New family types, new homes

The changing makeup of families in northern Nevada soon will be reflected in the design of new home construction by Lennar.

The homebuilder recently opened a model of its Next Gen home, a multi-family dwelling, at Verona at D'Andrea. The 2,839-square-foot home features a main dwelling with an attached suite that's completely separate from the main home for additional family members.

The company plans to build the product in Reno and Dayton as well, says Division President Dustin Barker.

Lennar has introduced the concept with great success into several Western markets, including Las Vegas, Arizona and parts of California, he says.

"Right now 30 percent of Americans already live in a multi-generational household," Barker says. "It's either parents living with their kids, children taking care of their aging parents, or brothers and sisters living in a regular traditional home. The idea is that why don't we generate a product that enables this living situation to be better equipped."

The home looks like any other on the block, Barker notes, except for the fact that it has two front doors. The main house has four bedrooms, and the fully functional suite includes a kitchenette, laundry room and full bathroom.

Lennar chose D'Andrea as a pilot for the Next Gen project because of the area's diversified buyer profile, Barker says.

"We felt that this product had the most people in the buyer profile that would be interested in this plan," he says.

Lennar plans to target Reno and Dayton for Next Gen homes this summer with different floor plan and architectural styles.

"We intend this to be a continual product and will have one of these plans available in multiple communities going forward," Barker says. "With boomers hitting an aging period, this trend is only going to increase."

Next Gen homes start in the low $300,000s and do incur some incremental costs, such as the additional kitchen, laundry and bathroom.

"We are so excited about it," Barker says. "It has had great traction in other markets because families now are able to share a mortgage payment and are able to better afford their living situation. We have created a space and arrangement they can really take advantage of."