Arkansas Real Estate

            Arkansas is one of those states that falls through the cracks. Is it a southern state? Or maybe a mid-western state? It falls directly on the line dividing two country music capitals of the country, Tennessee and Texas. What does that mean for the music scene in Arkansas? It probably means that those residents, as they dwell in their lush, green lands of Arkansas get the best of both worlds. At least, that’s how it is in the real estate world.

            The architecture styles for homes and buildings in Arkansas know no rules. Styles that have popped up across the country have found a home in Arkansas as well. No matter what your preference is, or what you want your home to look like, Arkansas has you covered. While some states have style themes that guide the real estate market and house designs, Arkansas serves more as a collage of popular styles from throughout the last two hundred years.

            Open up the real estate listings and you’ll see just how diverse the houses are, as well as the agents offering them. Based on neighborhood, the different styles are obvious. Time periods are reflected through the architecture and give the state a classic feeling. Naturally, styles have been dressed up and remodeled over the years, but the various artistic touches have been saved through time. The huge selection of styles may intimidate some real estate shoppers, but most people already have an idea of what they like in a house. The hard part is just figuring out which real estate style those preferences fall under.

            One of the popular residential styles is Neoclassical. Houses within this movement are generally grand in scale and fit the mold of what most people imagine when they picture a southern mansion. Everything on the real estate property is perfectly manicured, and overall home design is extremely detailed. Usually these homes feature a front porch with wide, tall columns supporting a full height overhang. The columns are naturally classically designed to match the appearance of original Roman creations. Besides being a common design for wealthy residential areas, Neoclassical buildings are often featured for government offices or commercial buildings.

             On the opposite side of the style scale, the Tudor Revival style is a favorite for those seeking a more cozy and humble abode. The most pertinent features of these homes are the chimneys. The architects during the Tudor Revival loved chimneys. Chimneys on these houses are usually massive and decorative. They tower over the home, and sometimes feature chimney pots. While reviewing real estate listings concentrating on Tudor Revival homes, it is easy to notice that another attribute of this style is the steep, slanting roofs. These homes are typically made with stone or brick, and definitely reflect their Tudor inspiration.

            For those shopping for a less traditional piece of real estate in Arkansas, there is also an Art Deco presence in this state. Art Deco appeared in real estate around the time that space travel was debuting and people’s minds were bustling with the machine age. Shiny aluminum materials began to appear on commercial buildings like bus stations and movie theatres. Homes on the Art Deco style have concentrated tall vertical lines. The emphasis is on height. Symbols and geometric figures embellish homes in this mode and as a general rule, walls are sleek and smooth.

            One of the oldest residential home styles is the French Colonial. Real estate agents would encourage these to buyers who have an appreciation of fine antiques. These houses are glorious with an unshakable classic finesse. This real estate style started in the early 1800s and was popular across the country until the middle of the nineteenth century, around 1860. They feature sunlit homes with many windows and doors. All the windows are narrow and will typically have shutters. A large front porch is the most noticeable feature when looking at one of these homes. The roof is different from many other styles because it is most commonly a double-pitched hipped roof. The roof is steeply pitched over the house, and then switched to a low slope over the porch.

            A home style unlike all the others is the Contemporary Folk. Contemporary Folk style residential and commercial buildings make up over fifteen percent of all homes in Arkansas. For all of those real estate shoppers interested in quick, easy, and cheap this is the perfect style! Contemporary Folk includes mobile homes, A-frames, and Geodesic Domes. They aren’t restricted to only residential structures, as many commercial companies utilize these designs. Contemporary Folk does not concentrate on details or look appeal, instead focusing mainly on function and price. These homes and commercial buildings are always cheap. Within this style, mobile homes are by far the most common in Arkansas.

            An artistic architectural style that is still be built today is the Modern style. Houses that fall under the Modern style started in the early 1900s, around1935. There are several extremely popular home models that fall under the Modern style, including the split-level and ranch. A split-level home benefits from two stories that are both easily accessible from the entryway. Upon entering the home, a visitor has a choice to ascend half a flight of steps or descend half a flight to the lower level. This style has blossomed since World War II. The other common style, the ranch, is a single story house that is built along a horizontal line. Homes in this style put emphasis on how wide the piece of property is. Ranch styles exploded during the 1950s and 60’s but while they are still built today, they are less sought out.

            This is only the beginning in explaining just how vast and diverse the real estate market, and the array or real estate agents there are to choose from in Arkansas. Not all states get the luxury of being able to boast the natural prevalence of so many housing styles. Even though Arkansas is one of the smaller states in the United States, it is truly a real estate agent’s dream, because there is a home for everyone.