🏡 Must-See Listings, Price Cuts & Homeowner Hacks

Meet Corey, our passionate and knowledgeable in-house mortgage officer. Here’s here for all of your mortgage questions!

Are you in search of a property in Middle or East Tennessee with over 5 acres of land or a budget of under $400k? Look no further! We have meticulously curated lists that are updated daily, making the process of finding your dream home even easier.

HOMEOWNERSHIP TIPS

Is Homeownership In Reach for Next Generation?

Are today’s twenty-somethings—and the teens coming up behind them—the last group who can still squeeze through the door to homeownership?

It’s not just dinner-table drama. Check this out:

• Prices have outrun paychecks—by a mile. Since 2000, the median U.S. home price has jumped about 170 percent, while household income rose roughly 78 percent. Adjusted for inflation, real incomes barely budged, but home prices exploded.

• The typical house now costs almost five times the median income. In high-cost states it’s 6–7×.

• Gen Z is already falling behind. Only one-third of 27-year-olds own a home—well below where Gen X and Boomers were at that age.

• Big money is crowding the field. Investors grabbed roughly one out of every four homes sold last year, and nearly 70 percent of their buys were single-family houses—the very homes first-time buyers want.

Add 7-plus-percent mortgage rates and thimble-sized inventory, and you can see why a whole generation is starting to wonder if they’ll ever get keys of their own.

So… are we headed for a renter-nation?

Maybe—but not automatically. In fact, there are more pathways to homeownership than most people think. Here are some creative ways to make it happen:

1. You Don’t Need 20% Down

Forget what your parents told you. These days, you can get into a home with:

• 3% down (Conventional)

• 3.5% down (FHA)

• 0% down (VA or USDA—if eligible)

Hack: Ask family for a gift toward your down payment (we just need a signed letter). Also, look into local down payment assistance programs—there’s often free money out there.

2. Rent Out a Room to Offset the Mortgage

Buy a 2–3 bedroom home, live in one room, and rent the others. Platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Furnished Finder can help you find roommates fast.

Pro Tip: Some loan programs even allow us to count future roommate income when qualifying you.

3. Buy a Duplex or Triplex (Live Free)

Want to live for almost nothing? Purchase a small multi-unit property, live in one unit, and rent out the rest.
Yes, you can do this with an FHA loan and a low down payment.

4. Use Your Side Hustle to Qualify

Got a solid gig driving Uber, freelancing, or running a business online? As long as you’ve got a two-year history, we may be able to count that income toward your mortgage approval.

5. Partner Up

Can’t qualify alone? Team up with a friend, sibling, or partner to buy a home together. Co-buying is a real thing and works well when done right.

6. Cut Living Costs Hard for a Year

Live at home if possible. Sell the car, skip the luxury apartment, and bank your savings. With focus, we’ve seen clients save a down payment in under 12 months.

7. Buy early, even if it’s not your “forever” place

House-hack with roommates, live in half a duplex, whatever. Getting on the ladder now beats trying to jump six rungs later.

8. Leverage Mom & Dad’s Equity

HELOCs or cash-out refis can fund a kid’s first down payment. You stay the lender; they learn the ropes.

9. Use Asset-Based Loans

These qualify off projected rent, not tax returns, so brand-new investors aren’t shut out by W-2 income limits.

The window isn’t closed yet—but it’s sliding fast.
If we want our kids—or our clients’ kids—to own instead of rent, it’s time to act.

Let’s make sure the next generation has a real shot.

Here are properties that have recently dropped in price in Tennessee. We update this list DAILY to keep you informed.