According to the 2020 U.S. census, Anchorage lost 579 citizens during the last decade. However, not all of them left for warmer weather as the Mat-Su gained a whopping 18,096. The Mat-Su also gained almost 10,000 housing units to accommodate their surge in Continue Reading
Anchorage’s Lack of New Housing Continues
Anchorage’s slow slide down into fewer and fewer new housing permits continues. So far this year there have been only 239 new housing units permitted, including single family, duplex and multi-family compared to 378 in 2020. No matter all the talk about the Continue Reading
Where Are The Windows?
Even though most home buyers would like a wider lot, Anchorage lots are getting narrower due to the high cost of road and water/sewer extensions. The cost of water service with an 8 inch pipe is $350 per lineal foot. The cost of a sewer service is $350/lineal Continue Reading
At Last, Some Positive Changes Coming for Title 21
Assuming the Anchorage Assembly passes an omnibus ordinance amending Anchorage Municipal Code to Title 21, local home builders will have a better path forward for residential development. The changes put forth by the Office of Community Development and Dept. of Law at Continue Reading
Why We Need Unit Lot Subdivisions
The Anchorage residential market continues on its robust journey of higher prices and multiple offers. The May 2021 average sales price was $458,580, the highest monthly sales price ever recorded since January 2013. Yet, of last week’s 112 pending sales in Anchorage and Continue Reading
A Round Up of Local Housing News
The first five months of 2021 has seen the continued fast pace of residential sales. Despite lack of inventory, unit sales increased by 25% when compared to the same time last year and total volume has increased by over 35%. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the average Continue Reading
Memo to a New Administration
With change comes opportunity and there certainly is a lot of opportunity to make housing more affordable in Anchorage. The cost of housing always begins with the cost of land which is calculated not just by square foot or acreage but by its current allowable use as defined Continue Reading
Why I Love New Homes
Because they have no ghosts; no fingerprints of a past life; no lost memories. It’s a new beginning mingled with the smell of sawn cedar, LED lights and smooth, freshly painted walls with no texture. It’s a first coat of paint—pure and simple—in so many different Continue Reading
How to Buy a House That Doesn’t Exist
With less than a one month supply of single family homes for sale in the Municipality of Anchorage, frustrated buyers wanting to take advantage of historic low interest rates are exploring new construction. However, with few speculative homes being built, buyers are having Continue Reading
Home Building – An Economic Booster
The construction industry in Anchorage lost 600 jobs in 2020. It was down from 7,800 in 2019 to 7,200. Most of that loss was in the commercial sector. In its January 2021 Jobs Forecast, Alaska Economic Trends reported that two of the three new hotels Continue Reading
Connie Yoshimura is the Owner and Broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alaska Realty. With over 40 years of residential real estate experience, she continues to be a leader in Alaska’s housing market. Most recently, she sold the highest-priced home ever recorded in the Alaska MLS.