Living close to mom is a major consideration for Americans buying a home
FILE - New houses line the street in the Inland Empire, the area east of Los Angeles, in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, May 23, 2003 in Ontario, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)
The location of a homebuyer's mom is playing a crucial role in purchasing decisions, according to a new study from Realtor.com.
Nearly half of U.S. adults – about 47% – have moved or plan to move themselves or their mom so they can be closer together, according to data published Monday.
About 14% of people surveyed have already moved to be closer to their mom or maternal figure, and 15% plan to do so. About 10% say their mom moved closer to them and 8% said their mom plans to, the data shows.
Certain adults even opted to live under one roof. About 20% of those surveyed said they moved in with their mom and another 13% said their mom moved in with them.
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This comes at a time when housing costs remain elevated, sidelining many potential buyers and sellers.
FILE - An aerial view shows vacant residential neighborhood streets as coronavirus infections accelerate on April 8, 2020 in Pasadena, California. (David McNew/Getty Images)
Hannah Jones, senior economics research analyst at Realtor.com, highlighted how moving closer to family can help cut costs, "either because the area is less expensive or because family can help with childcare, which reduces childcare costs."
"Moving in with family and pooling resources can also help a family afford more space or a better location in today's challenging market," Jones said. "As home prices and mortgage rates remain elevated, every little bit helps when it comes to affording a home purchase.
Earlier this month, Realtor.com economists said that while the median list price nationwide didn't increase compared with the prior year, the "typical home’s price per square foot continued to grow and, driven by rising rates, the cost to purchase a home once again outpaced wage growth," according to a separate report published last week.
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In fact, new findings from Clever Real Estate show that 44 of the 50 biggest metro areas in the U.S. do not have prices low enough to be considered affordable for the median-earning household.
A home is considered "affordable" for the typical family if it costs no more than 28% of a household's annual income. But for the vast majority of cities, that is not enough to be able to buy a median home at the median local income – even when posting a 20% down payment, according to the study.
FOX Business' Megan Henney contributed to this report.