They Needed More Space but Didn’t Think They Could Buy: A Utah Multigenerational Homebuying Success Story
For Kristina, buying a home in Utah wasn't just about becoming a homeowner. It was about finding a place where her family could finally have room to live, grow, and be together.
At the time, several generations of Kristina's family were sharing a small two-bedroom duplex. Her household included her daughters and granddaughters, and her father had also been part of their multigenerational household.
They made it work because that's what families do.
But Kristina dreamed of something more.
She wanted a home where everyone could have more space. She wanted a place her family could truly call their own.
The problem was that she wasn't sure buying one was possible.
“You helped us and our family. You helped us get our dream. It was our dream house.” — Kristina
She Thought Homeownership Would Have to Wait
Kristina had been a renter for years, but homeownership was always something she wanted.
She had looked into buying before, but at the time, what she qualified for didn't seem like enough to purchase the type of home her family needed.
Then there was the down payment.
Kristina was expecting money from a legal settlement and planned to use it toward buying a house. Her plan was to wait for that money and then start the homebuying process.
But the settlement kept taking longer.
So she waited.
Until her real estate agent, DeAnna Haskett, asked an important question:
Why not find out what's possible right now?
Instead of assuming Kristina needed to wait for a large down payment, DeAnna encouraged her to explore her current options.
That simple conversation changed everything.
A Multigenerational Family Needed a Different Homebuying Plan
Kristina wasn't buying a house for just herself.
This was a multigenerational homebuying journey.
Her daughters and granddaughters were already living with her, and the home they purchased needed to work for everyone.
The family's financial situation also wasn't completely straightforward.
Kristina's husband had been injured and was temporarily out of work following surgery. That affected the income available for mortgage qualification at the time.
Rather than treating those circumstances as an automatic dead end, we looked at the family's situation and explored what options might be available.
Kristina's daughter was already part of the household and ultimately became part of their homebuying plan.
There was paperwork. There were additional steps. And there were a few hoops to jump through.
But there was also a path forward.
Kristina remembers it taking about 45 days from our first conversation to getting the keys to her new home.
Then They Had to Find a Home for the Whole Family
Getting the financing figured out was only half of the story.
Now they needed the right house.
And Kristina knew exactly how important that was.
She and her husband had actually been looking at homes for a long time. Driving around neighborhoods and looking at houses had practically become a date-night activity.
They'd grab some food, get in the car, and go see what was out there.
Kristina estimates they looked at more than 100 homes.
Then they found the one.
It wasn't simply a house Kristina liked.
It was a house where she could picture her family.
There was space downstairs for her daughters and granddaughters. Everyone could have more room and more privacy while still being together under one roof.
For a family coming from a small two-bedroom duplex, that mattered.
This was the kind of multigenerational home in Utah they had been hoping to find.
Kristina wanted it.
Badly.
“I Would Have Offered Full Price.”
Once Kristina found the house, emotion kicked in.
Her first instinct was to offer the full asking price.
DeAnna told her not so fast.
She looked at the home's listing history and other information surrounding the property and helped Kristina approach the offer strategically.
They submitted a lower offer and negotiated.
They were also able to negotiate for the seller to contribute toward Kristina's closing costs.
When we later asked Kristina what she would have done without her real estate agent, she didn't hesitate.
“I would have offered full price.”
It's a small moment in the story, but an important one.
Kristina didn't have to navigate this process by herself.
She had people helping her understand the financing, evaluate her options, negotiate the purchase, and keep moving toward the same goal:
Getting her family home.
The Phone Call She Had Been Waiting For
Then came the call.
Kristina was at work when she learned that her offer had been accepted.
She had the phone on speaker, with several coworkers nearby.
And she started crying.
After years of renting, waiting, wondering, and trying to figure out how she could make homeownership work for her family, she was finally buying a house.
Not just any house.
A house that could become home for multiple generations of her family.
That moment is one of my favorite parts of Kristina's story because it's easy to focus on the numbers when we talk about mortgages.
Credit scores.
Income.
Down payments.
Debt-to-income ratios.
Those things matter.
But behind those numbers are real people trying to accomplish something that matters to them.
For Kristina, it meant giving her family a home.
What Multigenerational Homeownership Meant for Kristina
Today, Kristina's daughters and granddaughters have space downstairs, and the family has plans to continue making that area work even better for them.
They have more room.
They have more privacy.
And they still get to be together.
That's what made this particular home so special.
Multigenerational homeownership can look different for every family. Some families purchase a home with adult children. Others want space for aging parents or grandparents. Some simply find that sharing a home makes sense financially or personally.
For Kristina, it was about family.
The mortgage was the tool that helped her get there.
Her Story Almost Started With “Not Yet”
One of the most powerful things about Kristina's homebuying success story is how easily it could have been postponed.
She thought she needed to wait for her settlement.
She thought she needed that money for a down payment.
Her husband was temporarily out of work.
Her family needed a home large enough for several generations.
There were plenty of reasons to think:
Maybe not yet.
But instead of continuing to assume what was or wasn't possible, Kristina asked.
That's where everything changed.
Her situation won't be the same as every Utah homebuyer's, and the financing solution that worked for her family won't necessarily work for another.
But her story is a good reminder that you don't have to figure out the entire mortgage process before talking to someone.
Sometimes the first step is simply asking:
What are our options?
Kristina's Advice for Other Homebuyers
At the end of our conversation, I asked Kristina what she would tell someone who wanted to own a home but felt like it might never happen.
Her answer wasn't about mortgages.
It wasn't about credit.
It wasn't about finding the perfect interest rate.
It was much simpler than that.
“Never give up. Keep working and never give up.”
And after hearing her story, that advice feels especially fitting.
Kristina went from sharing a small rental with multiple generations of her family to getting the keys to a home with space for the people she loves.
She didn't have every piece perfectly in place when she started.
She just started asking questions.
And sometimes, that's exactly where a homebuying success story begins.
Could Multigenerational Homebuying Work for Your Family?
If you're thinking about buying a home with your parents, adult children, or other family members in Utah, don't assume you already know the answer.
Every family's situation is different.
At Utah Independent Mortgage, we can look at your circumstances, discuss potential home loan options, and help you understand what your next step might look like.
Whether you're ready to buy now or simply trying to make a plan for the future, the first conversation can give you a clearer picture of what's possible.
Contact Utah Independent Mortgage to start the conversation about your family's homebuying goals.
Loan approval, available programs, co-borrower eligibility, down payment requirements, seller contributions, and other terms vary based on borrower qualifications, property, loan program, and lender guidelines. This article is for educational purposes and does not constitute a commitment to lend.
-
Depending on your circumstances and the mortgage program, parents and adult children may be able to purchase a home together. Income, credit, debts, assets, occupancy, and other lending requirements can affect qualification.
-
Potentially. Some families choose to purchase a home together so multiple generations can live under one roof. A mortgage professional can review the borrowers' individual circumstances and discuss potential financing options.
-
Multigenerational homeownership generally refers to a household where multiple generations of a family live together, such as grandparents, parents, adult children, and grandchildren.
-
Every family is different, but buyers may consider the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, privacy, accessibility, parking, basement or separate living areas, and how well the property could accommodate the family's future needs.
-
The best place to start is by reviewing your family's specific financial circumstances with a mortgage professional. Mortgage qualification can depend on income, credit, debts, assets, occupancy, property type, and the requirements of the selected loan program.