Nigel Bearden with Chuck Fawcett Realty, Inc.

09/13/2026

Monday the 14th at 11am, FirStar Bank on Massard. The River Valley Landlord Association is hosting Zeb Gattis, with the Extension Office and he will be speaking on the care of trees, bushes and landscaping in regards to rental properties. I have heard him speak before and he is highly entertaining and informative.

The State President of the Landlord Association, LuAnn Deere will also be joining us to discuss the 2027 Arkansas Legislative Session and our Winter Conference that will be held Dec. 4th and 5th.

09/07/2026

TOMORROW night!

Mark your calendar for our next meetup:

🗓️ Tuesday, September 8th
📍 Colton’s Steak House, Van Buren
🕧 5:30 PM (order food by 5:45 PM)

Our guest speaker is Bedy Guzman.

Bedy Guzman is a dynamic and visionary Principal Broker serving the Arkansas River Valley and Eastern Oklahoma, specializing in Residential, Investment, Commercial, and Land properties.

An award-winning professional, Bedy has been recognized as Best of the River Valley and Best of La Prensa Libre (2024 & 2025), a 5-Star Agent, Multi-Million Dollar Producer, and Power Agent. Her reputation is built on responsibility, reliability, and a results-driven mindset that positions her clients for success in an ever-evolving market.

But Bedy’s passion for real estate is deeply personal. In 1999, the first Habitat for Humanity home built in Van Buren was for her family.

As a young girl, she watched a community come together to build the home that changed her family’s future.

That moment shaped her life. It gave her firsthand understanding of the value, sacrifice, and emotion behind homeownership and ignited a lifelong commitment to helping others achieve their dreams.

Today, Bedy leads with clarity, emotional intelligence, and innovation. She is known for:
Strategic, long-term vision
Creative marketing and advanced advertising strategies
Investment-focused insight and analytical thinking
Calm, decisive leadership under pressure
Open communication and client empowerment

With a background in administration, logistics management, recruitment, and Human Resources, she brings operational excellence and strong negotiation skills to every deal. She balances structured systems with adaptable strategies a powerful combination in competitive markets.

Bedy is a proud mother of two boys, an active investor in stocks, cryptocurrency, and real estate, and a firm believer in continuous growth. She is passionate about entrepreneurship, culture, faith, art, music, fitness, and community impact.

She understands that buying property isn’t just a transaction...it’s a vision, a legacy, a bold step toward financial independence. Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, seasoned investor, or business owner expanding your portfolio, Bedy approaches every project with discipline, heart, and unwavering commitment.

If you’re looking for a broker who will treat your goals as her own, who combines strategy with soul, and who will work relentlessly to bring your vision to life. Bedy Guzman is ready to lead the way.

08/25/2026

I do not know this person or the organization but the webinar is tomorrow at noon. If you are a private landlord, you had better know the laws.

ESA Rules Rewritten: What Affordable Housing Must Do Next

Live Webinar | By: Maria Pietroforte

Aug 26, 2026 | 01:00 PM EST | 60 Minutes

Register Now
Early registrants save $30 with code SAVE30 - details below.

Description:-

HUD’s May 2026 policy shift has changed the assistance-animal landscape—and created significant questions for affordable housing operators. Does an emotional support animal still qualify as a reasonable accommodation? Can properties revise their documentation requirements? Should pending requests be handled differently? And how do federal enforcement changes interact with fair housing obligations, program requirements, and state or local laws?

This timely webinar translates the evolving guidance into practical operational direction for property managers, compliance professionals, regional leaders, and resident-service teams. Participants will examine the distinction between service animals, trained assistance animals, emotional support animals, and pets; identify where organizational policies may now create risk; and work through a consistent process for receiving, reviewing, documenting, approving, or denying animal-related accommodation requests.

Session Highlights
Explain the practical significance of HUD’s May 2026 ESA policy and enforcement update.
Distinguish changes in agency enforcement priorities from changes to the Fair Housing Act itself.
Differentiate pets, service animals, trained assistance animals, and emotional support animals.
Identify accommodation requests that require additional review rather than an immediate decision.
Determine when supporting information may be requested for a non-obvious disability or disability-related need.
Evaluate whether documentation provides enough reliable information to continue the accommodation review.
Apply an individualized review process instead of relying on blanket animal restrictions or assumptions.
Address requests involving multiple animals, unusual animals, conflicting information, or incomplete documentation.
Recognize when pet fees, deposits, and pet rent may not be applied to an approved assistance animal.
Separate the accommodation decision from legitimate concerns involving behavior, damage, sanitation, or safety.
Document the interactive process in a manner that supports consistency, accountability, and defensible decision-making.
Communicate follow-up questions, approvals, conditions, and denials clearly and respectfully.
Identify policy language, forms, scripts, and operational practices that may need immediate revision.
Recognize when state, local, funding-source, or affordable housing program requirements may be more protective than federal policy.
Determine when a request should be escalated to a supervisor, compliance specialist, risk-management professional, or legal counsel.
Build a more consistent organization-wide process for handling animal-related accommodation requests across multiple properties.
Areas Covered
HUD’s May 2026 ESA policy and enforcement update
What changed, what remains uncertain, and what has not changed
The relationship between HUD guidance, the Fair Housing Act, and reasonable accommodation obligations
Differences among pets, service animals, trained assistance animals, and emotional support animals
When housing providers may request supporting information
Evaluating documentation from healthcare and third-party providers
Handling non-obvious disabilities and disability-related needs
Reviewing requests for multiple animals or unusual species
Avoiding blanket policies, automatic approvals, and automatic denials
Fees, deposits, pet rent, damages, and resident financial responsibility
Animal behavior, direct threats, property damage, and health or safety concerns
Interactive dialogue and follow-up questions with residents
Consistent documentation and record-retention practices
Communicating approvals, conditional approvals, requests for information, and denials
Reviewing existing policies, forms, notices, scripts, and training materials
State, local, and program-specific requirements that may provide broader protections
When to escalate a request to compliance professionals, leadership, or legal counsel.
Why Should You Attend
The discussion will also address resident communication, third-party documentation, conflicting information, unusual-animal requests, fees and deposits, behavioral concerns, and the importance of individualized review. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the changing regulatory environment and a practical framework for making defensible, compassionate, and consistent decisions.

Contact Us:[email protected]; +1(877) 629-3710

08/14/2026

A huge thank you to my peers for electing me to serve as the President for the River Valley Landlord Association. I’m excited about where we can take this organization.

One of my biggest goals is to grow the association and get more people involved. If you own one rental or 500, manage property, invest in real estate, or work in an industry that supports landlords, we want you at the table.

I’m also looking for other local organizations, businesses, and community groups that we can partner with. I believe we’re all better when we stop operating in our own little bubbles and start working together.

We’re going to have some great speakers, learn from each other, and hopefully make all of us a little better at what we do.

Thank you again for trusting me. And thank you to Bill Jones for everything he has done for the local chapter and statewide. I hope to see him serve on the state level as Vice President.

Nigel Bearden
Chuck Fawcett Realty, Inc.
River Valley Landlord Association

08/11/2026

Join us tonight!

This month’s conversation focuses on partnerships in real estate. Learn the pro's and cons and find your next partner here.

We're also celebrating 11 years of community members helping each other learn, grow, and create a legacy. 🎉

🗓️ Tuesday, August 11th
📍 Colton’s Steak House, Van Buren
🕧 5:30 PM (order food by 5:45 PM)

Whether you’re:
• Exploring your first investment
• Looking to expand your portfolio
• Or wanting to partner on real estate deals

You’re welcome to join us. No pressure. No expectations. Just people learning together.

Join River Valley Navigators.
Navigating Real Estate Together

08/10/2026

Please join us for the River Valley Landlords Monthly Meeting at Firstar Bank on Massard in Fort Smith. 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

Our agenda for this meeting includes:

- Guest Speaker: Adams Elite Wash will discuss summer pressure washing, cleaning, and property maintenance.
- Show and Tell: A review of drainage, gutters, and electrical pre-inspection from a recent project.
- Member Updates: Please bring any vendor updates, recent eviction details, or information on small claims actions filed.
- Old Business: Discussion regarding logo updates, officer nominations, and dates for the winter conference.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Best regards,

River Valley Landlords
Landlords Association of Arkansas

07/18/2026

On Tuesday night the River Valley Navigators - Real Esate Investorss had the pleasure of hosting Jared Barnes with Cyberhelix, and it was one of the most engaging and valuable meetings we've had in a long time.

Jared delivered an outstanding presentation on cybersecurity, breaking down complex topics into practical, real world advice that every business owner, investor, and professional in the room could immediately apply. From protecting yourself against today's most common scams to identifying security gaps you may not even know exist, the information was eye-opening and incredibly relevant.

What made the presentation stand out wasn't just the content but it was Jared's ability to keep everyone engaged while providing actionable takeaways instead of fear tactics. The discussion continued well after the presentation ended, which says a lot about the value he brought to our group.

On behalf of the River Valley Navigators - Real Esate Investors, thank you, Jared, for investing your time and expertise in our members. If you're a business owner who hasn't had a cybersecurity assessment, I highly recommend reaching out to Jared Barnes and the team at Cyberhelix. In today's world, protecting your business is no longer optional but it's essential.

We appreciate your partnership and look forward to having you back again!

07/13/2026

The annual regional auction of tax-delinquent parcels located in Crawford, Franklin, Logan, Scott and Sebastian counties will be held at 10 a.m. July 21 at the Fort Smith Convention Center, 55 S. 7th St.

07/04/2026

Just because I think this is funny but Happy 4th of July! Dont drink any tea and don't blow off a finger.

06/20/2026

You dont want to be out at 9:30pm on a Friday night, babysitting tenant issues. Get yourself a property manager and collect the check on the 10th of the month.