Dickson County real estate: Area offers lowest cost even as prices spike in 'hot' market

Dickson County real estate is booming, according to agents and residents looking for homes.

The hot local market is an extension of Middle Tennessee’s growth, said one of the county’s real estate leaders, and Dickson is increasingly on the radar for house shoppers.

Amanda Crist, member of the Greater Nashville Realtors board and recent president of the GNR’s local branch, is emphatic that Dickson County real estate is “hot, hot, hot.”

“As a real estate agent for the past decade as well as a life-long Dickson County resident, I can attest to that,” Crist said.

The numbers back her up.

Dickson County home prices have increased by about 20 percent in the last year – though, those prices remain the lowest among nine counties surrounding Nashville. The median home price locally was $319,900 with 91 home sales in December. Homes only stay on the market about a month.

“I suspect that this year and in the near future, the Dickson market is going to grow substantially,” Crist said.

In the City of Dickson, nearly 1,000 residential units are planned for the next few years with multiple apartment complexes, townhomes, and houses.

Related: New Dickson County subdivisions are coming. Here's 11 discussed recently.

As Nashville home prices continue to climb at a record pace and inventory remains relatively low, people are migrating to Cheatham and Dickson County, Crist said.

The median home price in Nashville recently eclipsed $400,000.

Steve Fridrich, president of Fridrich & Clark Realty in Nashville, recently told the Tennessean, "if we're not careful, we're going to push some of the first-time homebuyers out of the market because of price increases."

Comparatively, Dickson County has the lowest prices in Middle Tennessee. The next cheapest home median price in the Midstate compared to Dickson County is Robertson County, which was still $30,000 higher at nearly $351,000.

Related: Dickson development of over 350 residences denied with rezoning vote

The number of homes sold in surrounding counties has dipped slightly, which could be attributed to the lack of inventory and escalating prices. But in Dickson County, the number closings has remained about the same with 91 sales in December. More than half of those were in the City of Dickson and 10 in both Burns and White Bluff.

Crist said Dickson County also offers larger lots in an area that's more rural than much of increasingly-developed Middle Tennessee. In recent months, county elected officials and citizens have argued for and against a minimum lot size requirement larger than the current 1 acre. The county commission recently declined to vote on a change until a county growth plan is complete.

Dickson County's real estate market: The numbers

Related: Housing shortage: 5 more million homes needed for supply to catch up to demand

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dickson real estate: Area offers lowest cost even as prices increase