re: Tell me about Hot Springs Village as a place to retire.

A place with 4 seasons would be better. Summers suck in the south

We rented a house there for a few days to test it out. There is a decent grocery store just outside the gates, but there’s no Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s level stuff if you are into cooking. There is a handful of restaurants on the grounds or just outside; all we tried were okay. Decent liquor store or two inside the premises. Seems like there was a dentist and a doctor or two with offices nearby.

The streets are hilly and curvy, and it is dark as hell at night. Not the best for old folks driving at night. Most of the houses are nicely tucked away in small groups, not lining the streets like you see in most Louisiana neighborhoods. Fair privacy even with a small lot size.

The online news is worth a look to get the flavor of the area. Don’t skip the police blotter. Lots of old people traffic accidents, a few drug and domestic arrests, and some theft complaints. Here’s a recent entry.

quote:

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A Villager was reported missing by a family member, but was found deceased later that day in a submerged vehicle in HSV, and the investigation was turned over to the Arkansas State Police.

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HSV Voice

There are all levels of houses, from very affordable, to very pricey and inside an exclusive area. Plenty of trails and a fitness center for exercise.

The real estate office just outside the main gate doubles as a tourist info center. They guy we talked to there was very helpful in learning about the area.

Our next exploration area is Bella Vista, near Bentonville on the AR-MO border. It is open to anyone, not gated, but has a lot of retirees. Proximity to Bentonville and Fayetteville adds some value to me.

I mean, I've been there once. Hot Springs, twice.

It seemed boring AF. All the houses are really old. You can buy in there pretty cheap.

Hot Springs would get old in a hurry.

If I was gonna do a deal like that ( retirement community) I'd go to Arizona.

Bella Vista is far and away a better spot than HSV. The NW part of the state is way more desirable and Fayetteville, Bentonville, Springdale, and Rogers are great. Hot springs has a lot of sketchy areas but HSV is more isolated and about 20 minutes from Hot Springs

I would pick HS over the village. I’ve got some condos on lake Hamilton at HS and we love it up there. A lot of good restaurants and always something to do. There is a ton of money in that community.

The one thing I’ve been told is that it’s a nice, relatively quite place vs The Villages down in Florida, where everything goes.

Slip, I've been to the races at Oaklawn in Hot Springs. The town is nothing but racing in the winter, and is really neat the rest of the year. I have 12 years till I'm either dead, or retired, and Arkansas is something that I'm looking at. NW part of the state is absolutely beautiful. Good luck !

It takes 20 minutes to get from one side to the other! It’s a big place. Played Pickleball there and there were 30 courts, all full, and they were getting it! It would be hard to decide what lot to pick, one on the lake, one up high with a great view. It does seem very rural around there, and most of Hot Springs is urban blight.

Friend of mine retired there. Loves it.

Watch the True South episode about Hot Springs

LINK

I spent a weekend there in October and enjoyed it.