What is it like in Mountain Home (Little Rock, Fayetteville: environment, property taxes)

[campground]

We visited MH and Harrison over July4 '06 week. We live in greensboro area NC. Local complained about heat and humidity but to us it was very comfortable. I sat by the lake at sunset to check out the skeeters. I was sorely dissappointed when none NONE showed up!! We found the people friendly the drivers good. Never consider the Greensboro, NC area. More types of hate than you can count. Drivers are the worst I have found in our many moves in the US and outside. We loved Colorado except for the 9 month winter (we lived in the foothills - not in the mountains). We had many tornados in Oklahoma but everybody did not move away!! Okinawa had two seasons summer and the misty season. Noplace is utopia (except for a lucky few) and each person has different requirements but for us MH is high on our list but Harrison is above it.

[MtnHomeResident]

My wife and I moved here 3+ years ago from Minnesota. We live in a home on Bull Shoals lake about 15 miles from Mountain Home. Let me emphasize that the people here are mostly warm hearted and generous to a fault and we enjoy living here but it does have some drawbacks.

We have traveled extensively throughout the southern USA and have observed many communities and living circumstances. These observations are offered from that background.

Moderator cut: personal - off topic This post is intended to balance some of the views and offer some comments others have not necessarily touched on

Regarding humidity – this area is like most of the SE USA. In my view is great but on occasion it is hot/humid but that offsets more extreme climates like Houston or Minneapolis. There are no mosquitoes at our home on the lake and only an occasional snake. The snakes leave you alone if you do not bother them. Deer are the bane of all gardeners in this area. Chiggers are a problem but a shower at the end of the days activity eliminates that problem if you have been outside.

Mountain Home is a community of approximately 12,000 people. DO NOT expect the economic vibrancy and diversity of goods, services, and residents that exists in a community of 50,000 or 100,000. Expect substantial differences from communities over 250,000.

Tourism used to be the ‘big engine’ in the economy but with the change in lifestyles of younger families, that industry is no longer vibrant. There are many run down motels and resorts and lots of ma/pa resorts that offer family oriented activities at the local lakes.

The official median age is 53. The effect is that this is a community of older folks. Businesses cater to that demographic. It is certainly not as ‘bleak’ as Sun City but everyone seems to be older – service workers, professionals, etc. When all your customers are older, you focus on their needs and expectations so the entire economic climate is geared for that demographic.

Lack of economic diversity leads to fewer choices and generally higher prices for goods and services. Housing is not very expensive relative to large metropolitan areas.

Lower population means that the health care industry is smaller. Couple that with the older demographic and you have an industry that is senior focused. Almost everyone is on Medicare and that in turn drives the medical community to focus investment and care methodologies on what is reimbursed by Medicare not necessarily what is the state of art.

BRMC is an overgrown community hospital. We have had one bad experience with a relative and observed several neighbors with health care problems. My investigation and discussions with BRMC management indicate that they do not publish quality metrics and do not have any institutional quality standards. The most telling example is that the Director of Nursing is the Risk Management specialist and is also the Public Relations spokesperson for BRMC. The general acknowledgement is that if there is a serious problem, a prudent person with adequate resources will go to Springfield or Little Rock. Those places have larger populations and attract better qualified specialists.

What has not been discussed is that the ‘native’ population is poor and seems to be poorly educated. The bright aggressive young folks move quickly to larger cities for higher paying opportunities leaving the lower quartile at home. On top of this it my personal observation is that the retirees that are living here are primarily ‘blue color’ individuals. They have worked hard all of their life and are good hearted but their educational level is low and the related cultural environment is definitely middle class or lower. Do not expect a population of well educated peers with a diversity of ideas. This population demographic seems to have lower expectations for service personal and does not demand higher quality in their service provider – that in turn matches well with the ability of the local population to provide adequate service at low cost.

We find the slower pace very pleasant. We often lament at the lack of cultural diversity and better educated population. Selecting a retirement community, like all decisions, is a compromise between competing alternatives. We are pleased with our selection but are mindful that we often have to travel outside the area for medical care or cultural diversity.

[moneymaker]

Originally Posted by MtnHomeResident

We often lament at the lack of cultural diversity and better educated population.

Do you know how that sounds? haha I love all these yankees movin here knowin what there gettin, and coming anyway and cuttin all of us down and complaining etc. etc. BRMC is one of the most respected medical facilities in the state fyi! they will soon be much larger than their already large facility. the only reason everybody claims you HAVE to go to Springfield or Little Rock is becouse BRMC lack of a Trauma facility. St. Johns in springfield, Mo is the best Hospital outside of our area. The humidity here is nothing!!! I cannot stress this enough!!!! I have got such a kick out of these posts on here and how far many of them are from the truth. You want humidity, try Russellville, AR 2.5 hours S and MUCH hotter in the summer than MTN. HOME. Real Humidity is that in which you will experience in FL where it rains every afternoon in the summer.!! that is hot, try Dallas, TX again a city of blacktop very hot even in the middle of the night during summer. You folks think this is hot ????? Come join me on the farm driving fence posts on a July or August day. Not to be rude but if you didn't sit around in the A/C all day, you wouldn't feel so hot when you step outside.

As far as nothing to do???? Please inlighten me on what more there is to do in the city than here!! I mean ya there is more shopping but is that all folks do in the city?? We work, fish, hunt, ride 4wheelers, walk/run, see movies, go to the lake to boat, jet ski, water ski, tube, we float the rivers. we go and golf, ride our horses, mess w/ the cattle, I mean really if you folks can't find nothin to do you ain't lookin theres caves and sight seeing I mean the list goes on and on! All of yuns that gripe about how hot it is here must not do nothin but sit in front of the tv anyway so whocares what's outside to do!! Our area is one of the few that still offers the 4 seasons, none of which are extreme!

Some of ya'll been lookin for a true NW ARKIE...
Twin Lakes Born and Raised at least 8 generations

[magrack]

Originally Posted by moneymaker

....
As far as nothing to do???? Please inlighten me on what more there is to do in the city than here!! I mean ya there is more shopping but is that all folks do in the city?? We work, fish, hunt, ride 4wheelers, walk/run, see movies, go to the lake to boat, jet ski, water ski, tube, we float the rivers. we go and golf, ride our horses, mess w/ the cattle, .....

Now don't go and spoil it for the rest of us. If all them folks find out how much fun we're having, soon they'll be packing in and will spoil the place with overcrowding, massive inflation, and bad attitudes.

I spent a career in the Army, and then found a great job (in another state) making more money than I ever dreamed possible, and all the time hoping for the day I could come home. Don't be spoiling it for me.

It's hot, terrible hot and we've got tornadoes too.

The mosquitoes are as big as turkeys, ain't nothing good to eat here.

No jobs, no culture, no entertainment, unless you call dragging a medium break plow through hard shale fun.

The folks you're talking to probably equate culture with someone else's idea of what constitutes living "right", not realizing what we have here is the culture some of us want.

[moneymaker]

This is a good point, however I don't mind all the folks movin in, it makes me a good livin!!!

[moneymaker]

Moderator cut: personal attack

[magrack]

Hey, MM, relax.

If you haven't figured it out yet, there's a lot of folks on this forum who have a very narrow view about AR (other states too), and they sometimes let their emotions get in the way of facts.

All you can do is counter their posts with facts and reasonable posts and let other readers eventually figure out who's more correct.

Those readers who can't figure out what's real and what's rumor are going to be scared off anyway, and I'm pretty sure we don't need that type moving in and ruining the place.

[moneymaker]

Ya I guess your right, it just makes me so mad to see people bash this area I love, when they literally don't have any idea what they are talking about!

[magrack]

There's lots of folks looking to move to make a better life for themselves. It's the American way.

Some of them have already moved here and find that their life is not any better, so they start knocking where they moved to.

They haven't figured out the problem just might be them.

[donbo50]

Sorry folks but I just have to add my two cents worth. We lived in N.Central Arkansas for 6 short, wonderful years before we moved to the worst state of all of them, Illinois. We are selling, retiring and hurrying back to Arkansas after fighting mad drivers with a death wish for the past 18 years.. Peace and quiet, here we come.
Love it, love it, love it. We lived in Greers Ferry and the beauty and weather make you forget that Walmart is right next door. Who wants all that traffic anyway? I can't wait to slow down, lay back and worship the most beautiful state I know.