Tell me about North Central Arkansas

hawgsquatch · #1 09/01/14, 02:49 AM

I am retiring in 5 years exactly and I am planning on moving to the Mountain Home, Flippin area. This area appeals to me because I love fly
fishing and duck hunting as well as warm water fishing. I am well within the market for housing with acreage there and I am wondering about a few things.

First how are the taxes. I cannot imagine them being worse than here in Kalifornia. Vehicle registration fees? I will have a diesel pickup, a Toyota "huntin truck" , and a commuter car.

How hot does it really get. I live within hearing distance of the ocean here and it does not get over 80 nor under 20 ever. I can handle cold but one can only get so "nekkid"when the heat is on.

I will either teach online college for extra money or try to get a job with basic medical coverage. I have a few degrees but would rather work with my hands again really. Is it realistic to consider working in a warehouse or manufacturing, driving a forklift or sweeping floors? I will have an income, I would work mainly for the insurance.

My master plan is to sell out to the yuppies here, take their money and buy a small cabin in Montana/Wyoming, a shack in Louisiana, and a home/farm in Missouri or Arkansas where I would base myself. Then spend my time doing as much fishing and hunting as possible. I am single and will have no more kids at home and the smart one is going to college so I won't have to help her as she is getting scholarship-ed to death,

Shoot holes in this as much as you can I have 5 years to hash out the details.

xbigp · #2 09/01/14, 06:50 AM

first. FIRST. dont tell anyone not no dang body that you come from california...

after that,
you will love it. mountain home will put you directly in fly fishin territory. gonna have to put in a couple hours drive to be in hot duck huning ground though. you can find some to shoot on the lake or ponds, but there's nothin like the delta region for that.

100 dollar bill should get all your trucks on the road here

it will get 100 degrees in the summer with 90% humidity = 40000000 degrees hot. in the winter it will probably get down to 20 a few times during the winter. otherwise, 30s, 40's for the 'cold part' of winter

far as a job goes, as long as you arent too picky you should be able to find some work, esp in mt home

i can give you more info if you need it i reckon, we are close to there

hawgsquatch · #3 09/01/14, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbigp

first. FIRST. dont tell anyone not no dang body that you come from california...

after that,
you will love it. mountain home will put you directly in fly fishin territory. gonna have to put in a couple hours drive to be in hot duck huning ground though. you can find some to shoot on the lake or ponds, but there's nothin like the delta region for that.

100 dollar bill should get all your trucks on the road here

it will get 100 degrees in the summer with 90% humidity = 40000000 degrees hot. in the winter it will probably get down to 20 a few times during the winter. otherwise, 30s, 40's for the 'cold part' of winter

far as a job goes, as long as you arent too picky you should be able to find some work, esp in mt home

i can give you more info if you need it i reckon, we are close to there

North California, The state of Jefferson, shoot elk in the yard then go catch a steel-head in the river territory. Everyone is on the VFD and everyone knows the neighbor and drops of errant dogs and kids at home kinda place. Maybe I should just say Oregon lol.

Thank you

MOgal · #4 09/01/14, 11:54 AM

White County, just a bit south of your projected area, has both fly fishing in the western part and ducks in the eastern part. We lived there from '93-97. Great folks, beautiful scenery in the Ozarks. Lots of snakes, some scorpions, tarantulas and in some parts of White County, alligators. Actually, I think many counties in AR have alligators.

Humidity is the worst but it can get miserably hot as well. The humidity makes it worse. Even in winter, the dampness makes the chill worse. Humidity to excess makes everything worse. Welcome to Arkansas.

You don't have to worry about telling the locals you are from California because the first time you open your mouth, they'll know you're a "foreigner." It's how you behave and treat them that counts. While we were there, I met some folks who fit right in, others who tried to make AR into California East and they did not.

Good luck.

Glade Runner · #5 09/01/14, 12:24 PM

Look for property on White River or Crooked Creek. Pretty hard to beat. If you go just a little further south in Newton County you'll find a micro climate that's a little cooler in the summer because of increased elevation. There are also a few Elk roaming around. You'll still have relatively quick access to all kinds of fishing and it's not all that far to Stuttgart, the rice and duck capital of Arkansas.

michael ark · #6 09/03/14, 02:20 PM

I would look in baxter county .Try the oakland area its a little father out but you get more privacy and less tourist and it still by the lake and rivers.It is also above the old dams flippen is not.My land is in baxter here is my view . The sun set is at oakland camp site.I would recommend camping at oakland,quarry park & lake view are my favorites before you pick one place.

michael ark · #7 09/03/14, 02:24 PM

Here are the sun sets .I would also look in clarkridge farther out above the dam and between the lakes.

bryant · #8 09/03/14, 02:40 PM

I second Michael Ark's comments. The closer you are to Mountain home, the higher the land values will be. Vehicles will cost just at 20 bucks per license, you will pay personal property taxes on all vehicles, boat, motor, trailer, etc. property taxes will be in the 45-70 mil range. Arkansas is a great place to live but it is not as inexpensive as a lot of people believe. When I moved here in 1972 from Sacramento Ca. I paid exactly 120 dollars more for an apartment exactly like the one I left. Food was 30% more expensive and the number of taxes were more, even though the overall amount of taxes I paid was a little less. Sales taxes here are on most everything, including used vehicles and I think the average is around 7% state wide.

hawgsquatch · #9 09/03/14, 10:36 PM

Than you everyone. Well, It's looking good from here.

Here I pay about 4.40 a gallon for gas. A two bedroom home on a small lot in a bad part of town is from 190-275,000.00. Rent on a one bedroom apartment that is in a reasonable neighborhood is over a grand a month. There is no industry or job market as the weed farmers forced out timber and fishing. Either you grow weed, service people who grow weed, or arrest people who grow weed, or you are on public assistance of one form or another.

Property taxes with all of the school bonds are around 2 percent. Sales tax is 9 percent. State income tax is over 15 percent. My twenty year old car is a hundred a year to register, but my newer full sized pickup is 1200.00 yearly.

A hunting license with tags is 200.00 a year and they have been basically completely shutting down the national forests every year because of "Fire danger." It costs me another 65.00 a year to fish plus special permits for abalone, stripers, sturgeon, and salmon/steelhead. They made my favorite fishing spots national marine protected areas so I have to run 26 miles one way in the ocean to go fishing which is dangerous and burns a bit of fuel. I can't take my kayak from one pond to another without paying for a 35.00 inspection each way for zebra mussels that we don't have and get transferred by waterfowl anyway. I also have to release three out of four salmon I boat because they are Coho which in Cali. waters are endangered while 40 miles north in Oregon the bag limit is 3 to 5. I wonder if the fish know?

TraderBob · #10 09/04/14, 08:27 AM

I'm in NC AR, you'll love it.
I pay $495/month for a 3bdrm on a corner lot while I am building our new home.
Sportsmans License is $25 year.
The property taxes on my 23 odd acres runs $24 year, fire insurance is another $35 year.
Lots to see and do in the area.

michael ark · #11 09/04/14, 08:16 PM

Fishing license is $10 or $15 with trout stamp.