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I will likely be accepting a position and moving to Bentonville within the next 1-2 months. My original plan was to rent for a year and then buy, but because of interest rates and the amazing deal on homes in Bentonville I am now strongly considering buying.
Unfortunately, my wife and I do not know the area very well. The company will fly us down a few times to look at homes, but it would be amazing if we could get some neighborhood recommendations from people on here.
We are a young couple, late 20s, active, getting ready to start a family (within the next year). Are there any recommendations, neighborhoods to avoid, etc.
We are looking for a new home (within the past 7 years), 4 bedroom, 3 bath, over 2k sq. feet, looking to spend no more than 220.
Most people I have been talking to say because its a buyers market, homes can be had for about 8-10% less than asking price. Would this notion hold true in Bentonville, or is it a tighter market? This would have implications on where we started. If this is true, we would consider homes in the 235-245 range as well. If this is not true, we would start looking closer to 230 and down.
Also, most homes for sale mention an association fee. What is the average monthly/yearly fees for neighborhoods in Bentonville?
I will likely be accepting a position and moving to Bentonville within the next 1-2 months. My original plan was to rent for a year and then buy, but because of interest rates and the amazing deal on homes in Bentonville I am now strongly considering buying.
Unfortunately, my wife and I do not know the area very well. The company will fly us down a few times to look at homes, but it would be amazing if we could get some neighborhood recommendations from people on here.
We are a young couple, late 20s, active, getting ready to start a family (within the next year). Are there any recommendations, neighborhoods to avoid, etc.
We are looking for a new home (within the past 7 years), 4 bedroom, 3 bath, over 2k sq. feet, looking to spend no more than 220.
Most people I have been talking to say because its a buyers market, homes can be had for about 8-10% less than asking price. Would this notion hold true in Bentonville, or is it a tighter market? This would have implications on where we started. If this is true, we would consider homes in the 235-245 range as well. If this is not true, we would start looking closer to 230 and down.
Also, most homes for sale mention an association fee. What is the average monthly/yearly fees for neighborhoods in Bentonville?
Thanks in advance for being so helpful everyone!
I think you are very smart to buy while the rates are down. the past few months prices in Benton County have increased but just slightly. buying now will get you a great deal and the interest rates will never be lower I don't think. As for how much flexibility you will have in prices, that depends on the asking price and the market, certainly do not start looking with that in mind. A serious seller with a good agent will have the home priced to sell. It seems reasonable to start looking at prices of 230,000 and down.
As for areas, there are so many to think about. Centerton, a small town within the Bentonville school district is filled with nice homes and young families. I realize you do not have kids, but you still want a home in a good school district for resale value.
You really need a good realtor asap. I would suggest you start your search by logging onto Realtor.com; but in the city or the general location and your dream list. you will see everything available in your range. The only drawback is if you put in just Bentonville you will not get the surrounding areas like Rogers, Centerton and even the south east tip of Bella Vista. I know most everyone thinks of Bella Vista as filled with older people, but that is changing rapidly. Ask anyone about the elementary school for starters? It was build 5 years ago to house about 500 kids. Now it is only k thru 4th and has more than 500 kids. It is in the Bentonville school district. Th west side of Bella Vista is where us old folks live.
I will likely be accepting a position and moving to Bentonville within the next 1-2 months. My original plan was to rent for a year and then buy, but because of interest rates and the amazing deal on homes in Bentonville I am now strongly considering buying.
Unfortunately, my wife and I do not know the area very well. The company will fly us down a few times to look at homes, but it would be amazing if we could get some neighborhood recommendations from people on here.
We are a young couple, late 20s, active, getting ready to start a family (within the next year). Are there any recommendations, neighborhoods to avoid, etc.
We are looking for a new home (within the past 7 years), 4 bedroom, 3 bath, over 2k sq. feet, looking to spend no more than 220.
Most people I have been talking to say because its a buyers market, homes can be had for about 8-10% less than asking price. Would this notion hold true in Bentonville, or is it a tighter market? This would have implications on where we started. If this is true, we would consider homes in the 235-245 range as well. If this is not true, we would start looking closer to 230 and down.
Also, most homes for sale mention an association fee. What is the average monthly/yearly fees for neighborhoods in Bentonville?
Thanks in advance for being so helpful everyone!
Perhaps you can sublet, taking on a temporary rental for a few months until you warm up to the area?
Bentonville homes can be costly at times simply because they are in Bentonville (the hub of all the Walmart business). Surrounding areas such as Cave Springs, Centerton, Rogers, and Bella Vista would be wise to consider if you want to get more house for your money. Also, there is the county area that is unincorporated from the local cities if you were interested in a more 'country' feel and more flexibility with ordinances and other regulations. As far as Bentonville specifically, I am very familiar with it.
It is a beautiful city with rich history. In regards to real estate, there are many subdivisions that have have been built all over with new houses that have not sold due to the economy so there is a lot of wiggle room when buying right now. Bentonville's southwest part of town (west of Walton, south of SW Regional Airport Blvd) is the newest area. The school there, Central Park Elementary (also known as Morning Star Elementary), is one of the highest rated schools in the state based on their academic test scores. That area, once nothing but farmland, is expanding greatly causing the city to expand the main roads (especially since it is en-route to the international airport), bringing in commerce (Gas Stations, the newest McDonalds [the 5th in the city], etc.), and modern conveniences such as a gym. The north part of town, North of Central Ave. has a few new subdivisions being built and in my opinion, is by far the prettiest. It is very close to the Crystal Bridges museum, Bella Vista, natural springs and woodlands, and the city center (the Square). It is also where all of the parks department has been focusing their implementation of attractions for active citizens. With regards to homeowners association fees it varies with each neighborhood depending on amenities. For instance, in my neighborhood, the yearly fee (not rolled into mortgage) was only $125 dollars, made payable in quarterly payments. However, a friend who lives in a neighborhood with a community swimming pool, clubhouse, and gym pays $300 a year.
With that said, there is a reason why Bentonville can be more expensive. The city has grown immensely over the years and the community it has to offer to it's citizens has been great. If you are very active, the city of Bentonville (the city of Rogers too) is putting great emphasis on their parks and walking/running/biking trails. The biking trails garnered so much attention that former President G.W. Bush came into town a year or two ago with the sole purpose of riding his bicycle on our trails. There is often 5K's, marathons, charity walks, etc. going on.
The city also has a farmers market every Saturday that has gotten better every year. Also, every first Friday of the month the city hosts "First Friday" which features live music, food vendors, kid games, and it always has a theme (international, art, etc). Due to Crystal Bridges being built in the city, the art community is getting bigger in the city. In addition, the city has been bringing in great, unique restaurants on the square.
thank you all so much for the information. We have considered temporarily renting for a while, to get a feel for the area, but the company will only pay to move and unload our stuff once. We have been looking online and it's definitely alot easier nowadays to get a feel for the area using satellite imagery, etc. I also had the luxury of having a real estate agent show me around the Rogers/Bentonville area for 2 hours after my job interview. We are definitely open to Rogers/Centerton as well. We will continue looking and any comments you all have are always more than welcome.
My wife and I are very excited about this opportunity. the NWA area looks like a wonderful place to live.
thank you all so much for the information. We have considered temporarily renting for a while, to get a feel for the area, but the company will only pay to move and unload our stuff once. We have been looking online and it's definitely alot easier nowadays to get a feel for the area using satellite imagery, etc. I also had the luxury of having a real estate agent show me around the Rogers/Bentonville area for 2 hours after my job interview. We are definitely open to Rogers/Centerton as well. We will continue looking and any comments you all have are always more than welcome.
My wife and I are very excited about this opportunity. the NWA area looks like a wonderful place to live.
When a company will pay for one move, I agree, it is best to settle in the home you want to call yours. We were transferred often when hubby was moving up the ladder: we always spent a few days with a realtor we trusted and bought a home. Never did we regret our decision. We did rent one time, only because it was a very small town and there was almost nothing for sale, at the time. We purchased a home a few months later.
You can certainly find some great homes in that price range. My wife and I moved here and are in your demographic. I'm very pleased with living in Rogers. Schools are great, roads wide, and I feel safe. Plus all the restaurants and shopping are here. Good luck!
You can certainly find some great homes in that price range. My wife and I moved here and are in your demographic. I'm very pleased with living in Rogers. Schools are great, roads wide, and I feel safe. Plus all the restaurants and shopping are here. Good luck!
We have driven around parts of Roges many times and they have some really awesome homes. There are so many nice areas in NWA, I think the OP will be very surprised at what they will get for the money.
I have a question. I have heard everyone talk glowingly about Bentonville and living there, yet everyone I talk to lives in Rogers.
So while they say Bentonville is awesome and there is no bad parts to live in, they all chose Rogers. Is there a reason for this? Has Bentonville just begun to expand in the past year or so (residentially)? There are a lot of homes in Bentonville on the market at good prices. The only issue I see is the neighborhoods still have empty lots, which means until houses go up your home value could be slightly depreciated.
The realtor told me he would choose Bentonville even though he lives in Rogers. I talked to my hiring manager, she said every part of Bentonville is nice, she chose Rogers, etc. Is there a reason for this? Or did they just happened to find a home in Rogers they liked better?
I have a question. I have heard everyone talk glowingly about Bentonville and living there, yet everyone I talk to lives in Rogers.
So while they say Bentonville is awesome and there is no bad parts to live in, they all chose Rogers. Is there a reason for this? Has Bentonville just begun to expand in the past year or so (residentially)? There are a lot of homes in Bentonville on the market at good prices. The only issue I see is the neighborhoods still have empty lots, which means until houses go up your home value could be slightly depreciated.
The realtor told me he would choose Bentonville even though he lives in Rogers. I talked to my hiring manager, she said every part of Bentonville is nice, she chose Rogers, etc. Is there a reason for this? Or did they just happened to find a home in Rogers they liked better?
Frst of all, for someone new to the area it is often hard to knowthe difference. I pretty much figured out, after we had been here a short time: Bentonville is west of the highway and Rogers is east. This isn't the exact truth, but it is a guideline. Bentonville is a tiny bit more expensive than Rogers, some people think Bentonville means Wal Mart and only Wal Mart. That is part of the reason and Rogers does have some less desirable areas. You won't need to worry about that in your price range I will add.
Our family moved here just over a year ago. Yes, it is a buyers market. However, most people I talked to recommended renting a house because they regretted not taking the time to select the right neighborhood. Many of the neighborhoods are located near places of worship or not, hece the population may be heavily jehovahs or catholic. Some may seem close to everything but could be closer to major traffic. There is nothing wrong these things, but it is something to be cautious about when buying since you will be here for awhile. If you are relocating with one of the major companies out in Bentonville, rent a house first in a neighborhood and search for a perm house. Your relocation package will allow/cover for the double move. And unless our US model of capitalism crashes the interest rates will still be low for 3 - 6 months.
Take your time to get the right perm house to make a home. The selection out here is vast.
Cheers!
Double check your relocation package, not with the company hiring you, but with the relocation company hired. You'd be suprised what they do cover.
Last edited by Kimballette; 07-21-2012 at 11:03 PM..
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