My mom, husband, and I agreed on an arrangement: She'd buy a house for all of us to live in together, and we'd help maintain it and cover most of the other bills.
Tonya Prater
Three years after my dad passed away, my mom made a decision that changed all our lives: She was going to sell her home and move in with my husband and me.She was almost 70 and was fully capable of living on her own — she just didn't want to anymore. Her decision wasn't driven by a financial or health crisis but by loneliness.On top of that, the house she lived in needed significant repairs, and maintaining both the home and its expansive property had become overwhelming for her.The quiet privacy she and my dad once loved no longer felt comforting, either. With no neighbors in sight and an increasing presence of coyotes and other wildlife, what had once felt peaceful had become isolating and, at times, downright scary.We were very open to living with my mom, but our rental wasn't ideal for three adults. So, we agreed on a plan: She would purchase a house for all of us to live in, while my husband and I would pay for the renovations, utilities, maintenance, repairs, and yard work.What followed was a whirlwind: a quick home sale, an eight-week house hunt, and ultimately the creation of a multigenerational home that has worked better than any of us imagined.After lots of searching, we found a split-level house that could work for our needs
