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PREMIERE FEATURED BELLA VISTA HOME FOR SALE  - 2800 sq ft BELLA VISTA LAKE HOME ONLY $227,500!  Lovely gently sloping backyard, approx 150 feet of lake frontage on beautiful Lake Rayburn. Full finished walkout basement...MORE
 

 

 

 

Below are some emails I've received with questions about Bella Vista, Arkansas, along with my responses.  I'm sure you've many
 of the same questions are on your mind so thought their questions and my answers might help you too!  My answers are in green.   
I've gotten many more questions then these, but try not to put too many redundant questions on this page.

Please keep in mind that any of the mail dated before November 7, 2006 were before Bella Vista Incorporated so the answers to the questions 
were based on when Bella Vista was an unincorporated village.  It shouldn't make a lot of difference in the answers but it should be noted that we are an 
incorporated city now and  no longer ruled by the Property Owners Association.  POA's main job now is to control and maintain Bella Vista's Amenities,
while the City takes control over fire, police, roads and the general infrastructure of Bella Vista, Arkansas!

If you have a question and can't find the answer after reading through these mails, feel free to email me.  I try to answer all my email.

 
----- Original Message -----
 

Good Morning,

I’d like to make arrangements for 4 for Friday, September 5, 6th and 7th at your resort.  How much would it cost for two rooms and two days of golf?

 

Thank you,

Jennifer


Hi Jennifer,
 
I think you've the wrong idea of Bella Vista.  We are not a resort.  We are actually a city.  My website is just to give you general information and show some pictures of Bella Vista, and to answer questions that visitors might have.
 
There is a Bed and Breakfast here as well as townhouses and homes for rent by the day or week, but no actual resort.  You can check www.vacationrentals.com.  Many people from out of town who own property here list their property with vacation rentals to have them rent it out.  You can also check out the Booneslick lodge...about three miles from Bella Vista over the Missouri line.  They are on my website if you click on lodging.  There's also a bed and breakfast in Bella Vista.  Just do a google search of Bed and Breakfast, Bella Vista, AR.
 
As for Golfing, you can check out the golf pages of www.bellavistapoa.com.  They are the group that takes care of the amenities in Bella Vista..the Property Owner's Association.  They over see the golf course, lakes, club houses and other amenities in Bella Vista.
 
Hope all this helps and you can get your trip to Bella Vista all worked out.
 
Dustie Meads

 

----- Original Message -----
From: Jerry and Gwendolyn

Hi Dusty,
 
My husband and I have visited northwest Arkansas and like the area.  We are thinking about retirement and places to live and we saw the ad on Bella Vista.  We are more interested in 2 to 5 acres and putting a manufactured home on it.  Do they sell this large of parcels?
 
Gwendolyn & Jerry

Hi Gwendolyn,
 
Although Bella Vista encompasses thousands of acres, and covers about 65 square miles, very few of the already plotted residential lots are more then an acre in size.  Plus, there are restrictions in place that don't allow manufactured housing or mobile homes.  You can call the Architectural Control Committee (see my page of phone numbers) to get a copy of the restrictions for building. 
 
For what it sounds like you are looking for, Bella Vista wouldn't be the place.   In fact, finding anyplace with 2 - 5 acres in Northwest Arkansas is going to be difficult.  Land here has really gone way up in the last couple of years.  Our daughter and son in law have some friends who had to go quite a distance out from Bella Vista to find a small fixer upper on two acres in the small town of Gravette and it cost them 115,000.
 
You pay the price here for living near a larger metropolitan area that is growing.  We love it in Bella Vista though.  Although we don't live on much acreage, there's plenty of woods and trees and the homes are set far enough apart that we don't feel like we're cramped in a subdivision with postage sized lots and having to live in carbon copy little boxes all in a row!
 
Hope this helps to answer your question. 
 
Dustie Meads

 

From: Sandra
Subject: Kayaking in Bella Vista

Hi Dustie,
 
I hope you're still managing your Beautiful Bella Vista website, because it's really informative, and a great service to those of us who want to know more about your lovely community.
 
I can see that fishing and golfing are two of the major activities there.  I don't do either of those, but I love kayaking.  Your lakes web page noted that no personal watercraft are allowed on any of the Bella Vista lakes.  I'm not sure what is considered a personal watercraft.  I own a home in BV, and am thinking of living in it when we retire.  So my question is, would a kayak be allowed on the lakes, or would it be considered a personal watercraft?  I'm hoping it's jet skis that are outlawed, and not canoes or kayaks.
 
I also noted that only property owners and their guests are allowed to use the lakes.  I wonder how the general public is denied access?  As a Bella Vista homeowner, would I be able to use any of the lakes? 
 
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Thanks,
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
 
Rest assured, no personal watercraft does mean jet skis.  Kayaks and canoes are totally allowed on the lakes, but you do have to purchase a yearly permit.  You can get that through the POA (Property Owners Association) and I'm not sure how much they cost.  Probably 20 - 25.00.  You also have to have a photo ID card, which any homeowner can get for 35.00 a year.    If you have guests they can use the lakes for free, but only if they are with a card carrying member.
 
We have a number of rangers who patrol the lakes to keep off non member's.  For the most part they do an excellent job. 
 
Hope this answer your questions.  Thanks for visiting my site and the nice things you said about it.
 
Dustie Meads

 

From: Linda
Subject: Taxes

What a wonderful website.  I have visited it all day and enjoyed every minute.  We have lived in the west (Las Vegas) for the past 50 years but are really tired of the heat and growing population.  We are looking for a place to spend the second half of our life.  I want cooler (not cold) weather and my husband wants fishing.  A big question I have about any move is the tax structure and cost of living.  These are things we have to be concerned with on retirement pay.  Can you give me the tax structure in Arkansas.  Local, county and state.  How are the property taxes in Bella Vista.  The big problem we have here is very high energy cost especially with summer heat.  Also, the drought is starting to get to me as I like to see some rain.  We haven't had any moisture since September 2006.  Thanks again for the website, I love what I have seen.  Linda

Hi Linda,
 
You might find Bella Vista more to your liking, however, we do have cold weather in the winter.  There's been days when it's hovered in the teens, although our winter averages are more like 45 degrees.  We've had really warm winter days too, but the norm is 40/50s winter weather.
 
Here's a site that has state tax, state sales tax and person property tax for Arkansas  http://metrolittlerockalliance.com/overview/economics/default.aspx AND another for Benton country taxes http://www.co.benton.ar.us/ 
 
In addition we pay 24.00 a month in Bella Vista to take care of the common grounds, lakes and golf, club houses and the like, along with fees for usage fees for the clubhouses, pools, tennis courts, etc.  Added to that will also be city taxes eventually, since we became an incorporated town about 6 months ago and I'm figuring that they will be about 200.00 a year (just a guess though).
 
Energy costs aren't bad...for the month of may for our 1700 square foot home it was 90.00 for our all electric home, plus 40.00 for water and trash. 
 
Hope this all helps.  Wish you the best on your decision!
 
Thanks for the nice words about my website and I think you should pay us a visit when you get the chance!
 
Dustie Meads
 

 

From: Sandi
 
Subject: Hope to be there soon!!!

Hi Dustie,

Thanks to your Web site, my husband and I have put our house up for sale, contacted a realtor and we are heading your way.  My husband retires next Friday and we have several people already interested in our home.  This is the most exciting time for us.  My husband and I have lived in California all of our lives.  We have both visited the Arkansas area but it’s been over 30 years ago.  While being exciting it’s also very scary.  We are taking a big chance, leaving all of our family and friends.  WHAT AN ADVENTURE!!!!!

  We came to the horrible realization, months ago, that retiring in California would be next to impossible for us.  Our current house payment is $1,700 a month and utilities are through the roof.  Neither of us care for the desert so that ruled out Arizona , Nevada and New Mexico .  Texas seems way to big and Oklahoma is to flat.  The next state over is Arkansas , so I started doing some research and that is when I found your site.

  You make Bella Vista sound like Paradise !!!!!  I was worried about snakes, tornadoes and ice storms.  All of your FAQ addresses those fears and I sure appreciated reading your input to everyone’s questions.  We are looking forward to getting settled and meeting all the wonderful people you say are there.

 Sandi

Sandi,
 
That has got to be one of the best emails about my site that I've received!  How sweet of you to write and let me know how my site has helped you and your husband with your decision.  I don't think you'll be sorry...well, maybe in the winter when you're wishing for a warmer time, but there's so much to do here I think even winter will be fun most of the time.  You just have to get involved and stay busy..that's all there is to it!
 
I've a tip for you in the house hunting department.  This area was so hot for so long that builders just kept building and building and now the there are more houses then people moving in.  That's really good for you!  It's definitely a buyer's market so the keyword here is negotiate!  Don't be afraid to offer a good bit less on a home that you find you like. 
 
Also, keep in mind, you get a lot more for your money here homewise, so don't even try to compare the price of homes here vs the price of homes in California.  Be sure to see your fair share of homes and compare them with each other price wise.  If you compare them to California prices, then you're likely to buy the first home you see!  Keep looking until you walk into the one that is well within your retirement means, leaving you money left over for fun and savings!  Hopefully you'll find exactly the right home that fits financially and also screams BUY ME BUY ME BUY ME!  That's what our home did to me...I looked at 16 homes before I found our home..and because I'd looked at so many, I knew in an instant that this was the home I wanted, and I've never regretted it!
 
Oh yes, you'll live here so much better then you could have lived in California...there you would have been just making ends meet...here you'll be living well!  Well worth putting up with a bit of winter, wouldn't you say?  Yes, California is beautiful and the weather so nice......but you do pay for that, without a doubt. 
 
Leaving friends and family, now that's going to be the hard part.  One couple I know who moved here took care of some of that..they now have their best friends living here, right down the street from them!  Get your friends and family to visit and you might coax some of them this way themselves.
 
I hope it all works out for you and that you have a wonderful retirement here in Bella Vista, Arkansas!  Thanks again for taking the time to share with me how you enjoyed my site!  It made my day!
 
Dustie Meads


----- Original Message -----
From: David 
Subject: land purchase

Hi
I am thinking about purchasing several plots of land in Bella Vista for speculation, I've read in some of your past answers that land prices are not rising, is this still the case? I've been told by some land sellers (located in Florida) that prices are increasing very quickly and I should be able to sell the land within 1 year at a decent profit, what's your opinion. Thanks  I like the website.. 

David 

 
Hi David,

Thanks to some of the companies both in Florida and in California, it is true that lot prices are now on the rise.  About everyone has received the letters from these companies offering 5,000 - 8,000 for their lots or asking the owners to name their prices.  So to answer your questions, no, it's no longer the case that lots aren't going up in value as it was last year and the years before that.  When they began to move, they began to move fast!  Now it's going to be hard to find lots that are a good value, since owners are hanging onto their lots more, local home owners are scrambling to buy lots that are next to them, builders are on the prowl, as are Real Estate companies interested in speculating.  Things are slowing down now, but lots are still being held tight.  If the market slowdown continues, then you may see lots settling down to more reasonable levels, but I wouldn't say now is the time to buy lots unless you can get good build able lots for under 8,000.

 
The sheer number of undeveloped lots (over 20,000) in Bella Vista (Bella Vista encompasses over 65 square miles), however, should keep lot prices down for the most part.  I'm afraid that many who bought lots from for $24,900.00 are going to be hard pressed to make a profit for sometime to come. There's just too many lots not built on. 
 
What is happening now is exactly what happened to the folks who bought $15,000 and $20,000 lots on speculation back in the 60's through the early 80s when Cooper was developing Bella Vista.  There were just so many lots (36,000 including the lots in the Highlands) that eventually the lots dropped in price drastically as the original owners got older and decided not to settle in the area after all.  No one could see the future then, or they would have never bought anything that wasn't on the lake or on the golf course.  

Just as no one can see the future now.  I do know that, unless I could purchase a good building lot for under 8,000, I wouldn't consider it to be a good investment myself!  And finding good lots would require you to almost be here hunting daily.  There are people out there who are making it their job to daily hunt out the lots and absentee owners of lots to try to buy their lots.  You've a lot of competition.  If you are an out of town buyer, you'd better plan to spend some time here or I'd not be buying.

 
Hope this helps some..keeping in mind this is just my opinion.  Real Estate investment is a speculative business and you have to be willing to go into it knowing there are no guarantees.  Just keep in mind, like anything else, if it sounds too good to be true....well, you know the saying.

Afterthought...beware because there are thousands of lots we call "membership lots"...lots too steep to even be built on, or are marginal for building, for sale.  I would not risk purchasing a lot in Bella Vista, site unseen, because of this.  If you're thinking of buying multiple lots, it's worth the cost of a flight and a rental car to fly in and check them all out!  Or hey, you can hire me to go and look at them for you.  I'll charge 35.00 per lot, paid in advance via Pay Pal.  I'll even take pictures!

 
Dustie Meads

 

----- Original Message -----
From: Nancy M.
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 6:07 PM
Subject: Re: Motels locations

Could you please tell me how to find what motels are available in Bella
Vista - not Bentonville? I'd like names and phone numbers and websites (if
available).  I'm planning a fall trip for a small group and we are
considering spending the night near Bella Vista. The only lodging I saw on
any of your sites, links is a motel in Jane, MO. We'd prefer Arkansas - and
also a restaurant nearby.
Thanks, Nancy
 

Hi Nancy,

 
Good reason why you can't find any motels in Bella Vista.  There aren't any.  All the commercial property in the area is owned by Cooper Communities Inc. and, thus far, they've chosen not to have hotels or motels in Bella Vista.
 
You can rent homes and townhouses depending on availability through www.vacationrentals.com, but as far as the closest motel or hotel is the one that is listed on my site in Jane, Mo.  It's only a mile from Bella Vista on highway 71.   There are many hotels in Bentonville and Rogers on highway 540 with easy access into Bella Vista too, ranging from 5 miles to 10 miles from Bella Vista.
 
Hope all this helps.  Oh, and there are only three restaurants in Bella Vista, all relatively small.  The country club at the Highlands and Metcalf do serve dinner though.  For full menu ideas you can contact the country clubs directly.  Phone numbers are on my phone number page.
 
If you are going to want restaurants nearby where you are going to be staying, however, you'll probably want to stay in one of the hotels in Rogers off 540.
 
 Hope all this helps!
 
Dustie
 

 

From: JERRY H.
Subject: Bella Vista

Hi Dustie,
 
Great website!   My wife and I are looking online for a retirement area to relocate to in about 18 mos.  We are considering Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas.  My in-laws used to live at Dawn Hill in Siloam Springs, so we like the area.  I play golf and Judy wants to live on a lake.  The larger lake at Bella Vista would probably be suitable.  We have no children, so we have always had pets.  Bella Vista seems to have everything we want.  However, I am a little concerned about enough newer retirees moving in to replace the older ones and keep Bella Vista going.  Since it was developed in 1965, I just hope that it continues to be a nice place to live.  For instance,  I noticed in the POA newsletter that a couple of eating places closed down due to lack of support.
 
I will continue to read updates in the newsletter, and hopefully we can get up there soon to tour the area.  By the way,  I am retired from a VA Hospital here in Temple.  Judy is in education and will retire in 18 mos.
 
Any info would be appreciated.  Thanks,
 
Jerry and Judy 
Hi Jerry!
 
You've asked the number one question on everyone's minds.  Wish we could all see the future.  We have about 17,000 residents today with over 60% of them still retirees.  We've no idea how many younger folks are moving into the area since no one keep track of those who come and those who go and their ages.  It's obvious that there are many more working families then before in the Village, but how many more is anyone's guess.
 
Using our neighborhood to gage and my daughter's neighborhood, the ration is still heavily stacked in favor of retirees.  On my daughter's street of 8 homes, they are the only young ones on the block.  On our street of 12 homes only 2 are occupied by working couples with grown kids.
 
The closing of the restaurants is due to the fact that there's so much to do around here.  Bella Vista is close to Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville, meaning we have all the amenities of any large metropolitan area.  Competition for everyone's dollar is stiff, and it's been difficult for restaurants here in Bella Vista to compete.   Everyone wants the proximity to the larger cities, but it does come at a cost and that cost is some of the facilities closer to home can't compete.  We just aren't an all inclusive resort like Cherokee Village and some other retirement communities who are a great distance away from any "city".  But most of us love being close to larger cities...we feel we've the best of both worlds. 
 
That's also the reason younger people are moving to the area though...so it's a double edged sword.  Most everyone here really loves it though, and golf courses and the lakes are definitely why!
 
Hope this helps!
 
Dustie Meads
----- Original Message -----
From: Ron
Subject: population division or density

I have read your FAQ site and it seems to me I remember information that
71 runs through BV and that east of 71 is more hill country, and as I
understand it, west of 71 would be flatter (in general) and probably
where most the golf courses and lakes are located.  My question is have
I gotten the picture right, and is the east side less populated or are
the homes more distant from each other because of the hilly nature of
the area?

We will probably be coming back there later this year to look and we
would be interested in the least populated area or with more space
between homes.  We are not isolationists but having lived most of our
lives in California, where homes are much too close together, we would
now like some space.
Hi Ron,
 
Good Memory..the west side is flatter, but not by a whole lot.  Both sides within a couple miles of 71 are pretty populated..then the further out you get the less populated.  2 of the Golf courses are on the East side, the rest on the West.  4 of the Lakes on the east with 3 on the west.
 
The hills around here do not make homes more distant from each other.  It's amazing how they can put homes on these hillsides.  We are looking at foothills of the Ozarks here though.  Go further east and you'll see hills where you could never put houses, along with breathtaking scenery.  We don't have that here in Bella Vista, or the homes would be very distant from each other.
 
You'll have to come back to visit...it's probably grown up a lot since you've seen it last. 
 
Dustie

 


----- Original Message -----
From: Heidi 
Subject: Bella Vista residents

My husband and I could potentially be moving to NWA and I am interested in
Bella Vista.  We are in our 30's and have a 1.5 year old and another due in
September.  Can you tell me is it still considered a retirement community?
Are there lots of kids around to play with?

Thanks for all your info on your site.  It was very helpful.
Heidi 
Hi Heidi,
 
No, we are not just a retirement community anymore.  There are more and more young people moving in...however, we are still predominantly retirement age.  I don't know how long it will take the tide to turn in favor of families.  You will be outnumbered by us old fogies.
 
My daughter lives one mile from us and has a 5 month old and worries about friends for her to play with when the time comes.  Homes are on large lots and there are few sidewalks, so visiting other kids will be a challenge.  They will be starting the first elementary school in Bella Vista, slated to open for the 2007 school year, but I'm betting 2008, so that says the children population is certainly growing, but is it growing fast enough to suit your family... only you can tell I'm afraid. 
 
My daughter and son in law were willing to give up the "kids next door" to have the large yards and safer neighborhood for their daughter, and being only a mile away from grandma who is more then willing to baby-sit whenever needed helped make up her mind too.  ;-)
 
Hope this helps you out some... for more in depth information about Bella Vista check out the FAQ pages of my site.  You'll find questions that have been asked for the last three years by visitors and my answers.  Your question will join the ranks at the next update! 
 
Dustie Meads
----- Original Message -----
From: Mar
Subject: Questions about Bella Vista

My husband and I have enjoyed reading your e-mails and would like to ask a couple questions we haven't seen addressed. Currently we live in Florida but we are thinking about relocating to the Bella Vista area in order to be closer to family and also partly because we believe the cost of living may be less there. We enjoy an active lifestyle in our retirement community and we love meeting new people. We know that BV would have the same friendly atmosphere, and that appeals to us.
 
Recently the home insurance premiums have risen by three times in our area. For example a $200,000 home will now have premiums of $2500 to $3000 annually. Would you say the rates in your area are less than that?  Taxes on our 170,000.00 home are around 850.00/yr and insurance is around 500.00/yr.  So taxes and insurance is less then half your insurance alone.  OUCH!  No wonder your shopping around.
 
Is there anything you might tell us about septic vs. sewer? Is there a compelling reason to choose one over the other. I would assume a home with sewer would generally be higher in price?  Sewer is going to cost a bit more, but you're not going to have much of a choice if you search homes that are only on sewer.  I think that includes some of the newer townhouses, but few homes.  Nearly all home in Bella Vista do not have access to sewer and are therefore on septics.  Take care of your septics and it won't be a problem...put yeast in the stools one every couple of months, have the septics pumped every 10 years or so...etc.  We've been living on septics for over 10 years and have never had a problem.
 
We know about the beauty and climate of your area because we nearly chose BV when we retired 9 years ago. We would certainly spend time there in search of a home; your idea of a month or two makes good sense. I am an avid bicyclist and suspect that there would be limited opportunities in the BV area? (Sorry, I'm not into mountain biking!) Maybe I'll need to find another sport? Are there indoor swimming pools and fitness centers?   Bella Vista has the Walking trail around the Bella Vista lake that you can also bike on..it's a circle and is 1.8 miles around.  It's flat.  Nearby Bentonville has also built some wonderful concrete sidewalk trails you can ride on.  I don't think you'll have trouble finding places to ride in the area, even if you aren't into mountain biking.  There is one indoor swimming pool in Bella Vista in the Highlands. There are three clubhouses with workout and weight rooms and Roidan Hall and Metfield have outdoor swimming pools open through the summer.  Branchwood in the highlands, the club with the indoor swimming pool, also has a hot tub, two racquet ball courts and a workout room with great equiptment.  Only problem is..if you live on the east side of Bella Vista it's a good 10 mile drive almost.  There is a World Gym in Bentonville, also, if you're interested in joining a professional fitness center.
 
Is high speed internet available there? We're both computer oriented and have enjoyed being on DSL through Verizon for $14.95 a month...a bargain, I'm sure. If you don't have DSL, how much is Cable?  We have both DSL (in most places) and Cable.  Cable is 39.95 and DSL is 29.95 I think.  No problem with high speed internet.  The furthest out, like far west highlands, you may not be able to get DSL but you should always be able to get cable.  To be sure though, check with your Realtor before you buy in a particular area.
 
Enough of my rambling. You certainly provide a wonderful service. Thanks in advance for your help. We'll look forward to meeting you in person when we come that way next month.
 
Sincerely,
Mar
 
Subject: <no subject>

Hi Dustie,
You do have a beautiful site. I'm new to the area and I like to keep up with current events and local happenings and such. What seems to be the best source for the state and national goings-on and the local as well? Is there a preference in the community between the local papers?

Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan,
 
Thanks for visiting my site and for the nice thoughts about it.  My favorite paper is the Democrat Gazette.  My husband and I tried both papers in the area, the Democrat Gazette and the Daily Record, and we both preferred how the DG was laid out and the coverage, both local, state and national, was handled.   If you request it, you can get both papers for one week delivered to you so you can decide which you prefer.  That's what my husband did.  I didn't believe it would work, but it did.
 
Online be sure to bookmark www.nwanews.com.  It's the online version of the Democrat Gazette, as well as all our local papers, including the Bella Vista Weekly.
 
Welcome to the area and I hope you continue to find joy in living here!  Life would be so dismal if happiness were not a part of it.
 
Dustie Meads

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
Subject: land purchase

I am thinking about purchasing several plots of land in Bella Vista for speculation, I've read in some of your past answers that land prices are not rising, is this still the case? I've been told by some land sellers (located in Florida) that prices are increasing very quickly and I should be able to sell the land within 1 year at a decent profit, whats your opinion. Thanks  I like the website.. David 
Hi David,
 
Thanks to some of the companies both in Florida and in California, it is true that lot prices are now on the rise.  About everyone has received the letters from these companies offering 5,000 - 8,000 for their lots or asking the owners to name their prices.  So to answer your questions, no, it's no longer the case that lots aren't going up in value as it was last year and the years before that.  When they began to move, they began to move fast!  Now it's going to be hard to find lots that are a good value, since owners are hanging onto their lots more, local home owners are scrambling to buy lots that are next to them, builders are on the prowl, as are Real Estate companies interested in speculating.  Those companies have brought Bella Vista back to life, for a time anyway.
 
The sheer number of undeveloped lots (over 20,000) in Bella Vista, however, I think will slow things back down after a few years, and many who bought lots from these California and Florida companies for $24,900.00 are going to be hard pressed to make a profit for sometime to come. There's just too many lots not built on. 
 
What is happening now is exactly what happened to the folks who bought $15,000 and $20,000 lots on speculation back in the 60's through the early 80s when Cooper was selling lots and developing Bella Vista.  There were just so many lots (36,000 including the Highlands built in the 1980s) that eventually the lots sold dropped in price drastically until you could purchase a lot from an absentee buyer who decided not to settle here for a fraction of what they paid.  No one could see the future then, or they would have never bought.  Just as no one can see the future now.  I do know that, unless I could purchase a good building lot (and many of them here in Bella Vista are not good building lots) for under 10,000, I wouldn't consider it to be a good investment myself!  And finding good lots would require you to almost be here hunting daily.  There are people out there who are making it their job to daily hunt out the lots and absentee owners of lots to try to buy their lots.  You've a lot of competition.  If you are an out of town buyer, you'd better plan to spend some time here or I'd not be buying.
 
Hope this helps some..keeping in mind this is just my opinion.  Real Estate investment is a speculative business and you have to be willing to go into it knowing there are no guarantees.
 
Dustie Meads

( WEATHER UPDATE WINTER 2006 - This was the warmest and the dryest winter on record here in Northwest Arkansas for over 100 years!  We only ran our fireplace 3 evenings.  Finally did have a snow though, and I was able to sled down my hill...been waiting to do that since I purchased a sled at a garage sale the summer after our first winter when we had a 20" snow (2003) 

 
 
Subject: Trip

My wife and I would like to take the trip to Bella Vista to visit the area.  We saw the ad on Television and being avid golfers and looking for retirement property we thought this would be a great place.
 
Let me know how we make the arrangements to fly down for the visit.
 
Thank you
 
Jerry W.
 
Hi Jerry,
 
I'm sorry but you found the wrong website but maybe I can help you out a bit.   My site is just a personal site I built to let people know a bit more about Bella Vista if they were thinking of moving here.   We moved here three years ago and when we did we couldn't find anything on the net that really told us about the area.  We wanted to find a For Sale by Owner home and couldn't find any of those on the net either.  So we took a couple weeks and came down here, staying with my daughter, while checking the area out.
 
After we found what we wanted, I decided to embark on building a website that other's might enjoy and use to learn more about the area.  I don't sell property or real estate, nor do I recommend specific Realtors or Organizations.  I say shop around...many Realtors in the area sell lots and homes in Bella Vista, at all range of prices...starting at around 4,000 for building lots and going up from there, with the medium new home in the area costing around 160,000 and going up from there.
 
There are also older homes in Bella Vista, under 150,000 but they are less numerous and smaller homes in the older areas of Bella Vista.
 
Property on the lakes can cost much more...up to half a million dollars if you want a great home on Loch Lomond, the largest of the lakes.  We purchased our three bedroom two bath 1760 square foot home overlooking Lake Rayburn (not on the lake though) for 145,000 three years ago.  It's probably worth around 165,00 today.  It's in a beautiful neighborhood of more expensive homes but it's a charming home, and we didn't want to build.  It's the home that is pictured on my sites logo.  We love it.
 
The outfit that offers the weekend trips to Bella Vista and is doing the commercials, I think, only sell lots.  These are lots that they have bought and are reselling.  I supposed that would be a way to go if you couldn't get here to spend a couple weeks like we did, in order to find a nice home or lot.  Either that, or hook up with a Realtor that would really work for you.
 
I do think that, if you hunted on your own, you can still find really pretty lots here in Bella Vista for around 10,000.00 or so.  Originally there were 36,000 lots in Bella Vista.  Sometime in the 1990's the very last lot was sold except for lots and lands Cooper communities wanted to maintain control of themselves (they were the developers of Bella Vista).  All the other lots are in private hands, and often come up for sale.  Half the owners of the lots are absentee owners who bought in the 70's and 80's and have hung onto their lots hoping to retire here someday or hoping that lots would get back up to the price they originally paid ( 15,000 - 25,000).  Lot prices are going up...when we moved here you could buy a good lot for around 5,000... in three years, thanks to outfits like the one offering the free weekend trips, lots have gone up in value.  They are buying up as many as they can find, as are builders and other investors.  They are on the right track...Northwest Arkansas is growing by leaps and bounds and our area is expected to double in population within 10 years.  That means Bella Vista will be approx. 40,000 people!  By then I'm guessing we won't be able to stay an unincorporated village and will have to become a city, with a city government and all that entails. 
 
Nice thing about Bella Vista, though...because most the homes are on Septic most the lots are really large and surrounded by beautiful treed areas and rolling hills.  We are, after all, built in the beautiful hills of the Ozarks and we do have lovely golf courses and lakes.  We won't remain all retirees...many younger folks are moving in the area.  My daughter and her husband with our 3 month old granddaughter had a home built only a mile from us.  We are an easy commute to Bentonville (home of Wal-Mart) and Rogers, so we are becoming a bedroom community for the yuppy generation too.  There's even an Elementary School in the works, to be built by 2007.  We have an estimate 2300 children in Bella Vista. 
 
Bella Vista covers a lot of ground, 16 miles across from east to west and 4 miles deep from North to South.  Plenty of room for young and old alike.   We are still over 65% seniors...but the numbers are changing.  I still think this is a lovely place to live...close to shopping and other amenities...golf and fishing opportunities abound..clubhouses and tons of groups to join..art club, bridge club, welcome club, veterans clubs, history club, etc, etc....
 
I love it here in Bella Vista, as so most everyone I know who lives here.  You want to check out the neighborhood you want to live in....ours is almost primarily seniors and is on a dead end so we like that.  Talk to the neighbors where you are thinking about buying...get a feel for the area..things like that, and I think you will be glad of the choice you made.
 
Now, to check out that organization that offers the weekend trips to Bella Vista.  We first saw Bella Vista by taking a Weekend trip that was being offered back in the 1980s by the original developers, Cooper Communities.  We didn't buy then, as we weren't sure of what we wanted to do when we retired.  We just wanted the free trip ;-).  Little did we know we were going to end up in Bella Vista, after all, because our son in law got transferred with the phone company to work in Rogers.  We wanted to be closer to them so ended up moving here 20 years after our free weekend trip.  Glad we didn't buy back then though...we love where we are now and this house wasn't even thought of at the time.  Of course, we should have bought a lot on the lake or a prime lot on a golf course, but even then they were pretty expensive!  Would have been good investments though!  Oh well...If we had bought that perfect lake lot and 1000 shares of Wal-Mart stock and we'd have our mansion on the lake today!
 
I did a search and found the link to the site that you were looking for when you found BeautifulBellaVista.com.
 
It's http://www.buybv.com   Enjoy your trip!
 
Dustie Meads
 
 
Subject: Bella Vista mini-trip. 

Hi Dustie,
 
I'm enjoying your web site.
 
My wife and I live in NW Iowa and want to retire in AR.  Last summer we vacationed with our RV in the Hot Springs area, and decided it's not for us.  We have scheduled a mini get-away for Feb 9-12th.  We'll spend the 9th and 12th as driving days which only leaves Fri and Sat, 10th & 11th, for a quick get-acquainted trip with the Bella Vista community.  I've been in touch with a few realtors to see what they can do for me during that time, but like to keep my options open. 
 
Do you have any ideas or suggestions on various realtors?   Any that you would recommend above the others?  What about places to stay for a couple nights?  Inn of B.V. ?  B&B's ?
 
We also have a 5th wheel RV.  I understand there are RV lots available for sale or lease somewhere, is that correct?  I read $500 - $600. 
 
Would you even consider looking at property outside Bella Vista?  Pros ----  Cons ---.   Maybe a visit will give us some answers.
 
I look forward to your reply.  We have a little Pomeranian who is one of the family.  We, too, would never give him up.
 
Thanks.
 
John & Carol
 

Hi John and Carol!

 
I do wish I could recommend a good Realtor, but I'm afraid I can't.  I think a good Realtor would be one that knows the area well and is one that you get along with well.  I do have some Real Estate Companies listed on my site.  It's a service I offer, free of charge, to any Realtors who do at least 50% of their business in Bella Vista, so you might want to check out their websites. Then I'd suggest you interview an agent from each agency and see if you feel more comfortable with one vs another. 
 
You'll also want to do a search of Bella Vista Arkansas Real Estate in Google and check out any of the agencies that come back in the search top 10 or 15 links and interview those that have good websites.
 
Look for an agent that is net savvy since you are from out of town.  You'll want pictures and such sent to you and communicating through Email will keep you in touch with what's going on.
 
As for RV sites, we do not have any of those for sale in Bella Vista, however, there is an RV area where RV's can rent space here, and some have long term leases. In fact, if you own a home in Bella Vista, you can't keep your RV at your home.  It has to be stored out of site.  There are a few homes that have built really large garages to house their RV's, but that's an expensive solution.  Most who own RV's usually store them at an RV/Boat storage facility.  You can keep your RV at your home for up to 7 days before and after a trip, to load and unload, but that's all.  The majority of time both Boats and RV's have to be stored out of site, either on your property or elsewhere.  If you have an RV and you decide to retire in this area (which, by the way, I think will be a wise choice over Hot Springs) then I'd suggest you come and stay in the RV park until you are familiar with the area and then make the decision on where to buy.
 
There is only one Bed and Breakfast in Bella Vista that I know of.  I've heard it's nice.  You can find it by googling Bed and Breakfast Bella Vista Arkansas I'll bet.  There are many homes are on the vacation Rental program also.  Some own a second home here and when they are not using it, they put it on the vacation rental program.  You can go to http://www.bellavistavacationrentals.com/ and check with them on availability of rentals that would work for you.  You can also stay in one of the many hotels in Bentonville or Rogers right off I-540.  They are easy access into Bella Vista.  Just search the net for an affordable one.  Be sure you've quick access to 540.
 
If you've not already done so, be sure to read my FAQ pages for many questions asked by various folks and my answers.  It will help you learn a lot about this area.
 
As for hunting outside of BV...might be an option, but for the money and amenities and things to do and still being close to shopping and all, I'd say you can't beat Bella Vista.
 
Hope all this helps!
 
Dustie Meads
www.beautifulbellavista.com

 

Wow...now that I call a small world.  You are looking at Bella Vista to move to, you found my website and my only daughter is married to Gavin Kanable, who is probably somehow related to you, even if way in the past.  How fascinating!  I know my daughter and son in law are going to be very interested in visiting your website and learning what they can so they can share it with Makanzie when she's old enough to wonder about her family history.  I checked the webpage and you have a Jasper Ivan Kanable who died in 1965 and says he died in Neosha (I suspect they meant Neosho) Missouri.  Gavin's grandfather on his father's side still lives in Neosho, Missouri.  It's going to be interested to know if he might be related to Jasper.  Very small world indeed.  Little miss Makenzie Kanable is asleep in her bassinet over here as I write this.  Nana and Papa are babysitting tonight.  She's 3 months old and the joy of all our lives, that's for sure!
 
Now, as for knowing a Realtor I can recommend...I really ought to go to Real Estate school here in Arkansas and get my license.  I was a Realtor in Joplin, Missouri when I discovered the internet in 1996.  Needless to say, I became hopelessly hooked, created www.realestateclipart.com and promptly changed careers from active Realtor to creating graphics and websites.  You aren't the first, however, to ask me to recommend a Realtor here in Bella Vista.  Alas..I'm not motivated to go out and work as hard as a committed Realtor works.  I did that for 5 years and don't miss it at all. 
 
I do wish I could recommend a great Realtor, but I really don't know that many Realtors in the area, and the ones I do, I don't know well enough to recommend.  What I suggest when people ask is to check my Realtor pages... I do have a page that I allow Realtors to link from if they do at least 50% of their business in Bella Vista.  Many Realtors in the area specialize in Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, etc..and add Bella Vista to the list although they don't do much business out here.  Bella Vista is large and extensive and unless someone is really familiar with it, you aren't going to get fair representation.  So be sure that your Realtor is very familiar with Bella Vista.  Also, you want to choose a Realtor who is web savvy.  If you are going to be dealing long distance, then knowledge on how to use the internet to send you images and info is going to be invaluable.  So pick a Realtor who has a good knowledge of email and has a website, or at least their office has a good website.  Last, interview any potential realtor and choose one you feel comfortable with.  If you are serious about finding a home in the area, I'd suggest you sign a buyer's agency agreement with a Realtor so you know they are working entirely for you.  Buyer's agency doesn't have to cost you anything (just require that the sellers pay the fees, which they usually do anyway) and will assure the agent you are working with that you are committed to them and they, in turn, will be very committed to you!  You can include a clause that their commission only covers home listed through a Realtor, and excludes for sale by owner homes, in case you should find a home on your own on the net. 
 
These are all my suggestions for choosing a realtor.  If you do a google search you can most likely find a list of questions you should ask any potential buyer's agent before you settle on one to help you.  Hope all this has been helpful and good luck to you!  Hope the weather is nice the day you visit.  You might want to stop at the POA office and purchase a Bella Vista map.  You can get clear directions to the POA office by visiting their website at www.bellavistapoa.com .  Drive Save and enjoy your stay in Branson!
 
Dustie Meads
----- Original Message -----
From: Roger and Wilma
Subject: Bella Vista

Hi Dustie
 
We found your website beautifulbellavista.com a few days ago. It is very well done and very informative.
 
We have been talking about relocation and Bella Vista is at the top of our list. We will be in Branson in late March and plan to visit Bella Vista for a day. Do you have any suggestions for a Real Estate Broker to contact?
 
We may be a relative of your favorite Grand Child. We are related to everyone with this name. The following website is part of our fam