{"id":6354,"date":"2026-04-09T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandpointrealtyidaho.com\/blog\/2026\/04\/09\/when-buying-a-home-feels-out-of-reach-some-families-do-this-instead\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T10:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T10:30:00","slug":"when-buying-a-home-feels-out-of-reach-some-families-do-this-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandpointrealtyidaho.com\/blog\/2026\/04\/09\/when-buying-a-home-feels-out-of-reach-some-families-do-this-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"When Buying a Home Feels Out of Reach, Some Families Do This Instead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

$\"When$ \n

For a lot of people, the math on buying a home just doesn\u2019t really work right now. Maybe that\u2019s how it feels for you too. You look at the cost of buying<\/a>. Then you look at the cost of childcare. And it starts to feel like you have to choose one or the other.<\/p>\n

But some families are finding a way to make both work by doing something a little different: teaming up to purchase a multi-generational home<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

One Reason This Is Becoming More Common<\/strong><\/h4>\nIt\u2019s no secret that affordability<\/a> has been a challenge in recent years. But for families with young kids, there\u2019s an added layer that can make it feel even harder: childcare.<\/p>\n
According to the Department of Health and Human Services<\/em>, childcare should take up no more than 7% of your monthly income. But in reality, the average married couple spends closer to 10%<\/a> (see map below<\/em>):<\/p>\n
$\"a$ <\/a>When you combine that with the cost of buying a home, it\u2019s easy to see why things can feel stretched. That\u2019s exactly why more families are starting to rethink how they approach both.<\/p>\n
The Solution More People Are Turning To: Multi-Generational Living<\/strong><\/h4>\n
One option gaining traction? Multi-generational living. That\u2019s when parents, grandparents, or other relatives buy a house together and live under the same roof. And it\u2019s not just about convenience anymore. It\u2019s becoming a go-to strategy.<\/p>\n
You can see it in the data<\/a>. According to the National Association of Realtors <\/em>(NAR), almost 1 in 7 homebuyers (14%) bought a multi-generational home in 2025<\/strong> (see graph below<\/em>):<\/p>\n
$\"a$ <\/a>And for the first time, childcare <\/strong>is showing up as a key reason why they chose this option. As NAR explains<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s report features two new primary reasons for purchasing a multi-generational home: <\/em>grandchildren living in the home<\/em><\/strong> (12%) and to help reduce the <\/em>cost of childcare <\/em><\/strong>(6%).\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Why It Works<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Buying a multi-generational home solves two big challenges at the same time.<\/p>\n
\n
First, it shares the financial responsibility<\/strong>. If you pool multiple incomes together, you may be able to afford a home you couldn\u2019t have on your own.<\/li>\n
Second, it can also solve the childcare puzzle<\/strong>. When grandparents or other relatives live in the home, they may be able to help with daily care \u2013 which can significantly reduce or even eliminate daycare costs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And for many people, that combination is what finally makes their move possible.<\/p>\n
If the costs of childcare and housing together have made buying feel out of reach right now, it may be worth exploring creative options like buying a home with your loved ones.<\/p>\n
Bottom Line<\/h3>\n
If you want more information on multi-generational homes, talk to a local agent about what\u2019s available in your area.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the path to homeownership isn\u2019t doing it alone. It\u2019s doing it together.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For a lot of people, the math on buying a home just doesn\u2019t really work right now. Maybe that\u2019s how it feels for you too. You look at the cost of buying. Then you look at the cost of childcare. And it starts to feel like you have to choose one or the other. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6355,"comment_status":"registered_only","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[29,27,20,18,28],"class_list":["post-6354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-insight","tag-idaho-real-estate","tag-north-idaho-homes","tag-rain-silverhawk","tag-real-estate","tag-sandpoint-idaho"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t