As a young girl, Oniria Correa never really had a place to call home. She was born in Cuba and adopted by a local family, who left her in the care of a Catholic boarding school after they moved to Puerto Rico.

While Mrs. Correa’s schoolmates went home to their families over the summer, she was left to assist the nuns with chores like polishing pews until they gleamed; the smell of Pledge still makes her flinch.

Five decades later, Mrs. Correa, 67, is yet again settling into a new life. This time, though, it’s in a sparkling new house in Henderson, Nev., outside Las Vegas, a gift from her daughter, Camila Lincowski.

ImageWhile growing up, Camila Lincowski, right, promised her mother, Oniria Correa, she’d buy her a house. “She was living in fight or flight,” Ms. Lincowski said of her mother.Credit...Mikayla Whitmore for The New York Times

“Mom, you took care of me, and now I got you,” Ms. Lincowski, 38, told her.

In the United States, it’s common for parents to help their children buy their first homes. But for some, doing the reverse — buying a house for their mom and dad — can feel like the ultimate realization of the American dream, a “thank you” after years of parents’ sacrifice and support. Videos across social media show Millennial and Gen Z home buyers surprising their parents with a set of keys.

Buying a home for aging parents, especially for those who might not have robust retirement savings, can also be a way of providing stability amid rising housing costs. The number of households with people 50 and older in the United States who spend more than half their income on rent has almost doubled in the last two decades, rising to nearly 11.7 million people, according to an Urban Institute analysis of census data. That strain can be particularly acute among immigrant families, which already face barriers to finding affordable and safe housing.

ImageMrs. Correa and her husband, Eduardo Falcon, moved into a townhouse in Henderson, Nev., outside Las Vegas, in November.Credit...Mikayla Whitmore for The New York Times

Life got better in adulthood for Mrs. Correa, but there were still rough patches. After a move to Miami and a divorce, she made ends meet by working back-to-back shifts at the airport and relying on friends to bring her children to school.

That’s when Ms. Lincowski made her mom a promise: One day, she’d buy her a house. “She was living in fight or flight. She deserves to be relaxed, to feel like, ‘I’m OK, I am taken care of now,’” Ms. Lincowski said.

The reasons a child may decide to buy a house for their parents are manifold, said Brian Walsh, head of advice and planning at SoFi, a finance company. Some home buyers may see a second home as an appreciable asset or a more affordable alternative to a residential care home. In many cases, there’s an underlying sense of filial duty.

Fulfilling a Vow

ImageMr. Mahmood with his father, Tariq, and mother. He vowed to get the family a house again after they lost the one they had in El Segundo, Calif.Credit...Stella Kalinina for The New York Times

Wajeeh Mahmood, 30, was raised in El Segundo, Calif., outside Los Angeles, by Pakistani immigrants who moved to the United States over 30 years ago. His father, Tariq, worked at a gas station and his mother, Raheela, was a travel agent near Los Angeles International Airport.

The family bought their dream home near the beach in El Segundo, but during the Great Recession they couldn’t keep up with the mortgage payments and eventually lost the house.

It was a crushing loss for Mrs. Mahmood, 59. “I was in so much stress all the time. All I was thinking about was how to get the house again,” she said.

Her son vowed to help her get one back. He graduated from the University of Southern California, earned a law degree from Duke University and worked as a lawyer. He was preapproved for a mortgage and brought Mrs. Mahmood to open houses.

A $1.1 million three-bedroom, three-bathroom Mediterranean-style house near Calabasas, Calif., caught their eye and Mr. Mahmood’s offer was accepted. But the loan fell through and, they thought, so did their dream of owning the house.

Image“I say thank you to Allah thousands of times, because when I see the sky outside, the mountains, the lights at night, everything, I am so happy,” Mrs. Mahmood said.Credit...Stella Kalinina for The New York Times

Mr. Mahmood eventually found a new lender, but did not tell his parents before he persuaded them to go on one last walk-through of the house. The video of him handing his mother the keys has racked up nearly 1.8 million views on TikTok. “My hand was shaking,” Mr. Mahmood said. “All those years led up to that very moment.”

“I love everything about it,” his mother said. “I say thank you to Allah thousands of times, because when I see the sky outside, the mountains, the lights at night, everything, I am so happy.”

Today, Mr. Mahmood shares the home with his parents and younger sister, who sometimes feature in videos and other content he shares online about his family, including a podcast called “Chai Talk” with his mother. His parents chip in with the mortgage payments as they’re able to.

ImageMr. Mahmood shares the home with his parents and his younger sister.Credit...Stella Kalinina for The New York Times

“I think for at least for immigrants and minorities, it’s one of our biggest dreams and accomplishments to buy a house for our parents,” Mr. Mahmood said. “You feel like you want to give back to them, because they gave you so much.”

A Special Birthday Celebration

ImageCarlos Rahi Becerra called buying a home for his parents his “biggest accomplishment.”Credit...Getty Images

Carlos Rahi Becerra, 31, can relate to Mr. Mahmood. He grew up with six siblings in Costa Mesa, Calif., in Orange County, and remembers his father, Salvador Marquez Becerra, an immigrant from Mexico, coming home after working multiple shifts at fancy steakhouses to make ends meet, his eyes bloodshot after long intervals over the hot grill.

Money was as tight as the small apartments the family shared. Mr. Becerra remembers splitting a bedroom with three of his brothers while his little sister slept in a repurposed walk-in closet. He also watched his parents purchase a house but then lose it after they couldn’t keep up with the payments.

Seven years ago, Mr. Becerra tacked a note onto his bedroom vision board: He was going to buy his parents a house by his 30th birthday.

That day came in July 2023, when Mr. Becerra, after working as a loan officer and flipping a condo, purchased a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Santa Ana, Calif., for $960,000 for his parents and two of his siblings to share.

He gave the keys to his mother, Nora, just a few days before her birthday and surprised her with a combined birthday celebration and housewarming party, complete with catered tacos and a mariachi band.

“It was my biggest accomplishment,” Mr. Becerra said.

A Big, Expensive Dream

ImageMs. Lincowski decorated before her mother arrived in Nevada.Credit...Mikayla Whitmore for The New York Times

Before buying your parents a house, it’s essential to make sure you’re on solid financial footing, said Mr. Walsh, the SoFi planner.

“It really kind of goes back to the airplane analogy where they want you to put your oxygen mask on first before helping someone else,” he said.

Consult a financial planner and carefully shop around for the best mortgage rate. For instance, a program known as the family opportunity mortgage is designed to help facilitate purchases for disabled adult children or for aging parents, and offers advantages like lower interest rates and down payments.

While buying her mother a home was a yearslong dream, Ms. Lincowski had to ensure it was a prudent financial decision. After working at clubs in Miami and in reality television, including a stint on the British edition of “Celebrity Big Brother,” Ms. Lincowski built a career in real estate and now has two young daughters of her own.

The time felt right to live up to her promise. Ms. Lincowski established a budget, and had her mother visit Henderson to explore neighborhoods. Ms. Lincowski closed on a $355,000 three-bedroom townhouse on Sept. 30.

“I was pulling the jet bridge at work, when Camila called me and said, ‘Mom we got the house,’” Mrs. Correa said. “I started screaming on the jet bridge.”

Mrs. Correa and her husband, Eduardo Falcon, moved into their new townhouse in November. Ms. Lincowski put a big red bow on the door and set up silver balloons spelling “Welcome Home” in the living room.

“I’m in awe of myself,” Ms. Lincowski said. “Whenever my daughters find out mom took care of grandma, I hope that it’s a lesson to them — you take care of those that you love.”