In the case where all four family members had a weak Sun, why would four separate kundlis show the same pattern?
Members of one family almost always have nearly the same planetary placements; there is a symmetry among their charts, and that is why they are born into the same family. In that case the Sun was badly placed in all four charts, so the East-facing house harmed the whole family.
Related questions
Can a person whose Sun is debilitated (neech) have the drawing room in the East?
Yes, with remedies; he will not leave the East unused or build a toilet there. A drawing room is not a permanent seat. Only permanent seating, such as an 8-hour business seat, should not be chosen in the zone of a debilitated planet.
For someone with no astrology background, what does an exalted or debilitated planet mean in practice?
Learn the twelve rashis in order and the rest is simple. If the Sun is written with rashi 1, it is exalted, very powerful, and blesses the house and direction it occupies. If the Sun sits with rashi 7, it is debilitated and very weak; if that falls in the 4th house (North), building a house in that direction ruins the person. Vastu without this is incomplete, which is why even a perfect East-facing house can fail.
In the example of the Sun in the 8th house, would an East entrance have suited if the Sun had been retrograde?
Possibly, but then its degree and the aspects on it, such as a benefic planet's aspect, would have to be checked. A house is built only once, so such a risk should not be taken. Retrograde (vakri) planets are taught later in the course.
The kundli chart was shown with directions. How are those directions used, and what can a kundli tell about a house?
Go by the houses, not the numbers written in them: the top house is the 1st house (East) and the 4th house is North. If the planets on the North side are strong, the North direction is very good for the person. A kundli can even reveal where a person's house is, where its door is, how many windows it has and where a nearby river, pond or temple lies, so a map of the house can be drawn without seeing it.
Why is sleeping recommended in the South-West or the South?
Sleep is an activity of Saturn, and Saturn is a friend of Rahu-Ketu, who rule the South-West. The South is the seat of Yama, before whom no one prevails. Sun and Saturn are enemies, so sleeping in the East brings husband-wife quarrels; only a king-like person such as a politician or minister can sleep there. Applying this friend-enemy logic of the planets to every activity lets you derive remedies yourself.
A couple sleeps in the SW; one has an exalted Rahu and the other a debilitated Rahu. Can they sleep there?
Yes. After marriage, as in the hathleva ritual, the planets of one partner overlap the other, and the exalted planet's influence prevails.