Hot Springs Village Inside Out

Sometimes the best rides — and conversations — happen when there really isn’t much of an agenda. But, I do have some things on my mind thanks to the questions YOU ask. Your input informs the episodes I produce. Including this one!

I climbed aboard the XMAX and headed out for a ride around Hot Springs Village. The weather was beautiful, the roads were inviting, and I had a few things on my mind to share with you.

First, Porch Prowling season is back! Cooler, more comfortable weather means it’s a great time for me to start visiting more of your porches. These episodes have always been about more than houses. I enjoy seeing how people actually live in Hot Springs Village, hearing their stories, and showing you the different ways people create a life here.

I’m also working on an updated cost-of-living episode for Hot Springs Village. I know that’s an important subject for people considering retirement here. The early spoiler is that I’m not finding dramatic changes. But I want to dig into the numbers and give you an updated look at what it really costs to live here.

Then there are a couple of fears I occasionally hear from viewers.

One is the concern that POA assessments could eventually get out of control. That deserves some context because our governing documents place limits on how assessment increases can happen, including circumstances that require approval by the membership. Rather than simply worrying about what could happen, I think it’s useful to understand how HSV is actually governed.

The other fear is almost the opposite: What if everybody discovers Hot Springs Village?

Could HSV suddenly experience explosive growth and lose the character that makes it special?

I don’t think that’s especially likely.

Hot Springs Village has been here for more than half a century and is still only about one-third developed. We’re also not sitting on the edge of Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Atlanta, or another huge metropolitan area with millions of people pushing outward toward us.

That doesn’t mean HSV won’t continue to grow. I hope it does. Healthy, sustainable growth is good for a community.

But there’s quite a distance between healthy growth and suddenly waking up one morning to discover that everybody in America has moved to Hot Springs Village.

So this episode really did begin with no agenda.

Just a ride.

But that’s one of the things I enjoy about riding around Hot Springs Village. There’s always something to see, something to think about, and something worth talking about.

Come ride along.

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Today we’re going to visit just a few of the amenities found inside Hot Springs Village: the pool, pickleball courts and a great children’s playground.

Click here for the 2026 Hot Springs Village Fee Schedule for the amenities.

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Have you ever dreamed about retiring somewhere near the water? Maybe you’d love a lake view, a boat nearby, or simply the feeling that comes from living in a beautiful lake community.

If that’s part of your retirement dream, Hot Springs Village deserves a serious look.

Yesterday morning I hopped on the XMAX and took another ride through some of the neighborhoods around Lake Balboa. I wanted to do a follow-up addition to Friday’s episode and give you a glimpse of some more neighborhoods on Hot Springs Village’s largest lake, Balboa.

I’m not trying to sell you a particular house—or even convince you that you need to live directly on the water. I simply want to show you what’s possible here.

One of the things that makes Hot Springs Village interesting is that lake living can mean different things. For some people, the dream is a home right on the water. For others, it’s living close enough to enjoy the lakes without paying for waterfront property. Either way, you’re surrounded by the natural beauty that makes this place special.

So come ride along with me around Lake Balboa and take a look for yourself.

If you’ve been dreaming about retiring to a lake community, maybe Hot Springs Village belongs on your list.

Invite me to prowl your porch. Email me at [email protected] 

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Let’s scoot through a couple of neighborhoods around Lake Balboa, Hot Springs Village’s largest lake. Many retirees dream of, at long last, being on lakefront property. You can realize that dream here inside Hot Springs Village.

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I’ve been thinking about retirement and how we often talk about it as though the goal is simply to get away from something. We retire from the job, the commute, the meetings, the deadlines, the stress—all the stuff we’ve spent decades dealing with. But I’m convinced there’s a better question to ask: What are you retiring TO? Because sooner or later, the newness of not having to go to work wears off. Then what? I think we all need something that gives us a reason to get up in the morning. Maybe it’s spending more time with people we love. Maybe it’s golf, riding a scooter around Hot Springs Village, volunteering, traveling, learning something new, creating something, or just being more involved in a community. It doesn’t have to be some grand purpose. It just needs to matter to you. That’s one of the things I appreciate about life here in Hot Springs Village—there are so many opportunities to figure out what you want this next chapter to look like. Retirement shouldn’t just be about finally stopping something you’ve been doing for 40 years. Maybe the bigger opportunity is deciding what you’d like to start. Don’t just retire FROM something. Retire TO something.

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Come ride with me around Lake Isabella in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Exploring the Village on the Yamaha XMAX lets me notice neighborhoods that are easy to miss while driving from place to place. I enjoy the closer view. It also helps me spot details locals talk about. Lake Isabella offers beautiful lake views and attractive homes. Winding roads add to the village’s charm. The quiet, peaceful atmosphere makes Hot Springs Village special. In this episode, there is no big agenda. We’re simply taking a ride and letting you see what life around Lake Isabella looks like. If you’re considering retiring or moving to Hot Springs Village, I hope these rides help you get a better feel for the place we call home.

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Late yesterday afternoon, with low humidity and cooler temps, I enjoyed day 2 of Fall 2026 on my back deck. It was an opportunity for this special episode. Enjoy!

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Welcome to the August 2026 edition of Rick Marshall’s real estate update, followed by You Ask. We Answer. Rick and I decided there’s no better place in mid-September than aboard his boat on beautiful Lake Balboa around sunset. We discuss the Hot Springs Village real estate market’s August 2026 developments. Then we address viewers’ questions about living, retiring, buying a home, and everyday life in the Village.

By the way, I now have Rick’s phone number memorized. Call or text him at (501) 601-RICK.

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A single email.

Afternoon thunder.

Cool front finally arrives.

A special episode recorded/released Monday afternoon, September 21, 2026.

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There are certain mornings when you can just feel the season beginning to change — and this was one of them.

I headed out early on the Yamaha XMAX for another ride through Hot Springs Village, and the temperature was a crisp 66 degrees. After months of warm Arkansas mornings, I made the mistake of thinking 66 wouldn’t feel all that chilly.

So I left the jacket at home.

That was a mistake.

Once the scooter was moving and the cool morning air started hitting me, 66 degrees suddenly felt considerably cooler. It was easily the chilliest morning ride I’ve taken as we approach the fall of 2026.

But it was also absolutely beautiful.

The early morning light coming through the trees, quiet roads winding through the Village, and that unmistakable coolness in the air offered the first little hint that summer won’t be with us much longer.

One of the things I enjoy most about living in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, is experiencing the changing seasons. We get plenty of hot summer days, but eventually mornings like this begin showing up. Before long, the leaves will start changing, temperatures will become more comfortable, and one of the prettiest times of the year in the Ouachita Mountains will arrive.

And riding the XMAX has given me an entirely different way to experience it.

From inside a car, 66 degrees is just a number displayed on the dashboard. On a scooter, you experience every degree of it! You notice the temperature, the smells, the sunlight, the shadows through the trees, and all the little changes happening around you.

So come along with me for fall’s first chilly ride through Hot Springs Village. It may still be August, and summer certainly isn’t finished yet, but this morning provided a little preview of what’s coming.

And next time the thermometer says 66? I’m wearing the jacket.

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