663 Hunters Trail
Add Hunter’s Trail in the western hills of Nashville to the list of neighborhoods with high-dollar sales.
663 Hunter’s Trail – near River Road and Old Charlotte Pike – closed for just shy of $5 million at $4.99 million after only three weeks on the market.
Pete Jones, who came to Parks via Village, was the listing agent and offered a 3% commission to the buyer’s broker, who brought a buyer. There have been but 29 sales of more than $4.99 million on lots less than 5 acres in the last 12 months. This buyer’s broker was a welcome sight.
Pete Jones has been successfully developing lots for several years and found this particular site challenging but felt the outcome could yield the magnificent results. “What we did was basically buy the top of the mountain and there was no sewer or water,” he explains.
The developer, Domus Development, and Jones, the owner, were forced to run water and sewer about three quarters of a mile and up the side of a hill that is high enough to reach mountainous designation. Such development proved challenging and, of course, drove the price point to a place that was aggressive. But it worked out for all involved.
Not only was the water needed for the 6,242-square-foot home with five full bathrooms and two half bathrooms, but there is the pool, which drinks more water than a herd of camels. Said herd might be disappointed to learn that it is a saltwater pool.
In addition, there is a woodland walking trail off the great room, which Jones noted is “bathed in beauty and subtle drama.”
He describes the kitchen as a “foodie’s dream” and noted there are “chef-grade” appliances and a “scullery tucked away just behind.” It was appreciated that the appliances were described as “chef grade” rather than limiting the kitchen and consequently the house to a buyer who is a gourmet. There are thousands of “gourmet kitchens” in Nashville these days with only a small percentage of gourmets. Anyone can gain “foodie” status as no training is required.
Jones was quick to mention that his building partner on this was Build Nashville with its team of Shaun Burroughs and Jamie Duncan. The design of the home was hatched by Andrew Scott of August House Company. While dispensing accolades, Jones mentioned Amy Clitheroe Gill, also with Parks, was brought on board to co-list this masterpiece. Another Parks agent, Mary Brown, delivered the buyer and therefore the money to the transaction.
As is required of properties in the $5 million price range, each of the bedrooms has its own bathroom, and the term “ensuite” was wisely avoided by Jones as the word actually translates to “then,” as in “I had dinner en suite went to the movies,” according to the Cambridge dictionary. It also can mean “next,” as in “Gavin arrived first and Kathy came ensuite.”
Now in English of course, it means that the bathroom is connected to the bedroom. Some Tennesseans pronounce it “in sweet” assuming that the bathroom is “in” the same suite as the bedroom.
Besides the pool, the scullery and the bedrooms featuring their own bathrooms, another requirement of $5 million is the three-car garage. What buyer would have $5 million and only two cars? And those cars would not be of the variety that would love to be covered in pollen in the spring, baked in the summer, a receptacle for leaves that have passed to the great beyond in the fall and a magnet for ice – both black and white – in March and April, Nashville’s new months of winter.
The home also includes an elevator shaft sans the elevator should the need arise. The shaft is as good as having an elevator for the lift may be installed as needed and the structure requires more space than most homeowners would think necessary. Retrofitting elevators is virtually impossible.
I guess it is virtually possible, but translating the virtual elevator into three dimensions is problematic. In cases when an elevator is required after the fact, the suggestion of putting it outside the house is often raised. Such a structure, if it can be done at all, requires quite a cash outlay. Leave that to the hotels of the 1970s.
Domus Development, Build Nashville, August House and the Parks people stroked the canvas perfectly for this record-setting gem.
Richard Courtney is a licensed real estate broker with Fridrich & Clark Realty and can be reached at [email protected].