Is now a good time to sell my house in Memphis?

Usually when the sale fits your life rather than the headlines. Your next move, your finances and the state of the house matter more than the month.

To read the market in Memphis, look at how long homes like yours take to go under contract and what they actually sold for in the last few months, not at asking prices.

More in How Do I Know When It’s Time to Sell My House?

Should I sell my Memphis house as-is or fix it up first?

Make the inexpensive, visible repairs an inspector would flag, and skip the big projects. Sell as-is when the work would cost more, or take longer, than it would add.

Our sample for Memphis is a single home, so recent sales on your own street are the better guide to what buyers there expect.

More in Should I Sell My House As-Is or Fix It Up First?

What are the benefits of selling my Memphis house off-market?

Discretion, no preparation and control of the calendar.

  • Privacy. The house is never listed for sale, and there are no showings or open houses.
  • No preparation. No repairs, staging or deep cleaning before you sell.
  • Certainty on timing. You choose the closing date at the start, not after the inspection.
  • A simpler negotiation. One buyer and one conversation, from offer to closing.

The trade-off is exposure. A listing puts the house in front of every buyer in the market, and competition can push the price up. Should I Sell My House Off-Market? weighs both.

How fast can I sell my house in Memphis?

Off-market, on the date you choose, whether that is a few weeks out or a few months, once the title work and the documents Tennessee requires are done.

A listed sale usually takes longer, because the house has to be prepared, shown and negotiated, and the buyer’s inspection, appraisal and loan approval can still undo the deal late in the process.

If you are relocating, read How Do I Sell My House Fast When I’m Moving for Work?

What does it cost to sell a house in Memphis?

Commission first, then transfer taxes, title and closing fees, and the repairs or credits a buyer asks for after inspection. Address District charges no commission.

On federal taxes, the IRS says an owner who owned and lived in the house as a main home for two of the five years before the sale may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly.

Line by line in How Much Does It Cost to Sell a House?

How does selling my Memphis house off-market work?

In four steps, with no listing and no showings.

  1. Send us the address and a few details through the offer form, or get in touch.
  2. A person on our team looks at the house and recent sales nearby, and may ask for a walk-through.
  3. We send a written offer. You are under no obligation to accept it.
  4. If you do, the closing is handled by a title company or closing attorney, on your date.

You will know in writing who the buyer is before you sign anything.

What if my Memphis house isn’t selling?

Usually the price, sometimes the condition, occasionally the marketing. The showing count tells you which.

Before you talk to another buyer, read your listing agreement. Most owe the agent a commission on any sale during the term. More in Why Isn’t My House Selling?

How does Memphis compare with nearby neighborhoods?

Little Rock, 143 miles away, has three older homes among the three we sampled. Thompsons Station, 174 miles away, counts one older home among the 10 we sampled. Bellevue, 176 miles away, shows four older homes among the six we sampled. Memphis ranks tied for 883rd nationally for older homes, behind three of them.

Every neighborhood in the index has its own page, and the Tennessee page lists all 41 in the state.

Do older homes in Memphis sell for less than new construction?

In our sample, yes. The one older home in the 38120 sample sold for 12.2 percent of the average price of new construction in the same ZIP code. The Tennessee median is 17.5 percent, and the index median is 23.1 percent. With one older home behind it, treat the figure as a rough guide.

The gap reflects size, lot and condition as much as age, so price an older house against recent sales of other older houses nearby, not against new construction.

Memphis by the numbers

Older homes
1
of 1 home sampled, built 1980 or earlier
Share of older homes
100.0%
Tennessee 34.7%. Index 49.0%.
Older vs new
12.2%
Older home price as a share of new construction
National rank
#883 (tie)
of 1,192 ZIP codes
State rank
#30
of 41 in Tennessee
Minimum lot
1.5 acres
As recorded in the source data

The Address District sample includes one home in Memphis (38120), and it was built in 1980 or earlier. That places 38120 tied for 883rd of 1,192 ZIP codes nationally for the number of older homes, and tied for 30th of 41 in Tennessee.

Across the 41 Tennessee ZIP codes in the index, 34.7 percent of the homes sampled were built in 1980 or earlier, against 49.0 percent across all 1,192 ZIP codes.

With one home in the sample, read these figures as a snapshot of the homes sampled rather than a measure of the whole ZIP code.

How 38120 compares

Share of older homes

Homes in the sample built in 1980 or earlier

38120 Memphis100.0%
Tennessee34.7%
All ZIP codes in the index49.0%

Older home prices against new construction

Average older home price as a share of new construction

38120 Memphis12.2%
Tennessee median17.5%
Index median23.1%

Nearby neighborhoods in the index

ZIPPlaceDistanceRankShare
72207Little RockPulaski County, AR143 mi378100.0%
37179Thompsons StationWilliamson County, TN174 mi64410.0%
37221BellevueNashville, TN176 mi25666.7%
37069FranklinWilliamson County, TN176 mi76250.0%
37064FranklinWilliamson County, TN177 mi9713.1%
37046College GroveWilliamson County, TN181 mi3045.7%
37205Belle Meade / West MeadeNashville, TN182 mi485.4%
37067FranklinWilliamson County, TN183 mi65111.1%

The top of Tennessee

State rankZIPPlaceHomesOlder homesShare
137205Belle Meade / West MeadeNashville, TN413585.4%
237027BrentwoodWilliamson County, TN1173126.5%
337046College GroveWilliamson County, TN351645.7%
43720412 South / BelmontNashville, TN351440.0%
537064FranklinWilliamson County, TN61813.1%
637215Green HillsNashville, TN39820.5%
737209The Nations / Charlotte ParkNashville, TN11654.5%
837862SeviervilleSevier County, TN4548.9%
937876SeviervilleSevier County, TN32412.5%
1037220Oak Hill / Crieve HallNashville, TN6466.7%

All 41 Tennessee ZIP codes in the index ›

About the data. Older homes are homes built in 1980 or earlier. Rank orders ZIP codes by the number of older homes in the sample, then by the number of homes. Full methodology and the complete index. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or financial advice.