Pulaski County’s Most Expensive Home Sales of 2024

(Jason Burt)

Luxury home sales in Pulaski County remained strong in 2024.

For the fourth consecutive year, Arkansas Business increased the floor price of the homes it follows, raising it another $250,000 to $2 million. In 2024, 10 homes sold for $2 million or more, down from 11 homes sold in 2023.

But for the second consecutive year, all of the top 10 homes sold for $2 million or more.

“The rising cost of homes over the past few years has pushed properties that once sold for under $2 million above that threshold,” Jon Underhill, who sells upscale homes through his own agency in Little Rock, said via email. “The cost of building a custom home at this level has increased by more than 40%, and land prices have also surged, contributing to the higher price point.”

Casey Jones, who sells for the Janet Jones Co. of Little Rock, said luxury homes in Pulaski County now start at $1.5 million. “People are much more comfortable spending that level of money in Little Rock now than they were 10 or 15 years ago,” he said.

Jones also said that there’s not enough inventory. He said that high-end homes, if they are priced accurately, can sell within 30 to 90 days.

“The right house can sell the first day, and with multiple offers,” Jones said. “The location is still paramount, along with the quality.”

Underhill said that while there appears to be a substantial number of high-end listings, many are overpriced. “Well-priced, desirable homes continue to sell quickly,” he said. “In fact, I’ve sold three homes over $2 million this year before they even hit the market.”

One of the trends he’s noticing, Underhill said, is buyers placing less emphasis on square footage and more on high-end finishes and design details. “Outdoor living spaces remain a top priority, with many buyers valuing seamless indoor-outdoor integration,” he said.

Jones said that the majority of upper-end buyers appreciate the amenity of having a pool because it “incorporates into the outdoor living space.”

Some home features that were popular a few years ago have fallen out of favor, such as formal home theaters, wine tasting rooms and libraries, Underhill said. “Granite countertops are being replaced by more modern materials, and carpeting is being phased out in favor of real wood flooring,” he said.

For this list, Arkansas Business used interviews, the real estate website Zillow, public real estate records and other documents to briefly describe the 10 most expensive Pulaski County homes sold in 2024, as well as their buyers.

1. $3.15 Million

Buyers: Eva Regel & Henry Skinner | Sellers: Rick & Deanna Ferguson | Neighborhood: Waterview Estates | Date Sold: May 29 | Year Built: 2010 | SF: 7,980

Eva Regel and Henry Skinner bought this home, which features a pool and five bathrooms. Henry Skinner is the CEO of AMR Action Fund, which has its U.S. headquarters in Boston. The company invests in biotechnology companies that are developing treatments for patients suffering from life-threatening antimicrobial-resistant infections, according to its website. Skinner also is a microbiologist and venture investor. Before joining AMR, he had been in leadership roles in the pharmaceutical, biotech and venture capital industries. Skinner was a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine in the Department of Human & Molecular Genetics.

2. $3 Million

Buyer: Pro Window & Door Inc., led by Jim Draper Jr. | Seller: Phelps Family Trust | Neighborhood: Varennes Court | Date Sold: March 8 | Year Built: 2019 | SF: 7,513

This home features multiple outdoor entertaining areas, including a cabana, cigar porch and space for golf cart parking. The home also has seven bathrooms. Pro Window & Door Inc., led by Jim Draper Jr., bought the home last March. Pro Window & Door makes vinyl windows and patio doors, according to its website. Founded in 1978, Pro Window is family-owned and operated. “Our longstanding motto is ‘whatever it takes,’ and that includes doing whatever it takes to satisfy customers and employees,” Draper told Arkansas Business in 2018.

3. $2.6 Million

Buyer: Clay & Lynn Gilliland Family Trust | Seller: Rodney A. Thomason Revocable Trust | Neighborhood: River Club | Date Sold: Aug. 23 | Year Built: 2002 | SF: 5,286

This home, near the Little Rock Yacht Club, features a formal dining room and study, a gourmet kitchen that opens to a breakfast area and a den with a fireplace. The property also has a large stone patio surrounding the pool, an outdoor screened porch with a full kitchen and a guest house. Clay Gilliland is a senior portfolio strategist at Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC of Little Rock. The native Arkansan has more than 34 years of experience in the financial services industry, the company’s website said.

4. $2.55 Million

Buyer: Terry Barnes Revocable Trust | Seller: Jason Dickinson Living Trust | Neighborhood: Beau Vue Estates | Date Sold: April 18 | Year Built: 2018 | SF: 5,522

Designed by architects Jim and Ellen Yeary of Little Rock and built by the custom home builder Parkinson Building Group of Little Rock, this home sits on 5.5 acres in the Beau Vue Estates neighborhood. It has floor-to-ceiling windows in the living areas that offer views of the Arkansas River Valley and Pinnacle Mountain State Park. The Terry Barnes Revocable Trust bought the four-bedroom home, which has an infinity pool and covered outdoor living and kitchen areas. Terry Barnes is the vice president of the BBA Corp. of Little Rock, which operates textbook-related companies and offers campus retail services.

5. $2.5 Million

Peter and Elizabeth Gleason bought this custom-built two-story house featuring an open floor plan. The five-bedroom home also has wood floors, four fireplaces and a covered outdoor entertainment area. The house, built in 2023, backs up to the woods. Peter Gleason is senior vice president for business strategy and development at Bank OZK of Little Rock. He received his MBA from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business in 2015. Gleason is the son of Bank OZK’s chairman and CEO, George Gleason.

6. $2.3 Million

Buyer: WE Realty Co., led by Codney Washington | Seller: Eugene Edward Sloan & Moyuen Mimi Lee Living Trust | Neighborhood: River Ridge Manor | Date Sold: July 30 | Year Built: 2011 | SF: 9,108

Codney Washington said he bought this six-bedroom home in the River Ridge Manor neighborhood because of the view. “It’s always been an area that I thought if a home we really liked came available, then we would take advantage of it,” Washington said. The three-story home, overlooking the Arkansas River, features a pool and basketball court. Washington is a contractor at Washington Enterprises LLC of Little Rock. His wife is Dr. Abeer Washington, who practices psychiatry and is the medical director for psychiatry at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.

6. $2.3 Million

This five-bedroom five-level home features 20-foot ceilings in the grand entrance and living room. Eugene “Dale” and Linda Sumpter bought the house, which has custom woodwork, an elevator and a pool. The home also has a four-car garage. Dale and Linda Sumpter met as students at the University of Texas at Austin, according to the June/July 2016 issue of Tyler Today Magazine. She was a nurse practitioner and he worked in the oil and gas industry.

8. $2.28 Million

Buyer: Denisha Shepard | Seller: 3700 Avondale LLC, led by Marcus Barela | Neighborhood: North Little Rock’s Park Hill | Date Sold: Aug. 8 | Year Built: 2010 | SF: 12,449

Denisha Shepard bought this five-bedroom home in North Little Rock’s Park Hill neighborhood. The four-story house sits on 5.5 acres and features two private boat docks, a saltwater pool, waterfall and outdoor kitchen. Inside the home is an indoor basketball court, theater and safe room. The home also comes with a gym, wine cellar, library and elevator.

9. $2.2 Million

This Heights home sits on two lots. Kevin and Vicki Scanlon bought the house, which has a gourmet kitchen and a primary bedroom that has views of the pool with waterfall. Kevin Scanlon is executive vice president and head of the Private Wealth Management Division of Stephens Inc., the independent financial services firm in Little Rock. He joined the company in 1987. He is a member of the University of Arkansas Walton School of Business dean’s executive advisory board and the University of Arkansas Razorback Foundation board.

10. $2.17 Million

Buyers: James Adams & Deanna Sasaki-Adams | Sellers: Leon & Roxanne Catlett | Neighborhood: The Heights | Date Sold: Sept. 4 | Year Built: 1989 | SF: 6,312

This Heights home, built in 1989, has 15-foot ceilings in the formal living room. The backyard features a pool and fountain. James Adams and Dr. Deanna Sasaki-Adams bought the home, which also has a three-car garage and an elevator. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine recently named Sasaki-Adams chair of the Department of Neurosurgery. The vascular and skull base neurosurgeon also serves as the Department of Neurosurgery’s vice chair of Quality & Clinical Operations, medical director of UAMS neurosurgery services and associate program director for the neurosurgery residency program.