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All About Arkansas Real Estate

By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Artificial Intelligence?MLS lets AI write our listed house remarks. They turn out to be awful descriptions with too much verbiage. So I am curious.  Let's test them, if you know how.  I don't know how but let's see if we could direct them to do a realistic picture of this house that was in Searcy AR and is now gone. Does it only write?So this old house, beautiful at the time, was captured in a drawing by Arni Anderson in 1974.  The location was at 311 W. Center Street and Townhouse Apartments took its place. Perhaps AI could search courthouses and find what it used to look like?Me?  I am impatient.  I have a copy of how it used to look.  Here goes!It was lovely, wasn't it!
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
 Have you ever noticed that a yearbook may be called "Panther" or some name but you have a hard time finding the city that it is from?  Here are our Panthers but it was a search to find that they are from Judsonia AR. (Remember the city that was destroyed in 1952 by a tornado.)So what are they good for? They are historic for sure! Looking through them reminds you of your favorite or least favorite teachers, students that you had crushes on or hated, hair styles, clothing styles, sports events, school events of all kinds!  And these are from kindergarten to 12th grade.Yes, they could remind you of so much, things that make you sad and things that make you smile.  Be prepared to spend some time if you find some of the books from a long time ago.  Help me find an owner for these.  They are...
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
 This newly discovered postcard is interesting and I have done a blog about this similar one below.  So I am wondering if some business person went around putting up little saloons.  Click here https://activerain.com/droplet/7s62 for the blog of the one below.  The gentleman above seems more like the saloon type and the gentleman below looks more like the business type who would start the franchise. Let us know if you have any info on Jack's Saloons!
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
 Is this lovely!I had never seen one until this was discovered in a saver's house.  He collected all sorts of items that are now offered to the public at a sale this weekend.  I believe there are three of them to be offered.  The estate sale is at 104 Lynn Street, Judsonia AR starting in the morning.  Other offerings are shown on estatesales.net.I am amazed at the complexity of construction!
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Old Old Hotel.  Fireproof Hotel Adrian, Heber Springs, Ark. Did you ever hear of it? Neither had I but here's an old postcard that seems to prove that there was one.  Let's read what the nearly worn-out card says.  The first picture shows the building and two rooms inside with this written on it.  "Hotel Adrian, Heber Springs, Ark.  New, fireproof building.  Hot and cold running water, suites with bath, steam heat, and all modern up-to-date conveniences.  For any information address T. V. Metzger."The back of the card reads "Heber Springs, Ark, is famous throughout the whole country for its medicinal waters and pure, cool, mountain air.  Three kinds of sulphur water--arsenic water--alum, iron and magnesia.  No malaria--no mosquitoes, The best place in the South for stomach, kidney and l...
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Old Swinging BridgeIn October this old bridge collapsed.  It is at Heber Springs AR and had been closed to traffic in 1972, built in 1912, and could be visited as a walking bridge.  The report sounds as if several visitors were on the bridge and some youths started swinging it and it suddenly collapsed and folks were dropped into the water below.  Five died.  This picture was loaned to me and has ended up belonging to the Historical Society.I wish some news source would give us a brand new report about this tragedy.  How about that, Searcy Citizen?  
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
 What a picture!  Have you noticed how all the girls now want long hair, usually parted in the middle and hanging down over the chest?  Evidently, it was a style many years ago also.  I have loads of old pictures and came across this stunning photograph.Condition is not the greatest.  On the back it gives the name of Mary Burton and is a post card, never mailed.  It seems to have been the favorite way to get a portrait.  Another thing I notice is that the photographs are often taken in front of some hanging item in the background as you see in this one.And that skirt?  Definitely handmade.  I can tell by the hem!I do love the old photographs. 
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Fifty Years Ago!Fooled you, didn't I.  It looks a lot like a week ago in Searcy AR.  This picture was taken in our yard many years ago. (The second picture is from the same yard.  A good dad did all this!)  Dads, at that time, put up tire swings for the kids to play on and in this second instance a tree house without trees!  Kids were chased outside to play.  No computers, no cell phones and just a small amount of TVs.  The tree is still there but not the swing.  If the swing was still there and kids were on it or near it there would be a cell phone in one hand! No doubt about it! Searcy Sleuth Don Thompson could probably make an illustration of that for us.   It might be too cold right now to chase the kids out!  Continue with Happy Holidays!
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Nice room, isn't it!  Well, it does look a little like snow on the chair and the floor.  No, it is not fake snow for atmosphere......it is REAL SNOW!  With the temperature in Searcy AR being about 13 degrees over the past hours and expected to be that for several days, one wonders who committed this crime!!  SNOW IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS HOUSE!  There is no roof over this area!I have had a long real estate career (over 40 years) and this is the only atrium that I have seen in Searcy AR. The owner loves the house and the atrium!  The house was built in 1968!I guess I am glad I don't own it right now!!  Do Searcy Sleuths know of another one??  
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
This could be the young 2024.All the cartoons today are showing the old worn-out 2023 child (now ancient) giving the new 2024 child a welcome and warnings for the new year.  This old picture from many years back has the same look as the 2024 child.  I wonder if this could be by a photographer in Georgia who became as famous as Disfarmer from Arkansas? 
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
A Least favorite gift through the years!Jokes abound about giving dads a tie for Christmas and how they hate each one because they are so ugly.  I think that they may have now rebelled and they no longer wear ties anyhow!  All of the folks that I asked if their husband wears ties said, "NO!"   I have inherited 27 ties.  I wondered about brand names and couldn't believe that the tag is still on one. The 4th from the left above has an attached $95 price tag on it.  Polo CR'05.  I assume it has been around since 2005.  My husband would never have paid that for a tie!  So perhaps it was a gift?  It has never been worn or the tag would be removed.........Strangely, it was my favorite of the bunch!   
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
 Old Searcy AR fun!What did kids do before they lived with computers and cell phones?  Stumbling upon a memory is always fun.  That happened to me today.  This wonderful aerial view of a husband-built tree house without being attached to a tree is a pleasure.  I moved to Searcy in 1967 and lived on McRae Street.  Hubby built this tree house (as we called it) for the kids.  I bought this trampoline and it seemed to be the first one in Searcy AR based on its popularity.  Two kids are on it in this photo. The kids could drag it from place to place in the yard and this shows it right in front of the treehouse.  I got a free view of the location now and it is not the same!  Thanks, Present Home Owner, for the tour!!Summary!  Kids today don't know what they are missing!! 
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
 Beautiful old doors! Blog repeated.Some interesting Searcy AR history has just surfaced and there are beautiful antique doors for sale.  At the corner of Market and Gum in Searcy stands Bliss Salon in an old building that the court house says was built in 1884 and was renovated a few years ago by Bliss Salon owners.  I did a blog about it and you have to stop now and go back to read the blog.  Click here, Those buyers loved the old doors that were either in or around it and took them home with them.  They were offered at an estate sale but there may be two left. Now at Ole Hippy for sale by Valerie Canepa at her booth.   Ole Hippy has so many beautiful things.  Go shopping!!  And do go back and look at the changes to the building at the corner of Market and Gum.
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Santa is tired!Antique chalk decoration for Christmas.I drag him out every Christmas and enjoy my sleeping Santa.  I bought him at a garage sale several years ago and he is a delight to have around.....so different!  I don't know how old he is but the original price is on the bottom  Let's look.There it is!  If you are old enough to remember going to the "dime store" with parents many years ago you'd perhaps remember how items were priced on the bottom with a marker.  This was 69 cents!  What would it be today?  Seems as if we can't buy anything for less than 5$!Have a Happy Holiday season!!  Thanks for reading my blog!! 
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Bobby Petrino is back in the news because he is back in Arkansas.  I am not a football fan so why did I save this Arkansas Democrat Gazette news article? One reason!  An adorable red headed young fan was in the picture.  Let's blow it up!Here is the enlarged picture of Tyler getting his shirt autographed by Coach Bobby Petrino.  See the adoration in his eyes!  He loved the Arkansas Razorbacks and the coach.  He was about 10 or 11 years old with a wonderful abundance of red hair!   Wonder where this shirt is now?  It may be valuable!!Who is the girl in the picture?   Her name was not given in the article.   
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
 Did you read the above ad that was in the 1972 Searcy High School yearbook?  Well, read it again and see if you can believe that J. C.Penney was saying that each Senior girl would get a free blouse.That was my interpretation.  So I did a little counting.  I looked at the Senior girls and started counting.  I came up with 74 Senior girls and each one of them had on one of the pictured above blouses!  WOW!  That's a lot of free blouses!  Did boys feel left out?  My friends said, "No, Penney's didn't give them all a blouse;  they just let them BORROW one for the picture."  So here we have another puzzle to be solved by the Searcy Sleuths.  Review the 1972 yearbook and tell me the whole story.  I took a random picture of girls and look at their collars!  (How'd that guy get in the picture?...
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
  Photographers!  Look at this great historic picture.  It shows probably all of the employees of Wood Freeman Lumber in Searcy AR.  On the trucks it gives the phone number as 446, Searcy and looks as if E. W. 's was 3200 and O. W. 's was 5000.  Last names must be provided by Searcy Sleuths.  See why I love photographers!Artists!  Look at this beautiful Phyllis Alexander print!  A little girl with her loving pet.  "The little dog laughed to see such sport" is written at the bottom.  Phyllis Alexander is one of Searcy's best artists and painted so many portraits of children in Searcy.  This one is reportedly one of her daughters.Collectors!!  Terry Williams, another one of Searcy's best artists, also collects!  He has been collecting for years and years and this weekend folks are invited...
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
About 37 years ago.My mother-in-law, Wyndelene Holmes Duncan, got this hand-done birthday card from me.  I had forgotten that I did it but it just popped up a few days ago.  We all called her Winnie but she preferred the real version of her name.  She is also part of Searcy's history.  She grew up on Holmes Road in Searcy and that family is why the name is Holmes Road.  There is still a big old rock house on the side of the hill.  Click https://activerain.com/droplet/4Wqt for the picture of it a long time ago.  Ms. Winnie, as we called her, was a wonderful and caring person.  She married V. W. Duncan, car dealer whose motto was, "What ole PoDunk says it is, it is!!"  He was a super salesman and built a successful car dealership that grew from used cars to new Chryslers, Plymouths and Je...
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Old!  I think so!  Looks old, feels old with such precision in the making.  I found it in a closet in my house!  Look at all the detail and leather.  And look at a name hand-written on it.  Do you know him?  He might have precious memories to share with us.It is a Revelation Western Auto Store ball glove, made in Japan, so says the label.  Wouldn't it be nice to find its former owner! 
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By Barbara S. Duncan, GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR
(RE/MAX Advantage)
Is it still there?This West Point ARK old sawmill post card showed up for sale on ebay and has no date on it.  I wonder how old it was and if the sawmill is still working.  West Point is a neighbor to Searcy AR and was once a thriving lovely place to live.  It is on the Little Red River and steam boats came by often in the past.  I did a blog or two on a  fantastic older mansion-style home that overlooks the river but can't find them right now.  I also did a picture of the 1956 girl's basketball tournament with the girls identified.  Click to go there. https://activerain.com/droplet/5pGy  And go back to 1953 and see another team.https://activerain.com/droplet/5pmVNow we need Searcy Sleuths to tell us about this sawmill and whether it is still alive and thriving in West Point. Help!! 
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