I'd really like to return your call! - Dec 22 03:44 PM
From my house to my office, there is a "hole" in cell phone coverage. My phone will not ring, and has absolutely no signal for just a few minutes. There are quite a few of these holes throughout our region, mostly due to geography. We are at sea level and surrounded by mountains. The cell phone companies put up more and more towers every summer, but it never seems to be quite enough - especially in summer ...
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Alaska's Matanuska Valley in the Fall - Oct 05 07:24 PM
The family and I took a trip up the Glenn Highway last weekend. The Glenn Highway is part of the National Scenic Byway system. I was showing a house about 60 miles from Palmer so we made it a family outing.
The photo above shows the Matanuska River Valley, with King Mountain on the right and Castle Mountain on the left. They are in two different Mountain Ranges. Castle Mountain is part of the Talkeetna Mountains and ...
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Selling Homes In Alaska - Jan 10 12:40 PM
Yesterday morning I woke up to -39 degrees. That's the coldest we've had in many years. At 6:40 I went out to start my daughter's car so she could leave for school at 7am. Then at 7:30 I tried to start my car...it was too COLD to start. That's when I went check the thermometer. Of course I do have a garage, but like most real Alaskan's it is filled with stuff...not cars. Actually it wasn't even my ...
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Interested in Remote Alaska real estate? - Mar 03 11:13 PM
Interested in Remote Alaska real estate?It seems whenever there is a crisis or natural disaster elsewhere, everybody wants to run to Alaska. In the wake of September 11, I received over 3000 inquiries on remote Alaska real estate in only 5 weeks. Katrina and Rita brought several hundred inquiries. However, very few people who contact me regarding this type of property ever buy, from me or from anyone else! (I track recordings) For that reason, I've ...
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Welcome to Alaska! Are You Prepared??? - Oct 16 11:31 PM
WELCOME TO ALASKA! ARE YOU PREPARED??? Alaska is Gorgeous! And you my friend will be captivated by its beauty! You may be transferring with your current employer... or you are here for our many employment opportunities. Maybe your decision was simply to be closer to family and friends... Perhaps you simply visited Alaska once and fell in love with our immense mountains, lush forests, AWESOME fishing, hunting and exploring opportunities and had to come back.What ever your ...
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First Frost, “Goodbye summer” and “Hello winter” - Oct 05 08:13 PM
We had our first frost the other night. Today it was blowing about 40 mph and raining hard. I'm not fond of winter. I don't like to be wet and I don't like to be cold. It's enough to make me wonder why I live in Alaska - especially Southeast Alaska where it is wet and cold. It's also quite dark. During the summer we enjoy endless days and it hardly gets dark at all. In ...
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An acre in Alaska? - Jul 22 07:32 PM
Sometimes my head hurts. This is one of those times....Once or twice a month, I get an email that goes something like this:"I am thinking of buying an acre in Alaska. Can you help me?" That's it.I'd like to think I'm pretty good at helping people. Times like this I wonder. I'm not psychic! I need more information. Where? Alaska is over 365 MILLION acres. Dealing with remote property, I probably get these questions more often than some agents.Approximately ...
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Mortgage Fraud Hits Alaska..... Again :-/ - Dec 18 11:21 AM
INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS REGARDING THE NATURE OF THOSE ACCUSED WILL BE DELETED. WHILE I DO NOT LIKE TO EDIT COMMENTS, I SEE NO PLACE FOR PLACING THEIR PERSONAL HISTORY OF PAST DRUG USE OR OTHER ACCUSATIONS HERE.THIS BLOG IS INFORMATIVE AND MEANS TO SHED LIGHT ON THE MEANING OF "STRAW BUYER".http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/9525985p-9436772c.html OK so I posted this blog this morning before I had to run off to a very important meeting and left it very vague with a link ...
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Gardening tasks for December in Southeast Alaska - Dec 01 10:59 AM
I know you all think I'm obsessed with gardening. Of course I truly am. As the President of Southeast Alaska Master Gardeners, it is my right. I'm just usually out selling real estate so I don't have the time I'd like to have in the garden. That's why I'd like to start periodically giving a "to do" list for the garden. None of us have the time we'd like to, but we all have 24 hours ...
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I'm Baaccckk... I'm Back! - Feb 11 03:24 AM
So, it turns out a few locals actually read this dribble that I write!
At least three times this weekend, my bog was mentioned or even discussed in public!At first I was embarrassed. Did people I know actually stumble across my words, my search engine rankings? My stuff - I am humbled!What even made them look? I hope to find the answers in the replies below!Debbie
You can find most of what you need to know about Southeast ...
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Let there be ... WIND! - Dec 04 03:38 AM
We live in a wild frontier that is for sure! You can go to bed at 10 degrees only to wake up to 45 degree weather that melts the snow in one day.We go from 45 degree weather to wind chills of -25F or more in a matter of hours :-) Never a dull moment here in Alaska!This weekend was a fantastic display of the power wind has and left many without power yesterday evening. Winds ...
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1.5 BILLION DOLLARS – Thanks, AHFC! - Mar 16 06:14 PM
The mission statement is "To Provide Alaskans Access to Safe, Quality, Affordable Housing".
Since 1986, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has contributed over 1.5 billion dollars to the State of Alaska through cash transfers, debt service payments and capital projects after paying all their own operating expenses. This is also after they spend millions each year helping Alaskans with their housing needs. It is nothing short of amazing, and I'd like to recognize the good people at AHFC ...
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Hart Lake Estates - May 27 11:59 AM
Hart Lake Estates is almost equal distances from Hatcher Pass, Palmer, and Wasilla. It is less than a one hour commute to Anchorage.
These lots a all about one acre and are 100% usable. Natural gas, electric, and phone lines are buried in front of the lots ensuring that the birch forests will not be marred by unsightly power lines.
Wells have proven to be at a reasonable depth with plenty of water. Here ...
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Save our Bears! Put your garbage where it belongs. - Oct 12 11:29 AM
The Juneau newspaper has an article that used to be called the Police Blotter. Since our young people don't know what a "blotter" is, it's now just called Police & Fire. All the little stories that don't warrant their own story are lumped together in this section. Let's just say you don't want your name anywhere on this page... it's the same one they print the obituaries on.Today's newspaper shows that our bears are frantically trying ...
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Alaskan Soccer Dad - Aug 31 09:55 AM
My son Gerrit loves soccer. I think he is going to be built more like a basketball player. At age 12 he has already passed up his Pop, (didn't take much growing actually). But he likes soccer better than anything else.
So I spent another evening at the soccer fields yesterday.
I couldn't complain.
With the Chugach Mountains as a backdrop, the sun still beating down it's warmth at 8PM, and the sandhill cranes flying overhead I was ...
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More Adventures in Alaska Real Estate - May 14 12:12 AM
Summer in Alaska leads to different adventures. While winter cold makes showing reo properties interesting. The grizzlies are out in the summer. I don't know how many Realtors are advised to carry hand cannons when doing CMA's for out-of-state owners.
I recently received a call for a lady in Oregon. She wondered if I could take a look at her property to give her a value. She hadn’t been there for about 10 years and although ...
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Real Estate in Wasilla and Palmer, Alaska! Calling all Military!!! - Feb 02 06:25 PM
Welcome to my real estate blog! Calling all Military! Have you always dreamed of orders to Alaska? Have you been given orders to Alaska and are unsure you want them? Are you being asked to serve your country in another area besides Alaska and have to give up your home here? If so, you are in the right place! Dody Kettler is married to a Air Force man and has been stationed all over the world. ...
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Natural wonders of the Kenai Peninsula - Nov 05 07:18 PM
For those of you that don't know, The Kenai Peninsula is still close to 90% wilderness and here are some of the really great wonders in our communities.There are four (4) active Volcanoes from South to North viewed from the western side of Cook Inlet to the Alaska Peninsula there is St. Augustine, Mt. Illiamna, Mt. Redoubt, and Mt. Spurr. World renowned fishing, including four salmon species spawning up the rivers, lakes and streams almost any ...
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Hatcher Pass,Alaska...Beautiful In Winter And Summer - Oct 29 07:31 PM
Anchorage Daily New photographer Marc Lester has a fantastic slide show of Hatcher Pass on adn.com. It's too good not to post for all my readers as well.
I wrote about Hatcher Pass last December when we watched a bunch of kids downhill skiing. There were having blast. Hatcher Pass is a special place for our family. It's only a 30 minute drive from my home.
Hatcher Pass is one of the crown jewels of the Mat-Su Borough. It's ...
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Nicknames for cities in Alaska - Oct 21 11:06 PM
AlaskaAnchorage The City of Lights and Flowers.Los AnchorageAir Crossroads of the World.Hanging Basket Capital of the World.Cordova Clam Town.Razor Clam Capital.Fairbanks - The Golden Heart City.Haines - Eagle Capital of America.Homer - Halibut Capital of the world.Kenai - The Village With a Past, the City With a Future.Ketchikan - King Salmon Capital of the World.Knik - Dog-mushing Center of the World.Kodiak - King Crab Capital.Sitka First City of Alaska.The Natural Place to Visitcourtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_city_nicknames_in_the_United_States ...
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Alaska - HOME INSPECTIONS ARE MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT! - Oct 13 06:51 PM
No Matter which state or area of the country you live in, you will more than likely agree that home inspections are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to have done!Unfortunately in our beautiful state of Alaska, Building Requirements are somewhat lax, especially in the Mat-Su Borough. That's not to say you can't find QUALITY construction here, but buyer beware!In the last two weeks alone I have come across multiple homes that had no inspections done throughout construction, no history ...
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State of Alaska Facts - Oct 05 03:12 PM
Admitted to Statehood: January 3, 1959Capital: JuneauNicknames: Land of the Midnight Sun, Great land and The Last FrontierMotto: "North to the Future"Bird: Willow PtarmiganFish: King SalmonFlower: forget me notGem: JadeTree: Sitka SpruceSong: "Alaska's Flag"Origin of Name: RussianOrigin of the Name "Alaska" The U.S. bought Alaska from Russia in October 1867 for 7.2 million dollars, or two cents per acre.Many Americans thought this was a waste of money and called Alaska "Seward's Folly," after Secretary of State William ...
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HOOKED ON KENAI, ALASKA - Sep 05 05:52 PM
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PENINSULA( AND THE TOWNS LOCATED ON THE PENINSULA) WITH HOMER PROBABLY BEING THE MOST POPULAR WITH THE VIEWS OF THE GLACIERS GO INTO MY WEBSITE, (AS FAR AS LISTINGS I DON'T HAVE THEM UPDATED YET) WWW.AKHOMESANDPROPERTIES.COM AND CLICK ON THE RESOURCE PAGE....THERE IS A MULTITUDE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE AREAS AND I THINK THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD FIND THESE TOWNS INTERESTING. ...
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» Nothing Down Loans Available For Alaska Real Estate Purchases - Mar 24 11:35 AM
With the implosion of the subprime mortgage market, many would be Alaska homeowners feel left out in the cold. Lending guidelines have tightened up across the nation and borrowers cannot get enough down payment to qualify. Your voices have been heard. Now there is one phone call to make to qualify for a loan with little or nothing out of pocket. Call on the 24/7 Loan Line Toll Free 1-800-239-1416.
The inventory of Alaska homes for sale is up ...
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Welcome to the Alaska - Real Estate In The Last Frontier Group - Feb 19 05:02 AM
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Tuesday Tips... - Feb 12 09:55 AM
Staging your home:The first things potential buyers see is the entrance and front door of your home. The first thing you should do to attract buyers is to make the front entrance and front door appealing. Some basic landscaping (which is a little difficult to do in Alaska in the winter), some paint (most say a red door attracts customers), some new hardware, a little elbow grease, a nice mat and a plant can make all ...
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When is the best time to buy a home in Arizona? - Nov 23 12:36 PM
"When is the best time to buy a home in Arizona?" This is one of the most frequent questions I get from buyers. With our current market condition being a strong buyer's market with many deals to be had, the answer to that question would be anytime. However, I think the question really translates into "when is the most active real estate purchasing season? Historically, our market is most active right after the first of the ...
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Hatchers Pass - Oct 08 02:50 AM
Our family loves to go hiking...and we like it even better when we go hiking in the stunning Hatchers Pass area.Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Hatchers:"Hatcher Pass (3886 ft./1148 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Talkeetna Mountains. The nearest communities are Fishhook to the South and Willow to the West.It is a well frequented recreation area, with outdoor activities including hiking, camping, skiing, etc. The Hatcher Pass lodge offers food and lodging.A ...
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The Beautiful Mat-Su Valley - Oct 08 02:07 AM
Matanuska-Susitna Valley shown shaded in red north of Anchorage Matanuska-Susitna Valley (known locally as the Mat-Su Valley) is an area in south central Alaska south of the Alaska Range north and northeast of Anchorage. It is over 23,000 mile² (60,000 km²) in size, comprising the valleys of the Matanuska and Susitna rivers. It is one of the most settled areas in Alaska and includes the towns of Wasilla, Palmer, Houston, Big Lake, Willow and Talkeetna.The ...
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Binkies, Bananas & PMS - Sep 25 10:55 AM
I live in Juneau, Alaska, which is a town of about 30,000 in Southeast Alaska. Juneau is the capital city for the state as well as a regional medical and shopping center. The outlying areas are not connected to Juneau by a road system so travel is by boat or small plane. That means groceries and other goods come in this way as well. Juneau isn't connected to an outside road system either so you need to ...
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Alaskans In The Summer - Jun 22 03:56 AM
Alaskans do so many crazy things in the summer it’s hard to count them all. This is a photo my son took of me on Montana Creek last week at midnight.
Today is the longest day of the year. Alaskans all over the state are soaking up the sun. And there sure is a lot of sun right now. Depending on where you are in the state you have between 20–24 hours of sunlight today. ...
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Summer in the Mat-Su Valley...almost heaven - May 26 11:09 AM
It's summer in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Winter seems like a lifetime away. Last January I wrote about showing houses in minus 39 degree weather but I can forget all about it now. I was looking for the AC switch in the car yesterday as I showed a Park City, Utah buyer around the valley.
The photo below of Hatcher Pass is one of the many photos my daughter Teressa has taken of our area. Click here ...
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Alaska No Longer Has Any Real Estate Agents - May 03 02:48 PM
There are no real estate agents in Alaska. The Alaska State Legislature passed a law a couple years ago that eliminates real estate agents. This was done partly to take care of the problem of dual agents, but the legislature just decided get rid all real estate agents while they were at it.That doesn't mean we can't earn a living, we still represent buyers and sellers and we are still paid for our services. But we are no longer agents. ...
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New Addition to First Family - Mar 07 12:01 AM
It was announced this morning that Alaska's First Family is about to get a little larger. Governor Sarah Palin announced that she and her husband Todd, affectionately referred to as the First Dude, are expecting their 5th child in May.
In addition to being the youngest person to hold the position of Governor of Alaska, she is also the first woman to hold the position. An August 2007 opinion poll shows Governor Palin enjoys an ...
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Alaska Wilderness, Own Your Own Piece Of It - Apr 30 09:40 PM
Have you dreamed of owning a piece of the real Alaska? I mean the kind of property where your nearest neighbours are moose and other wildlife, rather than smelly cars and trucks?Have you dreamed of building your own log cabin from logs gathered from your own land? Here is your opportunity, for only $15,000. This lakefront parcel is smack dab in the middle of a beautiful part of Alaska. Although it's only about 40 miles northwest of ...
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Cabin On The Edge Of Alaskan Wilderness, Wasilla Alaska - Apr 26 01:54 AM
This home sits on the side of Mount Baldy just north of Wasilla. The view is fantastic with lots of southern exposure. As you can see from the map, it is right on the edge of the Talkeetna Mountains.This is a 672 square foot two storey cabin with a 900 square foot detached shop. It isn't large, but it's set up comfortably.It is on a lot with more than 3 acres of unrestricted land with it's own well ...
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Marty's Mat-Su Market Memo - Apr 25 12:20 PM
This week's statistics for the Wasilla Real Estate News show a continued healthy real estate market. The inventory is dropping. The closed sales remain in the twenties but the pendings are starting to grow. There is still a huge gap between the average sales price and the average asking price. That is why there is also a huge difference in days on the market for the inventory as a whole compared to the closed listings. The houses ...
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Wasilla Real Estate Deals Of The Week, April 10, 2007 - Apr 11 01:48 AM
I was looking primarily at homes this week priced between $200,000 and $260,000. In this price range you can find a good sized home, on a decent sized lot. I picked four homes out of the list of 176. These are all 4 bedroom homes with two car garages. In addition, they are all fairly new homes, I think the oldest is less than four years old. Often, you will find that homes like that are better ...
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Buyers Can Cancel Their Contract - Apr 09 03:00 PM
Ever since I started in real estate in Wasilla and Palmer, it has been my belief that a good transaction means that all parties are happy right up to the closing table. If something comes up between the initial offer and the closing table it is important to communicate the issue to all parties. Usually, good communication can ease the problem and help all to see a way to continue the transaction. But,if things start to unravel it is usually the buyer ...
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Valley Trash... - Mar 31 10:52 PM
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough, "the valley", has had an inferiority complex for years. Wasilla was only a wide spot in the road on your way to Fairbanks until about 25 years ago. Palmer was where you went to the state fair. Other than that, the valley has been playing second, or third fiddle to most alaskan communities.Not long ago, a previously esteemed, and here unnamed, state senator labelled a local Mat-Su Valley citizen, "just more valley trash". Not only that, he did ...
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Mat-Su Real Estate Stats for March 2007 - Mar 11 01:35 AM
Well, I expected to see a continued upward trend in pending sales and new listings this week, but it didn't happen. The reason I expected it is that we have seen increased activity on our own listings with more showings and three offers over the weekend.
The only thing that went up was total listings
There were two closing over $300,000 this week but the bulk of the activity is still on the lower end. Notice that ...
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Wasilla to Nome to Fairbanks...the Iron Dog - Feb 12 09:18 PM
I don't know what this has to do with real estate, but it has a lot to do with Alaska. It's part of what makes the state and the people different. The land, the people, and the events are taken to the extreme. But you have to love it.
The Iron Dog Race started yesterday, take a look at the short video of the starting line describing the GPS system allowing us to monitor every team. How many ...
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The Sun Rose On Real Estate - Feb 01 10:26 PM
It must have been the weather. The day dawned bright and clear, and it felt warm. I showed houses in shirt sleeves today.
The phone rang, and rang, and rang. By 11:30 AM I had more than 60 calls. I know this because my cell phone only holds the last 60 phone numbers. I looked for a number from an early morning call and found it was before the 60th number. I checked again at 6 PM ...
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Zoning in Palmer, Wasilla, and the Mat-Su Valley - Feb 04 03:31 AM
The cities of Palmer, Wasilla, Houston have true zoning. Here are the zoning maps for Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston. These maps are similar to what we generally think about when we hear the term "zoning". The maps are also useful in that they delineate the city boundaries.
In the rest of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough there really isn't zoning in the traditional sense. The borough says that they do have zoning because they are trying to get everyone ...
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Wasilla and Palmer Real Estate...New Construction - Feb 08 11:51 AM
New construction has become a major force in our market. Before 2004 most new homes were pre-solds. That is, the buyer would decide they wanted a new home, they would contract with the builder to build the home before any actual construction had begun. This pre-sold market was a reaction by lenders and by builders to the real estate crash of the mid-1980s. At that time builders were building homes as fast as they could and ...
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Wind, Driveways, Wasilla, and Especially Palmer - Jan 26 12:22 PM
Moving to the Matanuska Valley brings with it beautiful mountain vistas, large lots covered in birch and spruce, quiet neighborhoods and pristine wilderness settings. Often, we neglect to mention the dreaded MATANUSKA WIND! The photo is of Engstom Road just yesterday taken from my junker Toyota truck as I was on my way to a 1PM appointment. Click on it to see the wind blowing over the snowberm.This wind starts at the headwaters of the Matanuska ...
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Water Treatment In Palmer and Wasilla - Feb 02 07:27 PM
The cities of Palmer and Wasilla have water systems that provide water for some of the residents. Some developments have their own community water systems. All the rest of us in the Matanuska Valley get our water from wells. If you have a private well you are the one responsible for knowing what you are drinking.
Most of the water that comes from wells in the valley tastes great right out of the ground. However, even if ...
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Hot Properties in Cold Country - Jan 19 10:35 PM
Some brokers in Alaska specialize in more remote properties. A few market real estate state wide, and in Alaska, that is quite a feat. I often go to State Wide Real Estate Services site and drool over some of the places Wyn Moser has for sale. The above photo is a property on Kodiak Island. Boat or float plane is the only access. I wish this were my listing just so I could visit for ...
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Real Estate In Alaska - Jan 18 03:29 AM
Such a HUGE topic. Such a small post. This will be the first of many posts discussing interesting differences about buying and selling property in Alaska. I have been in Alaska pretty much all my life and have been a Realtor in the Matanuska Valley for 16 years. Since I have only worked in Alaska, I have only recently become aware of how different it is to work here. I talk about my local area in my online newsletter. Alaska ...
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What's a View Worth? - Jan 27 02:43 PM
I took this photo just this morning from my house. Pioneer Peak stands out from Palmer to Wasilla and is a premier landmark for the Valley. This view is worth something to me, and it would be worth something to a buyer of my home. But exactly how much is it worth?When you price your home there are so many different and sometimes opposing values to add and subtract from the price it can be confusing. So which ones ...
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Wells in the Mat-Su Valley, Part Three - Jan 25 11:27 AM
In two previous articles we looked at possible contamination in your well water and at finding water. This article will deal with how to use and maintain your well. Most wells in the Palmer and Wasilla areas are deeper than fifty feet. I have people tell me every year that a well shallower than fifty feet or forty feet is an illegal well, but I can't find any regulation that confirms that assertion. Our well in our last home in ...
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Monday Musings...Days on Market - Feb 11 09:26 AM
A beautiful Monday morning where the extreme cold temperatures have given way to warmer temps (5 above this morning) and lots of snow falling! I love it. What a nice way to start another week in Alaska. Not only are the temperatures rising, but the sun is hitting our house again! We live on the south side of a mountain and for a few weeks in the winter the sun doesn't hit our house...but NO LONGER! ...
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