Editorial
Front Page - Monday, November 16, 2009
Want to live the good life? Arnett says pay house off early
Ethan C. Nobles
Special to the Daily Record ecnobles@att.net
Cabot Realtor Ted Arnett has some advice for people looking for financial freedom – by a little less home on a 15-year mortgage on a house rather than one that locks you into 30 years of payments.
“After that, you increase security and set yourself up for an enjoyable life,” he said.
Arnett, principal broker of Arnett Realty and Investment Inc., said that bit of advice stems from 30 years of experience in real estate.
The Arnett family has been involved in central Arkansas real estate since the 1970s; first with Arnett Realty Company in Little Rock, then with Arnett and Associates in North Little Rock and now with Arnett Realty & Investments in Cabot.
In April 2008, Arnett Realty & Investments, primarily a commercial brokerage, expanded to include a residential division.
“God has blessed our company,” Arnett said. “We are proud to have a team that works diligently to meet our clients’ needs. Our motto is to be honest, fair and think of our clients first – all other things will follow.”
Last year, Arnett received his certified commercial investment member designation from the CCIM Institute. That CCIM designation was granted after Arnett took courses and training that help him find commercial clients properties that will result in healthy returns on their investments.
Homebuyers also want to make a good investments, and Arnett said the agents in his office try to help them find properties that are valuable now and will retain their worth in the future.
We try to show our clients why their homes are a good investment,” he said. “We always try to make sure our clients are buying something.”
Arnett said adding a residential division has been a blessing since commercial real estate has slowed significantly. This year, the inventory of homes in Cabot has diminished substantially, particularly on homes costing between $100,000 and $150,000. The shortage, he said, has been caused by rush of buyers hoping to close on houses before Nov. 30 and be eligible for the first-time home buyer tax credit of up to $8,000 from the IRS.
Arnett pointed out that Cabot has a great asset that has helped the housing market remain stable — the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. He said about 40 percent of the people stationed at the base wind up buying homes in Cabot and that will likely continue as long as the base is maintained and Cabot remains an attractive place to live.
Arnett grew up in North Little Rock, moved to Scott in 1992 and moved to Cabot in 2003.
“I absolutely love Cabot,” he said. “Cabot is an inviting, safe place to live and work.
“When you go to McDonald’s and ask for a hamburger, you get friendly customer service. Cabot is a customer service center. Everywhere you go, everyone is nice even when they don’t have a reason to be.”
He said people in Cabot also rally behind their football team, school activities and other endeavors in which people are involved in and can do well.
“In Cabot, if you’re good at anything, someone — if not a lot of people — will try to help and support you,” he said.
Speaking of support, Arnett said he has a great support system at home. He married his wife, Robyn, in 1985. The two of them have worked as a team since they penned Arnett Construction Co. and purchased their first multifamily property in 1988. Robyn is a Realtor and heads up the residential division of Arnett Realty and Investment and oversees the financial end of Arnett Construction Co.
Arnett pointed out his construction company “hasn’t done a lot lately” but had built primarily commercial projects in the past and will likely reenter the “build to suit” business when the market improves.
“She’s been a part of everything I’ve done,” Arnett said of his wife. “We kind of take care of our own sectors. I specialize in mine and she specializes in hers.
“We respect each other. We really work better when we are in a setting where we are constantly together. … We are able to use each other to make day-to-day decisions. You just feel more solid when two people are thinking on the same page.”
The Arnetts have two children – a 10-year-old son named Cole and Dallas, their 8-year-old daughter.
Share
|