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Northwest Arkansas is becoming a very popular recreation
area, but the average cost-of-living in Bella Vista is still
roughly 15% below the national average, and home prices
start at $149,000 (the median home price is $179,000,
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
eight lakes in town. There are some town homes
for sale, and there is a section of Bella Vista reserved for
mobile homes, but otherwise, all homes are site-built. |
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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 $2,000, although land along a golf
course or overlooking a lake is more expensive and hard 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, eight 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 $11 for 18 holes of golf to
$1,000 for a year-long, covered boat slip at one of the marinas). Click here
for a free Arkansas travel
brochure (fishing, rafting, RV resorts, etc.) (Advertisement)
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 homesite
adjoins green belts or common property, creating a sense of
privacy from neighbors. 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 $12-$15 per day or $72 to $90 per week or $150 for
annual storage). 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...
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