Which seller lists sell in Tennessee? 84 counties, counted
By Josh MillerUpdated 4 min readAcross the Tennessee counties we could measure, the list that sold best was expired and cancelled listings: about 12 of every 100 sold off-market within 12 months, against about 1.4 for a house picked at random. Free and clear owners, the most-mailed list, sold at about 1.5 per 100.
Across 84 Tennessee counties with records we could trust, about 1.6 of every 100 single-family homes sold off-market in an arm's-length sale over 12 months, about 33,918 homes, and about 37 of every 100 sales went without an MLS listing. Which of those sellers could you have found on a list first? We counted every list in every Tennessee county with enough records to measure.
The count, list by list
| List | Of every 100, sold | Any house, at random | Counties | Owners on it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listing expired or cancelled | 11.5 | 1.4 | 17 | 12,142 |
| Lien filed against the property | 7.3 | 1.6 | 3 | 940 |
| Sitting vacant | 3.9 | 1.6 | 6 | 12,524 |
| Behind on taxes, 5 or more years | 3.6 | 1.4 | 8 | 17,147 |
| Behind on taxes, 2 to 4 years | 3.0 | 1.6 | 40 | 70,232 |
| High equity, living elsewhere | 2.2 | 1.7 | 84 | 494,218 |
| Owns it free and clear | 1.5 | 1.6 | 84 | 917,293 |
| Owner 65+, living elsewhere | 1.3 | 1.7 | 43 | 123,911 |
| Judgment against the owner | 1.0 | 1.6 | 3 | 3,847 |
Source: GoForClose count of off-market, arm's-length deeds in county records. A county is counted for a list only where the list was big enough to measure; lists measurable in fewer than 3 Tennessee counties are left out. Counties whose records don't mark MLS sales are left out entirely.
What stands out
Expired listings lead. About 12 of every 100 owners whose listing expired sold off-market within a year, across 17 counties. Tennessee sold off-market at about 1.6 of every 100 homes a year, among the highest of the big states.
Knox County's lien and tax lists are unusual. In Knoxville's county, about 11 of every 100 owners with a lien filed and about 11 of every 100 owners 5 or more years behind on taxes sold off-market within a year, far above the state. Memphis's Shelby County sold vacant houses at about 5 per 100.
The biggest counties
| County | Listing expired or cancelled | Lien filed against the property | Sitting vacant | Owns it free and clear | Any house |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 11.7 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| Davidson County | 8.3 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.1 | |
| Knox County | 6.9 | 11.4 | 3.8 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| Hamilton County | 7.3 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | |
| Rutherford County | 12.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
Source: GoForClose count of off-market, arm's-length deeds in county records.
How Tennessee forecloses
Tennessee forecloses outside the courts. The trustee publishes the sale notice three times, the first at least 20 days before the sale. That sets how long a pre-foreclosure owner has, and how long you should keep writing. What the filing is called, state by state. This is general information, not legal advice.
Check your county
The state number hides real differences between counties. Or see when each list sells in any Tennessee county.
Questions investors ask
What is the best motivated seller list in Tennessee?
Across the Tennessee counties we could measure, expired and cancelled listings: about 12 of every 100 sold off-market within 12 months, across 17 counties. A house picked at random sold at about 1.4 per 100.
How many homes sell off-market in Tennessee?
About 33,918 single-family homes sold off-market in an arm's-length sale over 12 months across 84 Tennessee counties we could measure, about 1.6 of every 100 homes and 37 of every 100 sales.
Should I mail free and clear owners in Tennessee?
Not first. Free and clear owners sold off-market at about 1.5 per 100 within a year across 84 Tennessee counties, about the rate of a random house. Lists that start with a filing sold far better.
Does Tennessee foreclose through the courts?
Tennessee forecloses outside the courts. The trustee publishes the sale notice three times, the first at least 20 days before the sale.