One option that many Americans believed to be a staple in their retirement future was letting their real estate age in place.  They viewed their home equity to be the rock asset that they could use in major emergencies, such as paying for long-term care or nursing homes.  Unfortunately, the costly combination of falling home equity with rising home real estate taxes, property insurance premiums and utilities is causing the aging in place option to be less cost-effective and difficult to retire successfully.  One way to combat the aging in place option is to consider a multigenerational household.  With the rise of the “sandwich generation” and the large hike in multigenerational households in 2010 to 7.1 million, or 6.1% of all U.S. households, it would seem that choosing this option would allow you to age in place while reducing the cost of maintaining a home.