Today we are featuring Northwest Arkansas. One of our readers Jaina B. highly recommended our newest SurvivalBlog Realtor, Jeff Allen. Congratulations Jeff! Some of his listings may soon be featured on SurvivalRealty.com. The following is a review of the area written by Mr. Allen:
Welcome to Northwest Arkansas! The market in Northwest Arkansas is surviving the downturn very well. Land prices in rural areas are holding very steady on the very few sales that are taking place. The housing market has been overbuilt and we have 8-10 months of inventory to work through before things can look more “optimistic.”
I have been selling mostly land and commercial real estate in Northwest Arkansas for 18 years and I’ve seen land prices go up nearly four-fold in that period of time. There’s always opportunity for a distressed sale to show up, but they are few and far between, even with the recent downturn. Most of the speculative buying has been in the housing sector, as opposed to the bare land side of the market.
One of the biggest draws to Northwest Arkansas is our nearly 32,000-acre Beaver Lake with 449 miles of shoreline that sits on the East side of Benton County and is the first Corps of Engineers lake in the White River Basin. Northwest Arkansas is very unique in that we sit on the Ozark Plateau, and the White River does run northeast up to Missouri from this area. Our elevation is from 1,150-1,300 feet above sea level.
Much of our rough, timbered land is located around Beaver lake and has already been subdivided into 1-5 acre parcels but has not been further developed. It is getting tougher to find land that does not have restrictive covenants, but there is still some available in the outlying areas.
Anyone that owns a home on the lake, even if it is not in a very secluded area, has access to water, fish, and wood for the fireplace, should a national crisis occur. Lake property is least expensive on the North end of the lake with very little development and dirt roads to most areas. This would be one of the ideal places to invest and to build a survival retreat. Shopping from those areas is about 30 miles and often the drive is through hilly and winding roads, perfect for defensible operations and keeping the wandering refugee(s) at bay.
There are currently over 50 properties between 3 and 15 acres listed for sale on the East side of Benton County, where land prices are the most affordable. We also have a tract that is 536 contiguous acres.
See this search engine for the local MLS.
Conversion of farm land to development land has slowed down in recent months and therefore leaves beautiful farms like this one on the market, waiting for just the right owner:. It certainly is a wonderful example of a nature lover’s delight! Already set up for livestock, too, which is something to consider in one’s quest for self-sufficiency. Acreages can be purchased in about any increment; it depends on where you want to be and how much you want to pay.
In conclusion, our climate here is moderate; the winters are mild, the scenery is beautiful, hunting and fishing are among the area’s most enjoyed sports. Industrial and retail growth continues and Northwest Arkansas is fast becoming one of the nation’s number one desired areas to live in due to low cost of living and low unemployment.
I work on a confidential basis, if desired. You can search my personal web site to find acreages and complete homes with land that are retreat worthy at www.JeffAllenRealtor.com by clicking on the “Property Search” link or use the “Helpful Links” button to find out more about our area. If you need a more refined search, please give us a call (479.246.1657), or e-mail your request specifications to jeffallen@lindsey.com and we can e-mail you search results. [Our parent agency] Lindsey and Associates is ranked # 1 in real estate sales for the State of Arkansas, giving our clients top rated service with their transactions.
TDS Adds: I did a search and found 750 acres outside of the town of Westville for $1,000 per acre. It has a small man made lake, cabin and is in 50% timber and 50% in pasture. It seems that the MLS system will not link back so to view it you’ll need to click the search engine above and input 750 acres or MLS number Ref #: 511622. That amount of acreage would make a nice retreat for several families and at that price it would be hard to pass up. Although like anywhere (especially here in northern Idaho) there are some overly expensive properties, overall it looks like the home and land deals are splendid down there and the terrain and climate lend themselves to making very productive retreats. Happy retreat shopping!