Big, master-planned neighborhoods with lots of amenities are popular with many Williamson County buyers — and their entry levels are busy places these days.
That means that when buyers ask just how much money it would take to get into one of them, there can be a different answer from one day to the next.
Especially in McKay’s Mill and Fieldstone Farms.
With more than 2,000 residences, Fieldstone Farms remains the big kahuna of the county’s big neighborhoods, although Westhaven will eventually be about the same size.
Fieldstone Farms’ fenced, manicured spaces, pools and walkability features have kept it popular with buyers since the first homes went up in the 1990s.
But it’s not as easy to buy into this community as it used to be.
A check on June 20 found only 29 homes listed for sale in Fieldstone Farms — that’s less than 1.5 percent of the residences — and nearly half of those were in some stage of being sold.
This summer, it’s barely possible to get into the neighborhood for less than $300,000, with just four listings priced under that mark, and some of those listed as contingent.
Among those still active on June 20 was a completely renovated, move-in-ready three-bedroom home on Wayside Court, for $245,900.
Benchmark Realty agent and real estate blogger Tammie White characterizes Fieldstone Farms as “an extreme sellers market.” She says the same holds true for McKay’s Mill.
In McKay’s Mill, which has about 1,500 homes, there were only 26 properties listed for sale the week of June 16-20.
At the middle of the week, there was only one home for sale priced under $300,000. It is a one-level, two-bedroom townhouse offered at $286,000, and it disappeared from the Multiple Listing Service’s listing 24 hours later.
By June 20, the lowest-priced single-family home advertised for sale in McKay’s Mill was a newly listed three-bedroom house on Hudson Lane priced at $344,800.
Three Park Run condos in McKay’s Mill were still being advertised that day, in the $214,900-$219,900 price range.
In both McKay’s Mill and Fieldstone Farms, houses are selling at nearly 100 percent of asking price, White noted, and not far behind are the ones in Westhaven.
Other options
Unlike McKay’s Mill and Fieldstone Farms, Westhaven is still very much in development, so the inventory includes several new-construction homes alongside resales.
There were 75 Westhaven homes listed on Realtracs.com the week of June 20, with the lowest-priced home a 2004-built two-bedroom townhouse on Pearl Street, offered for $334,900.
It was one of only seven Westhaven listings under $400,000. An additional 17 homes were for sale in the $400,000-$500,000 range and the rest were priced over the half-million dollar mark.
In Ladd Park, another still-growing master-planned community, it’s possible to get in for less than $400,000, but just barely.
Of 40 listings there, only seven were priced below $400,000, and some of those were under contract.
One of the lowest-priced homes, a stylish cottage on Fowler Circle that was built in 2010 and listed for $350,000, was under contract about two months after being listed.
“It would have sold in 15 days if the seller had accepted the very first offer,” said listing agent Jane Hunter-Hicks of Bob Parks Realty. “And it would have sold faster than that if we weren’t competing with the builders.”
Ladd Park will have more than 1,000 homes when it is completed. The neighborhood has about 400 now and has become one of the best for finding single-level homes.
Berry Farms, an even newer master-planned community, did not have any single-family homes for under $439,900 on Realtracs.com the week of June 20, but it did have eight condo listings priced from $154,900.
Buyers attracted to master-planned communities who need a lower price point can try Tollgate Village and Canterbury in Thompson’s Station, or Bent Creek in Nolensville.
Prices in Tollgate started at $274,290 the week of June 20; at $234,900 in Canterbury and $258,900 in Bent Creek.
In each neighborhood, most of the inventory is priced above $300,000, however.
In all three of them, buyers will find sidewalks, green spaces, playgrounds and new construction as well as resale homes.