About Fairbanks North Star County, AK

Together, the Air Force Sergeants Association, the Airmen Memorial Foundation and the Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force Association offer annual scholarships to eligible, dependent children of Air Force Active Duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command enlisted members and Air Force Sergeants Association Members in active, retired or veteran status.

More than $1.5 million has been awarded through the AFSA Scholarship programs. Dependents with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher and a minimum combined SAT score of 1650 or a combined ACT score of 24 are encouraged to submit an application.

Applications for the upcoming academic year are available between November 1 and March 31. Completed application packages with all required documents can be sent to AFSA Headquarters between January 1 and March 31. Incomplete packages or packages received after March 31 won't be considered.

The Air Force Sergeants Association awarded $20,500 for the 2007/2008 school year to 10 applicants, ranging from $1,500 to $2,500. Since 1968 AFSA has awarded more than $650,000 in scholarships.

The Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force Scholarship Program awarded $14,000 for the 2007/2008 school year to 11 applicants, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000. Since its inception in 1988 the CMSAF scholarship Fund has awarded more than $237,000 in financial aid.

The Airmen Memorial Foundation Scholarship program awarded $25,500 for the 2007/2008 school year to 22 students. Since inception the AMF has awarded $372,000 to eligible students.

Scholarships are awarded in each program based on the applicant's academic record, character, leadership skills, writing ability, versatility and potential for success, but not necessarily financial need.

The men and women who have worn and continue to wear the uniform of the United States of America make it possible to enjoy the freedoms so many take for granted. If you're so inclined, a tax deductible donation can be made to any of the three scholarship programs.

Download a AFSA/CMSAF/AMF scholarship application (application instructions here). Mail the completed application (or donations) to:

AFSA/CMSAF/AMF Scholarship Fund
5211 Auth Road
Suitland, Maryland 20746

If selected, recipients will be notified by mail with checks being disbursed to their respective school of choice on September 1st. Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, meals, or transportation. Have additional questions? Contact the AFSA staff toll free at (800) 638-0594.

Photo of the US Air Force Memorial courtesy of our buddy George Brett in Falls Church. Thanks for your service, George. God bless all our men and women in uniform around the globe.

Most Fairbanks condominium fees include heating oil/natural gas, water/sewer, lawn care, snow removal, refuse service, structural insurance and building maintenance. There are a handful of condominiums that include everything listed above except heating oil/natural gas. For those select developments the condominium fees are generally considerably less.

Although 2008 brought an increase in the average cost of a Fairbanks Condo, it also brought a slightly longer marketing time and fewer condo's sold overall. Many buyers said the rising HOA dues were a significant factor in their looking at other housing options. Several area condo associations saw their monthly dues climb past the $600/month mark.

Search the Fairbanks MLS for available condominiums then call or email us with any questions or to arrange a personal tour.

Below you'll find a comprehensive list of the condominium developments in Fairbanks and North Pole as well as the reported sales, average price, days on the market and homeowners association dues.

Tonight while reading Lane Bailey's blog "The best agent to use..." I was reminded of a conversation recently with a fellow broker about how many people are taken in with the 'buying the listing' scheme.

Last year we had a client who, in preparing to relocate out of Alaska, called us to put their home on the market. We sold the home to them and knew what improvements they had made, so giving them market value was a piece of cake.

As it turns out we were not on the same page with respect to value. When it was clear we were at an impasse they listed with a competing firm who told them what they wanted to hear rather than what they needed to hear. More than a year, seven or eight price reductions and two real estate firms later, the home remains unsold.

The truth is most homeowners don't have a clue what their home is really worth. Most know what their note is, what they owe and some even know their current property tax assessment. Unfortunately, those numbers rarely reflect current market value.

Preparing a comparative market analysis is not rocket science. As Realtors we look at predominately the same set of numbers appraisers look at to define value; recent sales of homes similar to yours. The best Realtor to sell your home may not be the one that gives you the highest price. Trust, but verify. Ok, but how?

It's pretty easy to see if a home is a comparable; it will be equal in size, age, condition, location, etc. The question becomes how it compares by price. Just like your arithmetic teacher used to say, so should you... show me the math. Look to see how the adjustments are calculated for the residential square footage, garage square footage, effective age, lot size, amenities (i.e. fireplace, Jacuzzi tub, hardwood floors), bathrooms, etc.

Ask to see not only the actual adjustments but also the source of the numbers used to make the adjustments. I take my cue on adjustment values from local appraisers and by closely reviewing appraisals. If an appraiser is using $40 to adjust the residential square footage and Agent Not-So-Genius is using $110, you're going to have a market analysis that's good for one thing... lining the birdcage.

If an agent can't or won't show you how they arrived at a price, take that as your cue that a) they might not know what they're doing or b) they're inflating the price to get you to sign a listing agreement. As Lane mentions, don't be too surprised to see this agent come armed with pre-authorized price reductions. They know in order to sell your home, it will need to be at market value.

While numbers can be made to say just about anything, asking the agent(s) sitting in front of you to 'do it long hand' should help you weed through the rhetoric and select an agent to represent you based on what they'll do rather than by the dollar amount they fill in on the listing contract.

One thing we're constantly asked by folks relocating to Alaska is about our weather. What are the winters like? Do you have 24 hour sunlight in the summer? How do you survive when it's -40 (or colder)?

If you're headed to Alaska just to start a new chapter in life or relocating with Eielson Air Force Base or Fort Wainwright Army Post, this should give you an idea of what you're in for. Having called Alaska home for almost 30 years I can tell you there's no place quite like The Last Frontier.

The truth is we do have some cold winters, but the summers more than make up for them. Our summers are moderate, dry and generally not very windy. I don't know that we broke the record for coldest winter this year or not, but we came awful close. There were a couple of times it registered 65 below zero at our house in North Pole.

Fairbanks is often described as an arctic desert. Most of the precipitation in the Interior is from our annual snowfall. Summers are fairly dry although some years, like 2008, can bring record rains the the Interior. It's certainly not something we see often.

As a rule, winters in the Interior are dark. With the onset of the summer solstice, we begin losing daylight. Initially no more than a few seconds, but eventually we lose up to 6-8 minutes of daylight a day. In the depth of winter, the sun barely creeps above the horizon. On a cloudy day or a very cold day with heavy ice fog, you can expect to not even see the sun. Sounds bleak, I know, but December 21st marks the turning point where we start gaining sunlight. By May 15th the sun doesn't set until after 10PM, and even then there's plenty of light to enjoy any outdoor activity you can imagine.

New regulations adopted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game dramatically effect military hunters and fishermen...fisherwomen too... or is it fisherpeople? Either way, this is great news.

Prior to the new regulations being adopted, folks stationed at Eielson Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright Army Post, that had been in Alaska less than 12 months, were required to pay nonresident fees for a fishing and hunting license and related game tags.

A long overdue change to the ADFoG regulations will allow permanently stationed active-duty military personnel and their families to purchase nonresident hunting and fishing licenses at resident prices. An annual sport fishing license is now $25 and an annual combination sport fishing and hunting license is only $48. Can it get better than that? Sure. Active members of the Alaska National Guard or Reserve may qualify for a free hunting or fishing license.

Although it's a little early to break out your fly rod there's still plenty of time left to bag a few grouse or ptarmagain before the end of the season. Here are a few links to keep you on track and out of the sights of the ADFoG Troopers.

Military License/Tag Informaton (.PDF)

Purhcase Hunting and Fishing Licenses

Small Game Seasons (.PDF)

Big Game Hunting Regulations

Interior Alaska Game Management Units (.PDF)

Sport Fishing Publications (ADFoG)

If you're not a member already, consider joining the Alaska Outdoors Council. It's sole focus is the preservation of outdoor pursuits in Alaska - hunting, fishing, trapping, firearms ownership, and public access - and conservation of the habitats upon which they depend. It's the best $25 you could spend.

Stay safe & God bless.