BELLA VISTA: DID YOU KNOW…..
Posted by Larry Robison on February 6th, 2010
BELLA VISTA: WHO KNEW…….
They don’t force you to play golf here, but you might want to buy some clubs just in case
By BRET SCHULTE
Posted: September 18, 2008
Shirley Borhauer is no Ponce de León, but the retired school nurse from Chicago seems to be the one who discovered the Fountain of Youth. On a hot August day, she’s wearing a charismatic smile and a black swimsuit, ready for a dive into one of three swimming pool complexes in Bella Vista, Ark. She’s here at least every other day—when she’s not on one of the town’s seven 18-hole golf courses or three walking trails. Then again, she could also be on the eight tennis courts, or fishing and boating on the eight stocked lakes, or exercising in the two recreation centers.
Borhauer, 81, thinks living in this idyllic village set among the trees and bluffs of the Ozark Mountains has “added 10 years to our lives.” In Bella Vista, it’s not uncommon to see a 75-year-old working out with a tennis pro or to hear that your 90-year-old neighbor just bought a new set of golf clubs. Enter the Branchwood recreation center, and you see a bulletin board overloaded with fliers for activities and clubs. Enroll in dance classes. Join the Ozark Hill Hikers, the Bella Vista Men’s Chorus, or the Cycle Riders. Competitive senior softball teams tour the region, and swimmers race in the Senior Olympics. For a slower pace, you can join bowling leagues, book clubs, bridge clubs, and bingo nights.
Enjoying Arkansas’s mild winters, recreational offerings, and reasonable cost of living. A low property owners’ fee helps pay for all the golf courses and other facilities and gives the residents low-cost and nearly exclusive access (guests are welcome but pay quite a bit more) to what Bella Vista has to offer.
“Too good.” Retired accountant and Kansas native Tom Pyle, 61, considered ritzier places in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas when retiring a decade ago. Arkansas was last on the list. He and his wife, Biddy, came through on a Saturday, and they bought a place on Sunday. “The economics are too good,” Pyle says as he heads to the practice green of the Bella Vista Country Club. The lifestyle isn’t bad, either. “People play golf in Bella Vista until they can barely walk,” he cracks.
Count Dick and Jan Beck of Decatur, Ill., among them. With a red golf cart out front and a scenic view of the 15th fairway of the Highlands Golf Course out back, their house on a bluff “was our dream, and we finally accomplished it,” Dick Beck, 69, says. The two say they will golf till they drop. That’s a common sentiment in this retirement town where
Bella Vista Country Club
no one seems to tire. Or want to go anywhere else. “The only way I’ll leave,” Jan Beck, 64, says, “is feet first.”
ARTICLE FROM U.S. NEWS
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What New Home Buyers Are Looking For
Posted by Larry Robison on February 5th, 2010
RISMEDIA, January 22, 2010—Better Homes and Gardens recently revealed proprietary research and insights on what consumers are looking for in their next home and overall priorities guiding current and future home improvement projects.
In a speech at the NAHB International Builders Show, Eliot Nusbaum, Better Homes and Gardens Executive Editor Home Design, presented the results of the Next Home Survey along with reported trends from a nationwide network of field editors, the magazine’s Home Improvement Challenge and editorial coverage.
The survey of nationwide potential new home buyers and existing home owners who are planning improvements in the next few months found top priorities to include price, energy-efficiency, organization and comfort.
“Not surprisingly, we continue to see a ‘cents and sensibility’ approach when it comes to buying or improving a home, with practicality and price being top priorities,” said Nusbaum. “Today’s homeowner is also looking for a home that fits the entire family–from a multi-tasking home office, to expanding storage space needs, to a living room that can adapt to advancements in home entertainment and technology.”
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Focus On The Exit Pro Training and Coaching for Realtors
Posted by Ben Roberts on January 27th, 2010
I’d like to apologize to my regular readers (Bill, I know you’re out there). I haven’t been posting new content to the site recently but I have a good reason! I have cast off my earthly bonds and have created a new national real estate training and coaching business, The Exit Pro. You can learn all about it by visiting our spanking new website at TheExitPro.com. This site is mainly for Realtors in an attempt to give agents a source of Daily, motivational and educational training and support.
Next level Training and Coaching for Realtors
Exit Realty has a great system of international training. The Best in fact. We want to suplement that with daily, weekly, and monthly training and events that will create a community among our members unlike anything currently available in any real estate franchise.
Enough talk. Check us out at TheExitPro.com. You can also check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
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FSBO in Rogers – Beautiful Cambridge Park Home – Don’t miss this one!
Posted by Ben Roberts on January 26th, 2010
$8000 Tax Credit Available on this one if you hurry! This is a beautiful, well designed home on a 1/4 acre lot with an in-ground pool. Less than 10 minutes from Walmart Home Office. Rogers schools. Call today to see if this home is right for you!
Read the rest of this entry »
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URBAN LOFT IN ARKANSAS
Posted by Kim Stewart on January 19th, 2010
One may think this is a loft in Chicago or some other big city…..but this Urban Style Loft is actually located in a small outlying area in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas which is on the edge of Missouri. This two (2) bedroom two (2) bath home is nestled inside a secure warehouse which makes it very convenient to park your vehicles inside and simply walk in this very tastefully decorated home! Stained concrete floors are a statement throughout most of the house, which gives it the urban feel.
There is also plenty of natural light with two inch faux wood blinds. All the counter tops are granite and match the woodwork beautifully. The kitchen is complete with stainless steel appliances, gas stove, island bar, lots of storage space in the kitchen.This kitchen provides a very cozy atmosphere!
The Master Suite has double doors entering the room with two (2) closets. The room is very spacious and open to the master bath with whirlpool bath and a separate tiled shower. The washer and dryer are very conveniently located in the larger master closet, afterall, that is where most of the laundry comes from and where it ends up! The guest room is above the master suite and is open to the downstairs, it is currently used as a guest room and a second living room. This room also has a full bathroom.
This home is very open and spacious but with lots of defined areas. There is an office area and a sitting area as well as as large living area. There is a very beautiful built in bookcase that provides separation from the kitchen.
The total price for all the this Real Estate is ONLY $215,000.
There is also another warehouse that conveys with this property. It has four (4) docks and three (3) overhead doors. This property consists of two (2) City Lots nearly a block on almost an acre. Two (2) Warehouses, another two (2) Car Garage.
This would be ideal for the person who has a business of restoring vehicles, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, because ….THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM!
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EXIT Pro Realty’s Best Articles of 2009
Posted by Ben Roberts on December 14th, 2009
As 2009 winds down everyone seems to be catching their breath in the real estate industry. With prices stabilizing, inventories falling, and new rules and regulations helping protect home buyers even more, 2010 is going to shape up to be a good year for many people, Realtors, Banks, and Homeowners alike. Here’s a list of our best articles for 2009, in case you missed them…
Home Owner Tips
6 Essential Things Real Estate Contracts Must Have to Be Valid and Enforceable
15 Simple Open House Tips That Will Sell Your Home
List My Home During the Holidays? Are You Crazy?
News and Events
7 Ways GoExitPro.com is More than Just Another Real Estate Website
Congress Passes First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Extension with a Bonus!
Is Your Home Being Marketed Everywhere Possible? Probably Not By Your Agent…
Resources for Buyers
Agency and Real Estate. How it Works in Arkansas.
7 Things You Never Want to Hear From Your Closing Agent
10 Home Buying Tips You Probably Didn’t Know
13 Appalling Pictures to Remind You to Pick a Good Contractor
The Big Secret the Mortgage Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know
Resources for Sellers
5 Ways EXIT Pro Realty Markets Homes Better than Any Other Real Estate Company in Northwest Arkansas
10 Costs to Consider When Determining Your “Seller’s Net Proceeds”
The 10 Most Important Real Estate Numbers to Know Before Selling Your Home
Is Your Realtor Cutting Back on Marketing This Year?
24 Easy Staging Tips That Will Help You Sell Your Home in a Tough Market
Resources for Professionals
42 Reasons to Join EXIT Pro Realty
10 Ways NOT to Promote Your Real Estate Career and Listings on Twitter
Advanced Home Marketing Strategies
There are more of course… but these are the ones I deemed ‘worthy’ of a Best Of post for the year. We’re excited about 2010 and all the great things its going to bring for EXIT Pro and Northwest Arkansas. Call us if you have any questions about real estate and make some comments on the posts above if you like them. Post them on your facebook or twitter pages if you feel like sharing. Everyone have a safe and happy holiday.
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Short Sales in Northwest Arkansas: What You Should Know
Posted by Ben Roberts on December 11th, 2009
A Short Sale is simply when a seller has a mortgage balance that is higher than the home is worth. If the bank agrees to sell the property, then they short sell it and take a loss to stop a bad situation from getting worse. While Northwest Arkansas is definitely not in the shape that most major cities are in, we do have a lot of property owners that are under water. If you are one of those people, don’t wait for a bad situation to get worse. Get it figured out now. Here’s a good little video explaining short sales. Please ignore the barking dog at the end of the video 
. Read the rest of this entry »
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Great Foreclosure Ebook Plus 4 Terms to Know When Searching Out Foreclosures in Northwest Arkansas
Posted by Ben Roberts on December 8th, 2009
Based on current trends in our client searches on our websites as well as the massive success of NWAforeclosurelist.com, it seems pretty obvious that one of the main things buyers are searching for is foreclosed or distressed properties. If you are one of those people (and if you found this article, you are) searching for foreclosed properties in Northwest Arkansas, here’s 4 Terms that will be invaluable in your quest to get a good deal…
Corporate Addendums…
You’ll often see these two words on a listing sheet somewhere. This means the property is owned by some form of corporate entity whether it be a bank, fannie mae, hud, or some other corporation. These two words should me a couple of things to you…
- It’s probably a Good deal. Yes, most properties that are listed and owned by a corporation tend to be under market value. I said MOST. Be careful.
- It’s probably going to be a hassle. Just prepare yourself for this eventuality and it won’t stress you out nearly as much. Corporations like to use their own documents, their own timetable, and their own way of doing things. This leads us to our next term…
REO
Those three letters stand for Real Estate Owned and to a buyer, they basically mean the same thing as Corporate Addendums. REO’s are not foreclosures even though people use the terms interchangeably. An REO can only exist after a home has been foreclosed on and taken back by the bank. REO properties are generally priced at or below market value. If you have a good Realtor keeping an eye on new listings that pop up you can snag the great deals as soon as they hit the table.
Foreclosure
A foreclosure, more specifically, a foreclosure sale, is when a bank attempts to sell a property to cover the outstanding balance on the mortgage plus expenses and attorney fees. Most properties that are foreclosed on are worth less than the note that is on the property (under water), so foreclosure sales are generally less successful than a typical REO sale. Investors tend toward foreclosure sales because they will usually allow the previous owners to become the new renters, thereby getting a good start in cash flow for the rental property.
Underwater
This is the term used when someone owes more on the property than it could currently be sold for on the open market. This happens when people take out high loan/value ratio loans on properties, then values fall, resulting in more being owned on a property than it’s worth.
There was a recent study done that showed (as of the end of June 2009) that 24% of owner-occupied homes had mortgage debt that exceeded their value according to Economy.com.
There are many other terms and things to understand about Foreclosures, REOs, and other forms of distressed properties. This article barely scratches the surface.
If you are a serious buyer and want a great 60 page e-book all about buying foreclosures… Give us your email address below and we’ll give you a free copy. Thanks for reading.
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EXIT Pro Realty Launches NWAforeclosurelist.com – Did You Get Your List?
Posted by Ben Roberts on December 2nd, 2009
We at EXIT Pro try to keep our fingers on the pulse of what people want. You want a great, no hassle website where you can find real estate info… got it. You want to connect easily and transparently with your real estate company… check. Now you’ve asked for something else… a simple, no hassle list of the hottest properties available in Northwest Arkansas… done. Check out NWAforeclosurelist.com and get your free custom list today.
There’s not much to it. Enter your info and the zip code you want properties from and you’ll get it within 8 business hours… a custom foreclosure and short sale list of the hottest deals in Northwest Arkansas. No strings attached.
We’re offering this service for two simple reasons:
- To connect buyers to great properties
- To have those buyers contact us when they need more information, to schedule a showing, or to write a contract.
That’s it. Head on over and get your list now.
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FSBO in Centerton – 104 Hoss Street Offered Under Appraisal
Posted by Ben Roberts on November 25th, 2009
100% – Down Financing AND $8000 Tax Credit Available! Current Homeowners are that have been in their home for 5 of the past 8 years may be eligable for the $6,500 Tax Credit until April 30th. Visit our virtual tour here. This is a beautiful, well designed Cornerstone Builders home on a level 1/4 acre lot selling for $25k below the current Cornerstone price. Wide open spaces, large rooms, Archways in all living areas, tray and tall ceilings, level yard, His her closets in Master. Less than 10 minutes from Walmart Home Office. Bentonville schools. Call today to see if this home is right for you! Read the rest of this entry »
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