Williamson County Home Sales Drop As Prices Soar

Williamson County home sales may be a victim of their own success. In the month of June, closings dropped by nearly 13 percent — even as sales in the rest of the region kept climbing. Realtors says soaring prices are partly to blame.

Williamson County boasts the state’s highest home prices — by far. Families flock to the area’s high-performing school system.  The demand drove the median price to $459,000 in June — a record. But the number of sales took a considerable dip, according to
figures released Monday. Realtors say many buyers have been priced out since much of what’s on the market is over $600,000.

“While there still is a pent-up demand for homes and attractive interest rates, the continued lack of inventory — combined with rising prices — may result in a slowing of sales as we move through the summer months,” says David Logan, president of the Williamson County Association of Realtors.

There’s a desperate need for more affordable housing — even if that requires the government getting involved, says WCAR government affairs director Beth Denton. In the meantime, she’s at least encouraging anyone with a house under $500,000 to think about putting out a “for sale” sign. In Williamson Country right now, half a million is on the low end.

“It’s certainly not a solution to a bigger issue of workforce housing,” she says. “But it would be — for anyone who is considering selling — it would be an advantageous time to do so.”

Even if the slow-down in closings is just a one-month blip, Denton says there’s a growing sense that something needs to be done so that people who work in Williamson County can also live there.