So much property in Newton County has sold during the pandemic, that once-affordable land prices have soared. Buyers include couples and familes relocating from crowded urban centers and climate catastrophe zones to carve out new lives on the Ozarks. But others are investors buying up land to develop or market as short-term vacation rentals. We query officials, businesses, locals and newcomers about what the changes portend.
Remote Ozarks County Sees Real Estate Rush
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Lots of land transactions are being filed here at the Newton County Courthouse in downtown Jasper.
J. Froelich / Ozarks at Large
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Newton County Clerk Donnie Davis says his office has been busy filing lots of land transactions.
J. Froelich / Ozarks at Large
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Louisiana migrants Lisa and Kye Duet celebrate after signing papers securing their new Newton County property.”";
J. Froelich / Ozarks at Large
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Jasper Mayor Jan Larson says she welcomes newcomers and the business they bring.
J. Froelich / Ozarks at Large
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Rayne Davidson, principal broker for Arkansas Diamond Realty, says land sales have skyrocketed.
J. Froelich / Ozarks at Large
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Newton County native Don Simpkins who researches local history says eras of migrants have settled in Newton County, starting with indigenous peoples.
J. Froelich / Ozarks at Large
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The historic Ozark Café in downtown Jasper is a popular spot for new migrants, locals and tourists."
J. Froelich / Ozarks at Large
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The Buffalo National River is a major draw for new migrants.
Rayne Davidson
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Parthenon resident Bill Lord is among a few original 1970s back-to-the-land migrants who remain in Newton County.
J. Froelich / Ozarks at Large
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Former Arkansas Senator Randy Laverty, left, stands with son Jim Randy Laverty inside his business, Jasper Farm Supply, recently sold to a farm supply chain.”";
Randy Laverty
