To Tim who asks about living here in 50's. My neighboors and I are in 50's. Other neighboors work in nearby communities and still have school-age children. There's much to do in the Village, and we go to Hot Springs for Art Walks, great hiking and other community events. We go to concerts in the village and in Little Rock. New dog park. Community gardens are now kicking off. Inexpensive dinning options. We don't golf. Great gym, farmers market, concert venues. Lots of postivie energy and a few complainers. Many voulnteers. Garden clubs keep many of the public areas beautiful year round. Our experience is that even the complainers add--"but we love it here"--to their remarks. You can still get a bargain home here. Dreams can come true. Our dream was a home on a lake. As I write, I can see the lake. Buffle head ducks, blue heron, golden eye, bluebirds, wax wings and more all played outside my window this morning. Planning to shop this morning -- list includes hardware store sundries, groceries, paint, bedding plants(can go to Walmart, but will go to the hardware, paint store, nursery,and local grocery) . --All within 6 miles of our door. Yes there are a lot of older people here, yet all ages live here.
Amy | Hot Springs Village, AR | Report Abuse

Hi, John, you have the perspective of looking at the Village as a newcomer rather as a person who has lived here for many years. When my husband and I moved here in 1998 it was still a 'Cooper Community' and was maintained and improved through primarily by Cooper development. When management was fully transferred to the Property Owner's Association the years that followed brought a lot of different management styles onto the Board. As economic times changed it became increasingly difficult to keep up with all the expenses to keep HSV in prime condition. The hiring of Twiggs created a situation where a new person had a new vision (you can find the Master Plan on the HSVPOA.org website) which has not been well received by many of us who have been here many years. I was 49 when I moved here and while there were and are many folks at and above retirement age there are enough amenities, clubs, organizations, and opportunities for most age groups. The area is a natural 'paradise' for the most part and cost of living is good for a lot of people. However, the vision by Twiggs and those aligned with his vision for the Village carries a huge financial price tag with it which means finding revenues to fund the projects and market the properties/Village. We have a huge water/wastewater bond debt and a lot of revenue is being funneled into promotion of the Village as a play to live, work, and play. In a better economic environment this would be great (not the debt) but we constantly hear of how there is not money for other needed common property improvements and/or repairs such as proper paving of our roads. The Board recently hired a new financial person, leased property in Hot Springs as an information center, and hired a marketing consultant to improve communications concerning the management of HSV. They also donated $10,000 for campaigning for a new road corridor in the county but it is not specifically in the Village. The 'two-tier' assessment vote brought many complaints for a couple of reasons and much speculation about how it was handled. Presently there is a case which has been accepted by the Arkansas Supreme Court which includes ruling on the methods and legality of the vote that was taken. With regard to running for the Board, that is fine if you are aligned with the management position and ready to go along with what is being presented. The directors who hold an opposing view have been in the minority so little can be done to represent the wider majority of folks here who have serious concerns about the financial condition and future of the Village. I would suggest you take a very long and hard look at the financials in real dollars and the implications for the future before investing here, both with regard to the economic health of the Village and the housing market which is still in decline.
R | Hot Springs Village, AR | Report Abuse

HI John, My wife and I are considering Hot Springs Village to relocate and I appreciate your comments. We plan on visiting this coming summer but my concern is that it is more of a retirement community. I will be 56 or 57 when we move and afraid there are not enough people in our age group. We enjoy those older and younger but feel we may be the youngest. Thoughts.
tim | Longmont, CO | Report Abuse