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October is one of the best months to enjoy time in Hot Springs Village. The foliage is beginning to turn and the pleasant temperatures are perfect for enjoying all the amenities. Plan to visit soon.
Remember, I can help you get luxury accommodations at HUGE discounts.
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The Benefits of Downsizing
Owning a home has been the American Dream for generations, and while many still seek the biggest house their money can afford, for many buyers and current homeowners in the United States, finding a smaller home has become very appealing. Throughout the U.S., homeowners are jumping on the downsizing bandwagon, and with the current trends of tiny homes and minimalism becoming more and more popular coast to coast, there are many homeowners and buyers looking into smaller homes and the many benefits provided by downsizing.
Save Money
Smaller homes just cost less to live in (depending on the location).
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Downsizing can provide a number of financial benefits and help save money in the long term. By downsizing, many homeowners can reduce or eliminate mortgage payments (a reduction in the monthly amount, or even paying off the loan sooner than expected). Downsizing or buying a smaller home can also mean deductions in other areas pertaining to home ownership: lower property taxes, lower property insurance costs, reduced utility costs and much more. If you're moving from a high-cost area, you may also experience a reduction in the overall cost of living, and if you've built up a lot of equity in your current house, downsizing to a smaller and less expensive home can actually free up that extra money for immediate use or saving all of it since federal tax law may well eliminate taxes on any gain from the sale of your previous home (verify your specific situation with a tax professional prior to the sale of your current property).
Less Maintenance/Upkeep
If there's something that almost every homeowner complains about, it's home maintenance and upkeep. A larger home ultimately means more to clean, more to maintain, and overall more upkeep. For many households in the U.S., a larger home also brings wasted space: according to the book Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century, for many average households in the U.S., most of any main floor traffic occurs in the kitchen, living and family rooms. Downsizing not only means less maintenance overall, it also means more of the house is utilized on a daily basis.
Optimize Small Space
While a ragtag mix of second-hand furniture might be perfect for the rented college house, for many adults a design-savvy décor is often sought-after when it comes to a furnished house to call home. With a large house, the cost of furnishings and other design elements can run into the thousands, and if you or your family members happen to have luxury taste, costs could go even higher. Downsizing to a smaller home gives homeowners the ability to optimize the small spaces: for example, going from a house with a family and living room to just a family room can mean splurging on a nicer sofa or bigger television when only one room needs to be furnished, not two. Downsizing to a smaller home can also mean getting rid of all the items you're currently not using, which for many American households, is quite a lot of stuff.
Afford Popular Areas
For many different cities throughout the U.S. there are specific areas and neighborhoods that are sought-after by buyers and investors alike. Whether they have great schools, affordable real estate prices, up-and-coming amenities, or are a hub of events and activities, buyers will inevitably look to owning a home in or around the area. Downsizing can actually make the popular areas more attainable for many buyers, as smaller homes will or should be more affordable than larger houses. It's also important to note that if you decide to downsize, smaller homes may be more readily available throughout a popular area's real estate market than those that offer more square footage, and buyers may even experience less competition in those more popular markets for smaller home.
Reduction in Environmental Footprint
For many in the U.S., being more conscious of the environment and 'living green' has become a way of life.
Homes are not excluded from an environmental footprint, and for those looking to reduce their own energy consumption, downsizing can provide that opportunity. A smaller home means less heating and cooling of the property, a reduction in electricity use, and overall less waste. But it's not just an environmental footprint that can benefit from downsizing -- homeowners can also find it more affordable to upgrade a home's current systems to more environmentally friendly and energy efficient technologies when the home is small and more compact.
Thinking About Downsizing? Talk to your agent! Your real estate expert can help you determine the current market value of your home, as well as provide you an advanced look at what to expect as you seek to purchase your new one.
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What to Look for in Your Real Estate Team
How do you select the members of your team who are going to help you make your dream of owning a home a reality? What should you be looking for? How do you know if you've found the right agent or lender?
The most important characteristic that you should be looking for in your agent is someone who is going to take the time to really educate you on the choices available to you and your ability to buy in today's market.
As Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, advises:
"When getting help with money, whether it's insurance, real estate or investments, you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman."
Do your research. Ask your friends and family for recommendations of professionals whom they have used in the past and have had good experiences with.
Look for members of your team who will be honest and trustworthy; after all, you will be trusting them with helping you make one of the biggest financial decisions of your life.
Whether this is your first or fifth time buying a home, you want to make sure that you have an agent who is going to have the tough conversations with you, not just the easy ones. If your offer isn't accepted by the seller, or they think that there may be something wrong with the home that you've fallen in love with, you would rather know what they think than make a costly mistake.
According to a Consumer Housing Trends Study, millennials have already started to prefer a more hands-on approach to their real estate experience:
"While older generations rely on real estate agents for information and expertise, millennials expect real estate agents to become trusted advisers and strategic partners."
Look for someone to invest in your family's future with you. You want an agent who isn't focused on the transaction but is instead focused on helping you understand the process while helping you find your dream home.
Bottom Line
In this world of Google searches, where it seems like all the answers are just a mouse-click away, you need an agent who is going to educate you and share the information that you need to know before you even know you need it.
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RE
/MAX of Hot Springs Village
presents...
Hot Springs Village. It's a great place to live.
"Escape to the Ouachitas" is a resource to learn more about all that Hot Springs Village and the Ouachita Region have to offer. From our nine world-class golf courses and more than 30 miles of trails, to 11 beautiful lakes and various sporting clubs, we think you'll find something that appeals to you. Our residents are an eclectic bunch, hailing from across the country and around the world.
Visit Hot Springs Village once and we think you'll want to stay for a lifetime.
Click on the image above to begin your Ouachita Adventure. Stop by our office to pick up a copy today.
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Friends and neighbors get together throughout the year for community events and holiday celebrations including dances, karaoke, Rock Porch sessions, Farm-to-Table events, and more. The Woodlands Auditorium is the performing arts center and has musicals, dramas, and dance, vocal and choral presentations. Way Point at DeSoto Marina is home to Basecamp and the setting for events such as Rock Porch sessions, Crawfish boils and more. Grove Park is an outdoor venue and home to the farmers' market, artisan market, live outdoor concerts, holiday celebrations and community events.
Check out the event calendar or buy tickets by clicking the image.
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Oct/Nov 2017
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Hot Springs Village Homes Magazine The RE
/MAX Collection
Click the magazine picture to view the latest Hot Springs Village Homes Magazine.
The Ouachita Mountain area's natural beauty: Breathtaking vistas, blossoming forest and gleaming lakes, combined with its mild climate, reasonable property taxes and low cost of living make it the perfect place to call home.
Available real estate spans from very affordable to affluent, with homes priced from under $100,000 to over $1 million. The variety of homes ranges from golf-front to lake-front, mountain-view or wooded. RE/MAX offers an assortment of quality property lots for sale, commercial real estate and long-term rental properties too.
Check out my
Featured Listings for this month below!
Email to schedule a private tour or learn more about these great properties.
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MLS # 16005621
4 Bd., 3 Ba., 4,464 Sq. ft.
$449,000 |
194 Empinado Way
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French country dream home! Professionally designed colors & window treatments, beautiful exposed beams in living & kitchen areas, 4 fireplaces, master suite on main level, guest suite & office upstairs, guest suite, wet bar, game room, downstairs! Custom features throughout! Gourmet kitchen with upscale appliance package, new roof, Bennett bros. Landscape, underground fence, lovely wooded area with fall and winter mountain/lake view!
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Link to Listing
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MLS # 15026231
3 Bd., 3 Ba., 2,868 Sq. ft.
$314,900 |
60 Loyola Drive
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Beautiful one level Diamante Golf Course Home built in 2003, located on the 18th tee with fantastic views of #17 Pond and Fountain offering lots of privacy. This home has almost everything including granite counter tops, tile floors, formal Dining Room, Breakfast Room, Two family rooms, study, wet bar, three car garage, sunroom (recently added) and includes split bedrooms, fantastic kitchen, volume ceilings, situated on a 3/4 acre lot.
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Link to Listing
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MLS # 17029165
3 Bd., 2.5 Ba., 3,086 Sq. ft.
$284,000 |
27 Loyola Drive
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Enjoy wonderful outdoor space & unlimited golf with this 3086 sf home located on #11 Fairway of Diamante Golf Course-covered & uncovered patio & hottub for those cool nights. Volume Ceilings, Split Bedrooms, skylight, kitchen island, built-in cabinets & two built-in desks with pullouts, huge master bedroom plus a bonus room upstairs, 3-car garage,with common property on both sides for added privacy. Zoned heat, workshop, new roof-2009, new HVAC-2013 & new leaf guards in 2017 makes this a perfect retreat.
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Link to Listing
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MLS #
3 Bd., 3 Ba., 1,846 Sq. ft.
$249,500 |
30 Maravilla Way
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Enjoy every day in this one-level Isabella Golf Course home with its 3-car garage, 3-BR, 3-BA, split Bedrooms, no carpet anywhere, huge deck overlooking #3 of Santa Maria with northern exposure, Pella windows, Volume Ceilings, circle drive and a buried 500 gallon propane tank for your fire place, BBQ grill and gas cook top.
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MLS #
3 Bd., 2.5 Ba., 2,449 Sq. ft.
$184,900 |
27 Realeza Court
No more day dreaming about living on the golf course with this great home! Enjoy Country Club living at its best with this wonderful -2449 SF home on the 14th Fairway of Diamante. Sitting high with a view of the fairway and green, the screened-in porch will be one of your favorite places to enjoy. Home includes family room, hearth room, see-through fire place, vaulted ceilings. Current dues are $550 per month & transfer fee is $5,000, Association Fee of $83 per month takes care of
all the landscaping.
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MLS # 17002159
3 Bd., 2 Ba., 1,755 Sq. ft.
$175,900
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80 Salvatierra Way
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You will LOVE this adorable move-in ready 1999 Keaton built home. Your guests will enjoy the totally level lot, the low maintenance landscaping, drip irrigation, a water feature, & HUGE TREX deck in back to enjoy Arkansas wildlife. Plus oversized garage, with workshop, common property, brick patio, recirculating hot water, recessed lighting, upgraded fireplace, split bedrooms, custom closets, Murphy bed, double vanity, Jacuzzi tub, large walk-in shower, 5 ceiling fans, new HVAC system, and new roof in 2015... Near East Gate!
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Community Calendar
Check out the Hot Springs Village Community Calendar (click on the image)
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Outdoor Adventure
Hot Springs Village Basecamp is your launching point to outdoor adventure.
If you enjoy life outside, you'll want to be part of Basecamp. Keep an eye on the calendar and Facebook announcing upcoming events, local activities and road trips. Then, grab your gear and get ready to enjoy the great outdoors!
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Sporting Traditions
The Ouachita Rod & Gun Club is focused on bringing folks together to celebrate sporting traditions. We believe in good fun, food and fellowship in the great outdoors. It doesn't matter if you are seasoned by years in the outdoors or just want to meet some new friends. There is a place for you in the Ouachita Rod & Gun Club.
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Mortgage Calculator
There are two types of mortgages popular in Arkansas. Fixed-rate mortgages, or FRMs, are those that include principle and interest in the monthly payment amount and are stable throughout the life of the loan, and adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, are loans that include principle and interest that change periodically throughout the life of the loan. Both FRMs and ARMs are available in 10, 15, 20, 30, and even some 40 year increments, and can be either first mortgages, second mortgages, or refinance options.
Click on the image above to connect to the Mortgage Calculator and learn more about mortgages in Arkansas.
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The Hot Springs Village State Weeks promotion allows guests from across the country to enjoy our amenities at reduced rates during their state week.
While here, discover all that Hot Springs Village has to offer; schedule a community tour with me!
Check out the State Week calendar by clicking the USA image.
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Visit our RE/MAX of Hot Springs Village office conveniently located at
1400 DeSoto Boulevard
on the corner of Desoto Blvd. & Ponce de Leon Drive.
***FREE***
Village Information
Cup of STARBUCKS!
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Recipe of the Month
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Pear and Blue Cheese Tarts
1 tablespoon butter
4 large red onions, thinly sliced
3 pears, finely diced
2 cups crumbled blue cheese
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
30 (2 inch) frozen miniature tart shells
Directions
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir onions until brown, soft, and sweet, 40 to 45 minutes. Let onions cool for a few minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove tart shells from freezer and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Combine caramelized onions with pears, blue cheese, and walnuts in a large bowl. Spoon pear-blue cheese filling into still-frozen tart shells.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is hot and melted and the pastry shells are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or cooled.
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BJ Conner Associate Broker GRI, RCC | RE/MAX of Hot Springs Village
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