Looking for Bella Vista info (and HSV too) (Fayetteville, Rogers: real estate, assessor)

[MNFBW]

As we move toward retirement we are considering a move to a warmer climate (Minnesota winters are getting old) and Arkansas is looking like a great place for us. We are looking at Bella Vista and have a few questions related to the area. Build a house vs buy? Is most of the shopping in Rogers/Bentonville? It feels like there is a nice mix of retired folks and younger families, which we like, but is there still a focus on retirement? We are 60 and still very active, but want to be in a good spot for the future. It sounds like the POA has opened up the city amenities to the public and that many members are not real happy about it. Is this going to be the trend? Will BV just become a bedroom community? Do you feel that BV will maintain a POA or is it headed to "city" status? It sounds like there is a mixed feeling about the current POA board, but maybe that's will all POA boards.

Any thoughts on Hot Springs Village vs BV would also be helpful. We know it is further south but that is not an issue.

Thanks in advance from Minnesota - Winter Is Coming!

[DC at the Ridge]

Bella Vista is a city. It incorporated over a decade ago. The POA has maintained control of the lakes and golf courses. I don't think they've opened those amenities to the public. There are a couple of shopping centers in Bella Vista, but there are many more options in Rogers/Bentonville. Bella Vista has joined much of Northwest Arkansas in developing trails, both for hiking and biking, and the trail system is open to the public. There are so many houses in Bella Vista at multiple price levels that I don't know why you would need to build, but if you did so, I've been told by a local architect just this past week that the building price is now roughly $145/sf. Which seems awfully high to me, but housing prices are definitely on the rise in Northwest Arkansas.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by MNFBW

As we move toward retirement we are considering a move to a warmer climate (Minnesota winters are getting old) and Arkansas is looking like a great place for us. We are looking at Bella Vista and have a few questions related to the area. Build a house vs buy? Is most of the shopping in Rogers/Bentonville? It feels like there is a nice mix of retired folks and younger families, which we like, but is there still a focus on retirement? We are 60 and still very active, but want to be in a good spot for the future. It sounds like the POA has opened up the city amenities to the public and that many members are not real happy about it. Is this going to be the trend? Will BV just become a bedroom community? Do you feel that BV will maintain a POA or is it headed to "city" status? It sounds like there is a mixed feeling about the current POA board, but maybe that's will all POA boards.

Any thoughts on Hot Springs Village vs BV would also be helpful. We know it is further south but that is not an issue.

Thanks in advance from Minnesota - Winter Is Coming!

We are residents of BV and love every minute of living here. Is it perfect? Of course not. First the negative: for some the distance to shop can be a problem, but between the highway and the new by pass, for those of us living in the Highlands area, it really isn't a problem or shouldn't be. The other negative is the POA versus the city. There is some friction there and some people are not fond of some of the changes that have occurred since the new management took over about 2 years ago. I am not one of those. We are very happy with what they are trying to do and what they have done. They have taken over managing 2 very good restaurants and have just completed remolding both as well as the Branchwood rec center and adding a beach to one of the lakes. All this is positive. As for opening up facilities to the public and non residents. Yes, most can be used by people not living in the city but at a much higher price than we, as POA members pay;

Age breakdown: the city is leaning toward more families all the time, but pretty much the Highlands area is still retired people and the rest of the city is a mixture. This certainly is good, not bad. There is so much to do here, no one can get bored unless they allow it to happen. Our daughter in her late 50s lives here with her husband who is approaching 65. They are so busy and have so many friends it is hard to keep up with them There are clubs and interest groups for any age. We, as 80 plusers also stay busy, but with different groups Our activities are centered more around our church and my card playing, as well as political groups. Our daughter and her husband are not church goers or involved much in politics. Their older daughter also lives here on the other side of the highway. She and her hubby have 3 girls, so they stay busy with other activities. Our daughters best friend from college and her husband were just up here last weekend and bought a home for future retirement. They are both 59 and plan on retiring in about a year or so.

As for comparing us to HSV. That is simply a matter of opinion. We did look at both areas, for us HSV was a littler further south than we wanted to go, property was higher and their POA dues are much higher than ours with less facilities, This certainly doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the community. I can also add, we have a lot of retirees living here who are from the upper midwest.

PM me if you want anymore information.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by DC at the Ridge

Bella Vista is a city. It incorporated over a decade ago. The POA has maintained control of the lakes and golf courses. I don't think they've opened those amenities to the public. There are a couple of shopping centers in Bella Vista, but there are many more options in Rogers/Bentonville. Bella Vista has joined much of Northwest Arkansas in developing trails, both for hiking and biking, and the trail system is open to the public. There are so many houses in Bella Vista at multiple price levels that I don't know why you would need to build, but if you did so, I've been told by a local architect just this past week that the building price is now roughly $145/sf. Which seems awfully high to me, but housing prices are definitely on the rise in Northwest Arkansas.

don't know for sure, but like you, I really do not think $145 sf is the going rate. I can't swear to that. I do know, as you mention property is going up. It still is one to the less expensive housing markets in the country I think.

[MNFBW]

Thanks for your input. We are leaning a little more toward BV for some of the reasons you listed, plus it's about 4 hours closer to our kids in MN. The $145 rate sounds high compared to what I'm seeing related to existing homes. We hope to pay a visit later this fall and get a tour of some of the city. Thanks again, I may have more questions. Oh, what church do you attend, we'll be looking for one too.

[Move2]

We are from South Dakota and looking to move south for retirement also. We visted Bella Vista September 4, 2018. We found the hills and trees too much for us. Too secluded. We did love Fayetteville. We rented bikes and went around Lake Fayetteville, watched the people fishing. We also visited the senior citizen center and were welcomed warmly. We attended an exercise class, there was also live music going on and people dancing. We are seriously considering Fayetteville because of all the festivals and the sports teams.

We need to get clarification on how personal property and real estate taxes work. If anyone can explain that to us, please post.

[Slytrix]

I don't think $145 /sq ft is high especially if you were to buy a lot in Bella Vista and have a house built.

It all depends on finishes and size though. For example my house in a neighborhood in Centerton was $128/sq ft. They are now running $135 - $140 sq ft. I purchased 4/2017 and then waited 8 months for it to be built.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/fayet...t=Property+Tax

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by MNFBW

Thanks for your input. We are leaning a little more toward BV for some of the reasons you listed, plus it's about 4 hours closer to our kids in MN. The $145 rate sounds high compared to what I'm seeing related to existing homes. We hope to pay a visit later this fall and get a tour of some of the city. Thanks again, I may have more questions. Oh, what church do you attend, we'll be looking for one too.

When you are closer to ready you may want to check into the Ambassador club It is a group of people who live here and help others with questions, yes, do tours and just overall help people who are thinking of moving here to better understand BV. In some cases the visitors may actually stay with the host couple, in other cases they stay elsewhere and just spend time with their host. They can spend a few hours or a few days. It is up to what works for the visiting family. Some of our good friends are host couples. Another option is getting in contact with a good realtor who is willing to take time to show you around. Some visiting couples do both. They spend time with the host couple and spend a few hours or so looking at available homes wiht a realtor. Good luck and keep the questions coming.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Move2

We are from South Dakota and looking to move south for retirement also. We visted Bella Vista September 4, 2018. We found the hills and trees too much for us. Too secluded. We did love Fayetteville. We rented bikes and went around Lake Fayetteville, watched the people fishing. We also visited the senior citizen center and were welcomed warmly. We attended an exercise class, there was also live music going on and people dancing. We are seriously considering Fayetteville because of all the festivals and the sports teams.

We need to get clarification on how personal property and real estate taxes work. If anyone can explain that to us, please post.

Just a quick comment: as for the hills and curves, yes it can be a problem when you first live here, but you get used to them, and for many that is one of the charms of the area. It is what keeps it so peaceful and charming. We are somewhat secluded but again, we are only about 20 minutes from anything one needs or could want when it comes to shopping, entertainment, medical facilities, etc.
We too considered Fayetteville, but there were a couple of things that made us decide on going a bit further north. One was the cost of property and the other was, almost too many activities. For every positive I guess there is a negative. I wouldn't want to be caught up in the Bike, blues and bar b Cues or the traffic during football season. I love the town center in Fayetteville. And yes, the senior center is great, pretty much like the rec centers we have here in BV

YOu mentioned personal property taxes and real estate taxes: here is what I know and I might not be 100% correct. Our property taxes are low, plus after 65 the rate is frozen and can not go up except when a city milage is added for schools or something, but the rest never changes. Personal property taxes are a bit confusing. On paper they can seem high, but in reality they are not. We have never lived anyplace with lover taxes even though AR isn't known for low taxes. Income taxes are a bit high. The positive about that is, after retirement our income goes down so it doesn't affect us as much. We do have a small tax of food and things like restaurant taxes are on the high side, especially in Bentonville and Rogers.

[Move2]

I called Washington County Assessor and was transferred 3 times and not one person could explain how the personal property taxes were figured and what items the personal property taxes applied to. So that was disappointing.

Are the personal property taxes on homes as well as automobiles?

Do you know, Are the property taxes frozen at age 65 apply to Bella Vista, Bentonville and Fayetteville?