Many real estate agents in our market work the entire Metro Nashville area. This includes 10 counties and hundreds of square miles. An area much too big for our taste. We have chosen to focus our efforts on Williamson County only, with Franklin being our primary target market. After all, it's where we live, work, eat, shop and worship.Since we serve a smaller geographic area than most agents, we are constantly browsing the internet to learn about local events, new restaurants, shops and new construction underway. News that extends beyond the data we report from our MLS.While browsing the internet today, I found a website dedicated to Williamson County real estate. I always want to know what my local competition is doing so I clicked thru to the site.The header of this website had a phot... 05/27/2015

This morning, I was contacted by a home buyer. They signed up on our website a few months back and have been regularly receiving new listing alerts from us. They are finally in a position to buy and wanted to connect with us to schedule a buyer's consultation.I asked how they found us and sure enough, it was through an internet search. They liked our website because we shared information freely about neighborhoods. They asked, "Why do Franklin TN real estate agents conceal information?".It seems they found one of our competitor's sites through a Google search but when they clicked on his neighborhood page, all that appeared was a contact form; no listings, no neighborhood info. That website was useless to them. Why would anyone contact that agent when he's so stingy with information?Con... 05/26/2015

The Franklin TN housing market is RED HOT!As a matter of fact, I can't repeat this phrase often enough. If you are a Franklin home buyer, you can't spare a day to consider a purchase.On Saturday, I took out a young couple. They haven't seen many houses but want to take their time making a purchase. The first time they bought, they'd only seen two houses. In hindsight, they think that was a mistake and don't want to make it twice.Unfortunately, this isn't the market to dilly-dally around. If you see a house that meets the majority of your criteria, you better be prepared to act quickly.I received a text this morning from this couple, "Let's write an offer on that Franklin TN home." There's only one problem--the house went under contract the very first day on the market. I had warned them... 05/26/2015

This morning, I was contacted by a buyer who wanted to see a Franklin TN townhome. Within a few minutes, I learned he had a single-family home to sell and hadn't been pre-approved for a mortgage. Not a good combination in our market where homes are selling in the first day. I explained it was going to be difficult to get him into a home with a sale of home contingency. I agreed to show him the townhome with the understanding that should he decide to purchase it, I would represent him in the transaction and we would talk about listing his home.Upon meeting, it was clear this buyer really doesn't want to use an agent. He moved here two years ago from the Midwest. Unfortunately, he didn't use an agent then and didn't really know much about the town he bought in. Now he's decided it's a goo... 05/24/2015

Yesterday, I interviewed with a seller to list his home. This luxury home is in a neighborhood that many agents would like to list; at a price to exceed $1.5M. The home was beautiful--magazine quality.  It seems that no matter the price point, sellers are ultimately going to make their decision on price and commission. That's not the best way to choose an agent but I do understand their rationale. They are looking to get the most money. Rather than hire an agent who can do that through negotiating on their behalf and promoting their home to the right buyers, they look to accomplish that by hiring the agent who will work for the least amount of money.First, I would like to say--COMMISSIONS ARE NEGOTIABLE! There is no set rate for real estate commissions. The government considers that pri... 05/16/2015

Target Marketing. Is this the first time you've heard these words? Do you know any real estate agents who are currently using "Target Marketing" to sell their listings?Target marketing either targets a certain demographic such as first-time home buyers, senior citizens or buyers vs. sellers. Or it can be used to attract certain buyers to your property by promoting a feature or location. A feature might be a recording studio, gourmet kitchen, English Garden or in-ground swimming pool. A location might be near Cool Springs Galleria, lakefront property or homes zoned for a specific school.For example, there are many people who are involved in the music industry and live in Franklin. Some of these homeowners may have created a home recording studio. Recording studios aren't just for the ric... 05/13/2015

Franklin Homes for sale and May 2015 market update - 181 Franklin homes closed during the month of April compared to 168 for the same month last year.. The median price of homes sold in Franklin during the month was $439,900 compared to $395,000 for April of 2014, an increase of 11%. The absorption rate based on April sales and the current inventory is 4 months, and the median days on market is only 49 days. A lot of Franklin TN homes are now getting multiple offers the first day on market, and a good buyers agent is critical to having a chance to compete for the better homes. the median list price to sales price ratio for Franklin Homes in April was 99% 324 Franklin homes are pending at this time 721 Franklin homes are currently listed in the Nashville MLS as available for purchase, bu... 05/06/2015

Chances are if you have Googled anything in reference to Franklin TN real estate, our website has popped up in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). You will find every property currently available for sale in Franklin. As a matter of fact, you have access to every single property available in Middle Tennessee and beyond.Broker Reciprocity gives every brokerage and agent the ability to carry these listings on their websites. Even if the listings are not theirs. This causes a lot of confusion for buyers who are looking for the listing agent. We often receive email requests from buyers wanting to schedule a showing on homes of interest. We are always happy to help buyers find the right Franklin TN home. If you send us an email requesting to see a house, we will call to ask if you are w... 05/04/2015

Founders Pointe Spring 2015 Market Report The Founders Pointe Neighborhood saw very consistent sales this Spring of 2015 compared to the Spring of 2014. Both 3 month periods had 3 sales each. The Average Sales price was very interesting since in went from $374,425 in 2014 to $343,333 in 2015.However, one must always look closely at all the information. It ends up that the homes sold in 2014 were larger than those in the same time period of 2015. The Price/square foot actually increased from $130 in 2014 to $133 in 2915. It's only a 2% increase, but an increase, nevertheless. Days on the market dropped from 66 to 38! That's a 42% decrease. The 38 days is very deceiving. The clock stops when the property goes pending. That means from the day it goes live until after the home inspection co... 05/04/2015

Many buyers begin their home search months, possibly years ahead of time. The internet has made it easy for you to search for Franklin TN homes for sale without ever leaving your home. However, there's a lot of confusion about when the actual viewing of homes should begin. Who should I contact first? A Franklin TN REALTOR® or a lender?It depends.If you already have an established relationship with a trusted real estate agent and you don't know a lender, then contact the agent first. This real estate agent should have a preferred lender who has successfully gotten their buyers to the closing table. The agent will have insight into the best and the worst lenders in the area. After all, they may come in contact with hundreds of lenders each year. They know who can get the job done.If you h... 05/03/2015

Founders Pointe 2014 Market Report The Founders Pointe Neighborhood continues to lead the Franklin Real Estate market with strong sales and increases in prices. There are very few expired listings or withdrawn, leaving the market reports with clean easy to read numbers.               # Sales List Price Sales Price  DOM 2013 18 $324,925 $323,011 44 2014 15 $363,196 $360,056 61 % Change -17% 12% 12% 38%                               In Founders Pointe  the average sales price increased 12% in 2014 vs. 2013 compared to just 3% in Franklin overall. Days on the market is up, which is odd since there was very little inventory in 2014 and the days on the market in Franklin stayed steady at the mid-60s. Once again, with lower inventory there are more offers on the homes and buyers tend to snat... 04/30/2015

You might be from Franklin TN if the guy in front of you at the Tractor Supply Company is a Country Music star!I have to admit that when Tammie White and I moved to Franklin TN nine years ago, neither of us were into the Country music scene. Actually, we still aren't, but that's another story... We never really thought about the fact that the Nashville area, and Franklin TN in particular is home to quite a few name performers.I was buying fertilizer and grass seed at a local store when I struck up a conversation with the guy in front of me in line. I do that often, just to pass the time and hey, I'm a friendly guy! When the man left the TSC store with his purchase, the girl at the check-out said in a breathless voice, "Do you know who that was?" Of course my response was..."Nope".She sa... 04/30/2015

Home sales in the Nashville area are booming....(Reposted from Mike's Real Esate Blog)... and when your house is properly prepared and marketed the selling process can be fun and extremely profitable.  We have been selling more houses for list or over list price these days than not.  But that doesn't come without prep, hard work and marketing.  Just putting a sign in the yard won't get your houses full potential.  Find yourself an agent that knows or hires people that know, staging, photography, and marketing.  Selling your house at the top of the market isn't magic, it is hard work and expertise. So hire an expert.   Recently I showed our listing to somebody that had seen it when the prior agent listed it.  She said this is gorgeous, it doesn't even look like the same house.  And it di... 04/29/2015

Adjusting to a sellers market is tough for buyers, and even sometimes for sellers. I've had several clients recently who were surprised when I told them what my opinion of a sales price on their home would be. In every case they would point out that the neighbors home sold last year for $$$, and that's what they expected to get from their home. In every case, I told them it was worth more than they thought. Every house and every neighborhood is different. But a lot of homes in Franklin and Brentwood have increased in value 8 to 10 percent in the last 12 months. Sometimes it's hard to get your mind around these types of increases, but if the demand is high, and the supply is low, expect prices to rise quickly.I love a sellers market.Find out what your home is worth here 04/28/2015

Several times a year, Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) offers update sessions at our local association. These sessions are led by TREC staff. They cover a multitude of topics. However, the topic of most interest is TREC advertising requirements. There always seems to be some confusion on this particular subject.Today, one agent shared that her client was so dissatisfied with our local MLS, that the seller is hiring a web designer to produce her own single-property website for her upcoming listing. Our MLS only posts 20 photos. This particular client has a large home and didn't think that number of photos was sufficient.As I heard this agent speak, I realized how little some agents know about the many options now available to them to promote their listings. It was clear this agent... 04/28/2015

Today while talking with a prospective buyer, I asked if he was already working with a real estate agent. He said he had not committed to one agent, nor would he. "Whoever finds me the right house, will get my business." In other words, whoever contacts him first, will get his business.Franklin TN is in a hot seller's market. Homes are going under contract within hours of hitting the market. I check the hot sheets multiple times daily looking at new listings for my buyers. I understand it's important to get them in the first day or take the risk that the house will already be gone.Time is of the essence.However, the idea that a buyer would choose me only because of my expediency in contacting him, didn't entice me to work with this person. He doesn't expect me to do anything I'm not cur... 04/27/2015

This morning, I was contacted by a woman who is retiring to Franklin in a couple of years. She and her husband are making a trip here this weekend and she asked me to show her some properties. I explained it's a little soon to look at houses. Scheduled showings are designed for serious buyers. While she may be serious about buying here, there isn't any immediacy.Instead, I suggested she drive through historic, downtown Franklin, park the car and visit the many shops and boutiques located there. Have lunch at Puckett's Grocery or 55 South. Then hop into the car and take a drive out to Leipers Fork and visit the art galleries and shops there. On the way back, she should hit the Natchez Trace Parkway.A drive through neighborhoods is always a good idea. I suggested a few Franklin neighborho... 04/23/2015

As a Franklin TN REALTOR® with a global reach, I have an opportunity to work with buyers from other states and even other countries. Oftentimes, these buyers think of Franklin TN as a small, rural community. While there are rural parts of Franklin, the City of Franklin is definitely not a small, rural town.It is located 15 miles south of Nashville, just a 30 minute commute. Like any city within such a short drive of a large metropolitan area, median home prices and median household incomes are higher. It's also located in one of the richest counties in the country. If you're relocating to Franklin, you should know median home prices are up.Recent Franklin TN statistics: Median Single-Family Home Price for 2014: $405,726 (2.3% appreciation over 2013 based upon Realtracs.com) Median Incom... 04/18/2015

Franklin TN Condo and Townhome Market Trends -- April 2015 What's happening in the Franklin TN Condo and Townhome market? Should I buy now or wait? Should I get my condo or townhome on the market right away or delay? All good questions about the Franklin TN Condo and Townhome market. The best place to start is to look at a current market report. Let's see what happened in Franklin TN in March 2015. Active condo/townhomes listings: 63 Of those units currently on the market, the number under contract: 20 Properties closed in March: 14 Average sales price: $207,560 Average list price: $211,146 Average sales price to list price ratio: 98.3% Average days on the market: 104 Median Days on the market: 55 Average per SF price: $143.64 Lowest per SF price: $79.23 (Executive House Condos) Highest... 04/14/2015

You've decided to move to Franklin TN but there are so many neighborhoods it's hard to know where to begin. Let me start by saying it is best to enlist the help of a knowledgeable REALTOR® whenever you are buying a home. You will save countless hours driving around in your car searching for the right home.If you've decided new construction homes in Franklin TN are most appealing to you, you still want to enlist the help of an agent. He/she may be able to save you thousands of dollars while representing your interests in the negotiation process. Yes, you negotiate on the purchase of a new construction home in just the same way you would negotiate the purchase of an existing home. However, builders don't budge off their base price. Given our current market, don't expect to get more than 1... 04/13/2015