May 13, 2007 - Arkansas Democrat Gazette -Sunday Business Section
ARKANSAS HOME PRICES PROJECTED TO CLIMB
5% to 10% increases seen for Hot Springs, Little Rock and Forth Smith houses! Yes, housing prices in Arkansas should appreciate this year and by one account, values in Little Rock, Fort Smith and Hot Springs will be among the best in the country.
Housing Predictor, an Internet real estate site based in Destin, Florida, projects prices in Little Rock's housing market will increase 7% this year, ranking the metropolitan area ninth-best for appreciation in the country. Fort Smith is ranked No. 18 with a 5.8% increase in prices and Hot Springs is rated No. 22 with a 5.4% growth, the firm said. The Internet company describes itself as an independent operator that provides housing market news and forecasts on more than 250 local housing markets representing all 50 states. It was created to provide home owners an independent outlook on their housing market, its Web site says.
There are 20 major factors that go into a formula to select the top 25 appreciating markets in the country, said Mike Colpitts, founder and editor of Housing Predictor and www.housingpredictor.com. The criteria include the number of businesses moving into a market, the employment level, the number of jobs lost or gained, the number of children in schools, and the velocity of home sales.
March 12, 2007 - Talk Business with Roby Brock - Monday Morning Briefing
HOUSING MARKET TAKES A TURN FOR THE BETTER
STATE OF ARKANSAS
Arkansas real estate officials said that lower home prices are improving sales in the overall market.
February 14, 2007 - Arkansas Democrat Gazette
GROCERY-TAX CUT IN THE BAG
STATE OF ARKANSAS
Without fanfare, the Arkansas Senate on Tuesday sent to Gov. Mike Beebe the largest tax cut in the state's history, one of the governor's top priorities. Senate Bill 185 reduces the state sales tax on groceries from 6 percent to 3 percent, effective July 1. Local sales taxes such as that served in restaurants, would continue to be taxed, as would tobacco products and alcoholic beverages.
Beebe has said there is a moral imperative to freeing gorceries of the state sales tax because it's a tax on people's basic necessities.
January 21, 2007 - Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sunday
COLDWELL BANKER ADVANTAGE REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCES THEIR TOP LISTERS AND SELLERS FOR THE MONTH
LITTLE ROCK AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Coldwell Banker Advantage Real Estate announces their top listers and sellers of the month. Jack Margarella is the Top Lister and the Top Seller for the Hot Springs Village and surrounding areas! Way to go Jack! List and sell now with the best.
December 25, 2006 - Arkansas Business
BENTON OR BUST
BENTON, ARKANSAS
Benton is looking to position itself as a tourist and relocation destination, and its Advertising & Promotions Commission recently chose a firm to help market the Saline County city.
"Benton is in a unique position to become a true travel and relocation destination for Arkansans," said Steve Holcomb, president and CEO at Mangan Holcomb. "With its growing retail shopping and dinng opportunities, enthusiasm for sports and charming downtown area, Benton is poised to become one of the state's flagship communities."
December 14, 2006 -The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce
HOT SPRINGS RANKED TOP TEN LEAST EXPENSIVE
HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS - Hot Springs named the 8th loweest cost of living place to live
Hot Springs ends 2006 listed as one of ten least expensive places to live in the United States. Hot Springs had been ranked just outside the top ten at 12 overall for most of the year prior to CCRA's lates release. The Index is a calculation of the cost of living for 31Sunday urban areas across the United States. According to the report, Hot Springs also has the lowest cost of living index of all Arkansas metro areas.
Being ranked 8th means a Hot Springs resident's dollar has more buying power than it might in other places. Hot Springs is a cost effective place to do business and live. The employees in our area can enjoy a higher standard of living than they could iv given the sam wages in more expensive places.
The cost of living index is based on more than 50,000 prices covering almost 60 different items in the following areas: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods and services. Individual items within the Index are chosen to reflect the difrerent categories of consumer expenditures. When combined, the overall ranking gives cities a general indication of what it cost to live in a given city or region and allows them to track those indicators against the national average.
The report includes data from the major urban areas in all 50 states. Nationally, the least expensive city was McAlester, Oklahoma and the most expensive was New York (Manhattan), NY.
November 29, 2006 - Parade of Homes
ARKANSAS GOLF PROPERTIES.COM ANNOUNCES "WIN A FREE GAME OF GOLF"
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS - Jack Margarella from Arkansas Golf Properties.com gets the good news out in "Parade of Homes".
Now all you have to do is go to Arkansas Golf Properties.com, "click on" Information, enter your name and phone number and on the 15th of each month check back to see if your name has been drawn as a Winner of a Free Game of Golf. Enter as often as you want and make sure and tell your friends.
October 24, 2006 - USA TODAY
WISCONSIN MAN FIND 5.47-CARAT CANARY DIAMOND IN ARKANSAS STATE PARK
MURFREESBORO, ARK (AP) - A Wisconsin man visiting a state park took home the ultimate souvenire: a 5.47-carat canary diamond.
Bob Wehle of Ripon, Wis. found the diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Oct. 14. The park is the world's only publicly operated diamond site where visitors are allowed to search and keep any gems they find.
Wehle's 5.47-carat diamond is bright yellow and has no visible flaws, said Tom Stolarz, park superintendent. It is the second largest gem unearthed this year at the park.
"At first glance, it makes you think of lemon drop candy," Stolarz said.
The park is the world's only publicly operated diamond site where the public is allowed to search and keep any gems they find. The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was found here in1924. Named the Uncle Sam, the white diamond weighed 40.23 carats.
October 23 - 29, 2006 - ARKANSAS BUSINESS
LR HOME PRICES AMONG NATION'S MORE AFFORDABLE
Coldwell Banker's 2006 Home Price Comparison Index shows that Little Rock's average sales price ranks it among the nation's more affordable markets.
According to the national study, a 2,200 SF home in Little Rock costs $198,750. Fayetteville ranged as the state's most expensive market with an average sales price of $248,012. Forth Smith was the most affordable metropolitan area in the state with an average sales price of $179,225.
Despite media attention about the "real estate bubble" affecting parts of the country, Arkansas is enjoying continued appreciation, and home sales in general remain strong, the report said.
According to the National Association of Realtors in Arkansas the 2006 first-quarter resale pace rose 17.9 percent from a year earlier, and the median sales price of existing single-family homes for the Little Rock-North Little Rock area had a 7.8 percent increase by the second quarter of 2006.
The 2006 Coldwell Banker index evaluated home prices in 384 markets following these criteria: Homes were 2,200 SF; had two-and-a-half baths and a family room; and were located in a middle-management neighborhood.
Beverly Hills, Calif., was the study's mos expensive market in 2006 at $1.8 million. Minot, N.D., was the most affordable market at $132,333.
Nine of the 10 most expensive markets in the United States are in California, Greenwich, Conn., ranked eighth with an HPCI average sales price of $1.4 million.
Markets that rank nearest to the HPCI national average sales price of $423,950 include Minneapolis ($421,433) and Northampton, Mass. ($431,000), Bakersvield ($411,500) is the least expensive market in California and a mere 3 percent below the national average.
