Archives for 2017

Soil conditions in Alaska can and do vary widely from street to street and even lot to lot in residential development. No matter how many test holes are dug prior to building a road or putting in a foundation, there are almost always surprises—some good and some not so good. Continue Reading

Anchorage has had sixteen homes sell so far this year with an original list price between $700,000 and $850,000. There are also six pending sales and currently nine homes for sale in this price range. One home sold downtown built in 1939 and a bluff home sold that was built Continue Reading

The construction quality is the most important factor in all price ranges, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ recent survey. However, entry-level and moderate income buyers are also significantly influenced by financing. Sellers and builders offering Continue Reading

Last weekend a friend and I went car shopping. Having been in sales for over thirty years and where my favorite place to meet buyers is at an open house, I was curious to compare selling techniques. We visited three dealerships and had three very different experiences. My Continue Reading

The Alaska Housing Financing Corporation (AHFC) has a little known new grant program for single family home buyers called the ‘Closing Cost Assistance Program’. Available only through First National Bank of Alaska and Mt. McKinley Bank in Fairbanks, it offers up to a 4% Continue Reading

Last week, two major lending changes suddenly made it easier to get a mortgage. And here in Alaska, the Alaska Housing Financing Corporation has jumped into the mortgage market with a new grant program. First, changes to that dreaded credit score that everyone worries about. Continue Reading

According to the annual Alaska Rental Market Survey, vacancy rates crept up in 2017 to 5.08% in Anchorage which is almost identical to the national average. Fairbanks, Kenai Peninsula Borough and Wrangell-Petersburg all have vacancy rates double Anchorage’s and have for the Continue Reading

The National Association of Home Builders recently published a book on Home Buyer Preferences based upon age, income and other factors. So whether you’re thinking about buying a new home or remodeling, here’s a quiz to keep you up to date on what buyers are looking Continue Reading

When I built my home on Campbell Lake, the architect and I forgot the laundry room. It eventually ended up in a tall crawl space—on a wooden platform surrounded by bare studs and insulation. When I downsized and moved to South Addition, the laundry room became a closet for a Continue Reading