Cheryl Smith and her family have “always been very much Philly people.”

Born and raised in South Philadelphia, Ms. Smith, 55, who works in the university architect’s office at the University of Pennsylvania, has spent nearly all of her adult life on the city’s north side. Over the years, she and her daughter, Dakota Foster, 30, who works in marketing, cycled through several apartments together, including a two-bedroom they shared for more than a decade in Mount Airy, a leafy Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood.

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Ms. Smith’s mother, Barbara Smith, 73, who is retired, rented her own apartment nearby.

“We were always close, so we could see each other often even when we lived separately,” Cheryl Smith said.

Last fall, as they approached the end of their lease in Mount Airy, Cheryl and Dakota started thinking about a new apartment. Dakota joked that all three women could move in together — but it stuck.

Cheryl said that as her mother aged, she felt “a sense of responsibility” to look out for her. “And, economically, times aren’t great either, so pooling resources made sense,” she said. “It seemed like a really logical next step.”

Barbara Smith’s lease was also set to expire, so the timing was right. If they could work out a financial arrangement, they’d be able to buy their first family home. Hence, the plan: Cheryl would buy a new house in her name, handling the mortgage, taxes and insurance. She qualified for Pennsylvania’s Keystone Forgivable in Ten Years Loan Program, which could cover the down payment. Barbara would pay for all the food and gas for the car. And Dakota would pay the electricity and water bills.

With that settled, they figured they could spend up to about $400,000.

Next, they needed to reconcile occasional divergent interests. “She was living by herself, so she was happy for the company,” Cheryl said of her mother. “We were living together, so we were always like, ‘OK, give me my alone time.”

Added Dakota, “We’re all only-children, so we’re very independent.”

That made space essential: A finished basement, a front porch and separate bathrooms for each of them were non-negotiable. A backyard would be nice, too. And they needed to be close to public transit. The family decided to stay in Philadelphia’s northwest, zeroing in on neighboring Germantown.

“It’s diverse, it’s quiet and I feel like there’s more of a sense of community up here,” Cheryl said.

Their agent, Charlene Houston of Keller Williams Real Estate, said the family’s somewhat narrow criteria helped speed up their search. “They were all on the same page,” Ms. Houston said. “Mother, daughter, grandmother, you could tell they had all spoken” about their priorities.

No. 1

This 3,536-square-foot house on a tree-lined street was built around 1900 and recently updated. It had only 2.5 bathrooms, but made up for it with six bedrooms, offering flexible options for storage, guest rooms and additional living spaces. The first floor had a foyer, a couple of fireplaces and hardwood floors. The spacious kitchen had an island, where Cheryl envisioned the family eating most of their meals, as well as a door that opened to a deck and a nice yard. The primary bedroom suite was on the second floor, with the rest of the bedrooms upstairs. The basement was finished, but they didn’t love the tiled floor. It was listed at $395,000, with about $7,000 a year in taxes.

No. 2

Built in 1920, this three-bedroom, 3.5-bath house with 2,768 square feet had been extensively renovated before being listed. The main floor had a foyer, high ceilings, dark hardwood floors, French doors, a custom fireplace and nice trim work. The carpeted finished basement and large bedrooms were appealing, as was the new kitchen, with granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. The house also had a small front porch, but lacked the backyard the family was looking for. It stood on a quiet street, steps from public transit and a few blocks from a busier commercial strip. The price was $339,900 (reduced from the original $419,500), with about $5,000 a year in taxes.

No. 3

This updated three-bedroom, 2.5-bath house with 1,528 square feet fit most of the family’s criteria while remaining well within their budget, which could allow for updates and expansions. The new kitchen had modern appliances and a large quartz counter, while the bright finished basement had a full bathroom. The living space was open, with the living room, dining area and kitchen lined up in a row — maybe a little too open for the family’s liking. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms with ample closet space (one had a gas fireplace) and a nicely renovated bathroom with granite finishes. The fenced yard out back was small and paved. The price was $314,900, with about $2,600 a year in taxes.

Which Would You Choose?

Which Did They Buy?