Another problem with the Sims 3.?

I'll make a family. Play on that lot for a while and then I decide to make another family for the first one to meet. When I play on the lot of the second family and try and have them go to the other's house to meet them, it says no one lives in that house! So I went to the menu where all the people are and they're not there or on my clipboard. This is the second time this has happened to me. I turned off the story progression thing so maybe that's the problem. I have no idea but I'm tired of my families disappearing. Someone please tell me how to fix this.