The Anchorage real estate market is off to a slow start in 2019. Active listings for Jan/Feb fell by 3.2% from the same time as last year. More importantly, closed sales declined by 15.60%. Whether that is because of continued lack of inventory or the current concern over Continue Reading
Archives for 2019
How Anchorage’s Property Tax Compares to Other Communities
According to the Alaska Department of Commerce, Anchorage’s mill rate of 16.4 is the second highest in Alaska. Only Fairbanks has a higher mill rate of 19.8. In Anchorage the tax on a $350,000 home is $5,740 and $8,200 on a $500,000 home, excluding any Continue Reading
Notes from the International Builders’ Show
Last week I attended the IBS Show in Las Vegas, along with Dwell Realty’s Marketing Director, Claire James. We came away with some new marketing ideas as well as design trends and a better understanding of the U.S. housing market. Like all conference attendees, and there Continue Reading
Test Your Real Estate Knowledge with a Quiz!
1. Did total gross dollar volume of sold residential listings increase or decrease between 2017 and 2018? A. Increase by 4.3% B. Decrease by 2.8% C. Increase by 1.1% 2. Did condo volume increase or decrease during the same time? A. Decrease by Continue Reading
A Look Back at 2018’s New Construction Stats
All the state and local economists have predicted Alaska’ recession will end the latter part of 2019. Let’s hope so for the sake of the new construction industry which has lost over 900 jobs in the past three years. This chart shows an average 22 percent decline Continue Reading
Should Residential Properties Carry Anchorage’s Tax Burden
According to the recently published 2019 Anchorage property appraisal report, Anchorage has total property values of $46 billion. However, not all of that $46 billion is taxed due to ‘exemptions’. State mandatory exemptions by type include seniors/disabled vets, Continue Reading
How to Measure Your Home’s Value
Alaska is a non-disclosure state when it comes to establishing your home’s value. That means that both Zillow and the MOA do not really know the true market value of your home. Using algorithms and public data, Zillow’s Zestimates are frequently misleading. Continue Reading
Follow Mark Twain’s Advice
Before he died in 1910, Mark Twain said ‘Buy land because they ain’t goin’ to make any more of it.” Back then, I’m pretty sure Twain wasn’t thinking about subdivisions with roads, water, sewer, rolled vs. detached curbs or streets with insulation. But Twain was right Continue Reading
Do You Live in a Common Interest Community?
According to the Community Associations Institute’s report published in 2016, 68 million Americans or the equivalent of 21% of the U.S. population live in a common-interest community. Fifty-three percent are Homeowner Associations and forty-four are Condominium Continue Reading
Got Drywall Cracks? Here’s What You Need to Do
The November 30th earthquake was a big one, creating thousands of drywall cracks in hundreds of homes. According to national building standards, drywall cracks greater than 1/16th of an inch should be repaired. So if you’ve got drywall cracks in your home Continue Reading
Connie Yoshimura, Owner/Broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alaska Realty.