Why Arkansas?!

I’m only on my second cup of coffee this morning, so I’m still moving slowly, but I had a thought. I was just thinking about how people are always asking us why we moved to Arkansas from Texas, especially amid economic turmoil The funny thing is, we moved out of Texas BECAUSE of the economic turmoil. Especially when it relates to real estate there.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Covid did some insane things to the real estate market. However, the market in Austin was like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was enough to drive the most staunch Baptist to drink. In the midst of these fun times, our family decided to start looking elsewhere. And it’s true, overall, things are a little unsettling. Turn on the news or hop on to social media, and you’ll be blasted with bad news from everywhere!  But in our latest relocation adventure, we’ve discovered that it’s not so gloomy and doomy everywhere.

Here in NWA, it’s a whole different climate than Austin…and I don’t just mean the weather.

• In 2022, the NWA area was ranked the nation’s 13th fastest-growing metro area.
• A healthy job market with a welcoming environment for entrepreneurs as well as home to three of the Fortune 500 companies, Walmart, Tyson, and JB Hunt.
• The low tax rate on state income tax.
• A plethora of outdoor activities, specifically mountain biking.
• A robust cultural environment complete with live music and art (pretty important to this Austin gal)
• A healthy housing market with sustained appreciation and affordable housing.

It’s a crazy thought to pack up one’s entire family and move to a completely different state, and I fully appreciate the fact that we were in a position to do so. This is not a possibility for everyone. However, I think sometimes fear holds us back more than anything else. It was a risk, but isn’t that true of just about everything in life? Maybe I’m a risk taker (although my teenagers would disagree), and that’s why I love real estate. Regardless, our move here was one of our best decisions.

So grab a cup of coffee, and let’s talk NWA real estate!