By Megan Zinger

Katie and Jarod Goenner and their three boys, Keegan, Rowan and Liam, along with local real estate agent, Kathy Danner, were recently featured on HGTV’s  House Hunters. The Goenners moved from Portsmouth, Virginia in December of 2015 and were renting a house in Williamson County while they worked on getting the home they left in Virginia ready to sell. 

Unfortunately, while the Goenners were making updates to their home, a hurricane hit it. It flooded the whole basement, covering it in mold from top to bottom. Thankfully, their insurance company insured the entire home, but it took four years to build it back. They eventually sold the house in Virginia, moved out of the rental home and bought their forever home in Franklin.

Jarod started looking for jobs in 2015, so he and his wife could find a safer place to raise their family. He was offered a job in the District of Columbia and in Nashville. As soon as Jarod stepped off the plane in Nashville, he knew this was where he wanted to bring his family. Katie and Jarod immediately began researching Williamson County. They fell in love with the downtown Franklin area, the proximity to Nashville and the community’s friendliness. They were also told the schools were excellent, and having two third-graders and a kindergartner at the time was a huge factor.  

The Goenner’s new house is everything they’ve ever wanted. Coming from a three-bedroom, 1700 square foot rental with three teenage boys, the new house has so much space and gives each boy their own bedroom, along with a bedroom for guests and visiting family. 

“I love the curb appeal, the grandeur of the outside, the double staircases and the beautiful backyard with all the unbuildable land behind us that backs up to the Harpeth River,” Katie said. “Our boys are big into the outdoors — hiking, swimming, birding, even flashlight tag, so having wide open space for them and our new puppy is amazing. We also love that we are walking distance to downtown Franklin.” 

Katie’s favorite room is the living room. The sun comes through the floor-to-ceiling windows, so it’s the perfect place to sit on the couch, have a cup of coffee and enjoy the backyard views. Jarod’s favorite room is the downstairs half bathroom because of the unique wallpaper the previous owners had put up and the new chandelier the Goenner’s added. 

Katie found their real estate agent, Kathy, on the Women of Williamson County Facebook group. Katie called Kathy and liked her instantly. Kathy was also available immediately, which is crucial in a competitive real estate market.

Kathy Danner is going on her fourth year in the real estate business. She specializes in buyers, sellers and investors in Williamson County with Parks At Home. Formerly, Kathy worked at the Nissan headquarters in Cool Springs and was a part of the Williamson County Commissioner for eight years. She now considers herself a “recovering politician.”

“I had a blast doing this show with Katie and Jarod,” Kathy said. “I would want the readers to know that they are as sweet and lovely a family in person as they were on camera. Their boys are adorable. The whole family enjoys bird watching, but one of the twins has a strong interest in ornithology. He would head to the backyard of a potential house and look to see what kinds of birds there were.”

As the Goenner’s continue to renovate their new home, be sure to keep an eye out for home updates through YOUR Williamson. In addition, you can watch the episode featuring the Goenner’s and Kathy, “Tennessee Time Travelers,” Episode 12, Season 208, on HGTV or Discovery+.