Hamilton County property sales and mortgage activity remained strong in December 2025, with hundreds of millions of dollars in real estate transactions recorded during the final month of the year, according to the county’s latest sales and mortgages report.
The Hamilton County Register of Deeds recorded $473.6 million in total property sales value where conveyance tax was collected during December. Those transactions generated $1.7 million in conveyance tax revenue for the state.
At the same time, recorded mortgages totaled $587.6 million in loan value, producing just over $668,000 in mortgage tax revenue.
In all, the Register of Deeds office recorded 4,979 documents during the month. That total included 1,300 deeds and 1,403 deeds of trust, reflecting continued activity in both property transfers and financing. The remaining documents included releases, warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, assignments, judgments and notices.
Several high-value real estate transactions stood out in December. The largest sale recorded was a $37.8 million transaction at 6153 Claude Ramsey Parkway in Chattanooga. Other notable sales included a $21.24 million transaction at 2760 Northpoint Boulevard in Hixson and a $15.75 million sale at 2143 Northpoint Boulevard in Hixson.
Additional multimillion-dollar transactions were recorded in Chattanooga, Ooltewah and surrounding areas, with the top 10 transactions ranging from $5.53 million to $37.8 million.
The report reflects activity across residential, commercial and industrial properties, with multiple transactions involving parcels that might include more than one lot or address. The Register of Deeds office reports all figures in the monthly report are based strictly on recorded data.
The December totals close out a year marked by substantial real estate and lending activity in Hamilton County, underscoring the continued volume of property transfers and mortgage filings across the region.
Invest Chattanooga housing partnership
Invest Chattanooga will partner with American South Capital Partners to deliver new mixed-income multifamily housing across Chattanooga, with “deep and permanent affordability” built in from the start, according to a press release.
The partnership will leverage the city’s initial $20 million housing investment to attract additional mission-aligned private capital, with a goal of more than doubling the funding available for Invest Chattanooga projects. Officials said the model is designed to help more residents at all income levels access high-quality housing in neighborhoods of their choice.
Under the agreement, Invest Chattanooga will identify and evaluate development opportunities, help structure deals, deploy public capital and set long-term affordability and ownership commitments. American South Capital Partners will contribute additional capital, underwriting capacity and institutional asset management support, along with connections to regional and national impact investors.
City leaders cited recent data showing nearly 70% of Chattanooga renters are rent-burdened or severely rent-burdened. Invest Chattanooga said it will remain involved throughout the life of each project to ensure affordability commitments are upheld.
The partnership is expected to support both new construction and acquisition opportunities, with initial projects anticipated to advance beginning in 2026.
UTC upgrades with College of Nursing
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has officially launched its College of Nursing, elevating one of the university’s longest-standing academic programs to college status effective Jan. 1.
The designation follows approvals by the UT Board of Trustees and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and makes nursing UTC’s fifth academic college. Nearly 1,000 students are enrolled across undergraduate and doctoral programs.
Dr. Chris Smith, who has led the nursing program since 2014, was named the inaugural dean. Smith said the new designation increases visibility while preserving the program’s academic quality and faculty support.
UTC’s nursing programs include BSN and accelerated BSN options, RN-to-BSN, multiple Doctor of Nursing Practice tracks and a nationally recognized nurse anesthesia program. The program reports a five-year average NCLEX pass rate of 97% and a 100% employment rate for graduates, with most remaining in the Chattanooga region or Tennessee.
The launch coincides with construction of the Dorothy and Jim Kennedy Health Sciences Building, scheduled to open in fall 2027, which will significantly expand instructional and clinical training capacity for nursing students.
Red Bank secures grant for bike lanes, roundabout
The city of Red Bank has been awarded $4.16 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program to support its Bike Lane and Roundabout Demonstration Project aimed at improving roadway safety citywide.
The grant will advance Red Bank’s Vision Zero goals adopted by the City Commission in 2025 by funding supplemental planning and temporary safety demonstrations. Planned efforts include protected bike lanes and roundabouts along Dayton Boulevard and Morrison Springs Road, as well as safety studies focused on sidewalks, mid-block crossings and roadway markings.
The $5.2 million project includes three safety studies, three temporary roundabout demonstrations and three protected bike lane demonstrations on key corridors, with the city providing the required local match. The grant was announced Dec. 23, 2025, following a competitive national selection process.
The city credited Southeast Tennessee Development for developing and submitting the grant application and thanked the Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia Metropolitan Planning Organization for its ongoing regional support.
‘State of the Child in Tennessee’ released
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth has released its “State of the Child in Tennessee 2025 Report, an annual publication that compiles publicly available data to assess the well-being of children, youth and families statewide. The report examines indicators across the life span, from maternal and prenatal health to outcomes for young people aging out of foster care, highlighting both ongoing challenges and areas of progress.
Key findings show a rise in demand for food assistance during the temporary suspension of SNAP benefits, while child poverty declined slightly to 19.1% but remains above the national average. The report also notes that the median annual cost of infant center-based child care reached $13,926 in 2025, exceeding in-state tuition at all four of Tennessee’s public universities.
The state saw post-pandemic gains in elementary TCAP English Language Arts scores, with the share of students meeting or exceeding expectations increasing from 31.4% to 43.4%.
Additional highlights include a record 531 youth who aged out of foster care accepting Bright Futures services in fiscal year 2025 and a child and teen death rate of 32.2 per 100,000 in 2023, the highest since 2000.
TCCY Executive Director Richard Kennedy said the report reflects both meaningful progress and the need for continued investment to improve outcomes for state’s children and families.
WTCI PBS seeks support amid cuts
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has announced it will permanently close in January, but WTCI PBS and PBS officials say local and national public television programming informing the region will continue.
WTCI PBS leaders emphasized the station is “not going away” and remains committed to maintaining trusted programming, public service and community education built over decades with CPB support. Viewers are encouraged to support the station through donations, which fund local productions such as “The A List with Alison Lebovitz” and “Greater Chattanooga,” educational initiatives for families and educators and emergency information services.
Donors also receive access to PBS Passport, offering thousands of hours of on-demand programming.
WTCI PBS began broadcasting March 4, 1970, and serves 35 counties across Southeast Tennessee, Northeast Alabama, North Georgia and western North Carolina, reaching more than 440,000 households. More information is available at wtcitv.org.
Chattanooga wins roadway safety grant
The city of Chattanooga and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Research Institute have been awarded $1 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program to develop a new Roadway Safety Design Technology Platform.
The funding will support data-driven analysis that builds on the city’s Comprehensive Safety Action Plan by expanding how roadway safety conditions are evaluated. Technical leadership will be provided by UTCRI’s Center for Urban Informatics and Progress, using intersection-level data combined with continuous roadway imagery along high-risk corridors to better identify emerging safety risks.
The project is expected to generate tools that help connect research with on-the-ground planning and investment decisions. The total project cost is estimated at $1.34 million, with remaining funds provided by non-federal partners.
The Chattery returns to Rossville Avenue home
The Chattery has reopened at its original Rossville Avenue location, 1800 Rossville Avenue, more than a year after a 2024 fire forced the nonprofit community classroom and creative education hub to relocate temporarily.
During the 16-month closure, The Chattery continued offering classes and events from its Broad Street location and pop-up spaces around Chattanooga. Co-founder Shawanda Mason called the return “an emotional and meaningful milestone” for both the organization and the community that supported its recovery.
Founded in 2014, The Chattery opened its Rossville Avenue classroom in 2019 and has since hosted thousands of classes led by local artists, experts and entrepreneurs. The refreshed space now includes updated classrooms and a kitchen, with plans to add offices, conference rooms and an art supply thrift store.
A grand opening and community events are planned in the coming weeks.
BJ’s Gas opens at Northgate Mall
BJ’s Gas opened Jan. 15 at Northgate Mall, expanding fuel options for Chattanooga shoppers and BJ’s Wholesale Club members. The gas station is located at 401 Northgate Mall Drive and operates Monday through Saturday 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Members can save an additional 10 cents per gallon through BJ’s Fuel Savers Program when purchasing eligible products in-club or online, with founding member offers available through Jan. 29.
Rise in misleading filing solicitations cited
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is warning businesses and charitable organizations about a rise in unaffiliated mail and email solicitations seeking payment for annual business reports.
According to the Tennessee Secretary of State, entities across the state have reported receiving official-looking communications from a third party calling itself the Tennessee Business Filing Center. While the solicitations offer a similar filing service, they charge significantly higher fees than filing directly with the state.
“Our office has seen a steady increase in complaints from businesses about this misleading mailer requesting hundreds of dollars in fees to file annual reporting documents,” Hargett says. “We want all Tennessee businesses to know we provide this very same service at substantially lower costs.”
Tennessee business entities are required to file an annual report by April 1 each year to maintain active status and legally operate in the state.
Hargett urged business owners to carefully review any correspondence that appears to come from the state and to report unaffiliated solicitations to the Division of Business and Charitable Organizations. (Call 615 741-2286 or email TNSOS.corpinfo@tn.gov.) Complaints may also be filed with the Tennessee Attorney General & Reporter. (Call 615 741-3491.)