Anyone here live in Wasilla? (Anchorage, Fairbanks: housing, rental, lease)

[Magoon]

Hi,

Since where the whole dang family settles is predicated on where I can get a teaching position (that's all I know how to do...useless thing I am) we can't move just anywhere that strikes our fancy.

IF there is anyone on this board who lives in/is familiar with Wasilla, could you please PM me?

Yup, *right* before I start back, we are flying up to check out a property. Found the place Sunday afternoon...bought the tickets yesterday...will be back the day before I return to work.

That area was not our first choice...but, the more I look at it, the better it looks.

I would very much appreciate any and all comments about this area from all you experts :-)

Thank you so much!

I'm not sure it is good for someone of my age to be so excited; I'm so stoked I have enough energy to power a small town!

So...thanks a lot in advance,
Deb

[Trouthunter]

I live in Palmer (8 miles away) and teach in the MSBSD. Are you asking about the area strictly or teaching in the area too? What specifics are you asking for (weather, politics, geography, society, religions, crime, etc...)?

[Magoon]

Originally Posted by Trouthunter

I live in Palmer (8 miles away) and teach in the MSBSD. Are you asking about the area strictly or teaching in the area too? What specifics are you asking for (weather, politics, geography, society, religions, crime, etc...)?

Ah, Jeeze, anything that springs to mind would be wonderful. I *thought* I was all set with the Kenai...but, you know...the best laid plans...

As far as teaching, I am 'highly qualified' (well according to NCLB) and teach high school math. The application process for your area seems way more involved than other counties/regions...which led me to think maybe teaching positions are scarce. I figure (correct me please if I'm wrong here) that I could prob teach in Anchorage until I could find a job closer to home.

To begin with, I really, really do not want to live in a heavily populated area. I keep hearing about the crime there, but unless it is disproportionate from the population....

I just would like input (anything would be so much appreciated) on the 'feel' of the area; are people friendly...are they extreme in any ways (religious?)...and is it considered a good area to raise a family?

I'm thinking the weather is not as intense as the Interior. Do you get a ton of snow as compared with Fairbanks?

Ok, I'm full of questions, but can't seem to articulate here--so:

For anyone who lives in/has lived in that area...how do *you* like it, and how does it compare with other areas up there?

Thank you so much!
Deb

[Tressa]

Wasilla is the fastest growing community in the state right now, with our Governor being from Wasilla it has recently recieved alot of attention, not always positive but that's anywhere. With your research be sure to check out the drug situation in Wasilla, a few months to maybe even a year back it was classified as the meth capital of Alaska. Years ago it was said that if you can't make it in real life you move to Wasilla but that has changed some and for the positive.

Cost of housing is cheaper than in Anchorage but the commute offsets that I would think especially the price of fuel these days.

[rotorhead]

I'd say that your chances of happiness living in Wasilla are directly related to how far you're driving every day. If you have to commute into ANC, there goes a lot of wasted time and money. If you're living and working in the valley it's a much more tenable situation. There are certainly nice neighborhoods in Wasilla, and there are some pretty seedy ones too. I think that it's well worth renting for a while before you buy if you don't have time for an extensive visit first.

[Trouthunter]

For the application process being related to scarcity of jobs, I'd have to say probably not related. On the other hand jobs in the Valley are going to be more scarce right now, due to the time of year (we start on the 15th). That doesn't mean there aren't any jobs available. Check this site for more info.
Human Resources Employment
Anchorage is a good backup plan if you haven't been employed in the valley by the beginning of the year, but the commute will eventually drive you mad. I've been told that many teachers from Anchorage and the bush want to teach in the Valley, but that is just what I've been told.

The Valley (this includes Wasilla) is so large geographically (larger than West Virginia) that the population issue isn't horrible, yet parts of Wasilla can be very busy. It is growing too fast and not planning correctly, but I think that is a problem throughout Alaska.

Crime is a problem in some areas, just like any town or city. You need to look into the areas before buying. Realtors usually have a good sense on this. People don't go out of their way to be friendly in the Valley (some like to be left alone), but there are many community connections that help develop friendships.

There aren't any extreme religious issues, but there are hundreds of non-denominational churches. I don't think most Valley people like having a large governing church breathing down their necks. I would say that the majority of the Valley is republican conservative, which is frustrating to me.

I wouldn't say raising children here is perfect. Anyone can find faults anywhere if they are looking for them. My wife and I have had long talks about this and have come to the conclusion that our daughter will need to learn about the real world sooner than later. We are very open and honest (not coddling) with her about society, religious, governmental, political, and social issues in the Valley as well as the world in general. We would rather have an informed child that can make good choices than an ignorant child that makes a horrible choice(s).

What can I say about the weather? Well, it's Alaska! We have really cold weather at times (usually on a few weeks worth), and then just normal cold winter months (Late October-April). Depending on where you live you may see feet of snow or very little snow. The wind can really blow in the Valley (Wasilla/Palmer), which can cause some people to have allergy issues (glacial silt in the air).

I'm sure there many more questions so keep asking away.

[Magoon]

Ok, it was either 3 days or no days. We picked the 3 days

I had an entirely different picture of the Wasilla area in my head...to all of you who told me "NEVER BUY ANYTHING UNTIL YOU HAVE SEEN IT!" I cannot thank you enough.

Although Wasilla itself is a city, there are areas 15 min away where entire roads have no power...and are able to live as though they are the only people for miles. I had NO idea; it never entered my head.

We went to see a specific property, and fell in love...but, the guy was, well, not totally truthful about who owned the property (thank GOD for the freedom of information act), nor was he willing to accept anything but 100.00 dollar bills for payment. There was more...enough so that we were *afraid* to buy the property

So, with one day left, we went to the Kenai. Breathtaking. AND, wowser, do houses look different in person than they do on the internet. Rance, I thought of you as we went around Sterling.

We already have a couple of places lined up to view in October (I won't be able to go, but some of the 'party' can get time off.)

Beautiful beyond belief...the people were fantastic; I was sorta afraid that since I had this picture in my head that reality would be somehow dimmer or less, but, oh no, it was even better than I expected.

We found it funny beyond belief when the rental car guy told us we couldn't drive it on *any* dirt road at all. HAHA. We also found 2 roaches in the ashtray, so somehow, we felt the dirt road business was null and void.

So many people have given me advice on this forum, and without exception, it was totally accurate...thank you all so much!

Now that I know there are parts of Wasilla that are the 'boonies' I want to pack tonight and leave tomorrow.

Deb

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by rotorhead

I'd say that your chances of happiness living in Wasilla are directly related to how far you're driving every day. If you have to commute into ANC, there goes a lot of wasted time and money. ...

As someone who commutes daily to Anchorage from Wasilla, rotorhead is right about the wasted time, not to mention the added stress (particularly in the winter). However, it would've cost me $50,000 to $75,000 more for the same property in Anchorage on one quarter the land that I own in Wasilla. So it is definately not wasted money. I keep that in mind on my daily commutes. It is the only thing keeping me sane.

[Magoon]

Thanks to both of you for your opinions on the drive. I would do it only as a backup, and then, hopefully, not for more than a year.

Well, ah, well, there is news. We have again found something that sounds perfect for us; we don't need/want much, but what we do want is very important to us.

I couldn't help but notice how big Wasilla is...but, it is breathtakingly beautiful and within 15 minutes there is...nothing...just perfect.

AND, the place we are going to see is out there some...

So, if you could please keep your fingers crossed that "electricity" does not mean it is $15,000 down the road, and that 'water' does not mean the Little Su, I would be thankful :-)

I'm thinking that the temps might be between 40 and 50 in the last week of Sept?

I have to again thank every one here...I've learned so much...and...the best advice of all was:

NEVER BUY UNLESS YOU HAVE SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN TWO EYES!

Counting the days :-)

Deb

[Glitch]

Magoon, you may also want to consider looking at some properties west of Wasilla along the Knik-Goose Bay Road. There has been a lot of new development in that area, particularly around Settler's Bay (about 8 miles west of Wasilla), in the last few years.

They all have natural gas and electricity. Water comes from a well on your property, and they all have their own septic systems. The typical lot size is around an acre, and while property values have gone up in the last few years, it is still much cheaper than Anchorage. We also recently passed a $34 million bond to increase the size of the schools in the Mat-Su, including the Goose Bay Elementary school.