May 2022

T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E

T here is so much more to Texarkana than most natives realize. While many of us can’t imagine raising our families anywhere else we are often a bit surprised when someone new moves to town without being brought here directly by a job or family. It is even more surprising when we hear of someone coming simply to visit or explore. However, there are a growing number of successful vacation rentals right here in our backyard! For instance, this charming Craftsman bungalow that has been loved and updated by Jason and Kerry Eppinette is providing the best of Texarkana’s hospitality to its visitors. The story really started with the Eppinettes’ love of the historical neighborhood they live in. For years, they have looked out their front window and seen the sad shell of a Craftsman home, full of potential, just across the street. They reached out to the owner, who lived out of town, and expressed their interest in purchasing the home. Initially, the owner wasn’t ready to sell the house. Over the years, the Eppinettes reached out a couple more times, but each time the owner declined. Then, in 2018, a letter from the city of Texarkana, Arkansas, was sent out to all the neighbors stating the house had been added to their condemned list. “[The owner] was living in North Arkansas and her children had lived here off and on, but they probably had not been in the house for at least two years,” Kerry explained. Jason added, “As a result, it had become totally derelict. People had stolen the air conditioner, VRBO BUNGALOW BY TIFFANY HORTON, HORTON DES I GN STUDIOS PHOTOS BY MATT CORNEL IUS

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