[Catankerous]

Originally Posted by undertheironsea

Just for the record to those who have read my previous posts, I just went back home to southcentral Mississippi to visit my relatives. After the trip down there..... (including the various stops in the sticks and the Delta for gas and food).....

...California people are just fine. Nothing like a trip back "home" to let you realize how good things are where you're at. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that stupid and stuck up people come in all forms. And, like I've said before, if I were paying the outrageous prices for things that people in Cali are right now, I'd sell my place and home down here too.

My husband read this post to me this morning. We had read your previous posts and I'm glad that today you said Ca. people are just fine. We gave up almost everything we own to come to Russellville for a better life. That is how bad Ca. is now. We are not stuck up and don't want to bother anyone. Just had so much hope for a better life. When we drove into AR for the 1st time we were in complete awe of it's beauty... Everyone we met was friendly which we had never experienced. We'll be here 6 months in the latter part of January. Unfortunately, we are heading to MO. due to lack of work here. We are good people & just hope that you give people from Ca. a chance. My point is that it doesn't really matter where you are from, either you are a good person or you are not. I don't really understand what changed your mind about people from Ca. What happened on your trip? Hope you are having a Happy Holiday.

[undertheironsea]

Originally Posted by Mr.andMrs.Krinkle

My husband read this post to me this morning. We had read your previous posts and I'm glad that today you said Ca. people are just fine. We gave up almost everything we own to come to Russellville for a better life. That is how bad Ca. is now. We are not stuck up and don't want to bother anyone. Just had so much hope for a better life. When we drove into AR for the 1st time we were in complete awe of it's beauty... Everyone we met was friendly which we had never experienced. We'll be here 6 months in the latter part of January. Unfortunately, we are heading to MO. due to lack of work here. We are good people & just hope that you give people from Ca. a chance. My point is that it doesn't really matter where you are from, either you are a good person or you are not. I don't really understand what changed your mind about people from Ca. What happened on your trip? Hope you are having a Happy Holiday.

Thank you very much. Well, where I grew up, the people there are very "stuck up"...but in a different way. They don't like people BECAUSE they have money or dress nice or have a nice car, etc, etc, not the other way around. I am admittedly a very fashion concious person, especially for a guy, haha, I drive a nice car and I don't do the stereotypical "southern" things, and I had people treating me like dirt on the bottom of their shoe. And to think, this was "home" for me. Even my own extended family holds the same type of attitude toward my parents and I. You know, I went off to college, we're the only ones to move out of the county, we're the only ones with a substantial income while the rest of the family isn't doing as well, etc, etc....simple jealousy, and it grates on my nerves. I had an article published in a national education magazine recently, told my grandmother about it, and I didn't even get a "congrats." More along the lines of "Huh." That's the attitude.

I think I made previous generalizations about Californians and Northerners in general because I had an unpleasant experience in Nebraska when I lived there...I had a fairly thick deep South accent when I moved there, and people had a field day (Okay, men have a field day making fun of it. Women loved it, haha) Naturally this makes you a bit biased. It shouldn't have, and my accent actually has some "yankee" (haha) flairs to it now, but as a 23 year old, it's pretty easy to revert to those high school generalizations, especially when you had to defend your intelligence every day. I'm a grown man, but it's easy to just label people sometimes rather than figure them out.

So basically, I had this goofy fear that if Arkansas is overrun by people from Northern states that I would start going through the same things that I did in Nebraska. What I failed to realize is that people are people anywhere you go, and, surprisingly, I have more things in common with Californians and Northeasterners than I do my fellow native southerners. (Hey, it's a heck of a lot easier to discuss European football/soccer with people from CA and NY than it is with anyone else, haha)

It's funny, when you realize you've outgrown something. It took me one trip back home to realize how different I am these days, how it didn't "fit" anymore, and how stupid of me it is to judge people when I despise it being done to me. Some of the friendliest people I've met (and the ones I felt more at "home" with) since I've moved to Arkansas have been from outside the South, and some of the rudest have been the "natives" that I praised so dearly. In a nutshell, places are what you make them. I've learned that always, somewhere, someone isn't going to like you, and it's unfair of me to think that the Californians are going to take me away while I sleep and eat me, haha.

You know what the funniest part about it is? I was discussing this topic with a professor of mine and my experience in Nebraska, and she said "Really? I don't think you really have a Southern accent, at least not anymore." That was pretty much the turning point there.

(Also, on a side note, it didn't help that 2 out of my last 3 ex-girlfriends were from California and New Jersey, hahaha)

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by undertheironsea

Thank you very much. Well, where I grew up, the people there are very "stuck up"...but in a different way. They don't like people BECAUSE they have money or dress nice or have a nice car, etc, etc, not the other way around. I am admittedly a very fashion concious person, especially for a guy, haha, I drive a nice car and I don't do the stereotypical "southern" things, and I had people treating me like dirt on the bottom of their shoe. And to think, this was "home" for me. Even my own extended family holds the same type of attitude toward my parents and I. You know, I went off to college, we're the only ones to move out of the county, we're the only ones with a substantial income while the rest of the family isn't doing as well, etc, etc....simple jealousy, and it grates on my nerves. I had an article published in a national education magazine recently, told my grandmother about it, and I didn't even get a "congrats." More along the lines of "Huh." That's the attitude.

I think I made previous generalizations about Californians and Northerners in general because I had an unpleasant experience in Nebraska when I lived there...I had a fairly thick deep South accent when I moved there, and people had a field day (Okay, men have a field day making fun of it. Women loved it, haha) Naturally this makes you a bit biased. It shouldn't have, and my accent actually has some "yankee" (haha) flairs to it now, but as a 23 year old, it's pretty easy to revert to those high school generalizations, especially when you had to defend your intelligence every day. I'm a grown man, but it's easy to just label people sometimes rather than figure them out.

So basically, I had this goofy fear that if Arkansas is overrun by people from Northern states that I would start going through the same things that I did in Nebraska. What I failed to realize is that people are people anywhere you go, and, surprisingly, I have more things in common with Californians and Northeasterners than I do my fellow native southerners. (Hey, it's a heck of a lot easier to discuss European football/soccer with people from CA and NY than it is with anyone else, haha)

It's funny, when you realize you've outgrown something. It took me one trip back home to realize how different I am these days, how it didn't "fit" anymore, and how stupid of me it is to judge people when I despise it being done to me. Some of the friendliest people I've met (and the ones I felt more at "home" with) since I've moved to Arkansas have been from outside the South, and some of the rudest have been the "natives" that I praised so dearly. In a nutshell, places are what you make them. I've learned that always, somewhere, someone isn't going to like you, and it's unfair of me to think that the Californians are going to take me away while I sleep and eat me, haha.

You know what the funniest part about it is? I was discussing this topic with a professor of mine and my experience in Nebraska, and she said "Really? I don't think you really have a Southern accent, at least not anymore." That was pretty much the turning point there.

(Also, on a side note, it didn't help that 2 out of my last 3 ex-girlfriends were from California and New Jersey, hahaha)

It sounds to me like you may be a little resentful about being from the south. Too bad. Maybe I am missing your point some how. If others treat you badly it may be your attitude more than theirs. You are right about one thing: people are people regardless of where you life.

Nita

[Hazel Eyes]

Originally Posted by socal359

Dont think of us as Californians think of us as refugees from Northern Mexico and welcome us as fellow Americans into your state. Help us adjust to our new way of life, teach us to drive slower and remind us not to say "dude" and "like" every other word. I for one cant wait until the rat race is over and I can slow down and raise my son in a safe, pleasant town far far away from Cantaffordya.

Refugees from Northern Mexico...I LOVE THAT! I always tell people I live in an upscale area of Northern Mexico..

We native born, bred and fed Prune Pickers are coming your way..We promise to leave the hash pipes and granola bars here. We wear shoes, clothes, live in houses and speaka da English..No need to grab Ethel and run for the hills; we'll probably be there too growing our wacky tobacky! We'll teach you how to drive 85 miles an hour in the rain while talking on your cell phones applying mascara at the same time...We're Californians and we know how to do that!

[bungalowbob]

Are tornados a problem?

[billr]

Well I am not an Arkansas resident yet, but hoping to be before the years end if we can sell our place here in MS.

But I sure hope that the influx of high dollar people from California will slow down and wait until at least after we move so that housing prices will stop shooting higher and higher.

Really not picking on those from California and I can understand your desire to go someplace like Arkansas with it's beauty and regardless what some may claim, a place of very friendly people. If you treat others with respect you will find that most people are just people like you.

I happen to have spent some of my teen years in Arkansas so many years ago. We lived around the area of the Damn at Bull Shoals in a place called Lake view. My dad was one of those who worked at building both Norfork and Bull Shoals damns, so that should tell some of you how long ago that I was a teenager. I have always wanted to move back there most of my life, but due to lack of decent jobs never made it. Today my wife and I are both retired, although not as well off as we had planned to be especially since the huge medical bills with her cancer and my heart attack, and I want to spend what life I have left in the beauty of the Ozarks and among people like we have met when visiting the area.

I am finding that I can no longer afford Bella Vista due to the inflation of prices in the area, but am considering instead someplace east of the Mountain Home area. We have visited that area and love it and the people. While emergency medical care could be a bit of a problem we would be no worse off there than here where we are an hour or more away also.

My biggest regret is that I did not talk my wife into retiring three years ago when I did and making the move then. Cost of housing would have been much more affordable and selling our place much easier.

However I am still determined to make the move God willing.

[marmac]

------I am finding that I can no longer afford Bella Vista due to the inflation of prices in the area---

I see I am not the only one who came to that conclusion.

[angi501]

FYI...anyone considering visiting Bella Vista through the company that does the infomercials better do your homework. I had a very sweet lady call my office recently wanting to sell the lot she purchased through them. She was told she could turn around in a year and sell the lot for a big profit if she chose to do that, rather than build. I didn't even need to do a market analysis to see what the property was worth after she told me how she acquired the lot. She literally paid 7 times what that lot was worth, and we're not talking a few thousand dollars, but tens of thousands of dollars. Licensed agents can access the records that show what that company bought it for before they sold it to her. Unfortunately, she is the third person I have spoken to that has had this happen. I know other people in my office who have gotten those calls and I am sure other offices have, as well. Just be cautious and do your research.

[billr]

Yes I know.

In fact if one is considering any of the communities set up by Cooper such as Bella Vista, Hot Springs, or Cherokee Village, they need to bypass those that are hyping them up through big ad campaigns including infomercials on TV.

The best thing is a personal visit to the area you are interested in and plan to spend several days there to find your property through a number of different sources.

Even with that all the hype to attract the Big money people has caused inflated prices in most existing homes from what I can tell.

[DC at the Ridge]

Originally Posted by billr

Yes I know.

The best thing is a personal visit to the area you are interested in and plan to spend several days there to find your property through a number of different sources.

Even with that all the hype to attract the Big money people has caused inflated prices in most existing homes from what I can tell.

Definitely the best thing is to personally visit the area you are interested in. I don't think the those informercials have really inflated prices in existing homes. The population growth in the area caused a lot of demand which caused prices to go up, both on houses and on lots. Those informercials relied on people from more urban areas who were accustomed to high land prices to think they were getting a deal when they weren't. The people that bought through those informercials simply overpaid. There were/are still plenty of lots reasonably priced throughout the area. And now that the supply of homes has caught up and even surpassed the demand, home prices have fallen somewhat, though there is still plenty of commercial construction in the area.

DC