Holiday Island Living

[Billfo]

Heavy consideration on us relocating to Holiday Island (off the island) for retirement in the next several months. Internet paints a pretty nice picture.. But how's it really ? Can it be as nice as we read ?

Q: How is traffic during peak vacation season ? As bad as Kimberling City or Shell Knob ?

In general, do you like living there ?

Thanks for your inputs, Bill

[rps]

My wife and I moved here from Tulsa for the 2002-2003 school year. We both teach as second careers. We live in the development but not on the "Island."

We love our situation here, but we have learned to accomodate certain things different from our prior life in Tulsa.

Pros:

Diverse, tolerant people.

Lack of traffic lights.

Low crime rate.

Less expensive housing than Tulsa.

Low taxes compared to Oklahoma and Tulsa.

You can actually see the stars.

Table Rock Lake and Beaver Lake and trout fishing within minutes from the house.

18 hole and 9 hole golf course on site.

Fully functional civic organizations (Rotary, etc.)

Many local businesses, the vast majority of which give good and honest service or products.

Several high quality local eateries ranging from burgers to lobster.

Things that required adjustment:

Two local grocery stores that work hard but are on the tail of the delivery chain meaning the produce is more seasonal than what you see in cities.

Good movie theaters are an hour away - as are Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Sams, Sears, and all the other big box stores. The closest WalMart is in Berryville, 15 miles away. (We go to Cassville instead.)

Gasoline is more expensive.

Learning to avoid downtown Eureka on "parade" days (Corvette weekend, Diversity weekend, Alcholics Anonymous weekend, Bikers, Blues, and Barbeque weekend, etc.)

Learning your way around. This is NOT a grid layout area like Tulsa or Omaha, and everyone else assumes you know the location of which they are speaking.

Choose your cell phone provider based on where you live - in these hills both ATT and Verizon have coverage holes and Sprint is worse.

We love it here, now that we have learned to adjust.

[Billfo]

My wife and I moved here from Tulsa for the 2002-2003 school year. We both teach as second careers. We live in the development but not on the "Island."

We love our situation here, but we have learned to accomodate certain things different from our prior life in Tulsa.

Pros:

Diverse, tolerant people.

Lack of traffic lights.

Low crime rate.

Less expensive housing than Tulsa.

Low taxes compared to Oklahoma and Tulsa.

You can actually see the stars.

Table Rock Lake and Beaver Lake and trout fishing within minutes from the house.

18 hole and 9 hole golf course on site.

Fully functional civic organizations (Rotary, etc.)

Many local businesses, the vast majority of which give good and honest service or products.

Several high quality local eateries ranging from burgers to lobster.

Things that required adjustment:

Two local grocery stores that work hard but are on the tail of the delivery chain meaning the produce is more seasonal than what you see in cities.

Good movie theaters are an hour away - as are Home Depot, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Sams, Sears, and all the other big box stores. The closest WalMart is in Berryville, 15 miles away. (We go to Cassville instead.)

Gasoline is more expensive.

Learning to avoid downtown Eureka on "parade" days (Corvette weekend, Diversity weekend, Alcholics Anonymous weekend, Bikers, Blues, and Barbeque weekend, etc.)

Learning your way around. This is NOT a grid layout area like Tulsa or Omaha, and everyone else assumes you know the location of which they are speaking.

Choose your cell phone provider based on where you live - in these hills both ATT and Verizon have coverage holes and Sprint is worse.

We love it here, now that we have learned to adjust.

Hi this Kitty, Bill's wife and we really appreciate the feedback! Very honest and what we were looking for. Excited to move to the area as where we are living now is a little too rural for us and we are social people and wanted somewhere that more choices are available to us. LOVE Eureka Springs and it's good to know when to stay away I already shop in Berryville but will try Cassville.

"Yeah, what she said"..

Thanks. Bill

[rps]

Other useful things I have learned here:

Rameys in Cassville has great butchers who can do what you want.

UPS and Fed Ex have good service here. BTW the UPS store in Eureka is fantastic.

Holiday Island Heat and Air, Acords Hardware, Advance Pest Control, Friendly Glass, and the Tues/Thurs farmers market are incredible. Old Town Electric too.

[Billfo]

Other useful things I have learned here:

Rameys in Cassville has great butchers who can do what you want.

UPS and Fed Ex have good service here. BTW the UPS store in Eureka is fantastic.

Holiday Island Heat and Air, Acords Hardware, Advance Pest Control, Friendly Glass, and the Tues/Thurs farmers market are incredible. Old Town Electric too.

Thanks again for the good info.. Contractors were one of the horror stories I hear about when we bought on Table Rock. Do you lease at the H.I. Marina ? They must be closed for the season, cant get an answer by phone & they do not provide an email. Hate to give up my private slip with lift. If I can get a 10x20 WITH LIFT for $ 900 a year I will be fine with that. Don't want to constantly grill you with Q & A, but one more...Is the traffic on Holiday Island Drive itself bad ? There are a couple we are interested in ON Holiday Island Dr., and another intersecting Stateline . I'd tell you all about Omaha, but I hear it is a just mirror image of Tulsa...

[rps]

HI Drive is not heavy traffic except for golf carts. My slip at the marina is about $900, but I had to by the lift off the previous owner. I had to wait on a list for about a year before a slip with a lift came open as I did not want to pay for a brand new lift. The new concessionaire for the marina has not yet set winter hours and I don't have his number. When you rent a slip they give you a magnetic pass key that you use to access the boat when the gate is locked.

[Billfo]

HI Drive is not heavy traffic except for golf carts. My slip at the marina is about $900, but I had to by the lift off the previous owner. I had to wait on a list for about a year before a slip with a lift came open as I did not want to pay for a brand new lift. The new concessionaire for the marina has not yet set winter hours and I don't have his number. When you rent a slip they give you a magnetic pass key that you use to access the boat when the gate is locked.

I contacted a service in Kimberling City that will move my lift for 600 bucks. (IF the slip is the same size 10x20, then it will fit)... I have already changed our MLS to say slip available, lift will be removed. Besides, chances are the lift may not work with their specific watercraft..

[Billfo]

I contacted a service in Kimberling City that will move my lift for 600 bucks. (IF the slip is the same size 10x20, then it will fit)... I have already changed our MLS to say slip available, lift will be removed. Besides, chances are the lift may not work with their specific watercraft..

Lakehome has been sold !! The new marina operator @ Holiday Island will be relocating my lift to my new slip (for 700 bucks).. Everything is coming together "as soon as we decide which Holiday Is. home to make an offer on"....I like the homes on the bluffs (Table Rock Dr), but concerned about the sun & the possible smell from the waste plant to the north. Getting excited for our new retirement life !

[rps]

Lakehome has been sold !! The new marina operator @ Holiday Island will be relocating my lift to my new slip (for 700 bucks).. Everything is coming together "as soon as we decide which Holiday Is. home to make an offer on"....I like the homes on the bluffs (Table Rock Dr), but concerned about the sun & the possible smell from the waste plant to the north. Getting excited for our new retirement life !

I live on Table Rock Drive, but not on the bluff side. The waste treatment plant does not let off odor. In the years I have lived here I have never smelled it. I am told the sun on the bluff side homes can be strong at times. Those homes that do not have sufficient roof overhang have curtains they draw in the late afternoons.

[Billfo]

I live on Table Rock Drive, but not on the bluff side. The waste treatment plant does not let off odor. In the years I have lived here I have never smelled it. I am told the sun on the bluff side homes can be strong at times. Those homes that do not have sufficient roof overhang have curtains they draw in the late afternoons.

Update: We bought on Holiday Island Drive. Leased a slip, got my lift moved for 400 bucks !!! ($500 with a new motor).. Boat is up on lift now. I have to work 11 more shifts. Sold the lake home, and Nebraska house, juggling odds & ends for most of May with inspections & closings. Looking forward to getting settled in the end of May. There goes the neighborhood !