Archives for 2015

More than 90% of homebuyers begin their search online. The overwhelming site they rely  on is Zillow which today produces over 100  million “Zestimates’ of home values  based upon available public information and reports from the real estate industry on sales.  The system Continue Reading

The Anchorage real estate market is holding steady, despite a bump in residential inventory for the first quarter of this year. Sales volume jumped from $167 million to just over $189 million, a 13% increase in volume. However, to accomplish an agreed transaction, there is a Continue Reading

This weekend is the Anchorage Spring Preview of Homes with twenty-nine entries from six different builders in price ranges from $808,000 to $300,000.  Unlike the fall Parade of Homes, these entries do not need to be completed and so visitors will see anything from furnished Continue Reading

One of the little discussed opportunities in residential real estate is the small income property.  Whether a duplex, triplex or four-plex, it’s an excellent way to begin a real estate portfolio for the small investor or first time homebuyer.  If you qualify for a VA Continue Reading

Residential land development is not an easy business. There are many factors to take into consideration before taking the big step to develop an unimproved parcel. First and foremost are the market conditions. Consider the type of development that is best suited for the Continue Reading

The problem with remodeling is that it never seems to stop. Once you replace the carpet and change out the Formica countertops to quartz, suddenly those white or black appliances look older than they really are. Remodeling is big business in Alaska. Just witness the growth Continue Reading

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, there are approximate 104,980 occupied housing units in Anchorage. Seventy-five percent of those units were built before 1990, making Anchorage a haven for remodelers, but a frustrating home search experience Continue Reading

Spurred on by lack of inventory, warm weather and the threat of rising interest rates later in the year, local buyers are doing their spring home shopping early. Actual closed residential transactions for January 2015 were 166 compared to 149 in 2014. Last week in Anchorage, Continue Reading

Alaska tops the list as the state where residents feel most content. According to the latest survey conducted by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, locals in "the last frontier" share the strongest sense of purpose in the nation, ranking among the top three states for Continue Reading

Marriage, birth, death, divorce and job change are the five major reasons people buy and sell homes.  Yes, there are the investors or ‘flippers’ in the residential real estate market, but they make up a very small percentage in our local market.  Of the five major reasons, Continue Reading