The 9th Army Band, stationed at Fort Wainwright, has an upcoming concert performance on June 26, 2008 at 7:00PM at the Noel Wien Library.
Tuba Player MSG Roger Ridenour leads the ensemble that features 1SG James Thaxter and SFC Andrew Phelps on trumpet, SGT Dale McSwain on horn, and SGT Vincent Lawyer on trombone. 9th Army Band Sample Performance.
If you haven't heard the Band perform, you should make time to come hear them play. They truly do a magnificent job. Request a performance of the 9th Army Band at a military function (PDF) or a civic performance.
Following this performance, the 9th Army Band will perform on Saturday June 28th at 1:0PM at the Salcha Fairgrounds for the Salcha Country Fair and on Sunday June 29th at 6:00PM for the Beluga Nights Summer Festival the UAF Patty Center.
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Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts.
Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you. |
New construction homes in Fairbanks have long represented a wise investment. Now there's one more reason to purchase a new home in Fairbanks.
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation is offering a $7,500 rebate for buyer who purchase a qualifying* new construction home that meets Alaska Housing's Energy Efficiency Program for 5 Star Plus Energy Rated Homes.
What could you do with $7,500?
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Pay off bills? Take a trip. Pay for your wedding. Invest for the future?
The possibilities are endless. This rebate is being offered through AHFC with no fees to the seller. Sellers can still make additional contributions to your closing costs, if negotiated. Perfect for first time Fairbanks home buyers. Folks looking to move up or downsize can take advantage of the program as well. Will work for any qualifying* new construction home. |
Attention Fort Wainwright & Eielson Air Force Base personnel - Couple your VA home loan benefits with the $7,500 rebate and buy a brand new home with possibly nothing out of pocket and put money in the bank.
To find out more or to start looking for your piece of the last frontier, contact us online or call Jesse and Kathy Clifton, Fairbanks real estate experts at 907.699.6024.
* Property must meet certain AHFC Energy Standard guidelines for new construction.
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Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts.
Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you. |
I've been using an old(er) Cannon SLR for more years than I care to remember. A couple of days ago the FedEx man delivered my new Cannon 40D DSLR. Now, where photography is concerned I'm certainly not as good as my buddy Richard Weisser or John & Margaret Hokkanen but I like to tinker with it. By the way, if you haven't had the chance to meet Richard or see the magic that John and Margaret can do with a camera then put your mouse in gear and click on over. They're all amazing people.
There's a running joke that if you're ever lost, just look for the Auto Trim flag and you'll have your bearings. As memory serves the flag is 15' x 25'... it's quite large. The 'video' above was a series of shots this afternoon and an experiment with Veoh. Hope you enjoy it!
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Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts.
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Recently we met with a couple looking for some help with a building project. They bought a parcel of land upon which they planned to build their dream home but due to a lack of planning and a little claimed deception on the part of the seller found themselves mired in a potential disaster. What takes this from bad to worse is the seller is a licensed (non Realtor) real estate agent.
What do you do when you don't know what you don't know? The seller, who happens to live next door, told them the ground in the area was good. Based in part on his statements the buyers didn't bother having a subsurface soils investigation done. They had no idea that could even be done.
Contrary to what some will say, you can not tell diddly about the soil without having the lot in question drilled. The type/size/age of trees or other vegetation won't tell you anything. The only ground you won't find permafrost under has palm trees growing up from it, as the old joke goes.
It wasn't until they hired a local company to excavate for the foundation and septic system that they discovered trouble brewing. Five feet down and no gravel.... 6 feet... 9 feet... 12 feet and still no gravel. Plenty of muck - wet clay that you couldn't build a dog house on, let alone a 2,200 sq. ft. house. Dig, dig, dig was the order of the day all the way down to 19' when they hit gravel... beneath 4' of water.
Having two test holes dug and examined would have cost $2,500. They are now facing a $30,000+ expense to bring in enough gravel to fill a 20' hole the width and depth of the foundation. We talked briefly about building the house on steel pilings but after looking at the plans we'll need roughly 25 pilings, which at $1,400 each plus a floating steel deck floor in the garage adds roughly $35,000 to the cost of the foundation.
They are understandably sick. I feel for them but at this point I'm not sure what can be done. They can't simply cut their losses and move on either as they paid, in my opinion, too much for the property. They could never resell it for what they paid and certainly not with the knowledge of the soil condition (at least in that spot). I'm not sure what options outside of litigation are available and even that's going to be a messy road to try and travel. The seller will simply hide behind caveat emptor as there are no disclosure requirements in the State of Alaska where undeveloped land is concerned.
If you're buying undeveloped land in Fairbanks or the Interior, have the property drilled. It could save you from making a very costly mistake which you could certainly end up regretting later.
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Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts.
Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you. |
Located just a few miles from Fairbanks and North Pole is Chena Lakes Recreation Area; a 2,100 acre Lake and River Park, campground and picnic area. It's a fantastic place to spend a summer afternoon or weekend enjoying the great outdoors. Although Chena Lakes is only a few miles from the city of North Pole, once inside the park it feels like you're a million miles away.
The lake park is built around a 260 acre lake surrounded by a long sandy beach. Nestled into a winding loop are numerous waterfront picnic tables with BBQ grills and fire rings, several pavilions with changing rooms (which must be reserved), three volleyball courts, a horseshoe pit, a playground for the kids (and the kid in you), two fishing docks and a lake boat launch. An onsite vendor rents paddle boats, kayaks and canoes for those wishing to explore the lake. A couple of the islands have picnic tables, fire rings and tent camping sites set up as well.
Want to do a little fishing? The Alaska Department of Fish and Game stocks the lake with Rainbow Trout, Silver Salmon and Arctic Char and you can try your hand at catching Arctic Grayling, Northern Pike, Whitefish, Burbot and King Salmon.
The River Park is stretched along 4 miles of the south bank of the Chena River and has a volleyball court, horseshoe pit, a covered pavilion, changing room/warm up building, a 3 mile self guided nature trail, river boat launch, potable water stations, restrooms, and multiple day use picnic sites with tables and fire rings.
With so much to see and do, you might just want to spend the night or a weekend. Lucky for you Chena Lakes has two campgrounds with a total of 80 back in and pull through sites. Both campground loops are wooded and offer views of the Chena River, Chena Lakes or great views of the Alaskan wilderness. All of the campsites have a parking pad (most have a padded tent site as well), picnic table and fire ring. Restrooms, water pumps and trash receptacles are also close at hand. The one caveat to using the campground is that, like most state campgrounds, size matters. RV's up to 30' - 35'+/- will fit into most sites without a problem but beyond that there are only a few that you'll be able to get into. Lucky for us the few that accommodate larger rigs are among our favorite sites in the park.
There are trails galore running through the park. Several well developed ATV trails circle the park. In addition there are miles and miles of trails that cut through the park and flood control project that are great fun to hike and ride though. Chena Lakes also boasts several miles of wide paved bike paths to enjoy. Just remember, you're not necessarily alone out there... Bears and moose are commonly seen, so please use caution.
Additional Resources
Map and directions to Chena Lakes Recreation Area
Boat rental information
Chena Lake Recreation Area Fee Schedule
Chena Lakes Map & Rules
Picnic Reservation Form
Winter Trail Map and Guide
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Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts.
Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you. |
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The premier real estate team in the Golden Heart City; we provide results oriented buyer and seller representation.
We are Jesse & Kathy Clifton, better known as simply The Spouses. As full-time professional REALTORS®, we are committed to providing our clients with the most knowledgeable, professional and experienced real estate service available.
The-Spouses.com is the creation of Jesse & Kathy Clifton, REALTORS®. Frustrated with the limitations on most websites available to our customers, we created the website in order to give not just our customers, but all of Interior Alaska, a great real estate experience.
The most differentiating aspect of The-Spouses.com is that we make it easy to find the properties and information that you want. Our goal is to provide the most real estate information to the Fairbanks community - even to those people who may never choose to use our services.
We don't believe that you should have to fill out long registration forms just to find out what is on the market. Nor do we believe that just because you want to know how much that house down the street is listed for, you should be harassed by some agent you've never met and don't want to talk to.
The-Spouses.com is built around a belief in good customer service and non-pushy sales. To that extent, we have created a company whose sole objective is to help serve clients who decide that they are ready to buy or sell their home.
Integrity, Honesty, and Great Customer service are the hallmarks of our practice.
In short, The-Spouses.com is about having a great real estate experience, whether you are buying and selling, or just browsing to see what's out there.
We specialize in residential real estate; new construction and existing single and multi family homes as well as undeveloped land in Fairbanks and the surrounding communities of North Pole, Salcha, Fox, Two Rivers, Ester, Ft. Wainwright Army Post and Eielson Air Force Base. As full-time professional REALTORS®, we are committed to providing our clients with the most knowledgeable, professional and experienced real estate service available. Any agent can open a door; we believe it's our responsibility to protect and promote your best interests throughout the transaction. Anything less is simply unacceptable.
Search the Fairbanks MLS - View Our Showcase Homes - Read Our Monthly Market Reports
Jesse & Kathy Clifton
Spouses Selling Houses
Jesse Clifton & Associates, REALTORS
250 N. Cushman Street, 4G
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
Direct: (907) 699-6024 Fax: (866) 421-4339
www.the-spouses.com - jesse@the-spouses.com
Follow us on Twitter: @thespouses
Fairbanks; The Golden Heart city of Alaska.
The city of Fairbanks is located in Interior Alaska near the confluence of the Chena and Tanana Rivers in the Tanana Valley. We are 360 miles north of Anchorage, 125 south of the Arctic Circle, 3,500 miles from Los Angeles and 4,200 miles from Washington, DC. Nicknamed "The Golden Heart City", Fairbanks is the largest city in the interior region and the second largest in Alaska.
Founded in 1901 by Captain E.T. Barnette as a trading post on the Chena River, the community grew and was eventually named after Senator Charles Fairbanks. The discovery of Gold in the hills just north of Fairbanks caused a mass influx of residents, bringing the population to almost 11,000 in 1910. Ladd Field, now Fort Wainwright, was built in 1938 followed by the Alcan Highway in 1940's and Eielson Air Force Base, formerly Satellite Field, in 1943, bringing the military population to almost isto be just shy of 19,921.
An Act of the Alaska Legislature created the Fairbanks North Star Borough in 1964; the year of the fateful Good Friday Earthquake that shook anchorage and three years before Fairbanks suffered a devastating flood at the hands of the Chena River. According to records the population of Fairbanks in 1880 was approximately 2,600 and has since swelled to almost 90,000 in the North Star Borough with projections for nearly 105,000 by the year 2018.
The Fairbanks economy is based on tourism, the state's oil revenue and federal government expenditures for the military, administration of federal agencies and research grants. As Alaska's second largest city, Fairbanks is an important trading, transportation and military center. Residents of nearby North Pole, Fort Wainwright Army Post, Eielson Air Force Base and surrounding areas come to Fairbanks for shopping, entertainment and employment.
The Interior and Fairbanks in particular are known to have some of the most extreme weather conditions in the country due to significant changes in solar heat throughout the year. The winters are long, usually lasting from late September to mid-April. From November to March, daylight ranges from ten to less than four hours daily and temperatures can drop to 50 degrees below zero. The summers are very warm, often reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes reaching the 90's. The sun is above the horizon eighteen to twenty-one hours per day. August and September tend to be the rainier months and snow tends to fall the last week of September leading back into the winter season.
Fairbanks is home to the University of Alaska Fairbanks; the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system. Originally founded as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines in 1917 it became the University of Alaska in 1935. UAF remains the only campus in the University of Alaska system that awards doctoral degrees and holds the distinction of being one of only thirteen Land, Sea and Space Grant Universities in the country.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks encompasses eight campuses, plus the Center for Distance Education, offering 163 degrees and 25 certificates in 115 disciplines. 9,681 students are currently enrolled at the various campuses in the UAF system with 88% pursuing an undergraduate degree. 833 certificate, associate or baccalaureate degrees and 204 master's and doctoral degrees were conferred in the spring of 2007.
Located on the main campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, The Rasmuson Library is the largest library in the State of Alaska with 1.1 million volumes and electronic access to more than 20 million titles worldwide. The UAF campus is also home to the Museum of the North which boasts a rare and unique collection of more than 1 million objects.
University athletics are a vital part of the community. Dubbed the Nanooks; UAF athletics are composed of Division I hockey team, a Division II basketball team, mens and women's cross country skiing, rifle, women's swimming and volleyball.
Alaska is an outdoors paradise. We are blessed to have incredible hunting and fishing opportunities within an hours drive of Fairbanks. No matter what outdoor activity you're into, you can find it in Fairbanks. Summer or winter, there are plenty of sports to keep you breathing fresh Alaskan air.
Having called Alaska home for almost 30 years, we can't imagine living anywhere else. Considering a move to Fairbanks? Call at 907-699-6024 or contact us online; we would love to hear from you.
We love our clients; most have become close friends who continually refer other friends and family members to us because they know we have their best interest at heart. Our greatest achievement is in knowing we've made a difference; professionally as well as personally.
Kathy & Jesse! What a pair of "Spouses Selling Houses"!! Truly two wonderful helpful people that anyone wanting to buy or sell a house would want to know! When we were in the market to buy and sell, they never pressured, they were on top of every stop that needed to be taken. They provided answers to every inexperienced question we asked. They took car of unseen details and went to bat when there were snags. Truly a couple we feel are friends. Our home is our haven, thanks to these two hard working "Spouses". Recommend them... You had better believe it! ~ Mr. & Mrs. Mobley, Fairbanks
Jesse and Kathy are absolutely the best! They both gave me very good advice and I was happy to have folks who would give me honest advice. It was the first time I had looked into buying a house and lots of friends told me to avoid going through a REALTOR, that I would find better deals if I didn't have to deal with the REALTOR's "take." My friends were so wrong, Jesse and Kathy know the housing market, understand the intricacies of housing loans, and have a complete grasp on all the legalities of buying and selling. They definitely went to bat for me and protected me from my own naivety. I was and am very grateful that Jesse and Kathy were there helping me through every step of a confusing and some times frustrating process. ~ Ms. G. Russell, Fairbanks
Jesse assisted me with the process of finding and financing my home in Fairbanks in record time. I came into town on a mission with time constraints and high expectations that it could happen, and thanks to Jesse, it did! When the time came to make a decision, he gave me sound and honest advice... Jesse has the instincts, patience, and knowledge to match home to owner. And after the deal is struck, he is still there to guide you through the process of ownership. You know he is a phone call away and never too busy to take your call. Both he and his wife, Kathy, have a genuine interest in their clients. I don't believe we are seen as just customers, but as new members of the community to be supported and welcomed as neighbors and friends. They both continue to make me feel that way. ~ Ms. Salisbury, Fairbanks
We had our home listed with another agent for more than 8 months before listing it with Jesse & Kathy. The friend that referred them to us said they were the best agents in town. We agree! They gave us the honest advice we needed to hear about our asking price and the repairs we needed to make. Our home sold in a month and we are now in our new highly recomment them to everyone we know. ~ Mr. & Mrs. L. Trumball, Fairbanks
We love Jesse & Kathy. They are not just our Realtors. They are our friends. We were a wreck trying to coordinate selling our current home and closing on the new one. Despite probably driving them crazy with phone calls and questions, they were always available. We can't imagine buying or selling a home without their help. ~ Mr. & Mrs. T. Roberts
Dear Jesse & Kathy, Thank you so much for all your help. Not having ever bought a house before I had no idea what I was getting into. You guys are the best! ~ S. Miller, North Pole
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