[needing more]

Hi. I'm new to ,so any and all advice is appreciated.

I currently live in SW Michigan... Looking to relocate.. possibly to Fayetteville area.

My father lives in south Florida and wants to relocate with us..

We have our desires narrowed down and I have done hrs of research on areas but need insiders advice/opinions now.

We want to buy land (20 or so acres) and build houses on it. We also plan on starting 2 new businesses (Thai/Sushi restaurant and a hardware store). We would like to live within 10 miles of the stores but out enough to have some privacy too. I wouldnt mind living on a lake or river of some kind either. Our families are open minded. Mild climate is ideal also... Summers with lower humidity then I am used to in south Michigan.. Diffently dont want to live around any tornado, flood or earthquake areas!! Schools are important, as I have 2 small boys in early elementary schools. We also like to have a large garden too. Our families are in the lower income bracket also... or at least to start with with starting 2 new businesses.

Does Fayetteville area seem to be ideal for these desires???
Does this area seem to be in need of these kinds of businesses??

Any and all info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

[Bull Winkus]

Welcome to the City-Data Forums!

In my humble opinion, anywhere in the hills of Arkansas is a great place to live, but if you have to build a business or two there's no better choice than the Fayetteville/Rogers/Bentonville area. It has all the attributes you listed. Just take your time and gather as much info as you can. Fayetteville may be the best choice for a Thai/Sushi restaurant, as that is where the University of Arkansas, with all its cultural diversity, is located.

Good luck!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by needing more

Hi. I'm new to ,so any and all advice is appreciated.

I currently live in SW Michigan... Looking to relocate.. possibly to Fayetteville area.

My father lives in south Florida and wants to relocate with us..

We have our desires narrowed down and I have done hrs of research on areas but need insiders advice/opinions now.

We want to buy land (20 or so acres) and build houses on it. We also plan on starting 2 new businesses (Thai/Sushi restaurant and a hardware store). We would like to live within 10 miles of the stores but out enough to have some privacy too. I wouldnt mind living on a lake or river of some kind either. Our families are open minded. Mild climate is ideal also... Summers with lower humidity then I am used to in south Michigan.. Diffently dont want to live around any tornado, flood or earthquake areas!! Schools are important, as I have 2 small boys in early elementary schools. We also like to have a large garden too. Our families are in the lower income bracket also... or at least to start with with starting 2 new businesses.

Does Fayetteville area seem to be ideal for these desires???
Does this area seem to be in need of these kinds of businesses??

Any and all info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

well, of course most of us love NWA..It is the best of everything, but a few things you mentioned make me wonder if this would be a good move for you. First, you mentioned lower income bracket, I am not sure what you mean, but to start a business anywhere, you will need to have a lot of capital and enough funds to survive for a year while you are building your business. yes, Fayetteville is a good area for a restaurant and a liberal area is that is what you are looking for, but the rents on a building suitable for a restaurant is not going to be cheap..Not only do you need to consider the cost of rent, but the cost of at least a wine and beer licesnse..

If you are looking for anywhere near 20 acres you are talking about being far out from the city of Fayetteville..Fayetteville is probably the most expensive part of NWA... You are more likely to find closer to what you want about 30 minutes to an hour outside of town..

You do not have to worry about living on a river or lake, as property on the water is very pricey. I wish we could afford to live on a lake...Earthquakes do not happen, floods rarely, tornados are not as common in NWA as in the southern part of the state, Ok and Texas, but they certainly do exist..We do have humidity, again, not like the deep south, but it is here.

I don't like to appear negative, but I think your desires are a little unrealistic. I can't think of anyplace that would meet of come close to meeting your requirements, especially when you mention you are in a low income level.

Nita

[flyingwriter]

Why not stay in Southwest Michigan and start your business here? We need all the help we can get here, and it would be nice if Michiganders would stick around and help bring Michigan back. Your business ideas are sound, and I think a Thai/Sushi restaurant would do excellent here in Three Rivers. There are very few restaurants here, and lots of cheap real estate to rent out. Lots of cheap land around here too.

If you're looking for mild summers, Arkansas (or any other Southern state) is not the place to find them. Arkansas has oppressive heat and humidity, and no natural lakes. Tornados happen everywhere but are more prevalent in the South than in Michigan.

From what I've read of your post, it seems like Michigan meets your desires and plans more than Arkansas.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Why not stay in Southwest Michigan and start your business here? We need all the help we can get here, and it would be nice if Michiganders would stick around and help bring Michigan back. Your business ideas are sound, and I think a Thai/Sushi restaurant would do excellent here in Three Rivers. There are very few restaurants here, and lots of cheap real estate to rent out. Lots of cheap land around here too.

If you're looking for mild summers, Arkansas (or any other Southern state) is not the place to find them. Arkansas has oppressive heat and humidity, and no natural lakes. Tornados happen everywhere but are more prevalent in the South than in Michigan.

From what I've read of your post, it seems like Michigan meets your desires and plans more than Arkansas.

you know I would agree with you on most of what you are saying, but 1-NWA doesn't have bad summers, humidty yes, but probably not as high as Mi and though our lakes are not natural, we have many and they are wonderful..

Nita

[Bull Winkus]

Hey kazoopilot, just because you put the word natural in front of a noun, that don't make it better.

These Corp of Engineers lakes are great! They're sheltered from the harsh wind by plenty of beautiful tree covered hills. They have great sports fishing for bluegill, catfish, largemouth bass, striper and walleye. They are large enough to accommodate recreational boating as well as sports fishing. The low turbidity water is perfect for swimming yet not so clear as to make the fish unhappy.

You can always see the bank somewhere from your boat, and you don't have to share the waters with Canadians or ships.

But, I'll agree that SW Michigan is a great place to live and prosper!

[73-79 ford fan]

In I think around 2001 North central Arkansas had a 4.4 earthquake that I felt in Bentonville in Northwest Ar, happened around 1:00 am, the local tv stations and newspapers covered it too so they can happen but probably nothing to be scared of. Tornados are possible just about everywhere in this country. Summers compared to Michigan are fierce and the difference in the sun angle at this latitude is very noticeable.

[needing more]

Wow. Thanks for all the posts so far..

I need to get out of MI. I have no family left here and am needing change.. SW MI is not a good place for the businesses we are wanting to start. Winters, like this january (temps below 0 for days at a time) and 50" + of snow a yr are not what I want... I want to have a garden 6 months a yr, not 3. Dont get me wrong. I LOVE Michigan... But not year around, not anymore.. Maybe when I'm rich I'll buy land upnorth and have a summer home... But for now I need out.

The restaurant is fine dining, not like a buffet type place. College kids LOVE sushi so I'm sure it would do well in Fayetteville...

I guess when I said lower income bracket.. I ment that I'm not a millionaire...lol.. I want a modest size house in a private area. I dont want some developer to move in nextdoor. I have been doing research, about 20-40 hrs a week on finding that right spot. I even found land on a lake(20 acres) in Rogers area for 60k... So compared to NC (which is where we were looking before) that is dirt cheap.

As far as having capital. I do understand that. We currently have both of these businesses already just want to change locations. So thats not a problem... but I also know that it will take time to build up again. I'm am not so worried about rent, lease, capital since about anywhere in the whole state of AR is going to be cheaper then south florida.. S. Fl is WAY too over priced!!

I plan on making a trip down in the sumer and again in the winter to check out areas in both seasons. We dont plan on moving for about a yr.

Thanks for everyone that has posted. I look forward to anymore posts in the future

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by needing more

Wow. Thanks for all the posts so far..

I need to get out of MI. I have no family left here and am needing change.. SW MI is not a good place for the businesses we are wanting to start. Winters, like this january (temps below 0 for days at a time) and 50" + of snow a yr are not what I want... I want to have a garden 6 months a yr, not 3. Dont get me wrong. I LOVE Michigan... But not year around, not anymore.. Maybe when I'm rich I'll buy land upnorth and have a summer home... But for now I need out.

The restaurant is fine dining, not like a buffet type place. College kids LOVE sushi so I'm sure it would do well in Fayetteville...

I guess when I said lower income bracket.. I ment that I'm not a millionaire...lol.. I want a modest size house in a private area. I dont want some developer to move in nextdoor. I have been doing research, about 20-40 hrs a week on finding that right spot. I even found land on a lake(20 acres) in Rogers area for 60k... So compared to NC (which is where we were looking before) that is dirt cheap.

As far as having capital. I do understand that. We currently have both of these businesses already just want to change locations. So thats not a problem... but I also know that it will take time to build up again. I'm am not so worried about rent, lease, capital since about anywhere in the whole state of AR is going to be cheaper then south florida.. S. Fl is WAY too over priced!!

I plan on making a trip down in the sumer and again in the winter to check out areas in both seasons. We dont plan on moving for about a yr.

Thanks for everyone that has posted. I look forward to anymore posts in the future

if you found 20 acres in Rogers for 20 acres on a lake in Rogers for 60,000 it may not be buildable land or may not have any improvements. What lake is it on? Where did you see this advertised?

Our granddaughter and her husband are about to build: they will be moving to a small town about an hour from Fayetteville, are buying 1 acre, not on a lake by anymeans: cost, about $18,000.

As for college kids loving sushi, you are somewhat right, probably it is more popular with the 30 somethings, but regardless I am not sure how popular it is with college kids in Arkansas..

Nita

[DC at the Ridge]

I would think that with 20 acres, there would be some buildable sites. It has to be on Beaver Lake, so it would not be in Rogers proper. Possibly in Avoca, or out past Rocky Branch. With either, it's a doable transit back and forth to a Fayetteville restaurant, but the drive would get wearing even if it would be scenic. From Michigan to Arkansas, the summer is going to feel very different. While the humidity might be higher in Michigan, I think generally there is less air movement. Summers in NWA I would not characterize as oppressive by any means, but they are something you need to adjust to. The hardware store in Pea Ridge just closed. That might be an opportunity you could look into. There was a family run hardware store for decades that seemed to do quite well. Then a chain bought them out two years ago, and I guess the profit margins weren't as high for the chain, and they just closed it up. A sushi restaurant in Pea Ridge would probably struggle, though.