Looking to move to Valdez but everything's expensive... (Anchorage, Fairbanks: apartments, rentals)

[saraj_f]

I'm going to college next year in AK and I want to move there soon so I can establish residency before next year. I'm planning on staying in Valdez, but the only cheap place I've found so far was too far out of town. I don't have much money saved up and I'll need to get a job right away once I move to be able to afford rent, but even then I wouldn't be able to afford most of the places I could find. I don't care if it's an apartment or just a room, I'm totally willing to share a bathroom & kitchen, it just needs to be cheap enough. And finding cheap rooms for rent in Valdez is way harder than I'd thought it would be... so any suggestions, anyone?

[Metlakatla]

There's someone here who's lived in Valdez for awhile; hopefully she'll come along and answer your questions. But in general, renting in Alaska isn't cheap unless you're lucky enough to find a job that provides employee housing, but that sort of thing is winding down in most of the state right now.

[AKStafford]

Yes, Valdez is expensive. Anchorage or the Mat-Su Valley is probably the cheapest place in Alaska to live.
Why Valdez?

[heathen]

Valdez is a small enough town that finding desireable housing and any employment is far from a sure thing right off the bat. Maybe that's already assumed, but I've found many of the people posting here aren't familiar with really small and isolated communities with a lot of limitations.

If you're coming up without a living wage already lined up, it's highly (and sternly) recommended that you start off somewhere with a population greater than 20,000 or so (Anchorage, Mat-Su, Kenai/Soldotna, Fairbanks, Juneau), where there's simply a larger pool of jobs and housing.

That said, our local Valdezian may be able to help...

[saraj_f]

My girlfriend lives in Valdez. If it wasn't for that, yeah, I'd be looking at Anchorage or other bigger cities, but I want to be near her.

I actually did find a room for rent in Valdez on craigslist but it's 13-14 miles from town... I think it's called 10 miles and the part of Valdez it's in is called alpine woods (the address is 6020 nordic drive)... does anyone know if it's a good place or a rip off? The problem is I don't have a car so I don't know how I'd get into town, I don't think there's any kind of public transportation... which would make it a lot harder to get a job.

[Marty Van Diest]

Originally Posted by saraj_f

My girlfriend lives in Valdez. If it wasn't for that, yeah, I'd be looking at Anchorage or other bigger cities, but I want to be near her.

I actually did find a room for rent in Valdez on craigslist but it's 13-14 miles from town... I think it's called 10 miles and the part of Valdez it's in is called alpine woods (the address is 6020 nordic drive)... does anyone know if it's a good place or a rip off? The problem is I don't have a car so I don't know how I'd get into town, I don't think there's any kind of public transportation... which would make it a lot harder to get a job.

Ten miles is not considered far here...but you need a car. Otherwise forget it.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by saraj_f

I actually did find a room for rent in Valdez on craigslist but it's 13-14 miles from town... I think it's called 10 miles and the part of Valdez it's in is called alpine woods (the address is 6020 nordic drive)... does anyone know if it's a good place or a rip off? The problem is I don't have a car so I don't know how I'd get into town, I don't think there's any kind of public transportation... which would make it a lot harder to get a job.

Again, like so many have posted before, there's no way to tell without actually seeing the place in person. Many of those "homes" on the way out of Valdez look like disaster sites with piles of junk in the yards and blue tarps for roofs!

[heathen]

Originally Posted by saraj_f

I actually did find a room for rent in Valdez on craigslist but it's 13-14 miles from town... I think it's called 10 miles and the part of Valdez it's in is called alpine woods (the address is 6020 nordic drive)... does anyone know if it's a good place or a rip off? The problem is I don't have a car so I don't know how I'd get into town, I don't think there's any kind of public transportation... which would make it a lot harder to get a job.

I've driven around back there before. It's a very woodsy area surrounded by beautiful mountains. Some of the places back there are pretty nice, some little more than shacks (welcome to Alaska...). If you're interested in a place to rent, ask for interior and exterior photographs at least. If you're not used to living in heavy woods, in a deep mountain valley, it might feel a little claustrophobic. You WILL need everyday access to a vehicle to live there. It's a small subdivision, totally detached from the rest of town.

[saraj_f]

That actually sounds pretty cool... if the place was in good condition, anyhow. I'm probably going to call back and ask for pictures.

However, I did find another place, it's subsidized housing so it depends on your income, it's called Valdez Low rent Apartments. However I can't find any reviews of it so I'm wondering if anyone knows if it's any good? It's located near the airport.

Sorry for all the questions!

[tigre79]

I don't know what that is, but the only places I can think of really near the airport are trailer parks and a mancamp for temporary workers. Can you get an apartment with your girlfriend or does she know anyone willing to put you up? Seems strange you're doing this on your own if she lives here. I'd contact Sound Realty and ask about apartments. I don't know much about rentals here except they're relatively expensive. Also check the classifieds in the Valdez Star. There are usually ads for rooms for rent. I'd give you links but I'm on my ipod at the moment. Google is your friend.

Ten mile is generally a decent area but a little far out. You can run into strange houses anywhere here. I live in a pretty nice house in the middle of town and there are a couple of houses on my street that are little more than shacks. Alaska's like that, and gets more like that the further you get from a town. You need a car unless you live in town. There is no public transport, and some people ride bikes quite a ways but there are definitely days you wouldnt want to rely on that if you live a few miles out of town.

If you dont have much in the way of skills you may be able to get a job fairly quickly at the Safeway. One more thing, I believe Prince William Sound Community College charges in state tuition for all students but I dont know how that will affect you as far as establishing residency for other schools. I'm assuming you're going to move to Fairbanks or Anchorage after your first year?