Ozarks Resort for the Winter

I will be spending November through February or four glorious months in the Natural State at the Bayou Resort at Eagles Rest on Lake Norfork in Gamaliel, Arkansas.  I am so excited.  I need a break and I'm tired of the stress and worry of having my dog be outdoors for the winter.  She's always been indoors, except for the past two years.  I figure she's done her time outdoors.  She seemed to be fine about it, but I don't think it's ideal.  I figure if I spend the next two or three winters away and summers too starting next summer, then work here without any living costs for the other five months, I'll have enough money within that timeframe to buy my own place.  So it works out in all ways.

This is a one room cabin, which is what I will have, except with one bed and a loveseat.  Perfect.  The kitchen comes completely stocked, except for food, of course.  The bathrooms have been newly remodeled and they look nice.  There's satellite TV with HBO and Cinemax and WiFi, so I will be sticking with my regular routine of working online and watching TV.  I love working at home.  The beauty of not being tied to an office is that I can take it on the road.  Not many jobs you can say that about.  The owners gave me an unbeatable monthly rate and their emails were so nice and sweet.  You won't find many innkeepers like that.  I'm not sure why most innkeepers have such an aversion to doing business via email.

This will be my view.

Here's some interesting information taken from Bayou Resort's web page:

"When out on the lake you'll see there are no homes or buildings on the water's edge.  With the exception of one small area, all buildings are on ridgetops well back from the shoreline.  This is because it is illegal to build on the "Corps Strip," a federally owned band of land all around the lake.

"Without the Corps Strip, Norfork Lake would not be the pristine, natural experience it is known for.  Instead of buildings, you see hardwood forests, limestone bluffs, and cedar glades, all diverse eco-land types well populated with wildlife and wildflowers.  This natural beauty comes at the small price of having buildings set back an average of a quarter to a half-mile from the water's edge."

Here's an aerial view of Fout Boat Dock, which is right next to Bayou Resort.  It's my understanding that what makes a resort in the Ozark Mountains is access to boating, fishing and water sports, such as scuba diving, water skiing and swimming.

And here's the swimming pool.  I'm not so sure I'll be taking advantage of this though, unless there's some warm winter days and they keep it open.  Ozark winters are mild, but there is snow.

It will be nice to have life with just myself and my Saint Bernard again.  I'm certainly looking forward to it.  Peace and quiet.

UPDATE:  I've actually cancelled my reservation.  I'm pretty surprised myself.  Call me superstitious, but my oldest friend called me up out of the blue and whenever that happens, it's always a sign that my future travel plans are out of sync with what's good for me, hence the change in plans.

Land with Mobile Home

This one-acre parcel has the most gorgeous trees.  I just love it.  The mobile home is very nice too.  It's got a kitchen just like my mobile home did in Hays, Kansas, and I loved that kitchen.  And it's only $19,500.  Can't beat that.  But it will still be a couple years before I have my house money saved up.  Car first, which is happening in just a few months!  Exciting, for sure.  I feel like this blog is turning into my search for the perfect home, which is fine.  I suppose after I find it, then I can devote my entries to photography, sightseeing and life.

This land and 1986 mobile home is near Houston, Missouri in Texas County, which puts it in the Ozarks region I like the most, south-central Missouri.  It is 980 square feet with two bedrooms and one bath.  It's on rural water and electric, so I've got all the amenities of home, but with all the beauty of the countryside.  It's on a dead end road.  Yearly taxes are only $54.57.  Can't beat that either.  Here's a photo.  Click on the link to be taken to the realtor.

The property above is my favorite because those trees are just incredible, but the location is not ideal for me.  A little too far north for my tastes.  I prefer being further south.  But you couldn't ask for a better setting.

I found another one closer to Mountain Grove, my preferred go-to town, as I call it, so that makes it extremely desirable.  It is also a two-bedroom, which is all I need, and a newer one being a 1995.  It's on two acres, so more land, plus there's a fireplace in the living room.  Here's a photo of it and clicking the photo will take you to the realtor.

It's also in my favorite Missouri Ozarks county of Douglas and close to my favorite swimming hole, Bryant Creek.  It's in a real pretty area.  It is selling for $24,000.  It has a well, so some utility savings there.  I don't know the taxes on this one, but property taxes in the Ozarks are very low.

And one final one even further south in beautiful Ozark County near the very tiny town of Theodosia.  Ozark County is right on the Arkansas stateline and is one of the most heavily forested and gorgeous counties in the Ozark Mountains.  Also, two bedrooms, a 1973, but it's on two lots, so not as much land.  It's priced at only $16,900 and is 1,260 square feet.  It's got a nice deck.  Here's what it looks like and the photo takes you to the realtor.

This one has the advantage of joining the government lake line, so it is protected forest, which makes up for that lack of acreage.  And it is a mere three minutes to Theodosia Marina and Bull Shoals Lake.  It is on rural water and sewer, and comes with furniture, all appliances, and a stand-alone wood burner. Taxes are $90 a year.  All three mobile homes have CA/CH.

Something like one of these is what I'd like to find down the road when I've got my home money saved up.  Good price, a little bit of land, all utilities and a nice mobile home.  If I can find a cabin or a small house that is not in town, that would be great too, but cabins tend to run more money and houses tend to be in town.  I don't want to spend a ton of money to live well because I'm not into being in debt for anything, so I will be buying a place outright.

Another option is that I could find land and buy it.  Then find a mobile home and buy it and move it onto the land.  I found a nice mobile home for only $5,500 in the area, so moving costs would be low.  It'd sure be nice to have it already set up; less expensive, I'm sure, and much less of a hassle too.  Otherwise, I'll have to be on rural water and electric, or pay to have a well drilled, a septic system put in and electric ran to the property.  That can add up.

UPDATE:  The first one with the idyllic setting has dropped from $19,500 to $17,500.  The second one in Douglas County near Bryant Creek has dropped from $24,000 to only $16,000.  Wow!  That's quite a price drop.  The third one is the same price and still on the market as of November 2010.