Who is a mortgage loan originator serving Franklin and Middle Tennessee?

Keith Goeringer is a Loan Originator at Barrett Financial Group, NMLS #488023, serving buyers in Franklin, Williamson County, and Middle Tennessee. Call or text (615) 955-0461 or email keith@keithgo.com.

Should I get preapproved before house hunting?

Yes, if you plan to write an offer. A pre-approval letter shows the seller a lender reviewed the file. A pre-qual does not do that job. Touring first is how weekends get wasted.

How do I pick the right Nashville suburb?

Start with commute, then overlay school assignment, taxes, and HOA. Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Murfreesboro, and East Nashville are different products. Drive the route at rush hour.

Are foreclosure homes always a bargain?

No. They can be priced below market and still cost more after repairs, delays, and a weaker inspection window. Run the full number before you call it a steal.

What is a starter home?

A house you can actually afford now, in a place you can live, while you build equity. Many Middle Tennessee buyers start in Smyrna, Spring Hill, or Nolensville and move up. That is a plan, not a consolation prize.

Home Buying6 minMarch 28, 2026

A Step-by-Step Guide to Shopping for a New Home in Nashville

Payment first, then neighborhoods, then offers. Get pre-approved before you tour. Shop to a monthly number, not a list price you screenshotted.

Shop to a monthly number, not a list price you screenshotted. Principal, interest, taxes, insurance, then maintenance. If the payment only works if nothing breaks, it does not work.

Get pre-approved before you tour. A letter tells sellers you are serious and gives you a price range that is honest. In Franklin, Brentwood, and Nolensville, that is the difference between an offer and a conversation.

Must-haves, nice-to-haves, deal-breakers

Write three lists before you get in the car. Bedrooms. A yard. A specific school. A one-level plan. Deal-breakers save hours. "I could live with a small kitchen if the commute is short" is a useful sentence. "I will know it when I see it" is how you tour all spring and still do not write.

Verify school zones on the district site. Listing copy is marketing. HOA rules are not. Read them before you fall in love with the pool.

Drive the commute at 7:30 a.m.

Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Murfreesboro, Mt. Juliet, Hendersonville, and East Nashville are different products. You can remodel a kitchen. You cannot move I-65.

A short commute to downtown is a choice. Suburbs for a yard and a school assignment are a choice. A quieter pace in Gallatin or Spring Hill is a choice. Price PITI in the ZIP you will actually live in. Taxes and insurance do not follow you from a Zillow search in a cheaper county.

Tour with a checklist, not a vibe

After three showings the granite starts to blur. Take photos. Open cabinets. Run the water. Ask about recent repairs, utility costs, and what the neighbors fight about. If it needs work, get estimates before you write. Hope is not a line item.

Roof, gutters, and grading away from the foundation
HVAC age and whether heat actually runs
Plumbing, water pressure, and any staining at the water heater
Windows, moisture, and the smell in the crawlspace or attic
Flooring that is covering a problem, not just a style you dislike

Short sales and foreclosures are not automatic bargains

A short sale can look cheap because the seller owes more than the house is worth. The lender has to approve the sale. That often takes longer. Build the extra time into your lease, not your optimism.

Foreclosures may have been vacant. Price in repairs and a longer inspection. A low list price plus a dead HVAC and a roof is not a deal. It is a project with a mortgage.

A starter in Smyrna is still a plan

If the dream house in Brentwood is out of reach, a house you can actually afford in Smyrna, Spring Hill, or Nolensville is how a lot of Middle Tennessee buyers start. Build equity. Move up later. That is a plan, not a consolation prize.

Call or text (615) 955-0461 when you want the payment before the tour. Bring the must-haves and the suburb you will actually drive. We will name a range you can write with.

Sources and what to verify

This is general mortgage education, not a commitment to lend. Rates, programs, and eligibility depend on the borrower, the property, and investor guidelines. Confirm tax, school, zoning, and legal facts with the official source.

Want this run on your numbers?

Free plan, no credit impact from the quiz. Or call or text (615) 955-0461.

Get the Homebuying Plan

Frequently Asked Questions

Keith Goeringer is a Loan Originator at Barrett Financial Group, NMLS #488023, serving buyers in Franklin, Williamson County, and Middle Tennessee. Call or text (615) 955-0461 or email keith@keithgo.com.
Yes, if you plan to write an offer. A pre-approval letter shows the seller a lender reviewed the file. A pre-qual does not do that job. Touring first is how weekends get wasted.
Start with commute, then overlay school assignment, taxes, and HOA. Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Murfreesboro, and East Nashville are different products. Drive the route at rush hour.
No. They can be priced below market and still cost more after repairs, delays, and a weaker inspection window. Run the full number before you call it a steal.
A house you can actually afford now, in a place you can live, while you build equity. Many Middle Tennessee buyers start in Smyrna, Spring Hill, or Nolensville and move up. That is a plan, not a consolation prize.