Northwest Arkansas is fast becoming a very popular recreation area, but the average cost-of-living in Bella Vista is still roughly 20% below the national average, and home prices start in the low-$100,000s (the median home price is $155,000, significantly below the national norm).  The primary builder has been Cooper Homes because they are the company that started Bella Vista Village back in the 1960s, but other builders have made their way here, too.   Real estate comes in all shapes and sizes because originally only lots were sold, and homeowners chose their own home designs.  Most dwellings are on decent-sized, wooded parcels; some are on hills and still others overlook one of the town's seven lakes.   There are some town homes for sale, and there is a section of Bella Vista reserved for mobile homes.

Many undeveloped lots are still for sale so sporadic building continues, making for an eclectic mix of older and newer homes and a nice variety of neighborhoods.  Lots for sale start for less than $1,000, although land along a golf course or overlooking a lake is more expensive and harder to find.

Property taxes can be roughly calculated at .005 of a home's market value.  The annual taxes on a $170,000 home would be $850.   All households are eligible for a tax refund of up to $300 regardless of income or age.  Social Security is exempt from taxation as is up to $6,000 in military, civil or private pensions.  The city sales tax is 7%.

Although Bella Vista now has a city government in place, the Property Owners' Association (POA) still manages much of the community, including all of the amenities and water (fire and police services are handled by the city).   The POA charges an assessment, which is on top of city taxes, but it is reasonable - $16 a month for unimproved property (without a water meter) and $24 a month for improved property (with a water meter).   Anyone who owns property in Bella Vista is automatically a member of the POA, and those who own property but have not yet built a home are still assessed the monthly fee.  Some subdivisions may also impose HOA fees.

 This is an interactive map.  Click on the arrows in the upper left hand corner to move the map to the East, West, North or South, and click on the +/- signs to zoom in and out.

The monthly community-wide fee is used to help maintain, operate and improve the services and amenities provided by the POA, which include eight golf courses and a practice center, three restaurants, the Bella Vista Country Club, the lakes (the smallest is 35 acres and the largest is 475 acres), five recreation centers with pools, numerous tennis courts, a gun range, extensive walking trails, public gathering areas, parks and pavilions.  The POA presents special events and holiday parties, and there are dozens and dozes of clubs to join, including everything from bowling to investments to fishing to folk dancing.  All property owners are required to purchase a photo ID ($30) and most of the recreation venues, except the lakes, charge an additional fee (anywhere from $2.50 for using a recreation center to $13 for 18 holes of golf to $1,159 for a year-long, covered boat slip at one of the marinas).  There are also fees for things like tapping into the water system and registering a boat.

Maintaining a high quality of life here is taken seriously.  Spread across 36,000 acres, much of Bella Vista is comprised of undeveloped, thickly wooded land, giving the community a rural feeling.  There are only 12,500 homes but 38,000 property owners, meaning that there are many undeveloped lots which further contribute to the country-like feeling.  Homes are not built on top of each other, and every home site adjoins a green belt or common property, creating a sense of privacy.  There are no motorized watercraft allowed on any of the lakes, and RVs and boats must be stored out of sight (there is an RV section, though, where owners can lease space for a reasonable price).  Tree frogs sing in the evenings; the aroma of honeysuckle tickles the nose in early spring, and deer, raccoons, possums and the occasional bobcat peacefully coexist with their human neighbors.

Bella Vista, Arkansas, Continued...