Flat Rock Village Retirement

Pros

• The park feels like country living, with space between trailers.
• Trailers are well spaced, and residents take pride in their homes, with lots of decks and wheelchair ramps.
• There are beautiful planters and shrubs throughout the community.
• The clubhouse offers great dinners and hosts many events.
• Everyone is friendly and neighbors look out for each other.
• It is a wonderful place for an aging grandparent to live.
• It is a very good place for retirement, especially for homeowners.
• The community feels safe for seniors.
• There are several special events at the clubhouse, such as card games, hymn sings, and community meals.
• The ponds and park area near Flatrock Creek provide opportunities for fishing and picnicking.

Cons

• The management has continued to increase the lot rent, placing a heavy burden on residents on fixed incomes.
• They allegedly lied about the $15 increase in 2022 and told unhappy residents to leave, showing disregard for seniors.
• The property is described as very old and in need of updating, with most trailers falling apart and few improvements despite rent hikes.
• There is no decent management or leadership, and residents complain about a lack of privacy in the office; the manager is described as a joke.
• Some residents claim the owners won't pay to maintain the property and expect residents to do it, which feels unfair.
• Rent increases of up to $110 in a single year, with no meaningful amenities, have left many residents dissatisfied.
• Advertising is seen as misrepresenting whether the park is a retirement village or a 55+ community, with some residents feeling preyed upon.
• The park is described as no longer affordable housing, contradicting the purpose of mobile home parks for seniors.
• A reviewer urged others to move on, stating the park is not as it appears and questioning the owners' reputation.

Review

Flat Rock Village comes across in a mix of voices as a retirement park with a strong sense of place and a mix of growing pains. One longtime resident recalls moving here 25 years ago and helping with the original owner, meeting his wife, and then returning after a health scare in the family. He paints a picture of a park perched on a mountain, a bold choice that creates real challenges but also a distinctive charm. The setting feels like country living, with trailers well spaced from one another, residents who take pride in their homes, plenty of decks and wheelchair ramps, and attractive planters and scrub. He describes great dinners at the clubhouse, a friendly atmosphere, and even a few "Fallout shelters" as part of the landscape. For him, it remains a wonderful place for his aging grandmother, a place that blends practicality, community, and a sense of security.

Yet another perspective centers on a harsher current reality for some of the park's residents. A person writing on behalf of elderly parents who live at Flat Rock Village argues that it is no longer a good place to live. The reviewer details escalating lot rents over recent years and accuses management of deception about a supposed small increase in 2022. They claim rent rose by $30 in 2022, then $70 in 2023, with plans for another significant increase in 2024. The concern goes beyond numbers to a sense of neglect: the property is described as old, with many trailers in disrepair and little visible improvement despite the rising costs. The reviewer also notes a perception that the owners intend to sell the property and questions whether management truly cares about seniors living there. On a fixed income, many residents are left feeling stretched thin, and the writer urges contacting local government to advocate for affordable housing in a mobile home park.

A separate, strongly worded critique emphasizes affordability and governance issues. According to this account, rent has jumped by as much as $110 in a single year, there are hardly any amenities to justify the cost, and the management is portrayed as lacking integrity and consistency. The reviewer complains about conflicting advertising - is this a retirement village or a 55-plus community? - and about a sense that some people are exploiting vulnerable residents on fixed incomes. Dinners are described as potluck affairs, and there is frustration with a staff member perceived as overbearing, paired with a recurring question: where is the manager? The narrative warns potential movers to consider the track record of the owners and their other properties, suggesting a pattern of pushing maintenance costs onto residents while not delivering reliable upkeep themselves.

Other residents acknowledge the pressure of rising rates but try to balance it with observed maintenance realities. One reviewer notes that while rent has increased, there have also been repairs to the waterline at the park's entry, and the rest of the property remains in excellent condition. This voice recognizes the financial strain on residents while still acknowledging that some physical improvements are happening and that the overall condition of the park isn't uniformly failing.

Surveys of long-term tenants reveal a complex balance of loyalty and concern. A person who has lived in the park since 2001, with a couple of temporary moves away, says they keep coming back because they feel safe as a single senior. They acknowledge multiple rent increases in the last few years but express a determination to stay provided the park remains a strictly senior community. This resident also shares a lighthearted note about moving within the park - seven times on different streets - while praising the wonderful neighbors across those different neighborhoods.

Another voice paints Flat Rock Village as a quiet, friendly place that's close to the things residents need and where neighbors are ready to help each other. The review highlights the social fabric: several regular events at the clubhouse, including card games, dominoes, pool, monthly hymn sings, and community meals on holidays. The natural surroundings - ponds and a park area by Flatrock Creek for fishing and picnicking - are celebrated as important, accessible amenities that enrich daily life. The overall impression emphasizes a warm, communal vibe, with residents looking out for one another and appreciating the opportunities to gather and socialize.

Taken together, the reviews sketch a park with a strong sense of community and a distinctive, mountain-side character that many residents deeply value. There is high praise for safety, neighborliness, and social life - the dinners, games, hymn sings, and holiday meals - alongside a clear undercurrent of concern about affordability and governance. Some residents view Flat Rock Village as a stable, welcoming home where they feel safe and connected; others worry that rising rents, aging infrastructure, and inconsistent management threaten the very affordability and predictability that attracted people there in the first place. In this tension between community spirit and financial and maintenance pressures, the park's future seems to hinge on balancing care for long-time residents with sustainable affordability and transparent leadership.

Restaurants

• Long John Silver's (1.2 miles)
• Taco Bell (1.2 miles)
• McDonald's (1.2 miles)
• Braum's (2.1 miles)
• Larry B's Rhythm Room (2.6 miles)
• Fried Rice (4.9 miles)
• Cracker Barrel (5.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Harps Food Stores (1.4 miles)
• Super-Sav Drug Stores (1.8 miles)
• Hudson Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.2 miles)
• Midland Drug (5.1 miles)
• Coleman Pharmacy Of Alma (5.4 miles)
• Coleman Pharmacy of Alma (5.7 miles)

Theaters

• Malco Theater (1.5 miles)

Physicians

• Cooper Clinic (1.6 miles)
• Travis J Goodnight (2.2 miles)
• Cornerstone Medical Group (2.2 miles)
• Summit Surgery Clinic (2.2 miles)
• Spirit Medical (2.3 miles)
• JB Hays Dr Oral Surgeon (2.3 miles)
• Sparks Family Clinic (2.5 miles)

Hospitals

• Sparks Medical Center (2.1 miles)
• Sparks Medical Center-Van Buren (2.1 miles)
• Baptist Health Foot And Ankle Clinicfort Smith Fort Smith (7.2 miles)
• St Edward Mercy Health System (7.5 miles)
• St Edward Mercy Medical Center (7.6 miles)

Parks

• Harper Stadium (4.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Gods Harvest Pentecostal Tabernacle (5.1 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (5.6 miles)
• Shelton Ministries (6.5 miles)
• Refuge Baptist Church (7.2 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (5.9 miles)

Cafes

• Dewey's Cafe (7.4 miles)
• Starbucks (7.4 miles)
• Panera Bread (7.5 miles)