Americans, as a rule, do not live all their lives in one dwelling. In his life, a typical American goes through several housing stages.
Up to 18 years old, Americans live with their parents. After 18 years, they begin to separate and live separately. Between the ages of 18-24, about 50% of girls, and about 40% of young people, bud off from their parents. Between the ages of 25-34, about 90% of women, more than 80% of men live separately from their parents. The first home of an American is, as a rule, rented housing. The rental housing market in the USA is very developed, and you can live quite comfortably all your life in a rented house. At this stage, proximity to work and all sorts of cultural (or not very cultural) entertainment are important to them.
The next stage in the life of an American is buying his own home. Of course, not everyone reaches this stage, but, as a rule, most of them reach it sooner or later. As a rule, this happens after they get married, and when they are preparing to have children. It should be noted here that Americans have a very strong preference to buy detached houses (one or two storeys). They can live in apartments when they are young or when they are elderly, but when they have children, they prefer to live in separate houses in the suburbs. It is clear that more space is needed for a growing family than for childless bachelors or pensioners. At this stage of life, good schools and proximity to work are important for them.
The next stage in the life of an American is the empty nest stage. The nest was emptied after the children grew up and left it. At this stage, the house is often sold, and as a rule they buy a more modest dwelling. At this stage, they no longer need to live near good schools, but still need to live closer to work. They can move back into an apartment, bought or rented.
The next stage is retirement. You can already live here in any place you want. Neither school nor work restricts the choice of housing. Proximity to beautiful nature and climate become decisive factors. Medical care, thank God, is normal anywhere in the USA. Many people at this stage buy two houses, one in the north, where they spend the summer, and the other in the south, where they spend the winter. There is a term for this – a migratory bird (snowbird or sunbird). It is estimated that in the USA and Canada about 5 million people (mostly of retirement age) make such seasonal migration.
