It's not need; they have smaller families. It's lifestyle.

We can afford it, we like it, and unlike the car that you spend $35,000 on today, it appreciates and is an excellent investment.

Like all of us, as you grow old you need more maintenance and more fixing.

Why do home sizes rise when, during the same period, the average family size has declined?

They want to have everything but can't afford it. Their belief is that home prices will go up, and their income will go up.

That suggests that the size of the average house is stabilizing.