A pandemic-related blip or a sign of things to come?

The National Association of Realtors reports that 18 percent of homebuyers between the ages of 41 and 65 bought a multi-generational home, which could house adult siblings, adult children, parents or grandparents under the same roof.

Homebuyers ages 75 to 95 were the second most likely to purchase a multigenerational home, and were most likely to purchase senior-related housing, at 27 percent.

The statistics were released as part of NAR’s 2021 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report.

“There are a variety of reasons why large families and extended families are opting to live together, one of which is that it’s a great way to save money,” Jessica Lautz, NAR’s vice president of demographics and behavioral insights said in a statement. “Also, in light of the pandemic, many grandparents and older relatives found that being under a single roof – quarantining with family rather than away – worked out better for them.”

Realtors in and around Greater Boston have reported that, at least for part of the pandemic, concerns about COVID-19 in nursing homes and assisted living facilities kept some older sellers from listing their homes, while pre-pandemic, the area’s ever-higher home prices had priced some out of the communities they hoped to move to. Deaths in nursing homes dominated headlines early in the pandemic as the disease swept through vulnerable populations.

In Massachusetts, the national trend NAR noted may be less pronounced, however. While the NAR survey did not break its results down by geography, many communities ban accessory dwelling units, also known as “in-law apartments,” in single-family zoning districts, limiting their supply.

Other highlights from the NAR report:

• Millennials made up 37 percent of the nation’s homebuyers in 2020, the sixth straight year they’ve been the largest cohort among American buyers.
• Twenty-eight percent of homebuyers between the ages of 22 to 30 – those who make up younger Millennial buyers – lived with parents, relatives or friends before purchasing.
• Twenty percent of homebuyers between the ages of 22 to 30 were unmarried, a decline from 21 percent from a year ago.
• Twenty-two percent of homebuyers between the ages of 66 and 74 were single women.

Location proved to be an important component among buyers. Fifty-four percent of homes purchased by homebuyers ages 31 to 40 – older millennials – were located in a suburb or subdivision. Out of this age group, 69 percent said the quality of the neighborhood influenced their neighborhood selection. That sentiment was shared by buyers ages 22 to 30 to the tune of 65 percent. However, an even stronger factor among this 22-to-30 age bracket was “convenience to workplace,” as 74 percent cited that when deciding on a neighborhood, proximity to where they worked was imperative.

“The younger millennials overwhelmingly answered that they prefer to live closer to work, as many don’t want a long commute and this was evident in their buying habits,” said Lautz. “Additionally, both of these groups also placed a high value on being close to family and friends as 57 percent said that dynamic factored into what neighborhood they ultimately chose.”

Overall, sellers stayed in their previous home for a median of 10 years before selling, with a median of six years among sellers ages 31 to 40, and a median of 16 years among sellers 66 and older, NAR reported.