Who says you can never go home again?

The best house for you may be the one you grew up in.

We all fantasize about the perfect home, whether it's some ivy-covered Tudor we've driven past a hundred times or a great big Victorian spread with a winding drive and a solarium. A friend of mine, Brian, also had a dream house -- one he knew far more intimately. He and his wife, Leslie, recently purchased a frame stucco house on Chicago's North Side. It is the same house Brian shared with nine brothers and sisters when he was growing up in the 1970s and '80s.

His parents first sold the home in 1993. At the time, Brian and his wife were not in a position to buy it. The neighborhood had turned into a real estate hot spot, and it was worth far more than they could afford. Then, last year, the house went back on the market. This time, the couple pounced. "We weren't really looking for a house, but this was the one," Brian says. "We knew the house, the schools and even some of the neighbors who were still there. It just felt like home." The only noteworthy upgrade, in fact, was the removal of some shag carpeting that had covered the oak floors.

Brian and Leslie aren't alone. Driven by sentiment, an increasing number of people are moving back to their childhood residences, this time with the deed in hand. Although no one has compiled national statistics, individual real estate agents I spoke with recount plenty of successful variations of this phenomenon. "Often a widowed parent will be looking to downsize just as adult children are looking to upsize," says Peggy Lancer, a real estate broker near Pittsfield, Mass. "It makes for a perfect arrangement: The parent gets money to buy a smaller place; the child gets a home they know and love."

Keep in mind, your childhood home won't necessarily live up to your idealized memory. Even so, there is a tremendous advantage in buying a home you know well: From the outset, you're aware of any tics and flaws, the age and condition of appliances, and whether the basement has ever flooded.

The finances of buying your childhood home also can work to your advantage, especially if you have a tax adviser involved from the start. "Parents usually aren't interested in making a profit off their children," Lancer says. In some cases, the money will be used for retirement. Many parents are willing to sell their home at a discount, offer to hold the mortgage or even swap homes with children who live in a smaller place. That's the best of all scenarios from a cost factor, because it involves no real estate commissions and minimal legal fees.

In addition to getting a great home at a good price, as Brian and Leslie found, you also can feel good about moving into a house full of built-in memories.

Lou Manfredini is the author of "Mr. Fix-It Introduces You to Your Home."