The housing market in Northwest Arkansas is being affected across the board from small single family homes and apartments to sprawling luxury estates.  Highly customized luxury homes – from Churchhill Downs in Springdale to Pinnacle Subdivision in Rogers to Talamore in Bentonville – are sitting on the market, waiting for the right buyer and the right price.  Find out why these high-end luxury homes are known throughout the real estate industry as ‘White Elephants.’

What’s a White Elephant?

According to Wikipedia, a white elephantis a valuable possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost (and upkeep) exceeds its usefulness.  The phase comes from Burma, Thailand, Laos and other southeast Asian countries’ Monarchs who kept the sacred animals as a sign of peace and prosperity in their kingdoms.  The animals were considered very sacred and local law protected them from being used for labor.  This meant that receiving a white elephant as a gift was both a blessing and a curse:  a blessing because it meant the receiver was in good standing with the monarch, and a curse because the animal could not be put to practical use (and had to be kept of course, it was a bad thing to sell a gift from a monarch) to offset the cost of maintaining the animal.

White Elephant Luxury Homes in Northwest Arkansas

We have some white elephants here in Northwest Arkansas.  They are given this special title for a couple of reasons…

• Very High end custom property – these properties start around a million dollars here in Northwest Arkansas and go up from there.
• Custom is the keyword here – These homes are built specifically for their high-end owners.  They may have specific amenities and features that very few other people want, making them inherently difficult to sell.

Now, I’m not saying that every home listed for a million or more dollars is a white elephant, I am saying that because of their custom nature – they are hard to find buyers for because buyers for high-end homes will just custom build their own white elephant with amenities to suit their taste and lifestyle.

We currently have 73 properties in Benton and Washington Counties that are listed for $1,000,000 or more.  They average 5 bedrooms, 6 baths and over 7,000 square feet.  The average list price for these 73 properties is $1,770,986 with an average price per square foot of just under $250.00 per foot.  The average days on market for these properties is 202 days and growing.

60 of those are over 5,000 heated square feet.

19 of those are over 8,000 heated square feet.

4 of them are over 10,000 heated square feet.

What you need to take away from this is that there are amazing deals to be had in the luxury home market both in Benton and Washington Counties in Northwest Arkansas, and across the nation.

If you want to know more about great deals on Luxury homes in Northwest Arkansas, contact me or browse current listings to see what’s available.  Check out more information about Luxury homes and subdivisions in Benton and Washington Counties in the Luxury Homes category of this website.

Shadow Valley is an upscale private, gated community, golf course, and country club located in western Rogers Arkansas off Southgate road.  Shadow Valley is a master planned community nestled on 544 acres of Rogers real estate with over 900 homes and townhomes.  Take a look at all that Shadow Valley has to offer it’s current and future residents . . .

Shadow Valley is centrally located.

Live in west Rogers, work anywhere in Northwest Arkansas.  Shadow Valley residents enjoy living in the City of Rogers while their kids go to Bentonville Schools.  The property is easily accessible to Interstate 540, Walmart Home Office, J.B. Hunt, and Tyson corporate offices.

Shadow Valley is full of great amenities:

• A 40,000 square foot modern clubhouse and restaurant
• Championship 18 hole golf course
• Tennis center
• Fitness center
• Swim center
• Walking and jogging trails
• Children’s activity center

Shadow Valley has quality homes and a lifestyle people look for.

In addition to all the amenities of a full service country club and gated community, the homes in Shadow Valley are built by a select group of Premier Builders that have been selected for their attention to detail and total commitment to quality.

• David Harris – David Harris Construction Co.
• Dean Horton – Horton Homes, Inc.
• John Tidwell-  Tanglewood Homes, Inc.
• Judy Enderle- Enderle Construction, Inc.
• Kurt Puttkammer- Kurt Puttkammer Homes
• Lance Johnson – Lance Johnson Building Company
• Phil Wenzinger- Wenzinger Homes
• Vance Puttkammer- Vance M. Puttkammer Homes, Inc.

The Premier builders will create custom or semi-custom homes and also have homes that are in “move-in ready” condition.  Shadow Valley home prices being around $270,000 for a single family home.  Villas, Chateaux’s, and Townhomes begin around $180,000.  Shadow Valley has an architectural control committee that regulates the design of all homes and unimproved property within the grounds, enhancing property values and preserving the beauty of the community.

Shadow Valley Community Fees and Club Memberships

Property Owner’s Association

Shadow Valley does have a POA or property owner’s association that maintains the gatehouse, streetlights and all the common areas within the property.  Dues are $45 per month.

Country Club Membership

All owners of residential property within the Shadow Valley Master Planned Community (SVMPC) must have at least a Social Membership which is $1,000 initiation fee and $85 per month.  This gives you access to the club restaurant, banquet and meeting facilities, tennis shop, golf shop, fitness center, swim center, playground, etc.

An upgraded Tennis Membership affords you all of the social membership benefits plus Indoor and outdoor tennis courts, professional instruction, team tennis, leagues, and tournaments.  The cost of the Tennis Membership is $2,250 initiation fee and $145 per month.

The highest level of membership at Shadow Valley Country Club is a Golf Membership which gives you all the privileges of a Tennis Membership plus use of the golf course, driving range, unlimited range balls, short game practice area, putting clocks, professional instruction, junior programs, leagues, and tournaments.  Golf membership requires a $5,000 initiation fee and $275 per month.  All fees do not include Arkansas sales tax.

Shadow Valley offers another great option for discriminating buyers that are looking for a new home and a new community  that provides safety, community, and luxury.  Let me know if you would like to find out more about Shadow Valley or any master planned community in Northwest Arkansas.  If you are looking for information about other neighborhoods in Northwest Arkansas, check out the Neighborhoods Category of this site.

Do you live in Shadow Valley and want to express your love for your community?  Leave a comment below and let readers know what it’s like to live in this great neighborhood.

Whenever a resident of Northwest Arkansas thinks of a subdivision with the finest luxury homes and amenities, they think of Pinnacle Subdivision and Country Club in Rogers.  Pinnacle is Northwest Arkansas’ premier gated golf community providing security, comfort, and entertainment for anyone that is willing to pay the upscale price.

Pinnacle Subdivision

Pinnacle is located just off interstate 540 on Exit 82.  Head west through the roundabout and you will find yourself at the main gate of Pinnacle Country Club.   The fountains, manicured grounds, and guardhouse should give you an idea of what you can expect inside.   There are approximately 600 lots on 540 acres of rolling Arkansas countryside withing the gates at Pinnacle.  There are a number of lots and homes available for sale in the subdivision with prices ranging from $102,500 up to $270,000 for lots around an acre in size.  Home prices currently range from $233,000 for patio homes and condos up to several million for large estate homes.  Prices per square foot range from the high $120’s/ft. up to over $300/ft.

Pinnacle Country Club Amenities

• Full service championship golf coursedesigned by Don Sechrest with full time golf professional.  Pinnacle Country Club hosts the P&G Beauty NWA LPGA Championship yearly.
• Full service restaurant and club services including formal and casual dining, locker room, and spa facilities, and major club events.
• Award-winning tennis facility with lighted clay and hard courts, certified teaching professionals, and programs for players of all ages and skill levels.
• Swimming facility with certified lifeguards on duty at all times and a full snack bar.  Swimming lessons are available as well.

Security and Membership

• Membership is available to homeowner both inside and outside the Pinnacle gates in the form of Social, Tennis, and Golf membership.  Contact me for details and prices regarding club membership.
• Security and Property Owner Association fees add up to $1,096 per year with the POA fee coming to only $232 annually.
• Security provides twenty-four hour monitoring and patrolling of the grounds, security and safety inspections for homeowners, alarm system monitoring, house watch services, as well as emergency and first aid service.

Pinnacle Country Club provides a destination for luxury lifestyle living that is hard to find anywhere else.  The people, the events, the facilities, and amenities all combine to create a safe sanctuary.  It’s a place you can call home.  To find out more about Pinnacle, it’s amenities and home prices, contact me and keep an eye out for additional articles about Pinnacle and it’s residents.

Are you a resident of Pinnacle?  Readers would love to hear what life is like for you and your family at Pinnacle.  Please take the time to make a comment about your experience.

Hanover Subdivision is one of Bentonville’s premier living neighborhoods.  Located conveniently in northern Bentonville, off Walton Blvd. (71-B), Hanover can be reached by turning west on Ridgefield from Walton.  There are no through streets to adjacent neighborhoods, keeping the traffic to a minimum.  The home lots here are between 0.35 and .80 acres with custom lots somewhat larger, leaving the owner with an beautiful, rolling, and expansive lawn, without the headache of several acres to keep tailored.  When you drive through this subdivision, it feels quiet and formal, in a good way.  It is also a family neighborhood where you are likely to see kids on bikes or couples out for an evening stroll.

Current listings in the subdivision range from the low end of $385,000 all the way up to $899,000.  These Bentonville luxury listings range from $105 – $154 per square foot.

Developed in the mid ninties, Hanover builders were careful to keep many mature trees and build with the natural landscape.  While some homes are less than ten years old, the neighborhood feels solid and estabilished.

As of this writing, there are currently nine homes listed on the market for sale with an additional home for sale by owner.  By all accounts, Hanover is a great place to live, raise a family, or keep an executive or second home. 

If this neighborhood is anywhere near your price range, I highly recommend a neighborhood preview. to determine if this is the place for you.  For more information on Hanover and other luxury subdivision in Bentonville, Rogers, and greater Northwest Arkansas please contact me.