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Tracey De Simon
Coldwell Banker Realty
Market Trends • • 12 min read

One Roof, Three Generations: The 2026 Multigenerational Home Trend in Charlotte, St. Louis & Naples

More American families than ever are buying one home to hold two, sometimes three generations, and last year marked the highest share of multigenerational home purchases ever recorded. This article walks you through the trend, the floor plans that actually work, the real accessory dwelling unit rules in each of my three markets, how to buy or sell a one-roof home for maximum value, and what relocating households should know before they pack. Whether you are a buyer, a seller, or a family in the middle of a move, you will leave with a clear checklist, not a sales pitch.

A two-story suburban family home with a glowing front porch at golden hour in autumn, with a small gabled accessory cottage visible in the backyard behind it, suggesting two generations sharing one property

Let me start with a confession. When I got into this business in 2006, a client asking for a home to fit three generations meant one thing: everyone assumed you were stretched thin. Today that same request is a strategy, and a smart one. The numbers are not subtle. The National Association of REALTORS reports that 17 percent of all home purchases in 2024 were multigenerational, the highest share since they began tracking it, up from 14 percent the year before. Pew Research finds about 18 percent of Americans lived in multigenerational households as of 2021, more than double the 7 percent of 1971, with newer accounts putting the figure near 22 percent. Add a 30-year mortgage hovering near 7.4 percent, and the math does its own persuading: one shared roof, one shared payment, one household working together often beats two separate housing costs in any of my three markets.

01. Why Families Are Choosing One Roof Again

The reasons are as human as the households themselves. In NAR's surveys, the top driver for multigenerational buyers is caring for aging parents, cited by about 41 percent of them, and the second is cost savings, at roughly 29 percent. Adult children moving back, grown kids never quite leaving, shared child care, grandparents helping with school runs, all of it lands on the same question: can one house do the job? Gen X leads the way, with 19 to 21 percent of their purchases going multigenerational, which makes sense for the sandwich generation raising kids while caring for parents.

And the market has noticed. Realtor.com's analysis of sold homes found properties with in-law suites and multigenerational features traded at around $262 per square foot versus about $215 for a typical home, a premium of roughly 22 percent. Buyers are searching for these features by name: Zillow's 2025 search report shows terms like ADU, guest house, casita, and in-law suite climbing year over year, part of what Zillow calls a shift from fixed to flexible housing. That premium matters on both sides of the table, and it is exactly why I want every buyer and seller in Charlotte, St. Louis, and Naples to understand how this trend works in their specific market.

The Trend at a Glance
  • 17% of 2024 home purchases were multigenerational, the highest ever recorded (NAR), up from 14% in 2023.
  • ~18% of Americans lived in multigenerational households as of 2021 (Pew), more than double the 7% of 1971; recent accounts put the share near 22%.
  • Top reasons: caring for aging parents (about 41%) and cost savings (about 29%).
  • The premium: multigenerational homes have traded near $262/sq ft vs. about $215 for all homes, roughly 22% higher (Realtor.com).
  • Who leads: Gen X buyers, with 19-21% of their purchases going multigenerational.

02. What Should One-Roof Families Actually Look For?

The honest truth is that not every big house works for three generations, and some modest houses are perfectly built for it. The difference is in the floor plan, and I have toured enough of these homes to give you the exact checklist. You want two primary suites whenever possible, ideally at opposite ends of the home or on different floors, so two households get real privacy and neither wakes the other at 5:30 in the morning. At least one full bedroom and bathroom on the main level is close to non-negotiable for aging parents or anyone with mobility needs. A separate exterior entrance matters enormously: one household should be able to come and go without walking through the other's living room. And a kitchenette or small kitchen in the secondary suite turns a bedroom wing into an actual apartment.

Beyond the walls, do the homework before you fall in love. Check the HOA rules, because some communities restrict occupancy counts, parking, or the ability to rent out a secondary suite, and a great floor plan in the wrong HOA is a trap. Verify that any separate unit or guest house on the property is legal and permitted, because an unpermitted addition is an inspection issue, an insurance issue, and a resale issue all at once. And budget for the real cost of the configuration: two kitchenettes mean two sets of appliances to maintain, separate thermostats change your utility math, and insurance on a home with an accessory unit can run differently than a standard policy. None of this should scare you off. It should just be in the budget before the offer, not discovered after.

The One-Roof Buyer's Checklist
  • Dual primary suites at opposite ends or on different floors for real privacy.
  • A main-floor bedroom and full bath for aging parents or mobility needs.
  • A separate exterior entrance so each household comes and goes independently.
  • A kitchenette or second kitchen in the suite, plus separate thermostats.
  • Verify the rules: HOA occupancy and rental restrictions, and that any ADU or guest house is permitted.
  • Budget the extras: insurance, utilities, appliances, and possible tax or impact implications.

03. The ADU Map: What's Actually Legal in Charlotte, St. Louis & Naples

This is where the three states in my license matter most, because the rules for accessory dwelling units could not be more different across my three markets. An in-law suite that is a renter's gold mine in one city is a strictly family-only proposition in another. Know the map, and you will never be surprised at the closing table.

Charlotte, NC: The Renter-Friendly Market
  • ADUs are allowed by right on single-family and duplex lots under the city's Unified Development Ordinance (in effect since June 2023). No special rezoning needed.
  • One ADU per lot, permanent and self-contained with its own kitchen and bathroom.
  • Size: attached units around 800 sq ft or up to about 35% of the main home's floor area; detached units up to 1,000 heated sq ft.
  • No owner-occupancy requirement, which means the ADU can be rented out as an income unit.
  • Queen City ADU Program (launched September 2025): forgivable, interest-free loans up to $80,000, or 50% of project cost, for detached ADUs rented to tenants at or below 80% of area median income. City staff have also been working through 2026 amendments to ease the rules further.
St. Louis, MO: The Newly Formalized Market
  • ADUs are now legal citywide in all residential zoning districts under Ordinance 72036, in effect since late September 2025. Before that, they often needed variances.
  • Attached or detached, with its own kitchen and bathroom; maximum height about 25 feet (including above a garage).
  • Size: up to 50% of the primary home's floor area or about 750 sq ft, capped at 1,200 sq ft.
  • Owner-occupancy is generally required of either the main home or the ADU, so pure rental units are more restricted here than in Charlotte.
  • Lots generally need to be at least 50 feet wide and 5,000 sq ft, with setbacks varying by district. Missouri has no statewide ADU law, so every municipality sets its own rules.
Naples, FL: The Family-Only Market
  • Florida has no statewide ADU mandate. Bills that would have created one failed in both the 2025 and 2026 sessions, so local rules rule.
  • City of Naples permits guest houses and ADUs, generally on larger lots (R-1 zones typically require a 12,000 sq ft minimum) and subject to building and size rules.
  • Collier County allows guest houses on single-family lots, with accessory size often capped around 40% of the principal dwelling.
  • The big catch: no rentals. In both the county and the city, a guest house is for non-commercial use by family and friends only. Leasing it out is not permitted, and renting an ADU more than a few times a year can trigger transient-lodging rules.
  • Translation for buyers: a Naples guest suite is a wonderful multigenerational living arrangement or an amenity for visiting family, but it is not a rental-income property. Do not price it that way.

Put the three side by side and the strategy writes itself. If your plan includes renting out the secondary unit to help with the payment, Charlotte is where that idea is most viable. If you want the flexibility for family now with a path to owner-occupied rental later, St. Louis works, with the owner-occupancy rule firmly in mind. If Naples is the dream, buy the guest house for the family it is meant for, and let its value ride on lifestyle and resale rather than rent rolls.

04. For Sellers: Extracting the Full Value of the Suite

Sellers with an in-law suite, a guest house, or a dual-primary floor plan are sitting on the premium I mentioned earlier, but only if the listing tells that story. A secondary bedroom without its own entrance reads as just another bedroom. An in-law suite with its own exterior door, bathroom, and kitchenette reads as a second home, and that is what commands the higher per-square-foot sale. Stage the suite as a complete living space, photograph it separately with its own set of shots, and put the word suite, casita, or ADU in the marketing and the remarks. Buyers today search those exact terms.

The paperwork is where deals get won or lost. Have the permits and zoning records for any accessory unit ready before you list, because the buyer's inspector and appraiser will ask. If your market restricts rentals, disclose it honestly and frame the unit for what it legally is: in Naples, that is a gleaming amenity for visiting family; in Charlotte, that is a potential income unit, which is precisely why the Queen City program exists; in St. Louis, note the owner-occupancy rule so an investor buyer is not caught off guard. And price against closed comparables that actually share the feature. An unpermitted addition does not add the same value as a permitted one, and an oversized renovation without the paperwork can hurt more than it helps.

The One-Roof Seller's Checklist
  • Market the suite as a suite: separate photos, separate entrance highlighted, the words buyers search in your listing.
  • Stage it as a complete living space, not a spare room with a bed.
  • Gather the permits and zoning records for the accessory unit before you list.
  • Disclose rental restrictions honestly and frame the unit's legal use in your market.
  • Price against comps with the same feature, and never price an unpermitted addition as if it were permitted.

05. For Relocators: Moving a Household, Not Just a Person

I relocated my own practice from St. Louis to Charlotte in May of this year, so I know the difference between moving a person and moving a household, and the multigenerational wave I am seeing in my client work is full of households. A couple relocating for a Charlotte corporate job and bringing a parent along. A St. Louis family with adult children consolidating from two homes to one. A Naples buyer planning the second chapter with an aging parent's care in mind. All three are the same conversation with a different address: which metro, which house, and which rules make the shared living work.

In Charlotte, the corporate relocation machine keeps feeding the market, with the WTA headquarters, Daimler Truck's new Ballantyne office, and JPMorganChase and Capital Group expansions all landing jobs this year, and the metro's balanced inventory near 4.3 to 4.6 months gives a transplant family real choices. In St. Louis, the affordability champion of my three markets, typical residential medians near $340,000 put a one-roof family home in reach, and the city's new ADU ordinance finally formalizes what in-law quarters have always been there informally. In Naples, medians hover near $575,000 and the guest-house rules favor family living over rental income, which suits the many relocators buying for a shared second chapter rather than a rent roll.

The practical advice is the same advice I give every relocator, with one addition. Start 90 to 120 days before your target move date; every system, school enrollment, vehicle registration, and utility transfer takes longer than you think. Work with a broker licensed in both your departure and destination states, because North Carolina's due diligence system, Missouri's attorney closings, and Florida's as-is language are genuinely different contracts, and I hold active credentials in all three: NC 365141, MO 2006018602, and FL SL3498523. And talk to a CPA about the tax picture, because Florida's lack of a state income tax versus North Carolina and Missouri can shift your net proceeds by thousands. Then add the family question: does your chosen market's ADU rule match your family's plan? Because that answer determines whether the second suite is a rental, a retreat, or a reason to keep looking.

The Relocating Household's Checklist
  • Start 90 to 120 days out and set the family's housing plan before the job's start date.
  • Match the market to the family plan: rental-ADU potential in Charlotte, value and new ADU rules in St. Louis, family-only guest houses in Naples.
  • Verify each municipality's ADU rules for the exact address, not just the state, since rules vary town by town.
  • Use a broker licensed in both states and a CPA who understands multi-state moves and taxes.
  • Tour with the whole plan in mind: school runs, elder care, commute, and the suite's privacy all at once.

06. The Bottom Line, in Plain English

One roof, three generations is not a compromise anymore. It is a strategy families are choosing on purpose, at record rates, and the market is pricing the homes that make it work at a premium. Buyers who know the floor plan checklist and the local ADU rules will find the right house at the right terms, and sellers who tell the suite's story and bring the permits will capture the value that is sitting in their floor plan right now. Charlotte is the market where the secondary unit can help pay for itself, St. Louis is the value play with brand-new rules, and Naples is the family retreat where the guest house is an amenity, not an income source. In every one of them, preparation wins.

This is the part of my job I love, sitting down with a family and turning two or three generations of needs into one address. I have spent twenty years advocating for buyers and sellers through every kind of market, and I treat every client like family, because that is how this should feel. Whether you are buying, selling, or moving a whole household across state lines, bring me the questions. We will look at the floor plans, check the rules, and run the numbers together, free, with no pressure. That is what the next conversation is for.

Can One Home Fit Everyone on Your List?

Let us map your household's floor plan wish list and your timeline over a free consultation. Whether you are buying, selling, or relocating a growing family across state lines, you will leave with a clear plan and no pressure, just honest answers from a 20-year broker licensed in NC, MO, and FL.

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Sources

Market data and figures compiled from publicly available reports as of October 2026. Figures vary by source, neighborhood, and city ordinance. This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice; always confirm current zoning rules with the local jurisdiction.

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20 years of expertise. Dual Metro. Same unstoppable results.
-- Tracey De Simon