[oceanpotion]

Hi!

We just returned from NWA...My husband, my 3 boys & I drove up there right after Christmas, stayed in the Ponca area and had a fabulous time. (Our 2nd trip to the area). We live in South Florida now, but are looking to possibly relocate to that area....(We are both originally from the Carolina's) If you have been there you know.... That area just speaks to your soul! We really want a less materialistic, more wholesome upbringing for our sons (ages 9, 7, and nearly 4).

What we would really like is a little land with a spring that has a nice view to build my "dream house" on... I picture it as a 2-story lodge-style, with lots of porch. I am not quite 40, but imagine side-by-side rockers (my husband & I in our 70ies), on our porch looking at a view of the sun setting on golden rolling hills and rocky bluffs... Am I nuts!?

For all of you who know, please feel free to reply to my post or e-mail me. I would really appreciate your input. Making such a move will be quite a change for our family. The one thing I am afraid of is the loss of conveniences...drive thur pharmacy, drive-thur mini-mart, & my church & Christian school for boys is only 10 minutes away...

Otherwise, we are pretty laid back people and are home-bodies. Please just tell me like it is. Thank you much!!!!

[mcheiss]

Northwest Arkansas is a great place to live. NWA has great Christian and Religous affiliated schools. One Shiloh Christian School runs from K to 12 and is the biggest in the area. Our Public Schools are great too. We have a beautiful Lake as well called Beaver Lake that is absolutely picturese! There's land where you can build a nice two story home on Beaver Lake where there are sweeping valleys and nice bluffs to view.

If you need any info on the area, just reply and I'll get back to you.

[usnretired]

Hello friends,

My name is Kurt, I'm a retired Navy veteran and looking to buy a home/property in the near future and have done alot of research on that NWA area and it's starting to look pretty good about now. I move back to LOUSYana,( Louisiana that is) after my military career was over to be near family and friends but I'm not sure if I want to stay here for the long haul. I want to get as far away as possible from the hurricanes, the stupid political corruption,the N.O. traffic,the God-awful humidity, and the extremely rude people down here. I live in the metro New Orleans area and though the town I live in is okay,(Covington,LA.), I don't see this area coming back anytime soon and nothing will change anyway. As far as I'm concerned the mayor of N.O. can have his "chocolate" city! If I could afford the higher cost of living out west I'd move to the Pacific Northwest,(bueatiful area if you can take the rain) since I was stationed near Seattle for 4 years. But NWA sounds like it has all 4 season weather and it's CHEAP!

[Vette0324]

Hello all,
I, (Vette), am a native of New Orleans and I agree with you 100%!! I don't think it will be anytime soon before N.O. is cleaned up. I know the Northshore area where you are living did not get hit as bad, but it is still difficult to live there when the economy has been so drastically altered. I was there in May and it saddened me terribly to see the destruction.

My husband and I want to retire to Northern AR or NW AR. It is absolutely gorgeous and not too far from where we live now (Dallas). We have kids here that soon may give us Grandkids, so distance from TX is very important. We want to build our retirement home in AR, but can't decide the best area. We love Eureka Springs, but there are too many tourists. Is there an area near there that is as nice but not as crowded?

We have also looked at these towns--Bentonville, Bella Vista, Springdale, Clarksville, Mtn Home, Yellville, Cotter, Gassville & Harrison. I have read the forum and there are several posts that claim that the humidity is terrible in most of the areas near Mtn Home, but the humidity is terrible here and the heat unbearable, that we figure one out of two ain't bad---at least for a short period of time. I have talked to a member on this forum that is a native of the Mtn Home area and have been told that the heat w/ humidity does not last as long as it does here in TX. If it did, there is NO WAY that we would even consider moving to the area. One of the main reasons we want to move is because we hate summers here.

If you have any comments or more info you can share, please do!! I check the forum at least 3 times a week to get more opinions!!

Thanks a bunch!
Vette

[law]

What do you and him do for living? The scarecity of jobs in NW Arkansas is not even funny.

Originally Posted by oceanpotion

Hi!

We just returned from NWA...My husband, my 3 boys & I drove up there right after Christmas, stayed in the Ponca area and had a fabulous time. (Our 2nd trip to the area). We live in South Florida now, but are looking to possibly relocate to that area....(We are both originally from the Carolina's) If you have been there you know.... That area just speaks to your soul! We really want a less materialistic, more wholesome upbringing for our sons (ages 9, 7, and nearly 4).

What we would really like is a little land with a spring that has a nice view to build my "dream house" on... I picture it as a 2-story lodge-style, with lots of porch. I am not quite 40, but imagine side-by-side rockers (my husband & I in our 70ies), on our porch looking at a view of the sun setting on golden rolling hills and rocky bluffs... Am I nuts!?

For all of you who know, please feel free to reply to my post or e-mail me. I would really appreciate your input. Making such a move will be quite a change for our family. The one thing I am afraid of is the loss of conveniences...drive thur pharmacy, drive-thur mini-mart, & my church & Christian school for boys is only 10 minutes away...

Otherwise, we are pretty laid back people and are home-bodies. Please just tell me like it is. Thank you much!!!!

[silverwing]

Originally Posted by Vette0324

We have also looked at these towns--Bentonville, Bella Vista, Springdale, Clarksville, Mtn Home, Yellville, Cotter, Gassville & Harrison.

I'd scratch Yellville, Cotter and Gassville (Flippin, too, if you've taken note of that town). My grandparents lived in Flippin; I spent many summers with them and went to high school there. Though it's been some decades ago that I lived there, I allocated extra time on a family reunion trip to revisit my youthful haunts. Those small towns are as singularly un-lovely today as I remembered them being when I was young. Being middle-aged, I ought to have the nostalgia to see the things I thought loathsome in my youth as positive now (peace and quiet. small town atmosphere) but I don't. Not in the Yellville to Mountain Home corridor. I spent some time talking to a veterinarian who occupies land my grandparents used to live on. He and his wife are totally disenchanted with the area and are looking to get out. You spoke of Mountain View and, though you don't like the tourist faction, Eureka Springs. Those towns are still better than the towns to the east for keeping active in retirement.

[Ozark Surfer]

I think it really matters if you like medium-sized town living or small town living. Northwest Arkansas is becoming very urban, with shopping malls and of course traffic. If you don't like this lifestyle, Arkansas has plenty of small towns that are nice to call home. I personally find Harrison and Berryville charming.

As for visiting Ponca in Northwest Arkansas, I've never heard of it. I know of Ponca City near the Oklahoma/Kansas border. Is that what you were speaking about? I've only been here a year (moved from Las Vegas), so maybe I missed it?

[woopig_sooie]

Originally Posted by Ozark Surfer

I think it really matters if you like medium-sized town living or small town living. Northwest Arkansas is becoming very urban, with shopping malls and of course traffic. If you don't like this lifestyle, Arkansas has plenty of small towns that are nice to call home. I personally find Harrison and Berryville charming.

As for visiting Ponca in Northwest Arkansas, I've never heard of it. I know of Ponca City near the Oklahoma/Kansas border. Is that what you were speaking about? I've only been here a year (moved from Las Vegas), so maybe I missed it?

Ponca and Boxley are west of Jasper in the Buffalo River Valley. This is where the AGFC has been establishing the Elk heard in Arkansas. Steele Creek Camp Ground is right on the Buffalo in this area and is one of the most well known camps on the Buffalo. Also if you hike the trail you will find a cave, if you crawl on your belly through the 20 ft long passageway, it opens up and reveals a hidden water fall thats nearly 70 ft high.

[Synopsis]

If you're looking for a small town off the beaten path, Danville might be a choice. It's in West Central Arkansas so you can enjoy both the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains. I lived in Danville waaaaaay back in 1982 so I can't say for sure what it's like now, but then it was a sleepy community of about 1200. The closest place for any kind of civilization would be Russelleville, and then Ft. Smith. I live in Dallas now and I hate it. I hate the city, the traffic, and the heat (summers are horrible here).
I'm going to move to Eastern Oklahoma (Tahlequah area?) or Western/Northwestern Arkansas as soon as possible, which might not be until I retire in 20 years.

[nanettew]

for oceanpotion, usnretired and vette0324

I happen to know of a wee bit of land that will very shortly be available - if I were you (once was!), I'd snap it up ASAP...

Behind our acreage on a 'mountain' in Newton Co, are a few 'lots' for homes soon to be built. Contact a Mr Don Nelms and ask him about them.

As heart-sick as we were to hear our once sparsely populated area is soon to become a 'subdivision', we also have to be realistic and know no matter where we retire to, there will surely be More People. -heavy sigh-

This is why we got 20 acres when we did -and would have bought more, had we the resources- for a buffer from the press of humanity.

Our trees, although certainly not 'old growth', are still trees and they and our rocks have lichen on them - a sign of air purity. (Yay!) We are barely a mile south of the Buffalo National River (double YAY!!), and are surrounded by the largest oak/hickory forest in the world.

Since Mt Sherman is at an elevation of 1800', you will have breezes and slightly less heat and humidity than the rest of the area. For you gardeners, we are in Zone 6a. You won't get much snow, but you will have ice storms occasionally.

Bring your smiles, leave your cares, and welcome to the hills and hollers of NW Arkansas, where there is still more wildlife than people (thank God!). 'Y'all come!'

Hugs,
Nanette & Dave - soon to be retired residents of Mt. Sherman.

PS: If you are a Calvary Chapel church-goer, you're out of luck... nearest one is many miles northwest of us.

Originally Posted by oceanpotion

Hi!
...What we would really like is a little land ... that has a nice view to build my "dream house" on...