407 Westview

Four homes in Nashville have sold for $10 million or more in the past 12 months, with one of them being the Frist home with its 49.72 acres of land and selling for $32 million, making it a space oddity since none of the others have anywhere near that acreage.

Two of the four are on Chickering Road, including the Frist home and another with 8.4 acres. Two were on Westview Avenue on lots with of less than 2 acres.

Oddly enough, the two Westview properties selling for $10 million-plus closed within two weeks of each other and both could be found in the quiet little hamlet known as Belle Meade. Half of the houses on Westview have a westerly view, while the other half has a view of the east. The two that sold for more than $10 million were facing east, contrary to the name of the street.

There is an old house with a new address on Westview, that being the brilliantly restored, remodeled and updated home at 407 Westview. The 1927 home faces neither east nor west, and was previously known as 317 Lynnwood.

Running down the Westview homes, 407 sold for $10.3 million and closed April 29 at $1,007 per square foot. A triumvirate featuring Steve Fridrich and Beth Molteni as the listing agents and Courtney Jenrath as the buyer’s agent sold the 10,300 square foot house that was, as the listing agents described it, “expertly crafted by Cates Builder, one of Nashville’s most distinctive homebuilders.”

The unique cabinetry was “by Hartert-Russell,” making that duo proud. Then there is the 13-foot pewter bar. The walls of Venetian plaster summon the gondolas, and there are five ensuite bedrooms and a couple of half bathrooms.

“Half bathrooms” needs a name change. For one thing, they are not half of a full bathroom, as full bathrooms normally have two vanities. A half bathroom has only one, and that would be a half-bath if the full bathrooms did not have a tub, shower or, as is usually the case, both. Each has one toilet.

The term “powder room” was once came into en vogue, but who powders and with what substance? Not cornstarch, and no one does cocaine these days. Right?

There is 890 square feet of outdoor living area, and the listing agent cites “an added bonus lower level” that “includes a nanny/in-law suite,” or a place for the adult child that just will not leave.

The seller had purchased the property in 2023.

717 Westview came in at $1,524 per square foot and sold for $14.25 million. This home has 9,775 square feet with six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and six of the rooms bearing the misnomer of half bathrooms. It was completely tricked out and all of its information can be found in last week’s column.

What is interesting about realty is that a down-to-the-studs renovation of Belle Meade home is half the price per square foot of its neighbors.

The home is listed with the brother-sister team of Clay Whitson and Elizabeth Whitson, both hailing from Parks, with Clay coming through the Village route and Elizabeth, an Owen School graduate, coming into real estate from the music biz.

Their listing includes 5,884 square feet and has the character of an old home, since it is one. But all of the mechanicals are new, as is every inch of the interior of the house. Tastefully renovated with five bedrooms, six full bathrooms and one of those pesky fractional bathrooms, the house was listed for $794 per square foot at $4.295 million. The lot is half the size of the higher-selling homes, but that is not supposed to weigh in on the price per square foot.

Changing times

The residential real estate community is engaged in a game of musical chairs, with disgruntled sellers firing their listing agents and trying different agents in efforts to stir the real estate pot. It needs to end.

Ther are times when a new approach works well and other times when the new agent convinces the sellers to lower the prices and benefits from the more realistic pricing.

This is a symptom of a market that is slowing, and it is as frustrating for the Realtors as it is for the sellers. For consumers, it is exciting for them to see the various signage design from the different companies.

Happy Mothers Day. Hug ’em if you got ’em.

Richard Courtney is a licensed real estate broker with Fridrich & Clark Realty, LLC and can be reached at [email protected].