Six Surprising Retirement Trends You Need To Know (3 of 5)

Multi-generational living

Multi-generational living is on one of real estate's fastest-growing trend. "In 1940, about one-quarter of the U.S. population lived with three or more generations in one home. After WWII, American families largely became two-generational, with parents and minor-age children under one roof," said Forbes. "The percentage of households with multiple generations started declining to 21%, reaching a low of 12% by 1980." According to Pew Research Center data, 60.6 million people, or 19 percent of the U.S. population, lived in multigenerational homes, including 26.9 million three-generation households."

In fact, the trend is so pervasive today that builders are increasingly creating highly livable granny flats and tiny homes that can live on family land or in backyards. They're also building new construction homes like Lennar's Next Gen, which is billed as a "home within a home" and includes "all the features you'd expect in a separate unit (a kitchenette, single car garage and full bathroom) while giving you the freedom to pop in whenever you'd like," they said.