The median home price in Mountain Home is $160,000, well below the national average.  Many modest, ranch-style homes in the 1,200 square foot range with two bedrooms and one to two baths are available in the low-$100,000s, and some can be found for less.  These are not fancy, but they are comfortable.  The median price of $160,000 will fetch a ranch-style home with roughly 1,600 square feet, a large yard, three bedrooms, two baths and a two car garage, which may be detached.  The neighborhood will be fairly average but nicely kept with lots of trees.  Homes in the $200,000 range will usually have another 500 or so square feet and some upgrades including hardwood floors, an attached garage, vinyl siding, a workshop, etc. or be in the 1,600 square foot range but in a little nicer neighborhood.  $300,000 homes may be newer, built of brick, have 2,500 square feet, four bedrooms, three baths, maple cabinets, granite countertops, 9-foot ceilings and be found outside of town on acreage.

To see a list of foreclosures in Mountain Home, click here (use zip code 72653).

This area is also well-known for its outdoor recreation.  Clean, clear Norfork Lake, 15 minutes east of Mountain Home, has 550 miles of undeveloped shoreline and is a popular vacation spot for tourists, but the lake is large enough to easily accommodate all who come to enjoy its beauty.  Fishermen are on the water year-round because the lake does not freeze, and both largemouth and smallmouth bass, white bass, stripers, hybrid bass, crappie, bream, walleye and catfish are plentiful.  Norfork Lake is known for its outstanding underwater visibility and draws scuba divers from around the country; dives to 195 feet below the surface are particularly appealing.   Scuba shops dot the shore for retirees wanting to try an underwater adventure.   For those who would rather stay dry, nearby wildlife management areas are open to the public and give amateur naturalists and birders an excellent place to engage in their pursuits.

Mountain bikers and day hikers enjoy some 16 miles of stacked loop trails along the lake shore.  These well maintained trails were built for off road mountain biking but hikers are also welcome.   Trails lead through several different eco systems including both hardwood and pine forests. Level of difficulty ranges from beginner to intermediate.  These trails are the place to be during the autumn months when the hillsides turn delicious shades of red, orange and maroon.

Within 45 minutes of Norfork Lake is some of the most beautiful scenery in the Ozarks. The Sylamore District of the Ozark National Forest offers thousands of acres of Ozark wilderness where walkers find many flat, abandoned logging roads.  These old roads give birders, photographers and hikers easy access to creeks, oak/hickory/pine forests and interesting karst geology formations.  Wildflower enthusiasts can explore Cliffty Canyon Special Interest Botanical Area, a large tract of Ozark ecosystem set aside due to its rare wild plants and wildflowers. The Sylamore also has some 100 caves, many of which are open to the public provided strict guidelines are followed.

The other large lake in this area, Bull Shores, has nearly 1,000 miles of shoreline and also provides nearly year-round opportunities for scuba diving, water skiing, camping and fishing (the best fishing is in March, April and May).  Marinas along the lake rent boats and guides as desired.  

Four nearby rivers, White River, Buffalo River, North Fork River and Crooked Creek, provide further fishing venues.  The area also has three golf courses, including the Big Creek Golf and Country Club that is spread across 200 verdant acres.  Mountain Home shopping is adequate but high-end stores are not plentiful.

Mountain Home, Arkansas, Continued...