White House poised for residential growth

(Bill Lewis , For The Tennessean. Click HERE for full article) Goodall Homes expected its new 51-home Settler’s Ridge subdivision in the town of White House to be popular with home buyers. When more than three times that many people signed a waiting list for the chance to buy those houses, the company knew it was right. “We have 170 on the waiting list but only 51 lots,” said Rachael Overall, the company’s director of marketing. Sales are expected to begin in mid-December in Settler’s Ridge, located in northern Sumner County about 22 miles from downtown Nashville at exit 108 on I-65. The subdivision is a few minutes’ drive from the interstate. Goodall is also developing the Summerlin neighborhood nearby. Sales in that 199-lot subdivision are expected to begin next summer. Homes in Settler’s Ridge will range from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet. Prices are expected to start in $190,000s. Homes in Summerlin will range from 1,600 to 2,800 square feet. Prices have not been set, but Goodall Vice President Todd Reynolds expects them to start in the low $200,000s. White House is being discovered by home buyers looking for affordable prices within a reasonable commuting distance of downtown Nashville, he said. “Go south on I-65 to Franklin. Go the same distance north and you’re in White House. It’s right off I-65 and easy to get to. It’s where you have to go to get the value,” said Reynolds. “We have 170 on the waiting list but only 51 lots,” said Rachael Overall, the company’s director of marketing. Sales are expected to begin in mid-December in Settler’s Ridge, located in northern Sumner County about 22 miles from downtown Nashville at exit 108 on I-65. The subdivision is a few minutes’ drive from the interstate. The price of building sites in White House, which straddles the Sumner-Robertson county line, is substantially less than in many Nashville-area communities. Builders can pass that savings on to buyers, he said. “In Hendersonville, tons of people are looking in the $260,000 to $300,000 range,” said Reynolds. “Hendersonville moved past that three years ago because of lot prices. To get that price, you have to go a bit farther out.” Mayor Michael Arnold believes White House, which had a population of 10,255 in 2010 according to the U.S. Census, is poised for growth as buyers discouraged by rising prices and lengthening commutes on the south side of the Nashville region turn their attention north. “Everybody has gone south so far. But you have to go so far south it makes sense to come north,” said Arnold. “It looks like development is ready to come our way.” There are 1,500 home sites in White House approved for development. Arnold hopes that will catch the eye of one of the national builders active in other communities. That may happen sooner rather than later, thanks to the home construction impact fee recently approved in Williamson County, said Arnold. The fee, intended to finance school construction, ranges from $1,145 to $11,210 depending on the home’s size and location. That could push new homes out of the reach of some buyers who may instead turn their attention to White House, he said. “It’s going to get bigger,” he said of the demand for new homes. “Eighty people a day are moving to Nashville, a million in the next 20 years.” Demand for new homes in the area is already strong, said Ed Andrews, broker and owner of Exit Real Estate. He lists new homes built by AEX Builders, a local company. “We sell them before they’re finished. We’ve not had one finished before selling in two years,” said Andrews. “Williamson County is getting full. Wilson and Rutherford counties are getting full. It’s the next natural place to go,” he said of White House. Settler’s Ridge will feature open green space, a pocket park and a picnic pavilion. Homes will have two-car garages, kitchens open to the living areas, optional bonus rooms and energy efficient systems. Summerlin will feature a home design similar to one Goodall introduced in Franklin with a room on the main level that can be used as an office or as a bedroom, said Reynolds.