Sellers you can still sell your house in the Hot Springs market! A recent article published by the Arkansas Realtors Association was a breathe of fresh air for our area. In this article, Paulette Mann, president of the Hot Springs Board of Realtors®, said one thing that discourages sellers is that national reports about the housing market rarely point out that Arkansas real estate markets have, by and large, not been hit as hard as those across the country.

"Quit listening to the national news because that's not us," she said. "We took a little bit of a hit but, as compared to the rest of the nation, we're in good shape." Mann described the Hot Springs market of 2005 and 2006 as one that "was on steroids" - a market that was atypical for Arkansas. She pointed out homes sales were abnormally strong and 2007 marked the point where markets started to return to normal.

Lets stay positive and know that Hot Springs is still thriving! 

Two things that a Broker wants to hear in the spring - birds singing and phones ringing.  That is just the case in our office this past week. Busy agents running in and out of the office with offers in hand is exactly what we are seeing. It is pleasing to know that through all the negative press, that the Hot Springs area market seems to be in a niche that continues to see sales.  I like to think that the attractions in our area will continue to make our market a desired area even in the down times.

Because of its abundant natural resources, there are innumerable ways to experience nature in Hot Springs.  Camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, water-skiing, boating and more are frequent sites on the lakes and in the forests.  Nature is at her best at Garvan Woodland Gardens, a 210-acrebotanical garden surrounded by Lake Hamilton.

A thriving arts community is another major draw to the spa city with a host of fine art galleries and antique shops, along with nationally recognized festivals including the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and Hot Springs Music Festival. 

Thoroughbred racing each spring and simulcast racing throughout the year can be found at Oaklawn Park.  The newly redeveloped Magic Springs & Crystal Falls Theme & Water Park offers rides and fun for all ages along with a great summer concert series.  Entertainment options are abundant with great music and magic shows, community concerts and more.  

If you are considering a move, put Hot Springs at the top of the list. With so much to do and see, Hot Springs truly has something for everyone to love.

By Ethan C. Nobles- Arkansas Realtors® Association ●           

           Seeing how spring in Arkansas this year has resembled monsoon season in South America, a lot of homeowners are considering how to make their houses storm proof and whether they've got the proper insurance in case disaster strikes.

            Marty Strough of Strough Construction in Berryville said his business has fielded a lot of calls lately from people interested in above ground safe rooms. Strough said his company sells and installs the DuPont StormRoom, a system which effectively turns a room in a home into a Kevlar reinforced box with a vault door.

            A StormRoom must be installed in a home built on a concrete slab and must be located in a room - such as a bathroom or walk in closet - that has no windows. The panel system used to construct the StormRoom are arranged in a way that the room can still function as it always did - no functionality is lost in the converted room.

            Strough said installing a StormRoom measuring four feet by six feet in a new home costs around $6,000, but expect to pay a bit more if converting an area in an existing house. The cost of the StormRoom system must be determined on a case by case basis.

            Strough pointed out the Kevlar reinforced StormRoom system allows for radio and cellular phone reception, so people in the shelter can listen to radio broadcasts to get storm details and keep in touch with friends and relatives while hiding from nasty weather.

            For more information about the StormRoom system, visit Strough's Internet site at http://www.stormsolutions.us/.

            The Arkansas Insurance Department, meanwhile, has been advocating storm preparedness, too. Those concerned about what to do in the event of storm damage may want to visit the Insurance Department's Internet site at http://www.insurance.arkansas.gov/.

            The Insurance Department has a number of brochures available under the "Consumers" section of the site that provide tips covering topics such as what types of insurance to purchase to prepare for storm damage and how to file a claim properly.

            One of the brochures available that the Insurance Department highly recommends is a checklist that assists in cataloging possessions and assigning values to them. Keeping an inventory of your household items can be a lifesaver if a storm causes so much damage to your home that your possessions are mixed in with a pile of rubble - having that list up front both assists insurance adjusters and helps make sure you don't have to rely on memory to generate a list of lost items.

            Additionally, the site keeps up with insurance companies operating in Arkansas and is great place to find Internet sites from insurers. Companies like State Farm and Nationwide are good about posting storm safety tips on the Internet and locating those tips is often worthwhile.

            The Insurance Department can investigate any conflicts that arise between insurance companies and their customers over claims. In the event of significant storm damage or catastrophic events, the Insurance Department sends representatives to the damaged area to assist homeowners with filing claims and procuring emergency living expenses from their insurers.

            This spring has been a bad one in Arkansas in terms of both tornadoes and flooding. Preparing for a disaster before it happens can make the difference between weathering a storm and being irreparably harmed by one.

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House to House is distributed by Arkansas Realtors® Association