Why did Lester give Franklin a house in GTA 5?

One of the most common questions about GTA 5's story is, "why did Lester give Franklin a house?" It is explained in the game, but it's an easy-to-miss detail. Thus, it's worth revisiting this old topic for the new generation of gamers who might have skipped through some important dialog.

GTA 5 is one of the best-selling video games of all time. Ergo, plenty of new players will ask the same question as this article's title. For those who don't know, the reason can basically be summarized as something that was done for tax purposes.

---

Lester gave Franklin his house in GTA 5 for "tax purposes"

After completing The Hotel Assassination, Lester will eventually call Franklin. The conversation can be seen at the beginning of this video, but here is a quick transcript for the reader's convenience:

"Our investment portfolio was getting a little... successful, so I figured we needed some tangible assets - property - so we bought a house in the Vinewood Hills... And we needed someone to live there for tax purposes, so some guys are moving your stuff in."

Thus, it's quite apparent that Lester gave Franklin his house in GTA 5 for tax purposes. Nothing else relevant comes up regarding this property.

---

3671 Whispymound Drive

How the home looks like on the outside (Image via Rockstar Games)

This home is located at 3671 Whispymound Drive. It's quite the fancy house, as it has several cool aspects, such as a:

• Pool
• Jacuzzi
• Much larger interior than the old home
• Much better decorations than the old home
• Telescope

It's an expensive house that's arguably better than Michael's home. Interestingly enough, Franklin still lives in this house by the time of GTA Online's The Contract DLC, which happens nearly ten years after GTA 5's main storyline.

By that point, he's married to Tanisha, and The Contract DLC also mentions that the couple have had some kids together. The exact age of their children is unknown. Unlike in GTA 5, GTA Online players usually can't visit this building (and if they do get inside, they won't see anybody living in it).

---

Visiting Franklin's old home afterward

Franklin moves out of his aunt's home shortly after receiving Lester's call. This means that GTA 5 players can no longer visit his old home via normal means. Hence, if they wanted to see his old interior for one reason or another, they would have to noclip into it. There's nothing particularly exciting about his old place, but it's something gamers might wish to know.

One slightly impressive attention to detail that some might not know is that most of Franklin's stuff has been removed from his room. There wasn't much of a reason for Rockstar to do that since gamers normally can't revisit his old place at this point of the story.

They can still see Denise at home, and they even have the ability to still watch TV here. However, they can't just walk out of the door to leave, so they should either restart the game or switch to Michael for a bit.