We moved here two years ago. The area is very affordable and scenic. The downside is the POA employees whose salaries is well above what would be deemed appropriate to the job descriptions and Northwest Arkansas. Their salaries comprise well over 50% of the annual budget. There are 6 golf courses, several of which should be closed due to constant flooding and repair work necessary to maintain them. The POA fee is not high compared to many other locations, and was recently increased from $24 to $37 a month for properties with homes. The manner in which the increased amount occurred was due to a "divide and conquer" whereby the POA members who owned improved properties (those with houses) were required to pay the fee increase, and those who owned empty lots had no increase, but they got to vote on this decision. So the unimporoved lot owners reap the benefits of the increased fees without having to pay for them. The CCO, Tom Judson, encouraged this practice in order to get the fee increased and it worked. It won't break the bank for us, but it is hurting many of the older people who moved here long ago because of the affordability and they are on fixed incomes. As a result, there are many homes for sale here. But, the upside is that the homes are affordable, so if you are looking to get a deal, check out RE in Bella Vista. The political mindset is very conservative, but if you go down the freeway to Bentonville you will discover that area to lean more left. It is the home of Walmart, and employees from all over the world work at the home office. There are good restaurants, entertainment and a great museum, the Crystal Bridges, to enjoy. In otherwords venture south of BV and there is a whole world open to you! NWA is a very unique culture, very different from the rest of Arkansas. In that respect, I would admit I would only live up here and no where else in the state.
Corliss | Lincoln, CA | Report Abuse