Narrowing down neighborhoods in Bentonville/Rogers (Hope: rent, how much, houses)

[dualcitizen78]

Our family of 5 (3 young children) is relocating to Bentonville in a few weeks. There are so many neighborhoods it is hard to know where to start! Looking for community with playgrounds and a pool. We prefer newer houses. Any suggestions so we can start looking online before we meet with a realtor? Budget is 300-375k.

Thanks!

[DC at the Ridge]

Woods Creek has the playground and pool, plus a nice walking trail. But it might stretch your budget.

NWA Woods Creek | Northwest Arkansas Woods Creek Subdivision

What I like about this neighborhood is its location. It's easy to get to Bentonville, easy to get to Rogers.

[DC at the Ridge]

Kensington is a neighborhood in the same vicinity as Woods Creek that you might like, and this house is in your price range.

MLS# 726662 Steven Atwell Buyer's First Realty of Northwest Arkansas

[Breadmaker1]

You can't go wrong in either Bentonville or Rogers. Take your time to drive neighborhoods and look at the proximity to amenities. Good luck!

[gunslinger256]

Don't let a silly thing like school rankings sway your decision. You can always apply for a charter school via lottery.

Your kids will eventually be done with school, buy what YOU like.

Your price range is on the high side, look around at the other price ranges (high 2 and low 3) and you might find that you can find something for less than you expected.

I'm hearing that newer homes are now selling in the 120-130 per square foot range in Bentonville. Not long ago you could find homes under 100 per sq foot. We built our house at 108/sq ft and felt that was already pricey.

[dualcitizen78]

Thanks to all who have responded. This was probably a bad idea but we rushed into things and put an offer in on a house in Bentonville…come to find out zoned school is full. Really bad news. Oh well. Hopefully everything works out and we will like it there. It seems like everyone we have talked to that lives in NWA loves it. We're taking a leap of faith!

[gunslinger256]

I think the leap of faith is your choice of a place to live. not so much NWA, but the specific neighborhood. I'm not talking specifically to the OP but for anyone who cares enough to search this same topic before posting the same question in 14 days.

Rather than rush to choose a neighborhood, I've always recommended that folks rent for a few months and get to know the area before deciding where to live.

There are lots of great communities but you can't know if it's right for you unless you drive it at various times of the day.

One particular community I have in mind backs up in the morning because everyone is waiting to make a left onto a major street and there is no light. The wait can be long since there are few breaks on that busy street. The neighborhood is great and the houses are nice.

The other thing is you (again, I'm not talking specifically to the OP) state you have a ball park amount you want to spend on the house, but have you actually gotten a feel for how much house you can buy with your money?

if you choose the right neighborhood, you will be able to dispose of your house if you end up moving away at a moment's notice.

One of my neighbors just finished getting their house built and unpacking. Less than 6 months later, a new job lands them back in Oregon where they originally moved from. They found a buyer for their house in 4 days and bought another one in Oregon in 1 day. The higher priced homes ($300k+) WILL be a little harder to sell.. Just food for thought.

[JWG223]

I would take 10K of your budget, and rent a home. Live here for 6 months on that. Then after you have figured things out from a boots-on-the-ground perspective, buy your home where you see best to do so. I promise you will not find a better way to add $10K in value to your living situation.