Living in a multigenerational household is becoming a common solution to dealing with money issues. After all, the benefits are plentiful. There's usually someone to look after the children, which means there's no need for expensive daycare costs, and household and utility expenses can be split up among more people. Further, if someone happens to unexpectedly lose her job, those who can afford it can help to pick up the slack temporarily.
The downside to all of this is the lack of privacy you might experience and the sense of losing your independence and peace of mind. Enter granny flats — a solution that may nip the negative effects of living with your mother-in-law in the bud, says Forbes. Here are some examples of granny flats or secondary suits:
- A separate guesthouse in the yard.
- A converted garage space.
- A basement conversion.
- An attic conversion
Of course, these new attachments or separate structures can cost a lot of money to build, and it's not something everyone can afford. There are also many other factors to consider such as special permits needed to build detached units.
Whenever I use Craigslist for apartment hunting, I tend to gravitate toward the listings with pictures, sometimes even eliminating those without altogether by checking the "has image" box. It seems like a no brainer: if you have an amazing place and want to grab the attention of a lot of people, you would make sure they can see how fabulous it is. So without pictures, potential tenants are thinking, "What's wrong with it?" But it has occurred to me that there could be legitimate reasons for why the posting doesn't include images. Maybe it's still being renovated, the landlord hasn't had updated photos taken, photos don't do it justice, it's too tiny for good shots, or the current tenant's furniture is still in the apartment. What do you think? Share your good or bad experiences with photo-free Craigslist ads in the comments below.
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You are inviting a complete stranger to live in your home, so there are some precautions to take. For five tips I recently heard from someone who's had lots of experience living with, and kicking to the curb, roomies found via Craigslist, 
A recent New York Times article reveals that window watching (spying on your neighbors) is a common activity in big cities, where apartment windows often face each other. One woman interviewed for the article 
