What is attracting California and west coast folks to Northwest Arkansas? (Prescott: costs, beaches)

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by The Offspring

I am very good at bombarding actually. Do you have a blog or something I can follow to take part in this great campaign?

Someone took a left turn at Albuquerque and didn't make it past Dallas to Arkansas I guess.

my smile of the day: have just been going to Trader Joe's website and under contact us: asking them when they are coming here and why they haven't already? WE do have Fresh Market, but it isn't Trader Joe's.

[SawBoi]

Originally Posted by Rock Climber

What I love about Arkansas compared to a place like Colorado is that it isn't yet overrun by transplants. There has been more of a "trickle" of people into this region. Yes, its grown quickly, but a lot of it has been regional growth, with people from Texas (myself included) and other parts of the south and Arkansas moving here.

That has helped it to retain more of its regional flavor.

Being in Boulder or Fort Collins, I always feel like those places have no "soul". They have just grown too quickly and have become these generic hubs of "progressive growth" and that any vestiges of local colour or flavor are gone.

I rather enjoy the "small town" and rural character of Arkansas in many ways. As for the joke many northerners have about all people from Arkansas being related....would having Johnny Cash and Bill Clinton as uncles really be all that bad?

It will continue to retain its regional flavor. Transplants are not going to overun central or southern Arkansas. I'm from Little Rock but live in Georgia and I think NWA is Arkansas' version of Atlanta.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by joebaldknobber

There has been in influx of folks from California / west coast to Northwest Arkansas the past few years.

I am curious what is the attraction? I know that Californians are used to having the mountains and scenic desert on one side and the Pacific ocean beaches on the other.

And you folks are also used to reliably mild weather. There are no beaches nearby here in NWA. So what is the attraction?

Understand I am not criticizing anyone or anything - I am just curious and want to understand.

Much lower cost of living. My brother in the Bay Area knows a tone of retirees who figured out they could sell their CA real estate and get a nice place by a golf course in Arkansas for a fraction of the cost and bank/invest the remainder to beef up their nest egg. Word of that got around like wildfire.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Much lower cost of living. My brother in the Bay Area knows a tone of retirees who figured out they could sell their CA real estate and get a nice place by a golf course in Arkansas for a fraction of the cost and bank/invest the remainder to beef up their nest egg. Word of that got around like wildfire.

Yes, that was a good part of the exit from many states to AR, especially NWA. As well as lower property costs, we have property taxes that are frozen after you turn 65, we have decent weather, depending on what you want in the weather, and we have the best of both worlds as I have said before: a little rural and a little urban. Add to this, so far, the majority of the people who have relocated from other states, not just CA have not tried to make the area into something it is not. People have been more than willing to adjust to the way of thinking in AR and not try to change it.

[breeinmo.]

Originally Posted by Dhult

If I move into it after inheriting the property it would still not be reassessed and I will keep the same structure and similar tax payments. That's another prop or part of 13 I don't remember.

Dhult, hope you're still around as I have a question for you. I moved in to take care of my mom after dad passed, when she passed I stayed in the home for a year then put it up for sale. I moved to MO. and while selling parents home and settling the estate, I was forced to pay back taxes because they said once mom passed, prop 13 couldn't be passed on to me. What you posted seems to make that a lie! Do you have any idea why I had to pay the difference? Parents had bought the home in the 60's if that matters. TIA

I love AK btw, and after reading this thread I'm going to suggest it to my sister who is "shopping" for a new forever state.

[debbie at bouontiful]

That does seem odd because I know a friend there that still pays the prop 13 taxes on a house from his past away parents. I'd get some real help on that issue.

[breeinmo.]

Thank you Debbie. I was shocked when I started getting tax bills, and called and tried to argue them out of it. Since this happened about a year ago, I wonder even if they were wrong if I could get it reimbursed.?? My parents had the house in a trust, I doubt that would have caused this issue. Friends jokingly said CA. was so broke they were going after every penny they could find.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by breeinmo.

Thank you Debbie. I was shocked when I started getting tax bills, and called and tried to argue them out of it. Since this happened about a year ago, I wonder even if they were wrong if I could get it reimbursed.?? My parents had the house in a trust, I doubt that would have caused this issue. Friends jokingly said CA. was so broke they were going after every penny they could find.

We are in the process of settling a trust and will (both) in Ca and have a piece of property involved, but I don' have details on the property tax situation as my niece is the executor and trustee. Everything is being handled by the accountant and the attorney. I know my niece keeps talking about all the taxes we might owe and I keep asking her what taxes? My step mom has been gone for a year. She doesn't know, she just keeps hearing the accountant talk about the taxes that will be taken out of the estate when we settle, which should be in the next 3 or 4 months. I bet that is what she is talking about. I know, the estate isn't large enough to pay estate tax. I think estate tax is for estates about 5 mil. This one will be closer to 2 plus mil.

btw: I think we are pretty much getting off topic now. Maybe we need to move this somewhere else..?

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by breeinmo.

Dhult, hope you're still around as I have a question for you. I moved in to take care of my mom after dad passed, when she passed I stayed in the home for a year then put it up for sale. I moved to MO. and while selling parents home and settling the estate, I was forced to pay back taxes because they said once mom passed, prop 13 couldn't be passed on to me. What you posted seems to make that a lie! Do you have any idea why I had to pay the difference? Parents had bought the home in the 60's if that matters. TIA

I love AK btw, and after reading this thread I'm going to suggest it to my sister who is "shopping" for a new forever state.

In California you must file with the county to establish a Parent/Child transfer not subject to reassessment.

Prop 13 alone will not prevent everyone from leaving the State.

Those I know that moved to Arkansas did so to be closer to family and lower overall cost of living.

[Sam I Am]

Folks, please take your comments and questions about CA taxes to that forum - we are drifting westward Thanks!