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This great article ascertains that demographic changes are the main catalyst driving the return of the multi-generational housing trend. Sidekick Homes are one of the solutions to meet this increasing housing need.

Have you thought about your own family dynamic changing now or in the future?

http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/752/the-return-of-the-multi-generational-family-household

Labels: Housing Trends, Multigenerational, Sidekick Homes

Sustainable and Eco-friendly thinking has surpassed trend status and has become a way of life for many of us. Have you made the switch in any of your habits or in the way you live? Consider these simple ways to encourage longevity of the planet and support sustainable living

1.) Get moving. Walk instead of driving. Walking will help keep you fit, save you money and reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Use public transport when you have to travel or start a carpool with neighbors.
2.) Insulate. Insulating your home will quickly pay for itself in lower heating bills. Find out about grants in your area towards installing new or thicker insulation made with green materials.
3.) Repurpose. Restyle, recover or makeover furniture that is no longer to your taste before throwing pieces away. Learn how to make slipcovers for furniture from a library book or the Internet, or invest in a staple gun to easily recover headboards or reupholster dining chairs painted to suit your new look. Use your imagination and save a bundle.
4.) Buy loose. Choose unpackaged foods and goods whenever possible. Not only is this usually a much cheaper option than branded goods, it saves on all that unnecessary packaging. Select the refillable, reusable container over the disposable, throwaway one.
5.) Become an arborist. Plant a tree or several if you have the space in your yard. Better yet, plant fruit trees and you can enjoy the produce as they clean up carbon dioxide from the air.
6.) Detox your space. Use eco-friendly cleaning and disinfecting products or make your own from the recipes at http://www3.pei.sympatico.ca/galavoie/ENVIRO.HTM. Seventh Generation also offers an affordable line.
7.) Go by way of the biodegradable. Try to use recycled and natural products whenever possible. Avoid plastic as much as possible, as it accounts for a large amount of landfill waste. If you must buy plastic containers look for those with a label 1 or 2. These are much easier to recycle than those numbered 3 to 7.

Labels: Eco-friendly, Sidekick Homes, Sustainable Living

Two thirds of the boomers would prefer to live in a rural location or a small town, according to recent surveys by the National Association of REALTORS.

Young adults leave town after high school or within a few years to seek work in a larger city with a stronger job base and greater career opportunities. Some rural towns have changed and survived by finding livelihoods other than agriculture. Perryville, Missouri, my hometown, has been able to entice small industries. Madison, Georgia is rich in southern history, Eureka Springs, Arkansas has grown around the big business of Christian “Passion Plays”, and other rural towns have the good fortunate to be located near attractive scenic areas.

Active Adults is a term commonly used to describe people over 55 who have lots of living left in them. They are healthy, productive and energetic. Where to retire now that the kids are gone, is paramount in people’s minds. Historically, as many as 50% of people move to a new home sometime in retirement. The desire to stay near the familiar is powerful, but is eventually outweighed by the promise of adventure, and an easier, relaxed lifestyle.

Active Adult Communities are specifically designed to offer the fun, adventure and the new relationships with like-minded people that young retirees want. Sun City in Arizona, created in the 1960’s, continues to attract thousands of active adults in communities around the country. An active adult community typically has something for everyone, sports galore, fitness and wellness services, and special interest clubs for any interest.

Small towns can offer all of this in a more authentic package. The people are friendly and they include children and young adults, as well as others our own age. Most of us nearing retirement age enjoy the spirit of young people and the inspiration they give us to enjoy each day. Look outside your big city, small towns still abound within a short drive of the city. One of those may be the perfect Active Adult Small Town.

Labels: Active Living, Senior Living, Sidekick Homes, Small Towns

Imprints are strong emotional experiences in our lives that have “imprinted” themselves on our brain to become part of the tapestry of memories that shape our responses to ideas in our living environment such as: comfort, safety, social status, happiness, fun and connections with others. These “imprints” come into play when we think of the home, of our childhood neighborhood or when we first experience a space new to us, such as a renovated Loft in an urban setting or a new model home in suburbia. Our reactions, influenced by our imprints are gut level or instinctual rather than the reasoned analysis of: location, home size, and/or cost. Imprints can be either positive or negative.

If our imprints from the past were largely positive ones from an experience of rural living, we might have a difficult time seeing that contemporary downtown loft as an attractive place to live and the suburban neighborhood, full of tightly spaced homes, could be as unappealing to us as well. Changing our current imprints is difficult, so our reactions to experiences will not easily change, but new imprints are being formed every day as we learn and grow and these replace those old imprints over time.

You can see why people often choose lifestyles similar to their parents and are slow to turn to new ideas and forms of living, like lofts, or in the case of someone who grew up in a city apartment and couldn’t imagine living in a single family home much less a small town. It takes time to learn to accept change and imprints, or the lack of them. Imprints may cause us to design our homes ever so slowly, and new ideas are greeted more with suspicion than acceptance. That’s how it’s been with my neighbors and their suspicion of accessory dwellings. They say they are concerned about parking, the potential shading of a neighbor’s garden, or the design compatibility of the new additions to the neighborhood architectural fabric. That’s what they say, but they may be reacting instinctively to old imprints they still harbor within themselves. Part of our job is to give people a reason to develop new positive imprints with beautiful efficient non-intrusive backyard cottages that they can point to with pride.

Labels: Backyard Cottages, Imprints, Sidekick Homes

During the week of January 19 the huge National Builders’ Show and Building Products Exposition was the talk of Las Vegas. Homebuilders, Architects, Community Planners, Realtors, new home sales and marketing companies, and building product manufacturers attend this yearly event. Dozens of seminars and presentations are given educating the diverse crowd about the newest and best ideas and practices in home design and building.

Mike Kephart, Owner and designer of Sidekick Homes by Kephart Living, and Founder of Kephart, community, planning, architecture, was featured in two of those seminars along with other notable architects, Don Evans, Michael Medick, and Ed Hord. Judy Schriener, Mike Kephart’s Co-Author on their recent book, Building for Boomers, Joined Mike in one of those presentations. They revealed some of the myths and misunderstandings about the huge population segment called Baby Boomers, most importantly, that Boomers are much more complex than any attempt to stereotype them as a single group can capture.

A segment of those Baby Boomers still have school age children at home, and are considering bringing an aging relative or two in with them as well. They’ve been dubbed, “The Sandwich Generation,” because of their situation. These are the families that can benefit most from the simple addition of a Carriage House or Granny Flat in their backyard, and they are the population that Sidekick Homes was created to serve. An additional independent home is perfect for an adult child or two, a guest suite, or a home for mom or dad who feel safer by being close by. In most cases that dwelling can also be rented to supplement the family income.

Accessory Dwelling Units, (ADUs) the official zoning name for carriage houses, are an old idea being revived in this time of stress on American families. They were popular and plentiful in the first half of the 20th century and are a new and improved idea for today. This recycling of old ideas is common in life and it’s usually because those ideas are fundamentally sound.

Labels: Backyard Cottages, National Builders' Show, Sidekick Homes