Choosing where to live in Alaska

[cardiac5]

My wife has been sending houses to me daily for the past few weeks. She really wants to get out of the Midwest. We stayed with a rokslider in Eagle River a few summers back while working a contract at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. We both work in healthcare so looking for housing closer to Anchorage. Currently live in the country on gravel with land and we don’t want a neighborhood (Prefer 2-3 acres) but I’m okay with it if I get to live there. We’ve looked at Wasilla to get more for our money but I’m thinking we need to be more Chugiak/Eagle River. I think it’s more a sweet spot between everything. Does anyone here live near Wasilla and commute to Anchorage and what everyone’s opinion on location? Do you commute and wish you were closer or is it not such a big deal? Lastly is there any benefit of buying in the winter time( like more a buyers market)? I’m not good at wording question so sorry about that. Thanks Kanton.


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[Krieg Hetzen]

I think you will be hard pressed to find 2-3 acres of land in Eagle River or Chugiak that isn't part of a neighborhood. I don't know your budget or housing criteria but that pretty steep ask for that area. The commute sucks, I've done it on one off occasions (training in Anchorage or working a different facility). For most people I know who have done the commute, they try to get away from it and Anchorage as soon as possible. As for the valley (Palmer/Wasilla) it's still a bit difficult to find 2+ outside of a neighborhood without getting quite a bit from the city center. If you are going to work in Anchorage you'll likely need to compromise on something. To sum it up, the commute sucks (mainly because of the people) and as far as I know there isn't a primetime buying season for houses.

 

[Marbles]

The Valley is not always cheaper then Anchorage anymore.

No season for buying or selling houses that I have noticed. The housing market was tight when I was buying a year ago and it was even tighter in the spring when a coworker was buying. I think it is still tight, but have not been looking.

If you want land, look for jobs out of Anchorage. Soldotna, Homer, Cordova, all have hospitals, though on the small side.

The east side of Anchorage can put you within less than a mile of mountain trails, which is awesome for getting outside easily.

I have lived in this neighborhood and for my budget, it is where I would look to by if working in Anchorage.

3832 Sycamore Loop, Anchorage, AK 99504 | Zillow

3832 Sycamore Loop, Anchorage AK, is a Single Family home that contains 1422 sq ft and was built in 1997.It contains 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The Zestimate for this Single Family is $349,900, which has increased by $13,800 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this Single Family is...

www.zillow.com

Hillside/Rabbit Creek is a nice area, more than I could ever afford though.

Some friends bought a place in Eagle River to get out of Anchorage and they now wish they had never moved.

 

[kaboku68]

Get a condo in Anchorage and make your real permanent home out in Silver Springs or Seward. Work the three day 12 hour shift and live away from Anchorage.

 

[fatbacks]

Give me a shout if Fairbanks interests you. Have connections to the healthcare system here and could put you in touch with the right people.

As for Fairbanks, I used to live in anchorage and now I look at the metro area there and it seems like a big city with all the bigger city problems! I really like the hunting opportunities here vs down in Anchorage.


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[rocksteady]

Commuting to Anchorage can definitely be a consideration.

When we were staying in Eagle River a few years back, we really liked how it struck a nice balance of being a bit more rural but still super close to everything in Anchorage. Seemed like most places there had at least a couple acres too.

We had friends in Wasilla too and if I remember right, their commute was around 30 mins each way? Not terrible but every little bit adds up over time. Eagle River to Anchorage was usually under 20 minutes though if traffic was decent.

As for buying in winter - I'm not totally sure about the market up there but generally winter can be a bit slower time so you might have a bit more negotiating power. Something to ask local realtors about for sure.

 

[Clarktar]

Wasilla to ANC is definitely grater than 30 minutes if driving a car/truck/SUV/van etc.

Seward is pretty awesome if Kobuks scenario works for you.

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[cardiac5]

That’s a good location marbles but too tight between homes. I already offered starting with multifamily so that other people are paying our mortgage. It would be nice to have a place in anchorage and Seward but not affordable unless we sell the farm and home back here. We’ve elected to keep the current home/farm for time being and rent it out. She’s also said no way to Fairbanks winter. We have a lot of discussing and compromise to talk about. This is a property we both liked.


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[HoneyDew]

Might want to rent for a year to get a full winter under your belt and feel out the different areas you may want to buy.

 

[william schmaltz]

When we came here, we were NW Wasilla. After 3 months of commuting, I moved to as far East in Wasilla as possible, south of the Hwy (the ranch neighborhood area). Technically had a Palmer address. Saved about 15 minutes each side of my commute. When we bought in 2019, I made a pretty hardline that I would not buy any further out than the red line on the pic below.

I live pretty west in this photo and can get to Fort Richardson gate in 30 and my office downtown in about 40. I’m 2 minutes to the light that gets me on the highway (and that’s my only light). Luckily, I no longer commute, but it was manageable. I often would get to work or home and wish I had 10 more minutes. I knew when we bought that the location would always make it easy to sell if needed. Houses in the middle price of the market still fly off market in my neighborhood.

The house you shared above probably would add 20-25 minutes to my commute during the 2-3 hour busy times each end of the day. I’d love to be out towards Hatcher’s more, but unless I can get a long term contract to only commute a couple days, I’ll gladly stay where I am.

I would personally move back to the Midwest before moving to Anchorage and maybe even Eagle River.

It’s wet snowing now. If I left at 630 AM tomorrow, it would take me minimum an hour to get to the office. When I commuted, I always left for work by 5 AM if it was snowing or had snowed.

edit: the healthcare industry is rapidly growing and wildly under staffed in the valley. Lots of medical parks and you obviously know about Mat Su Regional. My wife is actually working on starting her own practice in the next 6 months there’s so much demand.

 

[dallen]

I lived in both Birchwood and Wasilla (up KGB). Both properties were 2.5 acres. Birchwood commute was 15 minutes. Wasilla was 50 minutes on a good day. Winter weather and accidents can make it hours. I guess I got used to the commute, but wouldn’t want to go back to it. I put 4-500 miles on the “commuter” car each week…

 

[MountainTracker]

I commute from the valley and it takes about 50 minutes to get to my office. I leave pretty early so there isn’t much traffic in the morning, if I leave anchorage any later then 4 traffic gets heavy. It seems to me there are a lot of opportunities for work out in the valley if you don’t want to commute. Property tax is higher in the city of anchorage which includes eagle river and chugiak.


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[johnnycake]

I live in Wasilla, and we love it, but I rarely have to commute to Anchorage. The commute would seriously suck. Chugiak/ER in the winter is colder and gets less sun than the Valley or Anchorage. Something to consider that coming from the Midwest might not have occurred to you.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

Why do you have to work in anchorage? MatSu, Central peninsula, south peninsula, all good hospitals.

 

[Wrathchild]

The commute from the valley sucks, especially in the winter. As you look at places try to find something that has southern exposure, you’ll get more sun in the winter. We own a small place near downtown ANC and love it. Can walk to a ton of stuff in the summer, more nearby activities in the winter, and still super easy to get out of town.

Definitely recommend renting for the first year, but it seems winter/spring there is more inventory.

The other thing not talked about much. In The winter with our short days, I like a really short commute so that I might actually have some daylight left to walk the dog or whatever after work.

 

[chucko]

I live in Juneau and have for all of my 60years I start hunting deer in August with 6 tags sometimes walking from my house . I kill moose 20 miles away .Bowhunt for goats 3 miles way (all uphill). I ride my bike to go fishing . I duck hunt 4 miles away. Crab Halibut Shrimp all close . Ski area 7.5 milers away . Downside is 3 bedroom ranch on 1/4 acre is $600,000 and we need to move the capitol to Wasilla to get rid of the politicians .

 

[cardiac5]

We have lived in/around mountains in 6 different states in the past 7 years but we were born and raised in Missouri. After working in AK in 21’ I’ve been back 6x to hunt/visit with friends. After going to AK I’ve found I don’t need to go anywhere else to vacation or hunt. We find ourselves going west every chance we get and are ready to escape the heat and humidity.

We talked about Soldotna but didn’t really keep looking due to only having 1 hospital. We liked anchorage/valley area due to more job availability/options yet we can still get out of town quick.


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[TaperPin]

A buddy of mine and his wife spent 6 months in Alaska and loved every minute of it. They went whole hog, sold the house and moved to Kodiak. The first winter came and she became depressed being so far away from family and it wouldn’t have mattered if they lived on the road system. Move often enough and you will go broke. Now they live in the same town, have the same jobs and a lot smaller house.

There‘s not a good way to judge who does well and who doesn‘t - sometimes it’s being away from family in the lower 48, sometimes it’s the winter darkness and depression, sometimes it’s the feeling of not being able to just get in a car and drive to another state, others feel trapped with limited ability to move up in their career without having to outlive the person in the job they want, etc.

There is a lot to be said for renting a year, especially since areas around Anchorage have their own personalities and quirks.

 

[Mojave]

I have lived in Sitka, Anchorage, Barrow and Fairbanks.

Everything in Alaska depends on your budget.

Moving to a bigger fly out bush hub, or living in SE will put you closer to a lot more hunting. You might be miserable in those areas.

No matter where you live in Alaska you will have the cost of access. In the Arctic or along the West coast it will be a sea worthy skiff and snow machines.

In most of the rest of Alaska you are either paying someone to fly you out or renting a boat or you are owning a boat/plane.

Living in Anchorage feels a lot like living in a small version of Seattle or Denver.

But the difference in Anchorage is that in 30-40 minutes you can be in real Alaska. It takes hours to get out of Seattle or Denver and get in any kind of wilderness.

Wasilla is a lot closer to living in real Alaska (though most Alaskan's do not think of it as such).

I prefer Fairbanks, because you can drive out and put in to quite a bit of water. Good snow go trails.

My favorite road towns are Glennallen, Delta Junction, Talkeetna and Tok. Best fake road towns are Chicken and Eagle. They aren't 100% accessable all winter. My favorite fly out Bush Hub is Nome and Barrow. The rest of them are ok, but really can be rough and dark.

 

[TaperPin]

That’s a good location marbles but too tight between homes. I already offered starting with multifamily so that other people are paying our mortgage. It would be nice to have a place in anchorage and Seward but not affordable unless we sell the farm and home back here. We’ve elected to keep the current home/farm for time being and rent it out. She’s also said no way to Fairbanks winter. We have a lot of discussing and compromise to talk about. This is a property we both liked. View attachment 623181


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Be careful of vaulted ceilings with inadequate insulation - expensive to fix. Spray foam up there is ideal, foam boards are good if sealed well, fiberglass is hard to vent to prevent condensation and still provide decent r value. When looking at a house you can often loosen a light fixture enough to see through a gap at what’s up in there.