Not so long ago, a $1 million house was unattainable, something available only to the captains of industry, to families whose wealth passed from one generation to another or to the super rich.
Earlier this week, though, 16 houses in Hamilton County were listed between $900,000 and $1,100,000. That price is roughly eight times the median price of all houses sold in the greater Chattanooga area last month.
As is usually the case, though, $1 million buys something in addition to a large house with the latest amenities. It might also purchase a view, acreage or exclusivity.
“You can build an 8,000-square-foot house for less than $1 million,” said Realtor Steven Sharpe of Keller Williams Realty. “The pricing is often influenced by location.”
Earlier this week, a Times Free Press reporter, accompanied by Sharpe, visited four of houses priced about $1 million. One lists for $1,050,000, two are $999,000 and one is $995,000. They range from four to six bedrooms and four and a half to five and a half baths, and they run from 5,900 to 7,644 square feet. The oldest was built in 1980 and the newest in 2007. Two are in Chattanooga, one is in the town of Signal Mountain and one is in the unincorporated part of Hamilton County.