Nashville Tennessee Home Builder Confidence

“It’s the warmest, loveliest community I’ve ever set foot in. For me, it’s the perfect place to live. It’s the best part of America.” Nicole Kidman

Over the past year, resale home sales have jumped 16 percent, with prices up 9 percent and job growth up 3 percent. Suburban employment centers such as Franklin/Brentwood/Cool Springs offer shiny, comfortable new office complexes. Boomers and retirees are moving to Tennessee in record numbers. All of this is good news for Nashville – and great news for home builders who are enjoying a boom in Nashville new homes for sale. In response to the demand for homes outpacing the supply in Nashville, many new subdivisions and master-planned communities are on track to open within the next year and a half – and many of those are geared to the 55+ market.

Lest anyone think this is a bubble, consider that in the 20 years between 1990 and 2010, the population of Davidson County, TN, – which includes the capital city of Nashville and many of its suburbs – increased by over 25 percent, and grew another five percent from 2010 to 2013. Neighboring Williamson County to the south, with its popular Nashville suburban communities of Brentwood and Franklin, enjoyed similar growth, with the town of Franklin seeing a 10 percent boost in population between 2010 and 2013. The growth trend appears to be continuing for some years, and that offers the promise of stability and sustained growth to the builder community.

Currently, there is a wide variety of Nashville new homes for sale in various styles and price points on all sides of the city. Product diversity and choice is another trend. From the contemporary redevelopment of the Gulch in skyscraper lined downtown Nashville (walking distance from the Country Music Hall of Fame) to the charming suburban neighborhoods dotting the rolling Tennessee countryside there are Nashville new homes for sale everywhere, including the master-planned community of Westhaven.

BOOMERS CHOOSING NASHVILLE

Nashville has become one of the best cities to retire in Tennessee. A moderate climate with four distinct seasons and beautiful natural surroundings leads the “Why we’re heading to Nashville” list, followed by low cost of living, low property taxes and no state income tax, access to excellent health care facilities, a huge music/arts/culture scene, and the availability of safe neighborhoods in Nashville.

Here are a few more reasons that Boomers are loving Nashville:

The Food – Strap on the feedbag and hit any one of a thousand restaurants, eateries and farmers’ markets in the Nashville area. Southern cooking, rib shacks, fried chicken and Tex-Mex are big, but there are also dozens of fabulous gastro pubs, bistros and restaurants featuring ethnic cuisines from around the world – Asian, Cajun, Chinese, French, Greek, German, Indian, Italian, Korean, Latin, Persian, Soul Food, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, and even vegan or vegetarian-friendly spots pepper Nashville.

Live Entertainment – Austin, Memphis, New York, move over. Nashville is the place to go for live performances. From the Nashville Symphony to the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Bridgestone Arena, intimate studios, and every outdoor festival in between, Nashville is the place to see and hear your favorite performers and tomorrow’s stars.

Lifelong Learning – It’s not called the Athens of the South for nothin’! Over 20 colleges and universities operate in and around Nashville. Vanderbilt University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) offers non-credit educational programs for the mature student that includes lectures, tours, trips and events, as well as access to the Vanderbilt libraries and a chance to make friends with students of all ages. It’s great to live in a college town like Nashville, with campuses providing a constant source of free or low cost exhibits, lectures, concerts, and theatrical performances.

Culture and The Arts – American Style magazine named Nashville as one of the Top 25 Art Cities. The metro area offers up a full slate of art, history, and cultural happenings through venues such as the Tennessee State Museum, Belle Meade Plantation, Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, the Tennessee Central Railway Museum and many others. These and the Nashville Opera, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center will keep your dance card filled.

Employment – Today’s boomers do not rock in chairs on the porch. When they’re not out enjoying their time with friends and family, or volunteering, they often like to keep a finger in the old business, or try on a whole new career. Nashville has a low unemployment rate and plenty of part-time job opportunities. The economy is well-diversified and supports businesses in major industries such as finance, medicine, manufacturing and technology. So, a lifetime of talent and experience need not go to seed.

Outdoor Life – Nashville has done a bang-up job protecting their green spaces and creating outdoor recreation centers, with the goal of having a Greenway Trail within two miles of every Nashvillian. There are over 109 public parks and Greenways within the city limits. Beaman Park, Centennial Park, Radnor Lake Park and Shelby Park are just a few of the very different and interesting parks along the Greenway. Within day-tripping distance, you can enjoy historic and breathtaking Tennessee parks such as Montgomery Bell, Cumberland Mountain, and Davy Crockett Birthplace State Parks.

Access to Quality Medical Care – The health care industry is actually Nashville's largest industry, employing approximately 100,000 people throughout 250 health care companies. Baptist Hospital, a member of the Saint Thomas Health system, is Nashville’s largest hospital, second to Centennial Medical Center. The Vanderbilt University Medical Center is one of the nation’s leading teaching hospitals, and has been ranked on the list of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. The Nashville Veterans Medical Center provides quality medical care in Nashville and support services for organ transplants. The Alvin C. York Campus in Murfreesboro is affiliated with Meharry Medical College, providing additional medical care to Veterans.

WHY PEOPLE LOVE TO LIVE IN NASHVILLE

In addition to its 200-year-old reputation as the Music City and home to the Grand Ole Opry, as well as some of Country music’s brightest stars, Nashville has become an arts and education mecca, too. While music writing, recording, production, and distribution fuel the area’s best known industry and Rolling Stone Magazine named Nashville Best Music Scene, there are other cultural and commercial sides to Nashville that contribute to its economic diversity, low unemployment rate and vibrant growth.

Nashville is a regional force in health care, biotechnology, finance, publishing, transportation technology, plastics, and tourism and conventions. Colleges and universities, including Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State, and Middle Tennessee State, produce rabid football fans and an educated workforce. Concerts, art exhibitions, theatre performances and festivals take place in downtown and the suburbs virtually every weekend. Nightlife, world-class shopping, Tennessee Titans NFL football and NHL Predators are other local pastimes.

The Cumberland River winds right through the center of the city leading to two beautiful Nashville lakes; Old Hickory Lake and the J. Percy Priest Reservoir. Nashville residents also enjoy almost 200 miles of trails and parks surrounding the city known as the Greenway. These trails connect Nashville neighborhoods, shopping and restaurants built along rivers, streams, scenic roads and places of interest and are used year around by walkers, hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. In addition to the rich culture and preserved outdoor playgrounds, Nashvillians are some of the friendliest people you will meet in the south.

Some of the most popular suburbs offering safe neighborhoods in Nashville include: Brentwood, Cool Springs, Franklin, Gallatin, Green Hills, and Mount Juliet. Those who prefer a slightly hipper, urban vibe flock to The Gulch within walking distance of Music Row in downtown Nashville. Nashville new homes for sale can be found in a variety of neighborhoods that often feature Tudor, Spanish Mission, Minimal Traditional and Post-War architecture. The majority of the newer neighborhoods have a close knit footprint with zero lot line homes. Regardless of your tastes or preferred lifestyle, Nashville has a new home community that is just right. 

NASHVILLE NEIGBORHOODS OF NOTE

Recently, we made an extensive, four-day site visit to Nashville and reviewed all the major areas and neighborhoods, searching for the best master-planned communities in Tennessee. The 12 communities we toured in Nashville suburbs are:

• Westhaven - Franklin
• Berry Farms - Franklin
• Chardonnay - Franklin
• Concord Hunt - Franklin
• Elmbrooke - Franklin
• Highlands at Ladd Park - Franklin
• Fairvue Plantation - Gallatin
• Foxland Harbor - Gallatin
• The Reserve at Stone Hall - Hermitage
• Providence - Mount Juliet
• Burkett Place - Nolensville
• Milky Way Farms - Polaski

Now, we know we shouldn’t play favorites and we report our impressions honestly, but Westhaven residents absolutely love their 2,600 home master-planned golf community located only three miles from downtown Franklin. We admit, there is a lot to love! Cozy Chardonnay Trace, spacious Concord Hunt and Elmbrooke, walkable Providence, and Nashville’s best-kept secret (shhhh!), The Reserve at Stone Hall, are all worth putting on your list of must-see Nashville new homes for sale, too. To review our complete notes on our Nashville trip, click here:

NASHVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATES

New development extends to all four corners of the greater Nashville area with the most current activity happening in suburbs to the south and east, including shopping centers and schools to support all those new roofs. With land prices escalating, it’s no surprise that higher density, zero lot line communities are ubiquitous, but these new and safe neighborhoods in Nashville, such as Westhaven, come with all the amenities, bells and whistles a homebuyer could want. Of course, you can find larger home sites, but do expect to pay a premium for the privilege. Fortunately, even the smaller lots often are surrounded by parks, nature preserves, or even the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee and neighboring farmland – so one never feels completely cut off from nature.

Regional builders like Goodall Homes, Ford Custom Classic Homes, Turnberry, and Phillips Builders are names you’ll see time and again on Nashville new homes. For sale in communities as far south as Spring Hill, national home builders including Beazer Homes and DR Horton offer many new floor plans starting in the upper $100s. Moving into the $300-500 prince range opens up a variety of choices on all sides of town. For $500K or more, you’ll have the option of living in Franklin or Brentwood, unquestionably Nashville’s premier addresses.