'A strong bond'

• Household: Julie Hovland, left, Ron Scroggins and their daughter, Ava, age 3, have lived with Julie's mother, Kathy Hovland, right, for the past five years.

"We were living in a townhouse and thinking about having a child," Julie said. "We wanted the privacy of our own house but not all the ownership responsibility." Her parents, meanwhile, wanted the freedom to winter in Arizona. So they agreed to get a place together and share the chores.

• Sudden loss: The younger couple bought an Edina duplex, a fixer-upper, intending to rent the smaller upper unit to her parents. "Dad was a retired carpenter, and he loved fixing up houses," Julie said. But the day they moved in, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Seven months later he died. "There were more of us to care for him," she said.

• Challenges: After Julie's father died, she and her husband decided to open up the duplex to create a more integrated living space for their multigenerational household, which has required some give and take. Kathy's taste in decor is more traditional than her daughter's, and she prefers to eat earlier so they rarely share meals. Getting used to a new environment, in a new community, was hard at first, Kathy said. "I didn't know anybody. And I moved from a house that was done; now I've been in a construction zone."

Julie sometimes feels pressure to maintain her mother's standards, she said. "I get involved in projects, and if it was just my house, I would leave them spread out, but Mom is a very neat person. Even though it's my house, she's still my Mom and I'm the child. There's always that influence. If it was just the three of us, we'd come up with our structure and traditions."

• Benefits: Ava's arrival brought home the benefits of extended-family living. "The best thing is having someone to watch Ava," Ron said.

Julie agreed. "If I have a meeting at work and have to stay late, I don't have to panic. I can be more spontaneous and flexible than some of my friends because I know my mom will help me out. The biggest plus, for me, is that Mom and Ava are really tight. There's a strong bond."

'I help her; she helps me' • Household: Lyndsey Lavin, right, and her 5-year-old son, Isaiah Wong, have shared a house in Hopkins with her mother, Lori Zobel, left, and Nick Zobel, right, (Lori's 17-year-old son and Lyndsey's brother) for the past two years. Last July, Lyndsey's boyfriend, Troy Carlson, joined their household.

• Mutual respect: Lavin, who is attending college while working, initially decided to live with her mom for financial reasons. "I had been out of the home for eight years," she said. "At first I felt like there was a stigma [in living with her mother]. Like, 'You live at home?' But I don't live at home. We rent together."

Said Lori: "We came back together as two women who respected each other. She was out for a while, so she's able to appreciate what it means to run a house, pay bills."

• Challenges: "The initial adjustment was tough," Lori Zobel said. "It took some getting used to, having a little one in the house. I had to let her be the mother, rather than me telling her how to mother her child."

And chores are an ongoing challenge, Lyndsey said. "With both of us working full-time, and my brother playing football, it's hard. But because we're related, we can be more honest. We bring things up and don't let them fester."

Lori, who sometimes works late hours, appreciates having another adult there for Nick. "He was having to fend for himself a lot. She cooks for him, and they have a bond as brother and sister. I'm grateful he has her. I help her with her son, and she helps me with mine."

Nick's view: "It's great having my sister around -- like having two moms. And it's pretty fun having a little kid in the house."

'We are good friends' • Household: Corinne Bowers, left, and her mother, Dorothy Bowers, have shared a house in Richfield since last July. Both had lived alone for many years, but the timing was right for them to move in together, Corinne said. "She was still independent but it was getting time to look at assisted living. She was way out in Maplewood and a little neglected." Corinne, meanwhile, had decided she needed a roommate. "I was having trouble in this economy. It's really expensive to live alone now. It's a luxury."

• A strong foundation: Mother and daughter have always been close, with a lot in common, Corinne said. "When I was a single mother, she helped me raise my daughter. We're both Type C, really laid back. We're both unconventional and don't like schedules."

Her mother agreed. "We are good friends. She's always been there for me." When Corinne suggested they live together, "I was happy," Dorothy said. "I was so very lonely. I liked being by myself when I could drive and go out, but when I had to give up my car, I didn't like it."

Corinne is more tied down than she used to be. "If I take a vacation, I have to make arrangements," she said. "For my 50th birthday, I was hoping to go to Vegas, but I'd have to get somebody to stay at the house."