Retire To Mountian Home?

[rcguy]

I've never even been to Mountain Home, AR but I'm thinking about a cheaper place to retire than Shawnee Kansas. My property taxes are about 6 grand per year. I'll retire in 4 years and I have been to the White River a couple of times and loved the area. My brother stayed in Mountain Home last summer and said it was very nice. He really liked the area. Any retirees on here have any comments??

Thanks,

Jerry

[rps]

When the wife and I decided to retire from the first careers, we made a list of factors for relocation.

1. Favorable house cost compared to where we came from. That reduced mortgage amounts to what we knew we could payoff before income risks grew higher.

2. More than adequate medical care, especially in areas more likely as we aged - heart, cancer, etc.

3. Low or at least reasonable taxes (property, income, sales)

4. Less than an hour from a regional hub airport. We had many frequent flyer miles we have used to fly in the daughters for visits.

5. Diverse available activities. I knew I could fish nearly every day, but diversity is insurance against injury or sickness shutting out the one thing you like.

6. Water - lakes and rivers!

7. Decent climate, meaning not much cold weather.

8. Someplace that didn't require a lawn. I hate mowing grass and lawn service can be expensive.

9. No real traffic jams or pressure.

After we did research, we wound up looking at Hot Springs and the Fayetteville-Bentonville-Alpena triangle. Greers Ferry area also worked. If we had not added the airport requirement, Mountain Home would definitely have been on our list.

Hope this helps you with your decision process.

[rcguy]

RPS, Thanks for the help. An Airport is not one of our top concerns. My family is in Kansas City and one big reason to move is to get away from my nightmare of a son. If he's not back in prison in 4 years, we're gettin' out. period. I'm hoping that someone that has relocated to Mountain Home will post a reply.

[rcguy]

RPS,

Holiday Island looks like a wonderful place. Just checked their web site.

[rps]

My wife and I feel we fell in a pot of chocolate.

We are not in, but are near Eureka Springs. If I walk across the street to the expensive bluff on the water side, I can look down and see the marina where I keep my boat on Table Rock Lake.

Our house sits on rocks in the trees. No lawn mower.

The yearly assessment by the district is about $750 per lot. Our real estate taxes are less. For the assessment we have paved roads, snow plows when needed, the clubhouse and pool, golf courses, and patrols.

She and I both teach now and are looking forward to another 6 to 8 years at that. If something happens, the expenses here are not so great that what we already have built will take care of things.

Taney is about an hour away, Beaver is twenty minutes, the tailwaters less. I can have my canoe in the Kings River in a half hour.

We moved over here in 2002. Since then I have landed a 8.5 pound largemouth, a 6 pound brown, and a 9 pound walleye within boat driving distance of here.

Yeah. We're real happy here.

[rcguy]

Sounds great. My wife is retired Kansas teacher. She draws retirement but now teaches in a private school because we have several more years of steep house payments. I'm still working as a Graphic Designer here in Kansas City. Might have to check more into that area. Maybe we need a read trip!

[John Berry]

I live in Cotter, Arkansas ten miles from Mountain Home and I love it. Incredible fishing, low taxes, & good Hospital. Bring your own job if you want one.

[Terry Beeson]

RPS,

You ever meet "Elly Mae Clampett?"

If my current wife and I make it that long, I'll move to the Mountain Home area when I retire. Maybe before. Only problem as John mentioned is the employment situation, which is not a concern for those who are retired.

[rcguy]

John,

Guess I better hire you as a guide and I can get some info on the area as well. I hope I 'm npt looking for a job by the time get down there! I'm 61 now and hope like heck to not work after 64 or 65. My Dad retired at 59. I'll research Cotter also.

[Big E]

What makes Moutain Home the place to be? What has it got over some other place like Kimberling City? Over a more central location like Omaha?