Only 2 days to visit & decide on move from CA to NWA - advice? (Fayetteville: houses, neighborhood)

[Norcalgirl36]

Originally Posted by JWG223

You know you best. You just struck me as more urban. NW AR has nice urban, but not the best by far. It's real draw is the rural around that urban, imo.

I know zip of neighborhoods other than I've never and will never be part of one other than apartment living until I build. You may very well end up in a 350k house in a 700k yard. I just don't know about those things.

BTW - the photos you posted of your land were not only beautiful but look EXACTLY like the area where I currently live. Drive up highway 50 toward South Lake Tahoe (a little over an hour away from me), and it looks like that the whole way there.

[JWG223]

Originally Posted by Norcalgirl36

We've been moving further and further into the country from the city. We've debated leaving CA due to politics and taxes for a few years but couldn't pull the trigger because of family. Haven't lived in the Bay Area for 10 years, Blackhawk for...almost 15? And I'm still fairly young. My area is basically Folsom which I understand is similar to NWA. Now if we stay here, I like Placerville which has some (maybe most, in fact) areas that are pretty Deliverance-y. I am actually a real estate broker (not working F/T), so I've a lot of exposure to these couuuuuuntry (my written attempt at a drawl) spots of my county. My solution is to not go there. And it's fine. I stay in my little bubble, and I'm happy here, except when I want to camp (not often, I don't like bears) or trail run/hike (often). Sounds like Bentonville is its own bubble, but it has the benefit of great schools and restaurants/culture. The upside of lots of money.

I'm in El Dorado County - a shall issue county, so about as 2nd Amend. friendly as it gets here. My husband won't move to Sac County because of their restrictions (a "may issue" county) I'm working on a CCW - there may be things about me that would surprise you.

Yes, I like my malls. I'm a girl.

Wildlife isn't really an issue as I understand.
The area is nice, but it's a geographically small bubble if metal and concrete are your thing.
The money is why I want to move. It stabilizes the region very well and nice things can be found.
I plan on running up and down my mountain once a day. 500 ft elevation change and about 1300ft horizontal travel 1 way. It's going to be my version of trail running. Sans trail.

[JWG223]

Originally Posted by Norcalgirl36

BTW - the photos you posted of your land were not only beautiful but look EXACTLY like the area where I currently live. Drive up highway 50 toward South Lake Tahoe (a little over an hour away from me), and it looks like that the whole way there.

Awesome! Check out Lost Village then. I'm not sure what kind of houses are there though. I may be steering you wrong. But I live near it and if you like that a house on the lake there might be the ticket. I'm a bit off the lake. About 0.75mi. Because of cost. I managed to pay $1600/acre with paved access, dsl, and electric on site, if that gives you an idea for cost of living.

[Pacifico]

What do your girls think about the move? What do they want? My advice to you is simple. You really won't know if you will like it unless you do it and make the move. Which is why, again, renting is a good way to go about it. Now having said that and speaking from experience, I would not make the relo from NorCal to Ark, be it northwest, southwest, or any which way. But that's just me. I made a similar move from SoCal to the Atlanta region also with a career opportunity and culture shock is an understatement. I'd imagine Arkansas would be even much more. Make no mistake, Folsom Ca is gonna be like NWA.
Simply put, in my eyes, there are things more import/worthwhile than money, career advancement, etc. (Yes, a broad general, generic statement).

[Pacifico]

Folsom Ca is NOT GONNA be like NWA.

[JWG223]

Originally Posted by Pacifico

Folsom Ca is NOT GONNA be like NWA.

I agree, but that section of the state around Atlanta is a repressed dump. Nw ar is much more progressive socially and far nicer.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Pacifico

Folsom Ca is NOT GONNA be like NWA.

I will have to ask you, from your profile, it doesn't appear you have ever lived in NWA, I am not sure about Folsom. Of course there are many differences between the Folsom area and NWA, but there are similarities as well, including a nice mix of ethnic diversity, and political as well. There are great schools, good shopping, good entertainment and a wonderful outdoor life experience, for those who like running, hiking, boating, fishing, etc.

We where lucky enough, to experience life in several locations, including the Sac. area, Marin county, Eureka, CA, so Cal, No VA, Dallas and NM, before moving to NWA. I don't regret one single move and I am not sure my kids do either. I don't think anyone is placing a career over the happiness of their family, but the family can benefit from a new environment as well. As long as the OP has her mind set on this being a new experience and perhaps only temporarily, everything will be fine. I still disagree about the renting aspect. This is a personal matter and could be debated all day. The pros to renting is getting to know the area and not being tied down to home ownership if the move doesn't work. The cons, it means an extra move for the kids, which can be difficult, it means added expenses and it make settling in and making your new location feel like home harder, not to mention, the possible increase in property values and interest rates. If today's $500,000 house, at 6% interest goes up to even $600,000 in a year or so and the interest rates climb to 7% that home could be out of reach. Again, this is just a personal opinion. We did rent for a few months when we moved to Eureka and again, when we moved to VA. In both cases we still had homes to sell somewhere else and it didn't require our kids to change schools.

[Cali BassMan]

NorCalGirl
From your earlier posts you sounded quite Blackhawk yuppie privileged rich girl, hence my and a few others cautioning you about a move to NWA.
But, if in fact your more of an outdoorsy type, you might want to look at Bella Vista. It has several lakes and golf courses. You would be able to get an awesome house right on a lake in your price range. There are a network of trails for jogging or biking.
NMnita could give you more info, she's the local expert.

[Norcalgirl36]

Originally Posted by Cali BassMan

NorCalGirl
From your earlier posts you sounded quite Blackhawk yuppie privileged rich girl, hence my and a few others cautioning you about a move to NWA.
But, if in fact your more of an outdoorsy type, you might want to look at Bella Vista. It has several lakes and golf courses. You would be able to get an awesome house right on a lake in your price range. There are a network of trails for jogging or biking.
NMnita could give you more info, she's the local expert.

Hey - I'm being honest in order to solicit advice on where I'd best fit in. I'm a foodie who like good wine, running, yoga, good schools, nice families from all walks of life, living in a nice (custom) community, and a beautiful town/downtown area. We've worked awfully hard in order to be where we are, and like any good conservatives, we enjoy the fruits of our labor and choose to live as good a life as we can while being as responsible as possible.

I'll be sure to report back to you what my assessment was of the area next week. Unfortunately, I won't have the benefit of seeing it in all four seasons prior to decision time - a job offer is usually not good for 12 months. I probably am pretty privileged - I never had to live in the ghetto because of my hard working parents who instilled a similar work ethic. I am VERY cautious about the move, because I know me, and for me, camping is a hotel without room service (I kid! I kid!) Anyway, truly, we are a really nice average American family looking for a great place to raise our family, whether West Coast or South. Though I'd prefer West Coast in a heartbeat based on the fact that it is all I know - even though it is run by a bunch of lunatics who are driving our taxed to the limit selves out of the state. As my husband so adequately put it this morning when I told him someone called me a privileged rich girl, he laughed and said, hey it's like the Hunger Games. People from the Capital don't leave the capital. He is a funny guy. He has been to Bentonville probably a dozen times now, is also from Blackhawk proper. If HE thinks it would be great, I trust him. He also said, he you ever SEEN places in California like Bakersfield and Turlock and Porterville? You just don't go there. I kind of want to move there with my fancy cars out of spite just to **** you all off (I really need someone to invent a sarcasm font in case you couldn't detect it)

[Norcalgirl36]

Originally Posted by Pacifico

What do your girls think about the move? What do they want? My advice to you is simple. You really won't know if you will like it unless you do it and make the move. Which is why, again, renting is a good way to go about it. Now having said that and speaking from experience, I would not make the relo from NorCal to Ark, be it northwest, southwest, or any which way. But that's just me. I made a similar move from SoCal to the Atlanta region also with a career opportunity and culture shock is an understatement. I'd imagine Arkansas would be even much more. Make no mistake, Folsom Ca is gonna be like NWA.
Simply put, in my eyes, there are things more import/worthwhile than money, career advancement, etc. (Yes, a broad general, generic statement).

My oldest is hesitant because she loves her friends and family and California. My little girls have no idea, but I may be bringing them too. I think we won't have any option but to rent for a bit and then buy, but I loathe entirely the concept of moving (since I have to do 95% of the work myself), so that is a massive downside.

If we moved there and it sucked, we'd move back, period. We're in the position to be able to do that because my husband is brilliant and works his tail off. And I'm persuasive.