[little butch]

Hi, I' 68 and my wife is 61. We currently Live in Lincoln,NE. I am a bit slower these days but still like to be active. My wife has started to require nightly home peritoneal dialysis in the last year but is normally fairly active also. We have wanted to get away from Nebraskas cold winters for years and have decided that we want to achieve that goal before next winter. We are strongly considering Arkansas for a number of reasons. The biggest reason being warmer winters than we have here. Spending all winter below the freezing point has become harder on these old bones every year. The second reason would be that due to our health history, and a lot of medical hardships, our retirement funds have been hit hard, and we would like to have a lower cost of living that would make us able to maintain a reasonable quality of living on the funds we have available monthly. Here our one bdrm apt is costing us over 850 bucks a month, without our other bills. Our only requirement would be to be within a 30 minute drive from a dialysis center for the wife's monthly visit. A more minor consideration would be that I have suffered from chronic cluster headaches (Google it, they don't call them suicide headaches for nothing)daily for 21 years. I have remained here until now because my mother needed our help with her care, but she passed recently, and we would like to move to a warmer place that has adequate care for my wife and a chance for me to legally get the only care I have found for my headaches that has ever worked. I'm talking about medical marijuana. My Dr's suggested I take a holiday in Colorado to see if it would help. It was the only pain free week I have had in 21 years. My research indicates that I would qualify for it in Arkansas. Thus a lesser consideration would be, to be within a reasonable distance from an appropriate dispensary. We are both non pushy Christians, and are pretty accepting of anyone at all, but would like to be reasonably safe. I have researched the entire country (the warmer than here parts). and having been in Arkansas many times and feel it could be a good place to call home. I am open to any and all suggestions that would be over approx. 30.000 population to allow for our needs. all suggestions would be welcome. BTW we both love nature and love wildlife and bird watching. Thanks

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by little butch

Hi, I' 68 and my wife is 61. We currently Live in Lincoln,NE. I am a bit slower these days but still like to be active. My wife has started to require nightly home peritoneal dialysis in the last year but is normally fairly active also. We have wanted to get away from Nebraskas cold winters for years and have decided that we want to achieve that goal before next winter. We are strongly considering Arkansas for a number of reasons. The biggest reason being warmer winters than we have here. Spending all winter below the freezing point has become harder on these old bones every year. The second reason would be that due to our health history, and a lot of medical hardships, our retirement funds have been hit hard, and we would like to have a lower cost of living that would make us able to maintain a reasonable quality of living on the funds we have available monthly. Here our one bdrm apt is costing us over 850 bucks a month, without our other bills. Our only requirement would be to be within a 30 minute drive from a dialysis center for the wife's monthly visit. A more minor consideration would be that I have suffered from chronic cluster headaches (Google it, they don't call them suicide headaches for nothing)daily for 21 years. I have remained here until now because my mother needed our help with her care, but she passed recently, and we would like to move to a warmer place that has adequate care for my wife and a chance for me to legally get the only care I have found for my headaches that has ever worked. I'm talking about medical marijuana. My Dr's suggested I take a holiday in Colorado to see if it would help. It was the only pain free week I have had in 21 years. My research indicates that I would qualify for it in Arkansas. Thus a lesser consideration would be, to be within a reasonable distance from an appropriate dispensary. We are both non pushy Christians, and are pretty accepting of anyone at all, but would like to be reasonably safe. I have researched the entire country (the warmer than here parts). and having been in Arkansas many times and feel it could be a good place to call home. I am open to any and all suggestions that would be over approx. 30.000 population to allow for our needs. all suggestions would be welcome. BTW we both love nature and love wildlife and bird watching. Thanks

Sounds like NWA would be a perfect match for you. I am not sure about the dialysis requirement. I know there would be the facilities but am not sure where. Everything else would be available to you. We have a lot of people from Nebraska living here and most for the reason you want out: warmer weather but not warmer like Fl for instance. There is plenty of bird watching, plenty of social activities and lots of wild life if you get outside the urban area just a few miles.

[latunafish]

you might want to look at the hot springs area also. there are several "marijuana dispensaries" in the area and great medical of all kinds as it is also a haven for retirees. lots of activities, inside and outside, for your enjoyment. as long as you don't want to live on one of the several area lakes, housing is fairly reasonable. (hot springs village might be an option for you to google) you are also about 45 mins from the state capital city of little rock, which does have just about everything else you could need, from medical to entertainment.

[jim9251]

Fayetteville

[little butch]

Thanks to you all for the replies. I love being in nwa but wondered if the winters were a bit better a little further south. I was researching Pine Bluff but was a bit taken aback when I looked up the annual crime statistics !! Almost three times the national average. I will still have family here in Nebraska so NWA would be a shorter trip back if needed. Is the winter weather roughly the same around NWA as further south ? Here in Lincoln the size isn't a lot less than Little Rock, but I've always been a bit partial to smaller places. From research, the dialysis centers are very common in cities over 20,000. so we can be a little more flexible. Any additional input is always welcome

[peggysueinarkansas]

You might like Sheridan or Whitehall, Arkansas. Both are very safe areas. About 45 minutes from Little Rock and a hour and 15 minutes from Hot Springs. Whitehall is a small community just outside Pine Bluff. Crime is high in Pine Bluff but I've lived in the area over 60 years and never had a problem. Weatherwise, Very hot humid summers and temperatures could be from 60 to 80 degrees around Thanksgiving. You can almost always count on at least one overnight sleet event before March and if it snows, it wont last more than a day or two. Another nice place you might like would be Jonesboro.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by little butch

Thanks to you all for the replies. I love being in nwa but wondered if the winters were a bit better a little further south. I was researching Pine Bluff but was a bit taken aback when I looked up the annual crime statistics !! Almost three times the national average. I will still have family here in Nebraska so NWA would be a shorter trip back if needed. Is the winter weather roughly the same around NWA as further south ? Here in Lincoln the size isn't a lot less than Little Rock, but I've always been a bit partial to smaller places. From research, the dialysis centers are very common in cities over 20,000. so we can be a little more flexible. Any additional input is always welcome

Though I am extremely partial to NWA you do want to give a shot to HSV. I do know if I were a senior I would pick Hot Springs itself but HSV is a wonderful place for seniors. It may not have the medical facilities you need thought. am suggesting it mainly due to the climate. The cost of property will be higher in HSV whether your rent of buy.

I really doubt you would want to live in Pine Bluff. They are undergoing some changes, trying to bring it back to what it was several decades ago, but there is still a long way to go.

Weather wise, NWA, though of course we have some miserably cold days it is still nothing like NE That is why so many from the mid west and upper mid west settle here as the reach that stage where the cold really gets to them.

Hope this gives you a little more insight. I think the next step would be to make a visit down here for about a week or at least a few days and research both the middle part of the state and the upper part like Fayettevile, and the rest of the NWA> I don't think I would consider going to much further south than HS area. The winters might be ok but the summers will get super humid with higher temp.

[btoverdrive]

Come give us a look see. Stay away from Pine Bluff. I have been in HSV for 9 years now and love it here, retiring from Omaha so I feel your winter and tax pain. I am originally from south Arkansas though so I knew what I was coming back to.

http://explorethevillage.com/

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by btoverdrive

Come give us a look see. Stay away from Pine Bluff. I have been in HSV for 9 years now and love it here, retiring from Omaha so I feel your winter and tax pain. I am originally from south Arkansas though so I knew what I was coming back to.

http://explorethevillage.com/

Know how you feel about HSV. I have heard a lot of good about it and of course it is a Cooper development just like Bella Vista. We have been in BV 12 years now. My biggest concern, if I were moving to HPV would be the high POA dues. But I believe the OP is planning on renting. Are there a lot of decent rentals, especially apartments in HSV?

[btoverdrive]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Know how you feel about HSV. I have heard a lot of good about it and of course it is a Cooper development just like Bella Vista. We have been in BV 12 years now. My biggest concern, if I were moving to HPV would be the high POA dues. But I believe the OP is planning on renting. Are there a lot of decent rentals, especially apartments in HSV?

There are lots of rentals here, both condos and homes, furnished or unfurnished, short term or long term. The POA dues are $69 per month for improved lot (home) and $39 for unimproved. Personally I don't consider that to be high based on what I have paid HOAs in the past, plus it keeps the amenities nice. I would be willing to pay more if needed. Plus there are two medical marijuana dispensaries in Hot Springs for the headaches although I do not need to partake in that.