Fayetteville showed strength in the expensive home competition in 2018, but Benton County still rules the northwest Arkansas roost.
Washington and Benton counties combined for 33 home sales of $1 million or more in 2018. That was a significant increase from the 19 such homes sold in 2017 and six more than 2016.
Of the 33 homes, 13 were sold in Washington County, with 10 of those in Fayetteville, including three of the four most expensive. The most expensive home was a $3.8 million purchase in the growing Bridgewater Estates subdivision in west Fayetteville, bought by Chad Morris, who has completed his first season as head football coach at the University of Arkansas.
In a UA twist, Morris’ predecessor, Bret Bielema, sold the region’s fourth most-expensive house, a $1.83 million residence in the same Bridgewater subdivision.
“That’s a very good year; that is the way we have seen things going,” said Brandon Long, owner and broker at Weichert Realtors-The Griffin Co. in Bentonville. “There has been a steady increase in the sales price. [Thirty-three] kind of surprises me a little bit, but I knew there were more.
“We have been increasing from anywhere to 5 to 10 percent a year on price, depending on which municipality you’re in, so it doesn’t take too many $900,000 houses to get up over a million.”
As usual, a large percentage of the 20 $1 million-plus homes sold in Benton County were in the Pinnacle Country Club subdivision that surrounds the golf course in Rogers. Nine were in the Pinnacle gated community and two more were in adjacent, equally ritzy neighborhoods.
Long said market research shows that 20 to 24 houses priced at $500,000 or more are being sold each month in northwest Arkansas, and from that figure he extrapolated that two or three are $1 million or more. He said that is the sign of a strong market, which Long said has been helped by the development of amenities such as Arkansas Children’s Hospital Northwest, which opened in January 2018.
“We have a low absorption rate so sellers are still calling the shots,” Long said. “That’s a big number. There are builders building to that [$500,000-plus] number, too. The more houses you see over $1 million being sold, it just goes to show you how healthy our market is as far as jobs, livability. Our market in general is great.”
1. $3.8 Million
Buyer: Chad and Paula Morris
Seller: Stuart and Melanie Scott
Neighborhood: Bridgewater Estates, Fayetteville
Date: May 7 | Year Built: 2010 | SF: 11,023
Chad Morris is the head football coach at the University of Arkansas. Stuart Scott is chief information officer and executive vice president for J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. of Lowell.
This home made the list of most expensive sales, ranking fifth, when Scott bought it for $1.18 million in 2015.
Then, as now, the home has five full bathrooms and a 1,928-SF guest house.
2. $2.85 Million
Buyer: RZR LLC, led by Rayburn Green
Seller: J. Kirk Thompson
Neighborhood: Bates, Fayetteville
Date: Nov. 28 | Year Built: 1951 | SF: 3,735
Rayburn W. Green is a partner at the Kutak Law Firm in Fayetteville. Kirk Thompson is the former CEO and current chairman of the board of J.B. Hunt Transport in Lowell and is a member of the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. The home, the historic Hotz House, underwent a substantial renovation recently. It has four bedrooms, 2½ baths and an outdoor kitchen, among other amenities.
3. $2.55 Million
Buyer: Stephan and Deborah Barnes
Seller: Brad and Vicki Conner
Neighborhood: Beaver Lake
Date: Nov. 12 | Year Built: 2005 | SF: 6,220
Stephan Barnes is a senior vice president at Ozark Mountain Poultry, which was acquired by George’s Inc. in 2018. Brad Conner is vice chairman of consumer banking for Citizens Financial Group. The house has five bedrooms and five bathrooms and sits on 23 acres on a point at Beaver Lake. The grounds include a nine-hole golf course and a private boat dock.
4. $1.83 Million
Buyer: Richard and Antoinette Reagan
Seller: Bret and Jennifer Bielema
Neighborhood: Bridgewater Estates, Fayetteville
Date: May 29 | Year Built: 2011 | SF: 5,723
Richard Reagan is a Fort Smith businessman. Bielema was the head football coach at the University of Arkansas before being fired after the 2017 season ended.
The home sits on 2 acres and has four bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms and five garages.
5. $1.59 Million
Buyer: Christopher and Meagan Rosie Nicholas
Seller: Tracy and Kevin Mitchell
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: June 27 | Year Built: 2012 | SF: 5,168
Chris Nicholas is the deputy CFO for Walmart International in Bentonville. The house was the eighth most expensive home in 2016 when the Mitchells bought it for $1.39 million. The property has five bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms, a saltwater pool and a 1,674-SF guest house.
6. $1.58 Million
Buyer: Matthew D. Mitchell and Michelle Canode
Seller: Christopher and Morgan Chandler
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: Dec. 5 | Year Built: 2008 | SF: 7,862
Mathew Mitchell is an attorney with Friday Eldredge & Clark in Rogers. Chris Chandler is the CEO of Chandler Equipment in Springdale, and Morgan Chandler is a real estate agent with Portfolio Luxury Real Estate. The house has floor-to-ceiling windows, five bedrooms and five bathrooms, in addition to a wine cellar, theater room and pool with a cabana.
7. $1.4 Million
Buyer: Paul and Kelly Cash
Seller: Jamie and Deana Vangel
Neighborhood: Beaver Lake
Date: Sept. 28 | Year Built: 2006 | SF: 2,474
Paul Cash is the president of Cash & Sons LP Gas Co. and owns Cash’s Travel Plaza locations. Jamie Vangel is the owner of J Vangel Electric Inc. in Joplin, Missouri.
The home is a four-bedroom, four-bath log house on 3 acres on the shore of Beaver Lake and has a private boat dock and 2,262-SF basement.
8. $1.39 Million
Buyer: Angela and Matthew Lyle
Seller: Laura and Timothy Wilkin
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: July 5 | Year Built: 2010 | SF: 6,581
Angela Lyle is a general surgeon in Rogers. Laura Wilkin is a former senior vice president at Walmart Inc. who now is a senior vice president at Petco. The two-story house has five bedrooms, 5½ baths, a pool and an outdoor fireplace, as well as a media room and three wet bars.
9. $1.3 Million
Buyer: Amy Tu and Christian Hasenoehrl
Seller: Stephen and Cynthia Ann McClanahan
Neighborhood: Clear Creek, Fayetteville
Date: Feb. 23 | Year Built: 2007 | SF: 4,350
Amy Tu is executive vice president and general counsel at Tyson Foods Inc. in Springdale, and Christian Hasenoehrl is a global marketing consultant. Steve McClanahan is a former executive with Anderson Merchandisers and now runs a management company in Alabama. The two-story house is inside the gated community surrounding Tyson Chairman John Tyson’s Blessings Golf Course. It has a covered deck and 4½ bathrooms.
10. $1.25 Million
Buyer: Patrick and Claire Reed
Seller: Jeffrey and Dawn Scroggins
Neighborhood: Beaver Lake
Date: March 6 | Year Built: 2007 | SF: 4,455
Patrick Reed is a retired executive vice president and COO of FedEx Freight in North America. Jeff Scroggins is vice president at Blue Buffalo, in charge of its accounts with Walmart and Sam’s Club.
The house is a four-bedroom, three-bath cedar lodge on 3 acres at Beaver Lake. It has a two-story living room, a boat dock and a wrap-around porch.
11. $1.22 Million
Buyer: Brett and Kara Lynn Biggs
Seller: HMR LLC and 5 Beau Chene Lane LLC, led by Seaborn Bell, Douglas Robertson and Richard Downing
Neighborhood: Beau Chene, Rogers
Date: Aug. 16 | Year Built: 1993 | SF: 6,414
12. $1.20 Million
Buyer: Hunter and Jennifer Yurachek
Seller: Charles Michael Russell
Neighborhood: Summersby, Fayetteville
Date: Jun. 25 | Year Built: 2009 | SF: 7,068
12. $1.20 Million
Buyer: Mark and Amy Mohs
Seller: Travis and Shannon Maudlin
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: Mar. 01 | Year Built: 2011 | SF: 5,226
12. $1.20 Million
Buyer: Joseph and Amanda Blackmon
Seller: Pettigrew Ranch LLC, led by Betty Downing
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: Jun. 05 | Year Built: 2006 | SF: 7,086
12. $1.20 Million
Buyer: SMC 2016 Trust
Seller: Donald Rex and Lula Susan Barrett
Neighborhood: Beaver Lake
Date: Dec. 07 | Year Built: 2010 | SF: 2,851
16. $1.19 Million
Buyer: Janie Sherwood Revocable Trust
Seller: Tom Lutz Trust
Neighborhood: Sunrise Mountain, Fayetteville
Date: Feb. 05 | Year Built: 2007 | SF: 3,678
16. $1.19 Million
Buyer: Steve and Lori Breen
Seller: Timothy and Maureen Evans Simmons
Neighborhood: Centerton
Date: Oct. 25 | Year Built: 2014 | SF: 6,143
18. $1.18 Million
Buyer: Barbara Messing and Edgar Waingortin
Seller: John and Dawn McDowell
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: Aug. 10 | Year Built: 2008 | SF: 5,550
18. $1.18 Million
Buyer: Community Funding LLC, led by Mark Todd Simmons
Seller: Scott Anthony and Shizuko Price
Neighborhood: Clear Creek, Fayetteville
Date: Feb. 26 | Year Built: 2005 | SF: 5,356
18. $1.18 Million
Buyer: Douglas and LeeAnn Kulka
Seller: Michael and Amy Sweeney
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: Jul. 27 | Year Built: 2005 | SF: 4,605
21. $1.15 Million
Buyer: Adam Scott and Jennifer Marie Deckinger
Seller: Randall Meier
Neighborhood: Har-Ber Meadows, Springdale
Date: Jun. 29 | Year Built: 2004 | SF: 7,400
21. $1.15 Million
Buyer: Julie Rieger and Suzanne Taylor
Seller: Thomas Hinton and Emily Hinton
Neighborhood: Clear Creek, Fayetteville
Date: Sept. 13 | Year Built: 2005 | SF: 8,700
23. $1.13 Million
Buyer: Parth Parag Raval and Ami Harshad Thakkar
Seller: Diane and Maarten Jager
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: May. 11 | Year Built: 2006 | SF: 3,854
24. $1.09 Million
Buyer: Tracy and Jane Duke
Seller: Kristy Huynh and Michael Perrin
Neighborhood: Clear Creek, Fayetteville
Date: May. 23 | Year Built: 2005 | SF: 6,145
25. $1.08 Million
Buyer: Timothy and Maureen Evans Simmons
Seller: Francis Mark and Kimberly Wynnette Lauderdale
Neighborhood: Talamore, Rogers
Date: Nov. 26 | Year Built: 2014 | SF: 6,311
26. $1.07 Million
Buyer: Patricia and Noel White
Seller: Janet Markel
Neighborhood: Beaver Lake
Date: Apr. 23 | Year Built: 2002 | SF: 4,500
27. $1.05 Million
Buyer: Robert Fusillo
Seller: Nicholas Eugene and Autumn Faith Allen
Neighborhood: Tontitown
Date: May. 24 | Year Built: 2005 | SF: 4,841
28. $1.04 Million
Buyer: Taronzi Latriece Watkins and Bobby James Willis
Seller: Homes of Distinction Inc.
Neighborhood: Centerton
Date: Aug. 20 | Year Built: 2018 | SF: 4,709
29. $1.03 Million
Buyer: Elie and Rosemary Zabal
Seller: Matthew and Fauhn Vickers
Neighborhood: Pinnacle, Rogers
Date: Feb. 23 | Year Built: 2006 | SF: 4,251
29. $1.03 Million
Buyer: Christopher and Jacqueline Turner
Seller: David and Robin Hampton
Neighborhood: Beaver Lake
Date: Jan. 12 | Year Built: 2015 | SF: 4,766
31. $1.01 Million
Buyer: Richard Devin Graham and Adriana Lopez Wilhelm
Seller: Sharon Sweetser
Neighborhood: Bridgewater Estates, Fayetteville
Date: Jan. 12 | Year Built: 2009 | SF: 5,038
32. $1.00 Million
Buyer: Donald Ray and Sandra Lynn Smith
Seller: Linda Dare McBride
Neighborhood: Downtown Fayetteville
Date: Nov. 27 | Year Built: 2000 | SF: 2,090
32. $1.00 Million
Buyer: Brendan and Leigh Quirk
Seller: Allen and Leah Bates
Neighborhood: Downtown Bentonville
Date: Apr. 06 | Year Built: 2016 | SF: 3,418
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