Tri-Cities Home Prices and a 30-Cabin Greene County Resort

The Greene County Regional Planning Commission gave unanimous concept approval on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to Stillhouse Ridge, a proposed luxury landscape resort and eco-tourism destination at 3000 Caney Creek Lane in northern Greene County. The plan calls for up to 30 small A-frame cabins and 10 primitive camping sites on roughly 480 acres, starting with about 12 acres of development.

What was approved in Greene County this week?

Only the concept. The cabins would include bathrooms but no kitchens, and RVs and camper trailers would not be permitted. The property owner still has to bring site plans back to the commission and obtain approval from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. In other business the same afternoon, planners approved a concept for seven more lots in a 10-lot housing development off Pinto Road.

Why does a cabin resort matter to Tri-Cities homeowners?

Because short-term-stay development is moving north out of the Smokies and into Northeast Tennessee's rural acreage. When a 480-acre tract converts to lodging use, it changes the comparable sales picture for surrounding land, raises questions about road and septic capacity, and puts a value on view acreage that farm-based appraisals have not carried.

What are homes selling for in the Tri-Cities?

The regional median sale price was $309,000 in June 2026, up 4.75% year over year, with sales up 4.5%, per Northeast Tennessee Association of REALTORS (NETAR) data. Through June, closed sales totaled 4,120, up 8.4% from 3,800 a year earlier. The strongest bracket was the move-up range: $300,000-$499,999 sales rose 15.3%, and the $400,000-$499,999 slice jumped 36.3%.

Will Tri-Cities prices keep climbing this year?

NETAR's Market Pulse published Aug. 2 says most of 2026's price gains already happened in the first half. Kingsport-Bristol is up 2.04% year to date and Johnson City 10.5%, against last-half outlooks in the 1.2%-4.0% range. Translation: expect prices near where they are now through December, with well-priced, move-in-ready homes holding value while overpriced and fix-up listings sit.

What this means if you own or buy here

• Greene County land owners: a 480-acre resort concept next door resets what acreage with a view is worth. Get a current opinion of value before you agree to a neighbor-to-neighbor price.
• Buyers: with 1.89 to 2.46 months of inventory in the core cities, this is still a tight market. Homes in Johnson City are closing at 99.3% of asking — plan your offer strategy accordingly.
• Sellers: the price runway for the rest of 2026 is short. Overpricing now costs weeks you cannot make back with market appreciation.
• Move-up buyers: your bracket is the hottest one in the region — $300,000-$499,999 sales are up 15.3%. Expect company at showings.
• Move-up sellers: the Catch 22 is you cannot buy until you sell, and the home you want will not wait. The third door is a guaranteed-sale plan that fixes your sale first,* then you buy on your terms.

What's happening in the Tri-Cities this week

• "Gearing Up for America's Night Race" block party — Aug. 14, 6-9:30 p.m. · King's Commons, downtown Johnson City
• "Red, White & Bristol" race week party — Aug. 15, 5-11 p.m. · downtown Bristol
• Lawnstock music festival — Aug. 22, 1-8 p.m. · Great Lawn, Founders Park, Johnson City
• Bluegrass Half Marathon — Sept. 27, 7:30 a.m. · Pavilion at Founders Park, Johnson City

Moving here? Race week is the loudest, friendliest week of the year in the Tri-Cities — a good weekend to see how these three downtowns actually feel.

Sources: WGRV, Aug. 11, 2026 (Greene County Regional Planning Commission); NETAR June 2026 home sales report and Market Pulse, Aug. 2, 2026; NETAR mid-year market capsules, July 11, 2026; Bristol Motor Speedway race week announcements; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Aug. 13, 2026.

*Tracy and seller must agree on price and possession date