Pulaski County’s Most Expensive Home Sales of 2023

Sales of luxury homes in Pulaski County continued to shatter records in 2023.

For the third consecutive year, Arkansas Business increased the floor price of the homes it follows, raising it another $250,000 to $1.75 million. In 2023, 17 homes sold for $1.75 million or more, up from 13 homes sold in 2022.

For the first time in 2023, all of the top 10 homes sold for $2 million or more.

“Home values appreciated across all price points, but it is especially apparent at the top of the market, those homes valued at $1 million or more,” Jon Underhill, who sells upscale homes through his own agency in Little Rock, said via email.

And sales don’t seem to be slowing down. “The first quarter of 2024 has shown strong signs for growth with new listings and sales prices are inching up,” he said.

Casey Jones, who sells for The Janet Jones Co. of Little Rock, said demand for higher-end homes has grown over the last several years.

“People who have the option of living in Dallas or Atlanta or Austin are choosing to live in Little Rock,” he said. “And they’re wanting amenities and the accommodations that some of the housing in that market provides.”

Upscale homebuyers are shopping first for location, followed by modern amenities, Jones said. Underhill said luxury homebuyers typically value quality, craftsmanship and custom features over size.

“The growth in demand has been driven by millennials, especially those who can work from home,” Courtney Rice, an agent who specializes in luxury homes for Berkshire Hathaway-Arkansas Realty, said via email. “While luxury outdoor living, pools, secondary kitchens, home gyms and lavish yards remain high on the list of desires for clients in this market, we are seeing an increase in demand for a multi-generational home.”

Higher interest rates that played havoc with the overall residential market in 2023 don’t seem to be an issue for luxury homebuyers. Underhill said these are often cash buyers. “They also may prioritize other factors such as location, prestige, or potential appreciation over the cost of financing,” he said.

Some home features that were popular a few years ago have fallen out of favor. Formal living rooms and dining rooms, dedicated home theaters and extensive home automation systems are less important to potential homebuyers than they were a few years ago, Underhill said.

For this list, Arkansas Business used interviews, the real estate website Zillow, public real estate records and other documents to briefly describe the 10 most expensive Pulaski County homes sold in 2023, as well as their buyers.

Two homes tied for 10th place in 2023, but Arkansas Business couldn’t get a photo for the $2 million home that the Will & Rachel Ford Family Trust bought in March.

Will Ford is group president of operations at Westrock Coffee Co. of Little Rock. He is the third generation of the family involved in Westrock Coffee.

The company was started by Will Ford’s grandfather, Joe Ford, and father, Scott Ford, the father-son duo who built the telecommunications company Alltel Corp. of Little Rock.

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1. $3.1 Million

This 6,087-SF home is near the Country Club of Little Rock. It features four bedrooms and six bathrooms. Brett Barnett is listed on his LinkedIn profile as the owner of several businesses. Since January 2019, Barnett has been the owner of Barnett Franchise Development, which develops franchises in Denver. He also owns Blue Flame Minerals of Little Rock. Formed in 2011, the company creates “opportunities for mineral owners and investors in the Fayetteville Shale,” according to its website. Barnett received a degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

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2. $2.83 Million

Drs. William Steinbach and Susan Emmett bought this house that features a gourmet kitchen with high-quality appliances, hand-painted tile and a two-story great room with fireplace. The home also has in-law quarters and a four-car garage. In 2021, Steinbach joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock as chair of the Department of Pediatrics and associate dean for child health in the UAMS College of Medicine. He also is pediatrician-in-chief of Arkansas Children’s. Emmett is an otolaryngologist and the director of the UAMS Center for Hearing Health Equity.

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3. $2.72 Million

This five-bedroom home, built in 2000, is just blocks from the Country Club of Little Rock. Eliza Hussman Gaines succeeded her father, Walter Hussman Jr., as publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Jan. 1, 2023. Gaines is the first woman to oversee daily operations of the family-owned newspaper. Alec Gaines is an attorney at Steel Wright Gray Lawyers PLLC of Little Rock. His practice is concentrated on business litigation and transactional work.

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4. $2.4 Million

This six-bedroom house was touted as being the ultimate setting for family living and entertaining. It features a large gourmet kitchen with an island and a stone fireplace. Chris Johnson is a senior vice president and co-principal financial officer of Dillard’s Inc., the Little Rock department store chain that reported net sales of $6.75 billion for its fiscal year that ended Feb. 3. The company operates 274 Dillard’s stores, including 28 clearance centers, in 30 states and an internet store. Johnson also is a member of the board of directors of Encore Bancshares Inc. of Little Rock.

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5. $2.39 Million

This one-level, four-bedroom home overlooks the 17th hole of the Chenal Country Club Golf Course. It has a saltwater pool and hot tub. Inside the house are 10-foot glass windows. Brandon Huffman is the founder and principal of Huffman & Co., which specializes in the development and management of multifamily, student housing and residential projects across the country. Brittany Huffman is the co-founder of Women’s Initiative International Inc. of Little Rock, which works to improve women’s lives in Rwanda.

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6. $2.17 Million

This home is in a gated golf course community in Chenal Valley. Sadiq and Zarintaj Noorani are listed as the incorporators of Diamond Investment Group LLC of Augusta, which was formed in 2020. In November 2023, Diamond Investment Group bought a 2,475-SF convenience store west of Pinnacle Mountain State Park in Pulaski County for $1.07 million.

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7. $2.15 Million

Designed by architect Steve Rousseau and built by AMR Construction LLC of Little Rock, this home sits on 5 acres in west Little Rock. The house features a pool, tennis court and putting green. The master suite has a view of the landscaped park area. The chef’s kitchen has been updated. Uday Akkaraju is the chairman and CEO of Bond.ai of Little Rock, an artificial intelligence platform “for financial institutions, powered by the world’s first Empathy Engine,” he said on his LinkedIn profile. Madhavi Akkaraju is the chief design officer at Bond.ai, according to her LinkedIn profile.

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8. $2.1 Million

This Heights home sits on two lots and was remodeled more than a decade ago. A full-home generator was added in 2010. The master bedroom is on the first floor. Dr. Todd Stewart is a general dentist practicing at Rock Family Dental in Conway. He also is the chief dental officer at Rock Dental Brands of Little Rock and is a member of the board of directors of Encore Bancshares Inc. of Little Rock. He earned his doctor of dental surgery degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

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9. $2.05 Million

Kevin Kuykendall and his wife, Carrie, moved to Little Rock from Texas so their child could attend Little Rock Christian Academy in west Little Rock. They spent about nine months looking for a home close to the school, Kevin Kuykendall said. The couple was also attracted to the house, which is in a gated community in a “beautiful neighborhood” on a golf course, he said. “The view, the pool, the backyard, the whole bit,” he said of the features of the house that stand out. “It’s a very traditional house, which is what we wanted.” Kuykendall is a private equity investor focused on energy.

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10. $2 Million

This brick home in Edgehill features a pool and five bedrooms. Annemarie Jazic is vice president of e-commerce and digital marketing for Dillard’s Inc. of Little Rock. She is the daughter of Alex Dillard, president of the Little Rock department store chain. She’s been with Dillard’s for more than 17 years, according to her LinkedIn profile. She’s on the board of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art of Bentonville. Ante Jazic is a former professional and international soccer player and coach. He is the technical director of the Little Rock Rangers and is in the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame.

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Pulaski County Home Sales of $1.75 Million or More in 2023

Ranked by price

Price	Buyer(s)	Seller(s)	Neighborhood*	SF	Date Sold	Year Built
$3.10 mil.	1900 CCLane LLC, led by Brett Barnett	Robert H. Dudley Revocable Trust	The Heights	6,087	July 13	1964
$2.83 mil.	William Steinbach and Susan Emmett	Jeff Fuller Homes LLC	The Heights	8,424	Jan. 27	2022
$2.72 mil.	Eliza and Alec Gaines	Simon Mears and Mary Grace Kelly	The Heights	6,436	Oct. 20	2000
$2.40 mil.	CMJ Family Trust, led by Christopher and Meredith Johnson	Hunter and Dustin East	Palisade Estates	6,659	March 14	1950
$2.39 mil.	Associated Business Consultants LLC, led by Brandon and Brittany Huffman	Timothy Scott Proctor Revocable Trust	Sologne Circle	4,889	Sept. 27	2019
$2.17 mil.	Sadiq and Zarintaj Noorani	New Home Estates Corp., led by Drew Files	Orle	6,450	Dec. 19	2023
$2.15 mil.	Uday and Madhavi Akkaraju	Paulo and Teresa Ribeiro	Glen Johnson Ranch	7,779	Feb. 27	1989
$2.10 mil.	Todd and Stephanie Stewart	5309 Country Club LLC, led by Miles and Katherine Stephens	The Heights	3,336	Nov. 9	1950
$2.05 mil.	Kevin and Carrie Kuykendall	Gerry Riser	Sologne Circle	7,768	July 25	2014
$2.00 mil.	The Will & Rachel Ford Family Trust	Overton Family Revocable Trust, led by Ford and Stephanie Overton	Pulaski County**	6,393	March 15	2005
$2.00 mil.	Ante and Annmarie Dillard Jazic	Jared and Amy Seale	Edgehill	4,329	June 14	1928
$1.94 mil.	Michael May Jr. and his wife, Sirinya	Wonder State Ranch Co. LLC, led by Richard Sandor	Overlook	7,163	Sept. 18	2009
$1.94 mil.	Palisades Way LLC, led by Steve Quattlebaum	John and Catherine Jones	Prospect Terrace	5,341	June 7	1927
$1.90 mil.	Christopher and Kristen Chase	James and Brandy Wood	Prospect Terrace	5,698	Sept. 5	2019
$1.90 mil.	The Ramsey Family Revocable Trust, led by Luke and Jill Ramsey	Barton and Marion Hankins	Valley Falls Estates	5,933	Nov. 9	2007
$1.90 mil.	KHPM LLC, led by Harvinder Dod and Sangeeta Bedi	Irfan Ahmed Eric Mian Revocable Trust	Pulaski County#	8,307	Sept. 14	2001
$1.89 mil.	Jeston George	AR Reddy Investments LLC, led by Raghu Reddy	Orle	7,759	Sept. 14	2023

*In Little Rock unless otherwise noted **Cameronwood neighborhood of west Pulaski County #West Pulaski County’s Ridgefield Estates
(Source: Public real estate records; Researched by Mark Friedman)