looking to move to little rock area need help (Jacksonville: jobs, housing)

[jeffwiz]

I am from chicago and looking to move to possibly cabot area or somewhere near little rock. I am a master auto mechanic and wondering what the best area is for me in arkansas to get a good job? I was at a top 10 shop in the country up here and can not really find any research on good shops in the areas down there. Any help would be greatly appreciated! I like cabot due to the nice houses and low prices (as opposed to up here,lol). I am 32 and a single white male.

[Sam I Am]

If you don't mind commuting, in Jacksonville, Sherwood and North LIttle Rock there are all the major dealerships - you're probably talked 25 minutes or so to NLR. For that matter, there are excellent housing prices in all those areas, probably better than in Cabot. Little Rock is a little further down the road, another 15 minutes or so - on Cantrell there is the Lexus, Land Rover and Mercedes dealerships - west Little Rock has a number of car dealerships. You might also look at housing in Maumelle, which is convenient to anything and is on the north side of the river but west of NLR proper.

[strumpeace]

If you're an honest and decent mechanic, would you please consider moving to Memphis instead? We seem to be lacking in that department.

[Sam I Am]

Originally Posted by strumpeace

If you're an honest and decent mechanic, would you please consider moving to Memphis instead? We seem to be lacking in that department.

Proselytizer

[jeffwiz]

I am a very honest mechanic. I am great at what I do. I am fair and would never do anything that is not necessary. I am more into the independent shops over dealerships. Too many snakes at dealers and don't want to go back to that. Thanks for the responses I will look into that. I prefer a safe neighborhood since I am singe and do plan on starting a family someday and do not want to jump around.

[Sam I Am]

Come to Russellville - I can give you a thousand tips!

[northbound74]

You might try looking at IATN sponsers or ASA shops as a start. I am a transmission mechanic that lived in Little Rock for a few years. None of the Transmission shops paid much, but there seemed to be a few general repair shops on the west side of Little Rock that should be reputable and decent paying for the area. Don't expect to make whatever you did in Chicago. Housing is more affordable, though.

Unfortunately, dealerships would pay more by far in the Little Rock area.
I topped out at $15 an hour at a transmission shop. Needless to say, I decided to move to a better paying area.
There's money and nice neighborhoods in Little Rock, but it's mostly white-collar. As a blue-collar guy, I always felt a bit awkward in LR, considering I didn't want to live in a trailer out in the country....which is what most of my co-workers did.
I don't mean to put it down, it is what it is.
Cabot's a bit of a bedroom community. Unless something's opened up recently, I doubt there would be anything there.

If you're looking at just any area of Arkansas, the northwest part is rapidly growing, and might have some jobs there. I'm not familiar with it to know for sure.
Best of luck to you.

[jeffwiz]

I am still so confused on what to do, lol. I keep trying to find out what pay I would be at down there and can not seem to find anything. I also was looking at fayetteville area but some seem to say it is too white collar. As I said before not big into the dealers and more of an independent shop kinda guy. anyone know of any areas in Arkansas with a booming area of independent shops? also not a big fan of dry towns since I do like to indulge from time to time. Any auto mechanics on this board? lol.

[Logger]

There are alot of small shops all over this state and the pay will depend on you and who you are working for here. There are no set rates here as you pretty much make your own way here. Russivelle to Ft.Smith is full of small and large shops. North West Ar. is the boom town area right now.
The area you live will have alot to do with what you can make here as cost of living is so different from area to area. I know Ft.Smith is wet and so is the North West area with lots of places to go for that stuff and for a man of your age like yourself.
Good Luck Buddy!
I hope this helped...