between proximity and privacy is the key to success."

Aging parents and children returning home after college are the obvious reasons for purchasing a Next Gen - The Home Within a Home, but they are certainly not the only reason buyers are lining up. "We are seeing Next Gen homebuyers that use the separate suite for telecommuting, home offices, long-term guests and even man-caves," says Mark Metheny, Division President of Lennar's Central Florida Division. "The response has been amazing. Homebuyers love the Next Gen – The Home Within a Home concept. They also appreciate our attention to architectural detailing and all the extras that come, at no additional cost, with a Lennar Everything's Included home," he added.

Next Gen - The Home Within a Home are being built in Concord Station in Land O'Lakes, Live Oak Preserve in New Tampa, Triple Creek in Riverview and River Bend in Ruskin, Florida.

For more information visit Lennartampa.com or call 888-220-5954.

SOURCE Lennar