Lennar's 'Next Gen' Homes Cash In on Multigenerational Living Boom

A House Built for Three Generations

Lennar isn't guessing about what buyers want right now — it's building for it. The homebuilder's Next Gen line, launched over a decade ago, packs a private mini-apartment into a standard single-family home: its own entrance, bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, and living space, all under one roof with the main house. Think of it as a "home within a home," designed for grandparents, adult kids, or extended family who need privacy without needing a whole separate address.

Why Now?

This isn't a niche trend anymore. Pew Research Center data shows 22% of the U.S. population lived in multigenerational households in 2024 — up from 19% in 2010 and 16% in 2000. Rising housing costs, aging parents, boomerang adult children, and cultural shifts toward caregiving-at-home are all pushing families to combine forces. Add in a Sotheby's International Realty survey suggesting buyers will actually pay more for homes built this way, and it's easy to see why builders are leaning in hard.

The Premium Is Real

Homes marketed specifically as multigenerational can sell at roughly a 22% premium compared to standard listings. That's a big number in a housing market where builders are fighting for every edge on margin. Lennar, the country's second-largest homebuilder, isn't rolling this out everywhere — Next Gen homes are concentrated in high-growth Sun Belt markets like Arizona and Florida, where retirees, multigenerational immigrant families, and cost-conscious buyers are all clustering.

What This Means If You're House Hunting

If you've got aging parents moving in, an adult child who isn't quite ready to fly solo, or you just want built-in flexibility (rental income, home office, guest suite), a Next Gen-style layout solves a real problem that standard floor plans ignore. These homes tend to hold value well because they serve a growing, durable need rather than a passing design trend.

The Bigger Builder Trend

Lennar isn't alone — expect more national builders to roll out their own versions of dual-living floor plans as the multigenerational share of U.S. households keeps climbing. For buyers, that means more choice and more competition, which could eventually soften that premium. For now, though, if you want one of these homes, be prepared to pay for the privilege — and to shop in the markets where builders are actually building them.