(You can probably guess our take on this) Slate just dropped a firestorm of an article this week about parents using baby monitors to watch their sleeping children while they sneak away to hotel restaurants. The piece describes how an influencer couple faced intense backlash for using FaceTime to check
Live Near Friends (and living near friends) has been in the news a lot recently. Sharing some of the highlights I did a Q&A with the wonderful Anne Helen Petersen in her newsletter, Culture Study. It's one Substack newsletter that I very gladly pay for every
So many people dream of living next door to their friends and family—but not that many actually do. What stops them? One common blocker we see is what we call the “Bestie Barrier.” People latch onto one specific person—their best friend—as the only person they’d consider
Exciting news: Live Near Friends just launched in SEATTLE!
Whether you’ve dreamed of having your besties next door, downstairs in a duplex, or right across the backyard, we’ve got you covered. Live Near Friends specializes in all the financial, legal, and zoning considerations that go into purchasing homes next door – so you can turn those dreams into
Xander and Colby purchased their future Berkeley friend compound in January 2025. They found the property through Live Near Friends and purchased it with Max Nelson, a Live Near Friends realtor. It’s a lovely 3-home property (one duplex + an ADU) near Ashby BART. They plan to live in one
When you want to live near friends, the right realtor can make a big difference. While any realtor can help you view properties, coordinating these types of purchases requires a guide who understands the unique intersection of multi-party dynamics, creative financing, and unconventional property arrangements. In a given city, there
It’s now much easier to build a friend compound in California. I used to tell people that their “all my friends on a plot of land” dream was impossible in California. Getting permits would be too much of a nightmare. This is no longer true. Here’s a breakdown
By popular request, we've expanded coverage of the Hot Friend Compounds to the North Bay – Marina and Sonoma counties. We'll be showing you the best properties for friends & family, and laying out exactly how you can make it happen. 💡If you are not yet a
💡ADUs are total game changers when it comes to living near friends, allowing you to turn any property with a big enough lot (or even just a garage) into a multi-home friend compound. When you’re trying to live near friends, knowing that ADUs are an option expands the range
So you want to live near friends, but you’re not sure how to get everyone on the same page. This article will cover everything you need to know about assembling a group of friends, assessing fit, and getting from fuzzy to firm commitment. The advice here applies to any
Renting to friends: Fun but sometimes awkward
Shared backyards are a highlight of sharing property with friends. With two or more households contributing effort, skills, and resources, it’s half the effort to make (and maintain) the yard of your dreams. In this article, we’ll explore 10 ideas to transform your backyard into the perfect shared
We think duplexes are the perfect way to live near friends or family. You can make a friend a neighbor, share a yard, but everyone still gets their own private living space. And duplexes tend to be cheaper than the equivalent single family home. Here is the two-part series on
duplex
The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of what’s involved when you buy a duplex with a friend. It is not legal or financial advice. Please chat with a qualified legal, financial, and/or tax professional about your specific situation before making any big decisions.
duplex
Two units - one for you and one for someone of your choosing. The humble duplex is one of the easiest ways to set up life near friends and family. Designed to accommodate strangers, duplexes are even better for friends, for whom shared space is a benefit rather than a
We've heard you loud and clear. You want to live that compound life. * You want that duplex for you and your friend with the shared backyard and garden. * You want that home with the ADU cottage in the back for your sister or brother. * You want that cluster
Hello, Phil and Genevieve from Live Near Friends here. Let’s meet face-to-face? We are hosting a live E-Seminar (like a webinar .. but fancier) on how to live near friends Register for E-Seminar (Free) Has your friend group been fantasizing about buying property together? Do you miss living on a
Case study
Live Near Friends helps people live right next door to friend and family. You can visit our site and start searching for properties here. Visit Live Near Friends
Case study
Sophia and Joel took the initiative in their friend group to purchase a duplex and bring other people into their vision of living near friends. At Live Near Friends, we call people like them "the instigators." Here’s how they created “The Neighbormune,” and their advice for others
Case study
DURHAM, NC—LNF MINIHOOD PROFILE 02 Reed and Eric are parents to four-year-old Milo, one-year-old Evie, and dog Sandy. Mollie and Lauren are engaged and live with their dog, Luna, and their cat, George. Reed and Mollie are friends from college. Eight years later, when Reed was pregnant with her
Reflections
The parenting payoffs of Living Near Friends
Case study
Oakland, CA—LNF MINIHOOD PROFILE 01 Carmen and Osman are parents to one-year-old Io. Deena is a solo mom to eight-month-old Noa. They live a 7-minute walk from each other in Oakland, CA. They moved into their respective homes in an existing minihood called “Radish,” which has a unique setup:
Living within walking distance of family and friends dramatically improves our quality of life. The joy of bumping into friends on the street—or having someone drop by after a hard day—these are simple pleasures that become even more meaningful the more complicated our lives become. Here are the