Their homes are too big, their friends have moved or their families are too far-flung. But those aren't the only reasons aging adults are moving into separate residences on their children's properties.
"I think it's good for my grandkids to see the respect between me and my children, and for them to respect me," said Tani Moe, 67, who six years ago moved into the guesthouse behind her daughter and son-in-law's three-bedroom, lemon-colored rental in West Hollywood. "When I grew up in Hawaii, extended family lived together, and we helped each other."
"We love this dynamic," said Chris Rios, 41, Moe's daughter, who with her husband, Arthur Viecco, 47, owns a hair salon. "She has her own living space, her own life, and has her own close relationship with my boys. My husband and I are lucky because she helps take care of them while we're at work."
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday, November 20, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 2 inches; 72 words Type of Material: Correction
Multi-generational living: A story in Saturday's Home section on "granny flats" said that USC gerontology professor Jon Pynoos' father lived on his property and received end-of-life care there for five years. It was Pynoos' father-in-law, not father, who lived in the guesthouse, and he was not given end-of-life care there. The remodeling described, including leveling the floor and installing grab bars, was rather so his father-in-law could function independently in the guesthouse.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday, November 22, 2008 Home Edition Home Part F Page 9 Features Desk 2 inches; 72 words Type of Material: Correction
Multi-generational living: A story in Saturday's Home section on "granny flats" said that USC gerontology professor Jon Pynoos' father lived on his property and received end-of-life care there for five years. It was Pynoos' father-in-law, not father, who lived in the guesthouse, and he was not given end-of-life care there. The remodeling described, including leveling the floor and installing grab bars, was rather so his father-in-law could function independently in the guesthouse.
Whether a "guest suite" in Beverly Hills, a "granny flat" in West Hollywood or an "accessory unit" in a new master-planned community, a growing number of aging adults are moving to their children's homes. These parents of boomers -- and Gen-Xers -- are passing up senior- or assisted-living complexes, sometimes at their offspring's urging.
"There are benefits for all the generations of living with family," said Emma Tyaransen, a principal of the Concord Group, a real estate-market consulting firm in Newport Beach.
Services that post home listings and sales don't typically track "granny flat" or "in-law" categories. Plus, estimating the number of families who have embraced this lifestyle is impossible, experts say, because some people convert garages or add guesthouses without permits.
"We do know, however, that these conversions are happening regularly," said Russell T. Valone II, president and chief executive of San Diego-based MarketPointe Realty Advisors.
The first wave of the trend emerged in the late '90s and 2000, Valone said. Builders offered accessory units then to comply with cities' affordable-housing policies rather than meet consumer preferences. Many of the guest units were used as lower-priced rentals.
The preference for multi-generational living increased as more boomers began dealing with their parents' age-related issues, and as a growing number of immigrants who value that living arrangement started buying homes. Builders in the Inland Empire, especially, have caught wind of the demand.
