Constructed in 1963, the house called "Castlerock" was planned and built by Bob Ketchum, Sr. The house and property sits atop a high bluff overlooking Lake Norfork, Arkansas, in the Cedar Crest Acres Subdivision, an exclusive real estate development designed and owned by the Bob Ketchum Development Company. This 110-acre development was originally surveyed and designed in 1961.

It encompassed a cedar covered peninsula bordering a Government strip along the 540-mile-long shoreline of Lake Norfork. This lake, along with its sister, Bull Shoal lake (20 miles away) were built by the US Corps of Engineers in 1945 at the orders of the Southwest Power Commission. Two hydro-electric dams were constructed at these lakes for the intent of supplying power to much of the southwest.

The Castlerock residence was placed in the middle of a lot and a half (almost an acre) of prime real estate property. The spectacular view made this property the choicest lot in the entire subdivision. Construction began in 1963 and was completed in June, 1964.

The Castlerock model home was designed to be a state of the art residence using all the latest modern technology of the day. It was designated a "Golden Medallion" (all electric) Home by the North Arkansas Electric Co-Operative, and was featured in their Co-Op magazine at the time. Mr. Ketchum designed this house to be the prime showcase of homes for the intended subdivision. He personally oversaw each step of the construction of this 12-room home, and was very hands on during every phase.

The finest workmanship and materials were used in the construction. Several trucks of marble and stone masonry from Carthage, Missouri were shipped to the construction site. Carthage stone was used on all exterior masonry work and Carthage marble was used for all window sills. All windows are double pane. The HVAC system (newly installed in 2002) is electric for AC and propane for heat. The residence has its own water supply, supplied by an 1800 foot well (pump motor and wiring replaced in 2006), new pressure tank (installed in 2006), and a Culligan soft water system. The original metal septic tank was replaced with a newer, larger concrete tank and the field line system was replaced in 2004. The house contains 5,000 ft. of floor space, has two levels, and includes:

UPSTAIRS-
3 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, living room, enclosed Lanai porch, entrance foyer, 2-car garage. The extra large 20' x 30' master bedroom has a white marble fireplace and also opens onto the Lanai porch. The completely tiled master bath has walk through closets separating the private double lavatory from the completely tiled toilet and shower room. The fiberglass tub and shower is equipped with a safety rail. The guest room is at the northwestern corner of the house, and has its own full closet with louvered doors that fold out. The third bedroom is completely cedar-paneled and has the same type closet as the guest room.The bedrooms are separated by a tile and drywall bathroom with tiled floor. The tub and shower is the same as the master bath. The flooring for the bedrooms and hallway is wood laminate and was installed in 2006. The foyer has a tile floor and opens up through the large front door to the entranceway of native stone.

Four huge 48" x 80" (24' long) sliding Thermo Glass doors separating the living room from the enclosed Lanai porch. The porch can be opened up to the outside by removing the six interior glass weather panels which cover the dual-pane screened windows. The west side of the porch is all glass with sliding glass doors leading out to a deck, which is also accessible by steps rising from the back side of the house, hot tub patio area and the entrance to the studio.

DOWNSTAIRS (In ground)-
Spacious family room with black marble fireplace and gun rack, pool room, utility/laundry room w/workbench, and a 400 sq.ft. studio space. The family room and pool room are accessible to the studio with sliding glass doors. The studio room was added in 1994. It was designed and built specifically to be the home for an audio-video production center. The back half of the studio room is redwood and natural stone masonry with a natural slate floor, and latticed redwood ceiling.

The front half of the room is divided into a video editing suite and professional audio recording studio. The equipment for the studio is housed in a 21-foot long custom cabinet that affords a clear view out over the bluff, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of Lake Norfork through six very large 64" x 50" half-inch thick coated and tempered glass windows. The studio also has it's own 220V Air Conditioner. The lower floor also has its own bath, kitchen and workshop.

Some of the "extras" include: A separate small storage building in back w/electricity and lock; a 7-station Intercom house system; phone connections in every room; fiber optic DSL connection via buried lines; the main electric lines are also buried. The exterior of the house is blue spruce vinyl siding, installed in 2000. The roof was re-shingled in 2008. The residence has ceiling fans in all three bedrooms, the living room, and two ceiling fans in the kitchen. The kitchen was designed and cabinets built by Coronet of Florida. A new glass top stove and overhead microwave was installed in the kitchen in 2006. The kitchen also has a new refrigerator installed in 2006. A deep chest freezer, bought in 2005, sits to the back of the entranceway access to the kitchen from the garage. The spacious front yard has two majestic tulip trees framing the front yard and house from the road, and a lovely Mimosa offers ample shade over the garage area. The street and subdivision has no through roads, so traffic is minimal. A lilac bush-lined access road borders the west side of the house and leads down to the studio entrance. A private street light is mounted on a telephone pole bordering the west side of the residence. The rear studio door leads out to a 500-gallon hot tub which seats four and is surrounded by a native stone and concrete walkway. The tub was entirely refitted with a new motor, heater, and modern digital control box in 2007. The night view of the stars from the outdoor tub is breathtaking. The entire back side of the house and grounds are illuminated by four 300-watt sealed quartz lights, operated by a single interior light switch.

In December of 2007, all the original windows in Castlerock (26 windows of various sizes) were replaced with Energy Star PGT Certified Vinyl HS Series 410 fittings. The windows are dual glazed, air filled, Low E type. They have an energy rating of 0.35 U Factor and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient rating of 0.30. Each window has heavy duty nylon screens and uses custom brass rollers for easy and convenient operation. In addition, the windows can easily be turned inward in order to clean the outside glass from the inside of the house. The new windows make the house much more energy efficient and greatly add to the appearance of the interior and exterior.

The paved street (a county road) passing in front of the house travels down the hill about � mile before running into Corps of Engineers property, then continues as a dirt access road - maintained by the county road department - another 500 feet to the private boat dock. This dock is shared with only one other owner (the next door neighbor) and dock partnership can be transferred to the buyer. This is very important because the Corps have effectively placed a freeze on building new docks anywhere on Lake Norfork. The wood dock has a tin roof and lockable storage room. It was completely updated to Corps spec with new sealed floatation, safety rails, and a steel boarding ramp with wheels in 2002. Lake Norfork is maintained strictly by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is one of the cleanest fresh water lakes in the entire South. It is a haven for anglers as well as pleasure boaters. Sailboats, power boats, and Personal Water Craft are all allowed on the lake.

Castlerock is only one paved mile from Arkansas State Highway 62, which crosses the Veteran's bridge and leads an 8-mile stretch to Mountain Home, the county seat of Baxter County, with 60,000 residents in a 60-mile radius. This highway has recently been designated as US Highway 412 and will shortly be a major corridor from Nashville to Tulsa. Construction to widen the highway to four lanes in our area has already begun.

Mountain Home is the crown jewel of the Arkansas Ozarks. Once known as a best kept secret to vacationers, anglers, and retirees, the secret is now out. A recent article in the Chicago Sun Times designed the area as a prime location and retirement destination. The AARP, Retire Magazine and Rand McNally's echo that sentiment with statements like "the area offers a combination of outdoor activities and natural beauty, friendly neighbors, small-town charm and modern health care facilities that make Mountain Home an ideal place to settle".

Castlerock is located just off the beaten path and only minutes away from the largest Wal-Mart Super Center in the state, several outstanding golf courses, a regional hospital and airport, and dozens of famous franchise names in eateries. The community of Cotter, only ten miles from Mountain Home, is the trout capitol of the world. The new Mountain Home campus of Arkansas State University is one of the most picturesque college campus' in the South. Branson, Missouri, known as "Little Nashville", is a little over an hours drive to the north along scenic Ozark highways.

Although property values are increasing rapidly, many feel the area is still undervalued. The area enjoys the benefits of all four seasons but never dips into frigid, Chicago-like temperatures. The relocation of Chicagoans has been a word-of-mouth and community-building phenomenon, with friends following one another down from the north. In recent years new residents have been arriving from a greater variety of areas and - although roughly half of the town's 11,000 residents are retirees - moving at an increasingly younger age. Middle-aged couples and early retirees from California and Floridians escaping the ravages of recent hurricanes are joining transplants from the upper Midwest. Many are attracted to the area not only for the natural beauty and pace of life, but the almost nonexistent crime and drug rates and reputable school system.

In short, you won't find a much more hospitable place to live. However, properties with lake or river views are quickly being snapped up. It is very difficult to find a quality house in a nice neighborhood with a view and close proximity to the water, much less a purchase which also includes a partnership in a private boat dock within walking distance from the house. Once discovered, this property will not last long. Call or email for further details.