Rogers or Bentonville to retire (Bella Vista, Hope: new home, landscaping, buy)

[lovekcmo]

I'm looking to retire in another year maybe to NW Arkansas, Rogers or Bentonville? Does anyone have anything they can comment on for living in one versus the other?

[knrstz]

It really depends on what you are looking for. Also, are you thinking about Rogers near the pinnacle? If so, that's really no different than Bentonville. If you are thinking about Rogers by beaver lake, then there is more to discuss.

[lovekcmo]

Looking for new homes under $200 and there seems to be those in Bentonville but not in Rogers. I like Rogers because of the mall, restaurants and hospital being located there, but like the museum in Bentonville location. I guess it's not that far in miles apart between the two cities.

[knrstz]

Originally Posted by lovekcmo

Looking for new homes under $200 and there seems to be those in Bentonville but not in Rogers. I like Rogers because of the mall, restaurants and hospital being located there, but like the museum in Bentonville location. I guess it's not that far in miles apart between the two cities.

Many of the homes in Rogers below $200K will not be on the west side of 49 which gets you closer to The Pinnacle. There are parts of Rogers that are below $200k but you'll likely be further away from the Pinnacle than many places in Bentonville. In fact, I would argue that a good portion of Bentonville is closer to The Pinnacle than is Rogers. There are a few back ways to get to The Pinnacle from Bentonville/Cave Springs that let you avoid the interstate too.

I live in Bentonville and one nice thing about it is that there are very few parts of town you need to avoid, if any. Rogers has some older parts that aren't ideal. I wouldn't say you need to avoid Rogers or any town in NWA, however that is less of a concern than Bentonville.

[texas_nightowl]

Honestly, if you can find a house you like, you'll be fine in either Bentonville or Rogers. We are still new here...coming up on one year. We ended up in Bentonville, but mostly because at the time we moved here, we really wanted a 3 car garage and there were not many on the market in Rogers and we found one we liked in Bentonville. We ended up in "far west" Bentonville in one of the many subdivisions off SW Regional Airport Rd. and getting to the mall, etc. is still usually only about 15 minutes.


Since you mention retirement, if you haven't already, make sure to check out the Rogers Adult Wellness Center. It is limited to ages 55 and up. And it is open to residents of the other cities and is very affordable. I think it was $60 for the year (though some classes are extra) for my mom.

[nmnita]

Both cities are great: both with good hospitals, shopping, great senior centers and recreation activities. I think your main problem might be finding anything new, under $200,000. We live in Bella Vista, just north of both Rogers and Bentonville. It is less expensive than either of the cities you are thinking about and still, you would not find new construction under $200,000. You can find a lot of pre build homes, very nice in your price range though.

[Belynn]

Hi there
I hope that this hasn't already been answered, and I apologize if it has, but I would like some information on the general NW Arkansas area. My husband and I visited the Bella Vista area a month ago. We looked at Rogers and Bella Vista mostly in hopes of semi-retiring there sooner than later. I think Bella Vista is a very pretty area, and Rogers seems older and more secluded. We are hoping to find a house in the 200k range, little bit of gardening land, friendly neighbors, and close to good medical, and a recreation center for a gym. When we were down there, I noticed that there wasn't any bigger grocery stores close, or medical centers. I was wondering where everyone goes for shopping etc.. I know that Walmart is king down there but I was hoping that there was a Sprouts etc. Thank you!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Belynn

Hi there
I hope that this hasn't already been answered, and I apologize if it has, but I would like some information on the general NW Arkansas area. My husband and I visited the Bella Vista area a month ago. We looked at Rogers and Bella Vista mostly in hopes of semi-retiring there sooner than later. I think Bella Vista is a very pretty area, and Rogers seems older and more secluded. We are hoping to find a house in the 200k range, little bit of gardening land, friendly neighbors, and close to good medical, and a recreation center for a gym. When we were down there, I noticed that there wasn't any bigger grocery stores close, or medical centers. I was wondering where everyone goes for shopping etc.. I know that Walmart is king down there but I was hoping that there was a Sprouts etc. Thank you!

Here goes:
Rogers versus Bentonville depending on where you live in either town you will hardly know the difference. both towns do have a lot to offer. Both have fitness centers that are very nice, but depending on what you are thinking of, in size, age, etc 200K might be a bit low. Both areas have nice shopping, nice selection of eating places and close to medical facilities. The traffic in both area can be a bit of a challenge, depending on what time of the day you would be out and about. Both have very friendly neighbors because people here are just plain friendly.

AS for Bella Vista, it is probably really more secluded and country feeling than either of the others you have mentioned. As for grocery stores, you are going to find almost no chain grocery stores anywhere in the NWA region. Our biggest draw in BV is the brand new, very large Harps store. Harps is a local chain and very nice. There is also a great one in Bentonville. Here in BV we have another smaller store, Allens. They are a bit pricey but good quality and good specials. Yes, Walmart is the center for shopping to many but there are some of us who rarely buy our groceries there. Another great source for groceries is Aldi's. We have huge and relatively new one in Bentonville.

You asked about Sprouts: nope, not one but there is another great choice, that is Fresh Market in Rogers. Hubby and I usually go there about once a month. They have outstanding quality but of course, with that goes high prices. I just shop their sales. I think they are superior to Sprouts, but that is a personal opinion

As for medical, here in BV, we do have several primary care doctors, some specialist but you are right, for much of our medical care it is Bentonville or Rogers. This doesn't seem to bother most of us. There is always a write off for the pleasures of living some places. One has to decide what is best for them. We have great workout facilities I will add.

That being said, I think most people who live in NWA are glad they do and many are from other parts of the country. It is pretty, peaceful, wonderful people, enough activities to keep most of us busy, and has a relatively low cost of living, plus, overall nice weather. Hope this helps you some.

[Belynn]

That was very helpful. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Looks like we'll be making another visit there soon

[mgforshort]

I often spend time on Zillow browsing homes in and near Bella Vista. There are homes, new and old, in our price range, which make our current home here in Paradise, CA, look like a big doghouse. No offense intended, we love Paradise, but prices are different like night and day.

I tend to avoid the new homes for two reasons. One is that we could get a brand new place then forced to deal with construction defects for the remains of our lives - we are in our seventies. A 15-20 year old home has most of its problems corrected by now.

The other reason I dislike new homes is the complete lack of any landscaping. Beautiful sparkling house surrounded by dirt is not my perfect place.

Comments, please ! I want to hear your opinion.