1159 - Demographers predict that home buyers will remain in their houses longer than at any time since the Great Depression. Over the next 20 years buyers will increasingly prefer to "age in place" -- that is, grow older without moving. Although it's tough to generalize about any population segment, especially boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964 has been a mobile one, both geographically and upwardly. The time has come, therefore, to look at slowing down, even though baby boomers may be too young to consider it now. And that slowing-down tendency has given birth to efforts at "flexible" home design. Eighty-five million baby boomers are getting old, so you'll find conscious efforts being made to make homes comfortable over the long haul. One early manifestation is single-level design, which eliminates the need for stairs. This includes a first-floor master bedroom suite, which was slow to gain a presence in many Northeastern markets because builders believed it would not stand up to resale. Their fears were unwarranted, and flexible design -- having the house evolve with changes in needs and lifestyles -- is becoming the goal of an increasing number of residential builders, both inside and outside the active-adult market. Read this Nemmar Real Estate Training article at Interior, Exterior - Builders, Renovation, Design, Furniture, Decorate