With the cost of homes out of reach for many families, developers in South Florida are now adding annexes to new construction, allowing relatives to live under the same roof.
The extra space comes with a room or two and its own kitchen, much like those-law quarters added to older homes.
The built-in apartments even have their own entrances for elderly parents or single or adult children. In addition to putting relatives under the same roof but in their own space, a house annex also can have another purpose: It can be rented, generating extra income for a family to qualify for a higher mortgage loan .
“Before, people could qualify more easily for a mortgage loan, with less salary, but as interest rates have risen and property prices have also risen, we have had to look for alternative ways to help people become homeowners,” said Gaby Fruch, a real estate agent who considers her mission to help people “understand the process of stopping paying rent and becoming homeowners.”