I am with @Jaggernut and @Mukiri on this, at least for now. As a young professional with a few years in the business, it makes no sense for me to build a mansion in the village while am renting wherever i am living.
I grew up in the city and as a first born i saw my parents build a mansion to rival any in Karen or Lavi, complete with a high wall, razor wire and electrical fencing, while they were still renting in the city. It was ironical that the landlord, one of those micromanaging ladies used to pay us a visit to make sure that rent money had been deposited into her KCB Kencon account.
The house standing next to my other uncles' was a big source of social and cultural pride for my father. As a family we used the house once a year but my dad would visit 2 or 3 times more while on his businesses in that part of the country (200km away from the city). In our teenage years I and my siblings simply refused to accompany the parents on the annual visits.
When i started working, my dad told me that with hindsight, he would have bought or built a family house in the city first, built a smaller basic house or built at a more strategic location where he could rent out to county elite when not using it. As it is, the house is on ancestral land and renting it out to outsiders is a no no.
In my community, it is a "taboo" self imposed or otherwise that a grown man esp who is married should "sleep" in his father's house. My father admitted that this was the primary reason he spent huge sums to build the house. He wanted a place where his wife and children could "sleep" on his visits to the village.
To some extent, I am a captive to the same culture . My former room in that house has been unused for several years. In any case, when i am in the neighbourhood, which has averaged like two days passing by, once in two years i don't want to start cooking, doing my laundry etc. I just check into a nice hotel 20km away, do my business and move on.
Most African men build houses in the village for cultural reasons. They houses also serve as status symbol just like cars. It is normal for someone to build a huge house in a remote area or buy an expensive car even when there is no economic or utilitarian reason to do so.
As for me i will buy a family residential, investment property, holiday home and village house in that order. I should be able to rent out the first three if for any reason i am not in physical occupation.
There is no reason why i shouldn't intergrate the homes/ houses. Say i buy a 2 br starter house, later buy a 4br town house. The starter house becomes a rental ppty. Once the children grow up, they can move into the starter house temporarily. Alternatively the second house is a villa at the coast. Rent it out when not in use. On retirement move into the villa and first home is rental. Or instead of building on ancestral land, sell my portion to my bros/uncles. Acquire a plot at the nearest county Hq. Build rental units and reserve the penthouse for my use etc
Life is short. Live passionately.