About Anchorage County, AK

As I was tucking my 3 year old son into bed, he asked me "Where's Daddy?" for the third time that day. My husband works at the north slope (the kids call it North Pole) and he's usually gone for two weeks at a time and then he's home for two entire weeks. It's nice because when he's home, he's really home. He can sleep in late and really spend quality time with the children. However, I know that for a young one, such as my three year old son, it can be confusing sometimes.

When he asked me, "Where's Daddy?" I replied by explaining to him that his daddy was working because everyone works. I continued telling him that if people don't work, they don't have anywhere to live and nothing to eat. I think I may have given him more information than he really needed for his small little mind because he JUMPED out of bed really fast. I was so confused. Then he ran back in the room and with a big smile, said, "mommy, I have money, do you want it." Then he opened up his right hand and in it were two shiny quarters. He was so proud that he had money, and to him two quarters was quite a lot, and he was willing to give everything he had to me. Children have such sweet hearts.

This made me think. As grown-ups (in age at least), do we know when we have enough? Is there ever enough?

Searching for Real Estate in Anchorage Alaska can be a more ejoyable experience when you work with someone who is reliable and trustworthy. If you are thinking about putting your home on the market, call Vanna for a Free In Home Market Analysis of your Anchrage home. Currently servicing the Anchorage County, such as Anchorage, Eagle River, and Chugiak.

Realtors who do not Act Ethically cast a bad light on the rest of us.

Okay, my title might be a bit misleading. Most Realtors do act ethically, at least 99%, and this post does not apply to them. However, I've had two bad experiences with other Realtors, trying to persuade my clients to "ditch" their buyers agent (ME) and save money by purchasing the house directly from the Listing Agent (this is actually not advantageous to most buyers, would you go to court if your lawyer was also defending the other party?).This has happened to a couple of the other Realtors in my office also.

Both times, my clients were extremely turned off by this behavior. So get a clue, okay? Most people can see right through your sleazy salesman or saleswoman talk ( I won't mention any names here, but you know who you are). One person even suggested that my buyer give him (the agent) my information so that he could call and let me know that my services were no longer needed. FAT CHANCE!

If I had an unhappy client that pursued another agent, that would be an entirely different situation (has never happened). HOwever, in both of these instances the agents kept trying to steal the clients that I have worked tirelessly for. I've been working with one for the past couple months and the other for the past 4 weeks. We've been through a lot and we've built trust and have developed a relationship that I am sure will outlast our transaction. Each person has a story and I feel honored to be part of their life story and that's what I find so satisfying in this profession.

I find that the Golden Rule is relevant in all situations: Treat Others as you would like to be treated.

Foreclosure Listings in Anchorage, Alaska People are hearing that now is a good time to buy a house, while prices are still low and interest rates are at historic lows. One of the questions that I've heard more frequently in the last couple of months is, "Are there any good Foreclosure Deals in Anchorage right now?"

People are looking for a GREAT DEAL, so I compiled a List of Foreclosed Properties in Anchorage, Alaska for the people who are curious to know what is out there in the market right now. I will be updating this Anchorage, AK Foreclosure List each week, so if you're in the market for a foreclosure, be sure to check back periodically.

In the Single Family Sector, there are currently 23 Foreclosures in Anchorage, Alaska with prices ranging from $125,000 to $751,900.

There are currently nine Multi-Family Foreclosure Properties in the Municipality of Anchorage. These range in price from $125,000 to $449,900.

There are currently ten condos that are in Foreclosure in Anchorage, Alaska. The prices of the foreclosed condos range from $85,000 to $222,000.

The city of Anchorage, Alaska consists of Anchorage (of course), Eagle River, Girdwood, and Chugiak.

The Municipality of Anchorage Property Tax Assessment of Real Property is not an indicator of the Market Value of Homes. First off, Alaska is a non-disclosure state, meaning that when someone buys or sells Real Property in Alaska, it is not required of them to report or disclose how much they purchased or sold that Real Estate for.

Secondly, the Municipality Tax Assessment is usually higher or lower than the Appraised value of the property in Anchorage, Alaska. In some counties or cities, the tax assessment is based off of the actual sales price of a home. It can be a 100% of the sales price or a percentage of the actual value, for example, 90% of the actual appraised value. This is not so in the Anchorage Municipality because, as I mentioned above, buyers don't have to disclose what they paid for their homes.

When selling or buying a home, FOCUS on the Home Appraisal since this is what mortgage lenders use when they write a loan for the mortgage. Do NOT focus on the assessment that the Municipality of Anchorage has on the property, because it is not the same as market value.

Appraisers mainly focus on these things when determing the value of a home:

• Location
• Square Footage
• Condition and age of home
• Lot Size
• Number of Bedrooms
• Number of Bathrooms
• Total number of Rooms
• Garage(s)
• Decks
• Screened Porches
• Fireplaces

An appraiser will take all of this information and use comparables in the area to make an educated analysis, which includes data, of how much a home is worth in the current Anchorage Real Estate Market.

Sellers: When trying to determine how much to sell your house for, you should request a free Comparative Market Analysis, also known as a Right Price Analysis. The analysis will show the market trends in the Municipality of Anchorage and all of the comparable Real Estate in your area. What the homes have sold for, the pended listings, and all the actives. Your Real Estate Professional will be able to determine a good price point after viewing your home and analyzing the Comparables in your Area. This service is usually provided FREE.

Some upgrades can add value to your home, although it's not always cost effective to do so. Meaning you may not fully recover the costs of the upgrades/remodel. However, these upgrades can help sell your home and shorten marketing time.

• Ceramic Tile
• Hardwood Floors
• Crown Molding
• Specialty Counter Tops & Cabinetry
• Sprinkler System
• Upgrades in Light Fixtures
• Upgrades in Faucets, Sinks, Tubs and Showers

A special caution to homebuyers: Home buyers should not make an offer on a house based on the Municipality of Anchorage Property Tax assessed value of the home. You may think you are getting a great deal if you are negotiating a price that is less than the Anchorage Municipality Property Tax Records, but this is not so. Talk to your Real Estate Professional about the Real Property Market Value when making an offer to ensure that you get the best deal possible. If you are a first time home buyer, get more information about the First Time Home Bueyer Tax Credit.

Taking a look back at last week, one would think that the market had gone crazy. 21 homes pended in the Eagle River and Chugiak areas. 6 went under contract in Chugiak, this is a 12 month high for one week.

Interest rates have fluxuated up and down but for the most part stayed in the low 5's for a 30 year fixed conventional loan.

There are changes around the corner and you do need to be aware of them. If you will be involved in a real estate transaction in the near future, pay attention. The mortgage lenders will be operating under new rules and the title companies will be enforcing them. Here is a short list of some of the changes.

Once you receive a good faith estimate on your new loan you will need to wait 7 days before you can close. This means that if you lock your interest rate you may need to wait 7 business days before you can close.

If the APR changes on your loan, example: some portion changes and it goes up by more the.125% then a new disclosure must be made. 7 more days.

Once the appraisal is in there will be a 3 day review period. However in some cases this may be waived, although highly unlikely.

This is just a small portion of the changes, and now more than ever you need great communication between all parties. The average contract closes in approximately 38 days. I suggest writing an offer with a 45 day time table. This will give you plenty of time and if everyone is ready early than close early.

If you have questions about these new rule please make a comment here or send an e-mail.