Nice Areas Near Little Rock

rjg · #1 07/10/2005, 09:25 PM

Hey all!

It is possible that I will be moving to Arkansas for a job opportunity in the Little Rock area.

I'm wondering what areas you guys would recommend to look for houses in? I'm looking for at least an acre if possible and a newer home as well.

I have looked online and Hot Springs, although far away looks pretty nice as a few other areas... A commute doesn't bother me as I am used to driving 45 mins each way.

Anyway, I look forward to your ideas and meeting you guys if I get the chance to move...

asutray · #2 07/11/2005, 01:15 AM

Cabot is a good place to stay. I have friends that like it there. Just far enough out to get away, but not too far to work.

Scuba Dog · #3 07/11/2005, 08:59 AM

Cabot, Conway are nice, but in Benton and Bryant the realestate is much more reasonable price wise....Conway is about thirty minuits out of Little Rock.

tiger_eyed1 · #4 07/11/2005, 12:52 PM

I live in conway. About a 35-40 minute commute during rushour. 20 min off peak. Very nice community. Dry County with three colleges, lots of growth.

Maumell is a place to look also. It's kina to itself but a acre may cost you.

Believe it or not the price of land in little rock may not be as expensive as in the subs. There is a flux of people moving out of the city so land may be readily available.

Houses are selling for more and more in the outlying areas so you may find a deal within the city. Lots of people are moving to Benton, Cabot, and Conway so expect to pay if you move to those areas.

Good hunting

Here is a site that I used to find my house 3 years ago it was FSBO
http://adverwise.com/classifieds/

rjg · #5 07/11/2005, 01:59 PM

Guys,

Thanks for the help... Maumelle is another place I was looking. My wife has a friend who lives out that way.. I noticed the prices going up too.. It should be an interesting hunt for sure!

schiller2300 · #6 07/14/2005, 01:31 AM

rig

My wife and I purchase 5 acres in Mtn. Valley overlooking the Saline River just south of Benton (18 min from Little Rock) for 32,500. Some of that price is the view and not just land to give you an idea. One of our pilots lives in Maumelle - which is a nice planned community with subdavisioned homes that range from 1200sq ft to 3000 sq ft. They are rather pricey and on the rise as is Cabot and Conway, cities on top of the flight out of Little Rock that tiger eyed spoke of. I personally perfer older homes - there are several historical disctricts in downtown little rock where I live - but you have to be into that thing - it is not for everyone. Within Little Rock - Chenal Valley (West Little Rock) and the Heights District are the pricest of neighborhoods starting at 150k for a 1200 sq ft house. West and North are generally better directions then South and East. I can afford to be critical because everyone on this forumn knows that dispite living in a nice house I live in the hood. Again, not a place that I would recommend for the average person.

rjg · #7 07/14/2005, 10:00 AM

Sweet.. Thanks for the help.. I will be in town on the 24th as the company is flying me up for a face to face on the 25th.

Wish me luck guys!

Scuba Dog · #8 07/14/2005, 02:27 PM

Hope everything works out for the best for you, be sure to look for a house that perfect extra room you can make into an Inwall Tank!

grimmjohn · #9 07/14/2005, 04:33 PM

If you want to actually be "in" Little Rock then Chenal is about the only place they are building nice new houses with acreage...seems like they are all 3000sgft+++ for 350K++++, Bryant and Benton are also growing fast, nice new 2500sq+++ houses with an acre run about 250K+++, Muamelle is about the same...most building in "The Country Club of Arkansas." West Conway is growing fast too. Cabot is nice too, many think it has the best public schools.

There are also lots of nice houses with lots of land spread throughout all these areas too...most for less $100 a sqft and less than $1000 an acre.

Good places to look are www.homesandland.com (Most places list here, pick up a 'zine when your in town) and www.littlerockmls.com ...theres another better MLS search that is really good and doesn't require info but I can't find it at the moment.

Rainey Realty seems to list the most/best houses in the Little Rock/Chenal areas, they always have a 6 page spread of really nice homes.
http://raineyrealty.com/

Pam McDowell seems to list the most/best stuff in the Conway area. Everyone in Conway lists in this 'zine

http://www.faulknercountyliving.com/

Hope this helps and eveything goes well for you.
cheers,

grimmjohn

grimmjohn · #10 07/14/2005, 04:44 PM

P.S. If you buy a house in Conway for less than 200,000 then you will be living next to college kids. (I should know

)

And the most important thing to consider....where are the best LFSs?

(Bryant and Muamelle)

rjg · #11 07/14/2005, 08:34 PM

Wow, grimmjohn, thanks for all of the info.

It is getting more and more confusing now... I have seen many good looking houses online, so it looks like there is now shortage. The sad part is they all start looking the same except a few.. I guess the few are the ones I should go look at huh?

rjg · #12 07/14/2005, 08:42 PM

That homes & land link is awesome! I just chose new homes in central akransas and I want all of them! There are a bunch in Cabot with a little over an acre!

I hope I get this job..

Scuba Dog · #13 07/14/2005, 09:41 PM

rjg

I hope you get the job as well.....we can always use new members....Its a pretty good little ole club, not bad since the club has only been in existance a little over a year!

grimmjohn · #14 07/14/2005, 11:00 PM

No, prob, Your very welcome...Out of all the "suburbs" Cabot probably has the best commute...at least to North Little Rock and downtown....Benton and Bryant have crap commutes but they are the closest to West Little Rock...I hate Conway traffic but I've lived here for 5 years, the commute here would be about the same to anywhere in LR/NLR...but any of the 'burbs can get you anywhere in Little Rock/NLR in 30 minutes or less unless a lane is shut down or something.

Cheers,

grimmjohn

grimmjohn · #15 07/14/2005, 11:22 PM

P.S. If your good at digging around for information (and have a high speed internet connection) then I'll let you in on a little secret....look up "Google Earth" it's a satalite mapping system...you can look at an actual satalite image of the world and zoom in on most areas to the point you can pick out what colors cars in driveways and stuff...You can look around in Cabot, Bryant....get an idea of the areas and where they are....even neighborhoods....houses sprinkled around a curvy mountian road....cookie cutters in an old flattened pasture etc...(unfortunatly Conway isn't Hi-res yet) You could see where you would be working and...anyway...example

West Little Rock with the resturant filter up

Upscale Housing development in Chenal Valley, WLR, near golf course...at 1417 apparent altitude...in some places the res is high eenough to see...well anyway..crazy if you ask me

() : )

cheers,

grimmjohn

asutray · #16 07/15/2005, 03:23 AM

I tell you what, we can trade houses. I want to be in florida, and for some crazy reason you want to be in Arkansas. Its perfect!! LOL

rjg · #17 07/15/2005, 12:02 PM

grimmjohn,

I use google earth too.. I do some wireless networking and it is great to help look for buildings in your path.

asutray,

I lived up in North Central arkansas for a couple of years so I know what I'm getting into. In addition, I figure Little Rock is more "City Like" there really isn't that much of a difference in "City" areas unless you are in a really big one.

asutray · #18 07/15/2005, 02:08 PM

Yeah, i just got a little culture shocked. I am from Dallas and i moved to a small town in the hills while I was still in high school. It was a strange experience. Now ive lived in Jonesboro for about 6 years, its a little better. (not much though)

grimmjohn · #19 07/15/2005, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rjg
grimmjohn,
I use google earth too

Thats a first, glad to hear it

I knew some GIS people that used it back when it was Keyhole but I've never known anyone else...

Cheers, good luck,

grimmjohn

Blindmelonbob · #20 07/20/2005, 10:12 AM

I love Maumelle. We're needing a bigger house now, and I wouldn't mind staying, but my wife wants to be back in L.R. We moved to Maumelle from L.R. 4 years ago, because you could get more house for yer buck. Not sure that's the case now.

rjg · #21 07/24/2005, 08:01 PM

Guys,

Thanks for all of the input.. I am in town now and I have forgotten how beautiful it is here... Tomorrow is my big day, so we shall see how it goes!

jerryc · #22 07/24/2005, 09:19 PM

rjg whit part of north Central did you live in that is my location

rjg · #23 07/24/2005, 09:58 PM

Jerryc,

It was up in the Batesville area.. It was about 5 years ago now, but we still go up to visit my wife's family...

jerryc · #24 07/25/2005, 06:49 AM

I'm about 45 minutes north of their we go to batesville ever 2 or 3 weeks to visit family

rjg · #25 07/27/2005, 10:40 AM

Sweet!

Well, so far it is looking promissing. They are checking my references, which seems like a good sign! I believe I should hear something by the end of next week...