Veteran Realtor Jim Owens has died, forever changing the personality of real residential real estate in the Nashville area. Owens was opinionated, never in doubt and usually right. With a military background that ultimately led to his death, he negotiated real estate with an old school attitude, yet he embraced new technology and strongly embraced the Realtors Code of Ethics.
After serving in an intelligence unit in the Vietnam War, Owens made Nashville his home and real estate his career. He was very involved in the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors and was one of the early owners of Woodmont Realty Group, a firm that was spawned at Joe’s Village Inn.
One of the founders, Bob Patton, died six months after the firm opened, and Owens bought the Patton stake a year later.
That firm morphed into Prudential Woodmont, which later became Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Woodmont Realty. The retention of “Woodmont Realty” in the name would have made Joe – of Village Inn fame – proud, as the owners often held some of their more important meetings in the smoky, iconic establishment.
In Vietnam, Owens came in contact with Agent Orange, a chemical that debilitated him yet seldom slowed him. He spent hour upon hour fighting for homeowners’ rights in Washington while serving as the chair of the Greater Nashville Realtors Political Action Committee and sat as a trustee for Tennessee Realtors Political Action Committee.
Those who received emergency relief from FEMA, as well as the recipients of funds resulting from flood insurance, have Owens to thank in part for their checks.
Don Klein, the former CEO of the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, described Owens as “a man who when he decided to do something, he remained totally committed until it was done.”
Klein added: “He would not be deterred no matter what obstacles or challenges stood in his path.”
Auctioneer Tommy Anderson described Owens as his life coach and mentor and explained that Owens had died of a malady caused by the exposure to Agent Orange.
Sale of the Week
As was noted last week, higher-end homes across the area continue to sell for big numbers. The house at 4201 Morriswood Court bears witness to the phenomenon.
4201 Morriswood Court
Although selling for $300,000 less than the list price of $4.25 million, the house went for $3.95 million, or a sparkling $824 per square foot.
Listed by Cal Woodard, the self-proclaimed owner of the property and a Realtor with Sterling Realty, the house includes 5,158 square feet with four bedrooms, five full bathrooms and a powder room, a term that has survived political correctness as everyone can use a powder from time to time, even NASCAR legend Richard Petty.
Woodard purchased the property in 2018 for $530,000 and had the structure sent to the graveyard for 1958 houses, not a good year for a 1,580-square-foot houses. Venerable broker Tommy Patterson was the listing agent when Cal bought it and described the property as a “nice building site.” He was right in that regard.
Woodard describes his property as a “Beautiful custom brick/stone Tudor” that was three years in the making. He notes it was built by a chef with a mind for entertaining. Then he added a baited line: “Change in situation requires sale,” leaving the reader in suspense as to what possibly may have happened. While he never claimed to be Agatha Christie, Woodard has created a cliffhanger in Oak Hill.
There are the ever-popular accordion doors leading to an outdoor kitchen. The doors are much more in demand than the accordion instrument itself. Many homeowners have saved money on safes for their valuables, as it is well known that a good way to protect jewelry and important documents is to put them in an accordion. Yet accordion doors are now gracing Nashville’s finest houses.
Sticking with the theme of the oft-maligned instrument, the house includes a game room with an accordion window to the outdoor patio’s IlFornino pizza oven, wood-burning fireplace and Hestan grill. Also outdoors is a heated pool, irrigation system, security cameras and an irrigation system since it never rains in California or Nashville.
The main bedroom features vaulted ceiling and trusses, and the adjoining bathroom has heated tile floors. In keeping with the high ceilings, the main living area in the home has 12-foot ceilings, and all four of the main floor bedrooms are ensuite.
All in all, it is quite the house, and the upstairs has been roughed in for electrical, HVAC, plumbing, drywall and lights. Woodard discloses “It only lacks paint, trim, flooring and bath fixtures.”
Richard Courtney is a licensed real estate broker with Fridrich and Clark Realty and can be reached at [email protected].