Why is Signal Mountain so expensive? (Chattanooga, East Brainerd: real estate, how much, house)

[fellesferie]

My family lives in North Chattanooga, and our eldest kiddo goes to Normal Park. We are, however, zoned for Red Bank HS, and we would like to find a better high school for our kids. That's a few years down the line, so we're in no rush.

Signal Mountain has great public schools at every level, so we've kind of zeroed in on that area for a future move. We've gone and looked around a bit, and we're kind of puzzled as to why the area is so pricey. There's very little commercial development, we didn't see any nice parks, and it's farther away from shopping and restaurants.

What are we missing??

[pookietooth]

It's amazing how much more expensive an area can be just because it's almost completely white, and has its own school system. Also, in general, higher up areas are more expensive.

[An Einnseanair]

It's on a mountain. Even though it's a "flat" mountain, once you're away from the brow lots you have no view, the commute to the bottom is a PITA, and you have to suffer through pea-soup fog every time us peons in the valley have a low cloud cover, people are willing to pay extra to live on a mountain. Something about being above the common folk down in the "ditch".

You're closer to several public "natural" areas. The Cumberland Trail SP is right in your back yard, plus the trails at Prentice Cooper, Falling Water Falls Natural Area, etc.

Also, the same reason you're looking there. The schools up there have an excellent reputation. People are willing to pay a premium for a house if it comes with a good free education.

[u4icmusic]

All real estate prices, nationwide are based on supply and demand. You can ask whatever price you want for your property, but unless somebody wants to pay that price, it won't sell. There are blacks that live on Signal Mountain, and pookietooth's comment above is totally racist and unacceptable.

[drfranklin]

You answered your own question: the public schools on Signal are superior to the surrounding schools - additionally, due to Signal's elevation, it tends to be a little cooler than Chattanooga in the valley. I'd much rather live at Signal Mountain's elevation in the summer than down in Chattanooga (now, winter is another matter).

[pookietooth]

I'm not saying that people of color are any particular type I'm just saying that the neighborhoods with higher housing prices tend to be full of mostly white folks, and it's the perception of the neighborhood being better that influences the prices. I'm not the one deciding which neighborhoods are better or more expensive, I'm just identifying what is already there. And I don't like it one bit, which is one of the reasons I no longer live there.

[RiverView]

It's all about the schools and the mystique of living on "The Mountain". As stated above Supply and Demand doesn't hurt either. It is nice up there. I tried to live up there after living in N Chatt. It was the longest 2 years of our lives. So, we're back down in the ditch where we belong. Positives were the weather and cleaner air. But that was about it for us. We were so spoiled from living in N Chatt we could never get past the drive and the inconvenience of it all. I do miss Pruetts. Good luck with your decision.

[movintonooga]

I would agree that probably the main reason for the higher housing costs is the quality of the public education. I regularly hear from people who moved to Signal specifically for the schools. I myself moved to Signal Mountain a year and a half ago from the Washington, D.C. area. What we love about it is that it is a small, close-knit community. I truly have never known a friendlier town. We like that it is close enough to Chattanooga to easily make use of the stores, aquarium, restaurants, etc., but that means we don't have to deal with the traffic of any of those things on the mountain. The view driving up and down the mountain is absolutely amazing - my husband and I still marvel that we now live in the kind of area we always vacationed in. There are lots of really great hiking trails on the mountain as well.

One option for less expensive housing is to buy in the Sequatchie County side of Signal instead of the Hamilton County side. That's what we did and we absolutely love it. We do not have children in the public schools, but what we were told is that if you live on the Sequatchie side, you can pay a small amount (maybe $400/yr) and still have your children attend the Signal Mountain schools.

Good luck with your decision!

[LeslieDTG]

I would add to this conversation that the consistently nice neighborhoods without industrial zones or dangerous areas on the perimeter also add to the appeal. I bought on Signal Mountain and do really like it here, though I must admit, I don't know anyone nor do I have school age children, so for me, it's not about community or schools. It's pretty, it's safe and it seems a sound investment.

I love that I can leave my car unlocked and not worry about it. I love that I can walk my dog at night when there not only is barely any traffic, but I always feel completely safe. I love how completely silent it usually is after 9 or 10 PM. Many say the police are terrible here, but not if you're a resident who doesn't speed. (They must issue a lot of speeding tickets up here!) When I first moved here, the police followed me home late one evening, perhaps because they didn't recognize my car. They even circled around to make certain I stayed where I pulled in. I like that. I like being away from a city, but close to it without being in the middle of nowhere. I LOVE the cooler night breezes in the summer. I hate heat and think I only used my AC at night for perhaps a week last summer. When it's 98 degrees in Chattanooga and 88 with breezes up here, it makes a huge difference. I suppose this past winter is no indication, however, we did have snow upon occasion where I live and yet a mile away, there was nothing. When it's 14 degrees and those winds hit you, I must admit, that's no fun. But easier to put on a good coat than dealing with unrelenting heat for me. I appreciate the convenience of Pruetts, Ace Hardware, the Southern Star for take out and my local bank branch, but I actually enjoy the drive up and down the mountain.

[hotboi]

I think that Signal is overrated. East Brainerd and Ooltewah are much more luxurious areas to live in without all the false hype, and for $400k you get a house that goes along with it, and not just paying to live on "The Mountain."