Economic necessity forced families to double up during the recession. But Lennar, the state’s second-largest homebuilder, is launching a Stapleton community on Saturday for those who want to double up by design.
Generations at Stapleton represents the first time Lennar has dedicated an entire community to its concept, which comes with a separate suite that makes it easier to accommodate shared living arrangements.
“As a builder, we are hitting a niche, and the demand has been more overwhelming than we anticipated,” said Rusty Crandall, Lennar’s Colorado division president.
Next Gen floor plans are the company’s top sellers in California, Crandall said. Of the approximately 3,000 Next Gen homes Lennar has built, more than half have gone to families looking to accommodate aging parents.
The floor plans also can provide adult children with more independence in a market that is becoming increasingly . About a quarter of 25- to 34-year-olds live at home with their parents.
Crandall said the floor plans also are popular with families with grown special-needs children, families who want to house a nanny, home-based-business owners and people who have a steady stream of visiting family members and friends.
The Next Gen homes at Stapleton run from about $559,900 to $599,900 for 2,676 to 3,171 square feet, not including an unfinished basement.
Crandall said for the extra $200 or $300 a month in mortgage payments, a Next Gen home offers a more affordable way to accommodate parents or other family members compared with buying or renting a separate residence.
The Stapleton model home comes with three upstairs bedrooms and a loft that can be converted to a fourth bedroom, a three-car garage and two separate front entrances. One entrance leads to a suite that can be closed off from the main house.
Dino and Tina Ferreri toured the Next Gen model with their 18-month-old son, Nico, on Friday morning. Dino Ferreri’s parents, who live in Connecticut, toured with them through a video feed on his smartphone.
“I really love the idea of us all being together and spending time, of having that family dynamic,” said Ferreri, 41.
But he said the separate suite, at 630 square feet, looked a little too tight and they would have preferred a separate stove: “My parents are coming from a much bigger home, and the space is a little bit limited.”
Crandall said Lennar plans to include a super-sized version of the Next Gen plan, with a 1,100-square-foot suite, at its Lewis Pointe community in Thornton.
Ferreri, who said his family is outgrowing its home in Denver’s Sunnyside neighborhood, plans to check it out.
The first phase at Stapleton will contain 11 homes, and the second phase will offer an additional 18. Plans are in the works for a third phase as soon as lots become available, Crandall said.
Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410, asvaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/aldosvaldi
