[nmnita]

Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2

Cant belive i am saying this, but try HSV.. hot springs village for your type of retirement. Cost of living is decent. NWA is decent but climbing up a little every year due to high demand of employment. When people start to get paid decent, they will start jacking up the prices because they can afford it now.

It is climbing up each year, but only property values. If one is planning on relocating in the next few years property will still be low, depending on where one is moving from. This can be a good thing; watching the value goes up, as long as they don't get like California. this is not saying anything negative about HSV. I hope no one takes it that way.

[Wes59]

We took a driving tour from Fort Smith down to Mena then over to Hot Springs. My wife found it really dirty and depressing looking. Almost immediately decided that HS was not an option. We liked Mena and the areas around Paris. May have to try for HSV when we have time this summer.

[hitpausebutton2]

Originally Posted by Wes59

We took a driving tour from Fort Smith down to Mena then over to Hot Springs. My wife found it really dirty and depressing looking. Almost immediately decided that HS was not an option. We liked Mena and the areas around Paris. May have to try for HSV when we have time this summer.

HSV is on the far side of HS itself. You have the ouachita mountains by HSV and a great clean clear lake. Lake ouachita is one of the clearest lakes in the state and nation. Its feed by the mountain rain and cold. Great deep diving as well.

[Wes59]

Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2

HSV is on the far side of HS itself. You have the ouachita mountains by HSV and a great clean clear lake. Lake ouachita is one of the clearest lakes in the state and nation. Its feed by the mountain rain and cold. Great deep diving as well.

Sounds tempting to look at. How is the cost of living in the area of HSV? Sounds like something we have in Houston that is a master planned community called The Woodlands. Beautiful area but bring your checkbook...

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Wes59

Sounds tempting to look at. How is the cost of living in the area of HSV? Sounds like something we have in Houston that is a master planned community called The Woodlands. Beautiful area but bring your checkbook...

HSV was developed by the same company (Cooper) that developed Bella Vista, but it is behind gates. It is smaller than BV; a little more pricey, even the POA dues are higher, but the two communities have lot in common. I certainly do not think anyone find it expensive. It is a planned community but different from the Woodlands. 2 of of our grandkids live in the Woodlands.

[Luvvarkansas]

HSV is really pretty and affordable, and it has a grocery store, WalMart, and a few other businesses and restaurants right outside of the West gate, but you will have to go into HS proper to do any "mall" or other specialized shopping. It's easy to get around going through the downtown area though, by cutting through Gulpha Gorge, which is really pretty. It's also not far from Little Rock if you get the urge to go to a really big mall or something.

Hwy. 7 north and all points north of Hot Springs are pretty and have interesting things to do within a day's drive....Petit Jean, Mt. Nebo, and Mt. Magazine State Parks, the Buffalo River, etc. Lake Ouachita and Lake Catherine State Park (near HSV and HS) are also very nice and offer good hiking, fishing, swimming, camping. Garvan Woodland Gardens (HS) is a real treasure....if I lived in the area I would pay the annual membership fee for that so I could go anytime!

[hitpausebutton2]

I grew up on lake Catherine, even got the special ambassador badge from the parks and recreation. Honor merit for programs and knowing the history of the lake. (30 years+) I use to live like 5 mins from the lake and visited often. Even tho its man made lake, still a great lake and great water fall when it rains. Just too bad the 80s flood took out some of the cabins they had. Even the nature cabin took a huge hit and lost. If you need to know anything about that lake, i am your man.. lol.


back to the point. HSV is not really high, but not really cheap. Most of the homes and income residents are in the upper 200k that have retired. They learn not to over price themselves but keep it high enough were visitors cant buy out the good stuff. Just the cons of the place is weather. When it ICEs they are the first to go out, but nearly the first to get power back on. Hwy 7 is a mess during winter season, and if you go out the back gate headed to LR, besure to turn and floor it.. Dont hesitate because you will get rear ended. So many wrecks because of folks pulling out in front of people and not move. It is a 4 lane road, but it can be a major headache to slow movers. If you got the funds, than HSV is the place, lots of things to do and always doing something in the community.

[Wes59]

Thanks for that, hit. Kinda sounds like what I am leaving in Houston- dodge ball with cars, and houses the people feel are worth more than reality made them. I am looking for a place that I have a feeling I may have neighbors, but I haven't seen them to prove it.

[MOforthewin]

What would NW Arkansas such as Bentonville area be like today if it wasn't for Wal-Mart HQ there attracting industry and employing people and those higher paying corporate jobs there? Would it be like the rest of the AR and MO Ozarks with low pay and little industry?

[jimnelson1]

I live in HSV, been here almost 4 years now. We moved here after 8 years in the Fort Worth area. Let me know if you decide to visit HSV, and I'll show you around.

I've got to disagree with a few things said about the village.

Housing costs, I relocated here for my company and looked all over within 20 miles or so of Hot Springs. You get the most home for your $$ in the village, hands down. The west side is older with generally less expensive homes. The east side is newer, with bigger more expensive homes.

Back gate? There are manned gates on the west and east ends of the village, plus 3 more "card gates" that are unmanned and open with your membership card. None of these gates are on a four lane road, and the only place that I'm aware of that had a lot of accidents became a 4 way stop last year.

I will agree that ice storms are a problem. We just stay home until it melts, usually the same day. Fortunately we haven't had any ice storms so far this winter, and didn't have any last winter.

We live at the end of a dead end road and are the only house on that road. We have neighbors close enoug to see (in the winter when the leaves are off) but not close enough to hear them. HSV is a huge place and probably about 20% developed, so there are a lot of places where you don't have neighbors.

You can look at the website for all the amenities, 10 lakes, 9 golf courses, etc.