Short Sale Homes in Franklin, Thompson's Station and Spring Hill

You bought in Franklin, Thompson's Station or Spring Hill, the payment isn't working anymore, and the house won't sell for what you owe. Before you do anything else, find out which county your house is in. In Spring Hill, that's a real question.

I live in Canterbury, in Thompson's Station, and I sell homes from Franklin through Thompson's Station and Spring Hill to Columbia. My two most recent short sales closed in Columbia, in Maury County, so the lender's side of this is fresh. Below is how the county line, home values and HOA dues change a short sale here, and what to do first.

Are there short sale homes in Franklin, Thompson's Station and Spring Hill?

Short sales happen in these towns the way they happen anywhere: a homeowner owes more than the house will bring and can't keep paying, and the lender agrees to take less. The lender rules are national (HUD for FHA loans, VA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac), so a short sale in Franklin runs on the same rulebook as one in Columbia.

They're rare here, though. In the 12 months through October 23, 2026, no short sales closed with a Franklin or Thompson's Station mailing address, and two closed in Spring Hill, one on the Williamson County side and one on the Maury County side. Both sold for under $500,000, at a median 95.55% of list price.

Based on information from Realtracs® for the period October 23, 2025 through October 23, 2026.

If you're a buyer looking for one, my guide to buying a short sale home covers the timeline, the contract and the lender's paperwork, and I can set up a saved search that alerts you when one is listed.

Which county is your house in, and why does it matter for a short sale?

Franklin and Thompson's Station are in Williamson County. Spring Hill sits in both Williamson and Maury counties, and the 37174 ZIP covers both sides.

The mailing address doesn't settle it either. Brixworth and Newport Crossing have Thompsons Station 37179 addresses and sit inside Spring Hill city limits. Your property tax bill or the county assessor's record tells you which county you're in.

The county shows up in a short sale three ways:

• Taxes on the closing statement. Prorated property taxes come out of the sale, and on an FHA short sale they're an allowable cost. Inside Spring Hill city limits, the 2026 combined county and city rate is $2.009 per $100 of assessed value on the Williamson side and $2.108 on the Maury side, with homes assessed at 25 percent of appraised value.
• The comps. The lender orders its own value. On an FHA loan that's an as-is appraisal by an FHA roster appraiser, and the list price can't be below it. Which sales that appraiser leans on matters most in Spring Hill, where the two sides of the county line price differently. Over the 12 months through October 23, 2026, the median single-family sale with a Spring Hill mailing address brought $247 per square foot on the Williamson County side and $231 on the Maury County side.
• The foreclosure clock. If it ever got that far, Tennessee requires a foreclosure sale to be advertised at least twice in a newspaper in the county where the sale happens, the first time at least 20 days before the sale. The details are in Can You Sell a House in Foreclosure in Tennessee?

Property tax figures are the county and city rates published for the year shown and are for planning only. Your actual bill depends on the assessed value, any exemptions and the city or district the home sits in. Confirm with the county assessor or trustee and your tax professional before you rely on a number.

Based on information from Realtracs® for the period October 23, 2025 through October 23, 2026.

The full side-by-side of the two counties is on my Spring Hill property tax page and the Williamson vs Maury County guide.

How do home values here affect a short sale?

Value decides whether you need a short sale at all. If the house will sell for more than everything you owe plus the cost of selling, you don't need your lender's permission; a regular sale pays the loan off. A short sale is for when the honest value is below the payoff.

When I price a Spring Hill house, I establish the county first and start with sales in the same subdivision before I look wider. In Franklin and Thompson's Station I do the same thing with the neighborhood.

If a builder is still selling new homes in or near your neighborhood, your listing is competing with those, and the appraiser may see builder sales in the comps. In Spring Hill that's common: over the 12 months through October 23, 2026, new construction was 25% of single-family closings with a Spring Hill mailing address on the Williamson County side and 31% on the Maury County side.

Based on information from Realtracs® for the period October 23, 2025 through October 23, 2026.

How do HOA dues affect a short sale?

HOA dues you owe become part of the closing math. On the Tennessee REALTORS purchase contract (RF401), the seller has to deliver a lien payoff, estoppel letter or statement of account from a mandatory association at least seven days before closing, showing the account is current or what it takes to bring it current. In a short sale, whatever that statement shows has to be paid from the sale or by someone, and the lender decides what it will allow.

Unpaid HOA dues can also turn into a lien and even a foreclosure action by the association. FHA's handbook requires servicers to protect the first mortgage against foreclosure actions brought by an HOA or condominium association.

Timing matters too. In my second Columbia file, a January 1 reset of taxes, interest and HOA dues meant redoing the closing statement twice more. Ask your HOA for a current statement of account the week you list, and again before closing. If you have a second mortgage or HELOC on top of HOA dues, see second mortgages, HELOCs and deficiency in a Tennessee short sale.

What should a seller in Franklin, Thompson's Station or Spring Hill do first?

1. Confirm your county from your property tax bill or the assessor's record. In Spring Hill, also confirm city limits.
2. Pull the latest statement for every loan on the house, plus your HOA statement of account.
3. Ask me for a value built from sales on your side of the county line, in your subdivision first. That tells you whether you're in short sale territory.
4. Call your servicer's loss mitigation department. Ask what kind of loan you have (FHA, VA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or a bank's own) and what options you're being reviewed for.
5. Talk to a HUD-approved housing counselor about every option, including the ones that keep you in the house. If you have a VA loan, call a VA loan technician at 877-827-3702.
6. Put the deficiency and foreclosure questions with a Tennessee real estate attorney and the forgiven-debt questions with a tax professional.
7. If a sale date is already on the calendar, read Can You Sell a House in Foreclosure in Tennessee? and call me that day.

The whole process, from the first call to the closing table, is in my Tennessee short sale guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Spring Hill in Williamson County or Maury County?

Both. Spring Hill sits in Williamson and Maury counties, and the 37174 ZIP covers both sides. Check your property tax bill or the county assessor's record to see which side your house is on.

Does the county matter in a short sale?

Yes. The county sets the property tax rate that gets prorated on the closing statement, shapes which sales the lender's appraiser compares your house to, and is where a foreclosure notice would be published if it came to that.

Are Franklin and Thompson's Station in Williamson County?

Yes. Both are in Williamson County. A Franklin or Thompsons Station mailing address doesn't prove which town a house is in, though, so check city or town limits for the address.

Do HOA dues have to be paid in a short sale?

Yes, one way or another. On the Tennessee REALTORS purchase contract, the seller delivers the association's statement of account at least seven days before closing, and what it shows has to be paid from the sale or by someone. The seller's lender decides what it will allow.

How do I find short sale homes in Franklin or Spring Hill?

Short sales are listed on the MLS like other homes, usually noted as subject to the lender's approval. A saved search with alerts is the easiest way to see them the day they're listed, and I can set one up for Franklin, Thompson's Station or Spring Hill.

Are short sales common in Franklin, Thompson's Station and Spring Hill?

No. In the 12 months through October 23, 2026, no short sales closed with a Franklin or Thompson's Station mailing address, and two closed in Spring Hill, one on the Williamson County side and one on the Maury County side. Based on information from Realtracs® for the period October 23, 2025 through October 23, 2026.

What should I do first if I'm behind on a house in Spring Hill?

Confirm which county the house is in, pull your loan and HOA statements, get a value built from sales on your side of the county line, and call your servicer's loss mitigation department. Talk to a HUD-approved housing counselor about all of your options.

If you're behind on a house in Franklin, Thompson's Station or Spring Hill and it's worth less than you owe, let's look at your actual numbers, county line included. DM, text, or call me at 615-392-1186.