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Hi All,
My husband (who is nearing retirement) and I are excited to visit NWA for the first time next month. We're planning a touristy itinerary - with the idea of possibly retiring to the area in the near future. Although we're staying at an AirBnB in Bentonville, we want to check out Bella Vista.
I'm wondering if there's an easy/efficient way to drive through various BV neighborhoods to get an idea of architecture styles, lot sizes, proximity to main roads, etc. From what I've read, BV is very hilly and not laid-out on a grid pattern (like most communities). So - are there recommendations for getting a lay of the land to help us understand how far our money goes (in terms of real estate and amenities)? Is there a POA office or someplace we can talk to someone who could answer questions? Not interested in speaking with a realtor yet, since we don't know what we don't know. First step is taking a look to see if BV aligns with our needs and wants.
Also - a concern for retirement is winter weather. We live in the St. Louis, MO area and the past couple of winters have been very snowy and icy. Any chance NWA isn't as unpleasant during the winter months?!!
Thank you in advance for your time and suggestions.
Have a great day!
I moved to BV on April/2021. The past winter had a lot more snow (4 or 5 times) than what I was expecting moving from South Louisiana. In one snow period I got 8" and other areas got more. Some roads did get icy a few times. The rule at that time was to stay at home. It only lasted a few days. Most residents stocked up on what they needed to be prepared and just stayed inside.
There is no rhyme or reason in the neighborhoods at least to me. There is the East side which I think is the older side and the West side. Housed are being built everywhere. My wife talked to a water department employee last week and he told her they had 432 water meter applications. One thing I wished I checked on more was internet service. I was told my house had it and it did not.
Thank you, Reubenray.
The idea of shoveling the driveway so we have access to roads for appointments/emergencies doesn't thrill me. We've been doing that for too many decades here in St. Louis!
It's good to know houses are being built in BV. Hopefully, supply (amenities, infrastructure, etc.) can keep up with demand. I'm guessing the construction timeline is probably 12 months+?
Looking forward to checking out the area.
Thanks again!
Thank you, Reubenray.
The idea of shoveling the driveway so we have access to roads for appointments/emergencies doesn't thrill me. We've been doing that for too many decades here in St. Louis!
It's good to know houses are being built in BV. Hopefully, supply (amenities, infrastructure, etc.) can keep up with demand. I'm guessing the construction timeline is probably 12 months+?
Looking forward to checking out the area.
Thanks again!
The issue of shoveling the driveway may not be the only issue. Even though BV will plow the roads the hilly and curvy roads hinders this some. I was surprised when they showed to plow my street being I am the only one in my section. Being born and raised in Louisiana I told my wife that my hands will never fit a snow shovel and it did not. We planned and prepared for the snow. Most doctor and business offices closed when this happens also. Hopefully there will not be an emergency when there is snow. I don't know how much snow St. Louis gets, but I am sure BV will get a lot less.
I moved to BV on April/2021. The past winter had a lot more snow (4 or 5 times) than what I was expecting moving from South Louisiana. In one snow period I got 8" and other areas got more. Some roads did get icy a few times. The rule at that time was to stay at home. It only lasted a few days. Most residents stocked up on what they needed to be prepared and just stayed inside.
There is no rhyme or reason in the neighborhoods at least to me. There is the East side which I think is the older side and the West side. Housed are being built everywhere. My wife talked to a water department employee last week and he told her they had 432 water meter applications. One thing I wished I checked on more was internet service. I was told my house had it and it did not.
ReubenRay, we're from south Louisiana too. We're looking at lots in around 4 areas in N Arkansas. There are some cheap lots on Zillow, but some require HOA fees and we're not too keen on that.
In the BV area, are there places that offer equipment rentals? We're heading up next month. It's also been decided that if we are able to purchase lots, we will spend remainder of vacation up there getting things squared away.
Mainly looking for unrestricted land, where we can have a small house put on and then add on when we're ready.
Anxious to start having 4 seasons. And you already know what I'm talking about from Louisiana!
ReubenRay, we're from south Louisiana too. We're looking at lots in around 4 areas in N Arkansas. There are some cheap lots on Zillow, but some require HOA fees and we're not too keen on that.
In the BV area, are there places that offer equipment rentals? We're heading up next month. It's also been decided that if we are able to purchase lots, we will spend remainder of vacation up there getting things squared away.
Mainly looking for unrestricted land, where we can have a small house put on and then add on when we're ready.
Anxious to start having 4 seasons. And you already know what I'm talking about from Louisiana!
Thanks,
Dean
I don't think you can much in Bella Vista without HOA fees. I would look just across the border at the Jane area and maybe West at Gravette and Hiwasse. Bentonville's border runs around a lot of the South and East borders with Bella Vista. I don't know of any equipment rentals in BV, but Bentonville is right there.
As far as weather we just had a hot spell broken here in BV. It was about six weeks without rain and about two weeks of temperatures over 100 degrees. I got four inches of rain on the past two days which was very much needed. But most of the time it is not near as hot as Louisiana.
Seasons: We arrived here in April 2020. According to local residents our first winter here was the coldest and snowiest they could remember for many years. The good thing is that we lost power for a grand total of about a half hour. Also according to long-time residents, this summer has had the hottest, longest dry spell they can remember for many years. We'd put in a whole load of new plants, grass, and fruit trees, so we were running around with sprinklers every evening. Our usual $40-$45 per month water bill came in at $177 a couple of weeks ago, so that recent rain was definitely very welcome!
Lots: There are already current threads about the Bella Vista POA and its goings-on, but almost all of Bella Vista is within the POA area. There are a few tiny exceptions, such as an area around Robin Road and Cardinal Road, just to the west of Forest Hills Blvd. (a.k.a. AR-279). For maximum freedom to build without bureaucratic interference (state/county/city/POA) then the unincorporated parts of McDonald County, Mo. would be the best bet. As I understand it, the only two things which are regulated by Missouri state law are wells and septic systems. McDonald County has no other building codes, permits, or inspections, so get the two water systems taken care of and you're pretty much free to build whatever and however you like. Arkansas, Benton County, and all the incorporated cities have many more restrictions - Easy to ignore some if you're just making some internal alterations for yourself, but not so easy if you're planning on building from scratch.
As for driving around looking at the development...
There are a couple of main "highways" that serve as the transportation backbone... easily seen on a local map.
Main roads will be stripped with a double yellow line...
Residential streets follow the ridge lines for the most part and almost all have a circle at the end... if the road turns overgrown or primitive, then no lots have been developed past that point.
Lot sizes are generally about 1/4 acre to 1/3 acre... built out areas seem to have houses stacked everywhere with only a few feet between them... many people buy an adjacent undeveloped lot if they can for the buffer effect.
The POA owns a buffer strip behind almost all subdivisions, so there should be a few trees between you and your neighbors to the rear, but some corner lots are stacked next to each other - watch out for one being undeveloped on your rear yard...
The POA has a 7.5' easement on all sides of your property and technically you can't do anything there w/o their permission.
Seasons: We arrived here in April 2020. According to local residents our first winter here was the coldest and snowiest they could remember for many years. The good thing is that we lost power for a grand total of about a half hour. Also according to long-time residents, this summer has had the hottest, longest dry spell they can remember for many years. We'd put in a whole load of new plants, grass, and fruit trees, so we were running around with sprinklers every evening. Our usual $40-$45 per month water bill came in at $177 a couple of weeks ago, so that recent rain was definitely very welcome!
Lots: There are already current threads about the Bella Vista POA and its goings-on, but almost all of Bella Vista is within the POA area. There are a few tiny exceptions, such as an area around Robin Road and Cardinal Road, just to the west of Forest Hills Blvd. (a.k.a. AR-279). For maximum freedom to build without bureaucratic interference (state/county/city/POA) then the unincorporated parts of McDonald County, Mo. would be the best bet. As I understand it, the only two things which are regulated by Missouri state law are wells and septic systems. McDonald County has no other building codes, permits, or inspections, so get the two water systems taken care of and you're pretty much free to build whatever and however you like. Arkansas, Benton County, and all the incorporated cities have many more restrictions - Easy to ignore some if you're just making some internal alterations for yourself, but not so easy if you're planning on building from scratch.
We move here a year later than you. I was actually glad due to the 2020 winter you had. But the 2021 winter was a tough one for a flat lander from South Louisiana.
There are a couple of main "highways" that serve as the transportation backbone... easily seen on a local map.
Just to add to that, Bella Vista Way (US-71) is the obvious dividing line between east and west. On the east side, you can get a pretty good overview if you drive the major connecting roads such as Trafalgar Road, Euston Road, Kingsland Road, Commonwealth Road, Hampstead Road, and E. Lancashire Blvd. (AR-340). On the west side, W. Lancashire Blvd. (AR-340) along with Chelsea Road, and Cooper Road give a good tour of the immediate western area, with Forest Hills Blvd. (AR-279) giving a good north-south drive from the Missouri state line down to Hiwasse. West of there in The Highlands area, Glasgow Road and Highlands Blvd. form a good circular tour which goes almost out to the new I-49 bypass. Scotsdale Drive is another nice loop off of Glasgow Road which will take you almost to Missouri at one point.
One thing to keep in mind about the lots when it comes to building is that because of the side roads running mostly along the ridges (which is good in terms of avoiding flooding), many lots slope very steeply downward. There are plenty of homes here with the main floor at street level and a walk-out semi-basement which opens out into the backyard. Our home was built about 30 years ago when this part of Bella Vista was being newly developed, and we can see one reason why the people chose it - Although we have only about one-third of an acre, there's only about 8 ft. difference from lowest to highest (then a sharp drop down into the ravine beyond the common area behind us).
The county has a very good mapping site on which you can look at aerial views with superimposed contour lines and other features, which you might find very useful for research (I certainly used it a lot during our initial searches on various properties from 2000 miles away):
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