The New Dream Home Includes a Granny Flat

Candace Jackson contributes an article for the New York Times Sunday Review that digs into the emergence of the extra room—call it an accessory dwelling unit or a granny flat—as a necessary amenity in American homes.

A decade ago, a dream home was designed to wow your friends and neighbors. Today, it’s designed to house your relatives. Or your Airbnb guests. And also be your workplace. Homebuilders say one of the biggest selling points in 2018 isn’t a three-car garage or a grand entryway — it’s a home with flexibility.

In the post-recession housing boom (or crisis, depending on your position in the market), "the American dream home is one you never have to leave," according to Jackson.

To prove the point, Jackson tours home designed by Lennar in Elk Grove, California, just outside of Sacramento. But the article also expands to larger themes such as the defining characteristics of home construction and ownership ten years after the Great Recession.