Active Adult Communities in Nolensville and WilCo

Goodall attached homes can be found in Nolensville’s Bent Creek and Nolen Mill communities.

Tennessee is an attractive destination for the 55+ community. With four seasons, no state income tax, and nearby world-class healthcare facilities, it’s no surprise that our market is flooded with people moving from out of state. For those considering the move, Williamson County is one of Tennessee’s most sought-after and affluent areas. Within Williamson County, there are multiple 55+ communities, including two active adult communities in Nolensville and four in Franklin.

Active Adult Communities in Nolensville TN

Bent Creek has many lovely walking trails.

The Cottages at Bent Creek / Bent Creek Active Adult

Built in 2015, the Cottages at Bent Creek (Bent Creek Active Adult) offer two and three-bedroom, low-maintenance, attached homes. The homes were built by Goodall and offer amenities like no-step entries, wider doorways, two-car garages, and access to all Bent Creek’s amenities, including trails, the clubhouse, pool, splash pool, basketball court, and playground.

With home sizes ranging from approximately 1300 to 2147 square feet, the cottages are manageable for those who want to spend their time having fun, not cleaning the house. The HOA makes homeownership even simpler by covering many of the usual homeowner hassles like exterior maintenance, grounds maintenance, and maintenance on shared community amenities. At $220 per month, the HOA dues are on the higher side, but they also include blanket all-risk insurance. The insurance covers the outside portion of the homes, while homeowners are responsible for carrying their own contents insurance. Owners are also responsible for maintaining the inside of their homes, courtyards, doors, windows, driveways, gates, AC units, bushes, and trees.

The Cottages at Nolen Mill

Also built by Goodall, the Cottages at Nolen Mill is Nolensville’s newest 55+ active adult community. There are 79 attached homes in the community and four floorplans ranging from 1411 to 2107 square feet. As Bent Creek and Nolen Mill share the same builder, many of the home’s features are identical. All the floorplans at The Cottages of Nolen Mill are built for low-maintenance living with two and three-bedroom floor plans, no step entries, wider doorways, and two-car garages.

While Nolen Mill does not offer the same level of amenities as Bent Creek, there is access to a walking trail. Off the Nolen Mill trail is a small, gated area for dogs. Owners in the neighborhood have shared that the dog park is best for little dogs. On that note, anyone wanting to move to an HOA-managed community with pets should be aware that most 55+ communities, including active adult communities in Nolensville, restrict pet ownership. Owners are restricted to two pets per household, usually limited to dogs and cats. Also, the HOA can ban pets that are a nuisance.

The benefit of having fewer amenities in Nolen Mill is lower HOA dues, which is one advantage Nolen Mill has over Bent Creek. The dues at Nolen Mill are $125 per month and include exterior maintenance, grounds maintenance, and maintenance on shared community amenities.

We reached out to a resident of Nolen Mill’s 55+ community and asked her what she liked best about life in Nolen Mill. She shared, “Where do I begin? My neighbors are amazing. We have all kinds of social activities, such as bunco, Arrington Vineyards, and restaurant gatherings. It’s quiet, central to everything, and, of course, no exterior maintenance! We’re having a Cinco de Mayo street party with a food truck and bouncy house for any children who come. The other community-wide event is a chili cook-off in the fall.”

55+ Communities in Franklin TN

Westhaven 55+

Let’s kick off the Franklin opportunities with the newest option: Westhaven. Westhaven itself is not new, just the 55+ area. Westhaven is different from the other communities in that the larger neighborhood will have a mix of ages. Still, those aged 55 or better will have their own section within the community—including an exclusive amenity center: The Astor Club.

The Astor Club will provide various spaces, including a library, music room, outdoor and indoor pools, a cold plunge, pickleball courts, and a dog park. There will also be a private spa, hair salon, and dog spa. Whether or not owners in the 55+ community have access to all of Westhaven’s amenities is TBD.

Of course, amenities plus the expected zero-maintenance lifestyle lead to a higher monthly maintenance fee. For example, the townhomes start at $620 monthly.

Once the project is complete, there will be 220 homes of mixed housing types, including patio homes, townhomes, villas, and condominiums. There will also be an Independent Living facility. The Independent Living facility will be offered for lease only, while all other opportunities will be privately owned, with pricing starting at 770K+.

Windsor Park at Fieldstone Farms in Franklin

Built in 1998, Windsor Park is attached to the larger Franklin community of Fieldstone Farms. The duplexes sit along Alton Park Lane near Franklin Fire Department Station 4 and across the street from Harpeth Village. Residents can walk across the street to grab groceries from Publix or a meal from a local restaurant, including Miso and Bricks Cafe.

Windsor Park residents enjoy walkability and have access to Fieldstone Farms amenities, including the pool, fitness center, walking trails, and tennis courts. All amenities are included in the $260 monthly fee, which covers ground maintenance.

Reid Hill Commons in Franklin

Reid Hill Commons offers low-maintenance, attached homes with no step entries and two-car garages. I believe all the floorplans are two bedrooms, two baths, and one level, with sizes in the 1500-2000 square foot range.

Reid Hill has few neighborhood amenities, unlike the other communities on this list. However, the community is near historic downtown Franklin, which offers plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment. The HOA fees run around $238 monthly and include exterior maintenance, pest control, exterior insurance, and grounds maintenance.

The Villages of Morningside in Franklin

Finally, the Villages of Morningside is an active adult community with access to multiple neighborhood amenities, including a community clubhouse, pool, and tennis courts. Access to all amenities is included in the $225 per month fee, covering exterior maintenance, grounds maintenance, pest control, and trash pickup.

The floorplans include two- and three-bedroom units with one-level living, though some plans include an upstairs bonus room. All the homes have two-car carports, outside storage, and patios.

Three Bonus Options

There are three other options I want to mention.

1. Using County Amenities

First, Matthew and I can help you find a home that meets your needs outside of a 55+ community. Regarding amenities, Williamson County has several recreational centers open to all county and non-county residents. The centers are packed with events through the dedicated “Senior Division.”

Per the Department of Recreation’s website, “Activities range from fitness, health and wellness enrichment, day trips and special events. Senior programs are offered at six recreation facilities: Fairview Recreation Complex, Franklin Recreation Complex, Indoor Sports Complex in Brentwood, Longview Recreation Center at Spring Hill, Williamson County Recreation Complex at Nolensville, and Williamson County Enrichment Center at Academy Park.”

On a similar note, those looking to help an aging loved one might also want to look into the Fifty Forward Center in Brentwood.

2. Del Webb Southern Springs in Spring Hill

The Lodge at Southern Springs offers residents year-round amenities.

Let’s talk about Southern Springs. What’s interesting about this option is that Spring Hill sits in two counties: Williamson and Maury. This development is on the Mary County side of the county. With 802 homes, Del Webb Southern Springs is the largest age-restricted neighborhood in Spring Hill, designed for low-maintenance living with resort-style amenities.

Homes in Del Webb Southern Springs start at $500,000 and top $1,000,000. The more expensive homes are generally located in the built-out Estates section of Del Webb’s Southern Springs. Other parts of Southern Springs were completed more recently, with the project reaching “sold out” in 2023.

Unlike the active adult neighborhoods in Williamson County, Del Webb offers solely detached single-family homes with 2, 3, and 4-bedroom floor plans. Homes in the neighborhood range in size from 1263 to 3000 square feet with two-car garages, single-story living, and no step entries.

Thanks to the full-time, onsite events director, Southern Springs residents enjoy ample planned activities, including movies on the lawn, concert series, and other gatherings. Circling back to the neighborhood’s amenities, the newly opened Lodge at Southern Springs features a fitness center, yoga studio, ballroom, and breakout rooms for small groups. The Lodge sits adjacent to the zero-entry outdoor pool and hot tub. An indoor lap pool provides entertainment through Tennessee’s colder months, while two grills, restrooms, locker rooms, a dog park, walking trails, and a fire pit round out the list of completed amenities. The developer has plans to add additional amenities, including four tennis courts and eight pickleball courts to the community.

HOA dues at Southern Springs run about $274 per month and include amenity access and grounds maintenance.

3. Del Webb Southern Harmony in Murfreesboro

The final bonus option is in Murfreesboro. You can often save significantly if you don’t have to be in Williamson County, and this option, much like The Lodge at Southern Springs in Spring Hill, is built right near the county border, with this particular part of Murfreesboro being near Arrington. The community is similar to The Lodge at Southern Springs, with lots of amenities and detached homes, but pricing on the homes starts in the 400s.

The resident’s amenity center will include a multi-use space for game nights and social gatherings, Pickleball and Bocce Ball courts, a lawn amphitheater, a fitness center with classes, an indoor pool, and an outdoor resort-style swimming.

This community is in the early stages of construction, but we would be glad to show you around. Feel free to text us at 615-809-4336.

A Couple of Gotchas Before You Buy in a 55+

If you’re looking at active adult communities in Nolensville, Franklin, or beyond give us a call, we would love to show you what our county has to offer. With that said, let me leave you with some food for thought: The benefits of being in an active adult community are apparent: You live life while someone else takes care of most of the hassles of home ownership. The flip side of giving up control is giving up control.

All 55+ communities above are HOA-managed, and all HOAs place restrictions on their homeowners. In many cases, the restrictions placed by HOAs in 55+ communities are more constraining than non-55+ HOA regulations. While each HOA is unique, below is a list of some standard rules we’ve seen placed on homeowners in active adult communities.

1. Exteriors: Restrictions on outdoor lighting, exterior paint colors, satellite dish size, and even seasonal lighting.
2. Leasing: Most 55+ communities require owner occupancy.
3. Visitors: The HOA may restrict visitors, including grandchildren, to a limit of nights per year. In Bent Creek, for example, visitors are limited to 45 days per year.
4. Pets: The HOAs may limit the number and type of pets allowed. Most of the HOAs above allow dogs and cats with a restriction of two per household. There are also some HOAs with rules against excessive noise or dangerous pets.
5. Storage: Most 55+ HOAs will also limit what you can park outside. For example, you may be limited to two vehicles per household, you may be required to park in the garage or driveway, and they may also have restrictions against parking boats, trailers, jet skis, or trucks outside your home.
6. Age: “The Fair Housing Act specifically exempts three types of housing for older persons from liability for familial status discrimination” (source) and as such, active adult communities are allowed to maintain age restrictions and even keep a record of age of all occupants.

Photo Credit: Goodall Homes and Del Webb