Wasilla-the lowdown (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Palmer: travel, jobs, houses)

[Marty Van Diest]

I took the one of the hospital...it's the only one I took. You are welcome to use it.

Here are a few more...not mine, but she does allow me to use them.

Palmer from the Valley Hotel


Driving into Palmer

Sign at Gorilla Fireworks
January 2007, Wasilla Alaska. My car didn't start

[travelmate38]

All those great Alaskan photos are making me miss it already.........and I have not even moved yet.

Alaska is a great place to live. Perhaps not for every person, but once it gets in your blood, it aint going away. If I had a dollar for all the folks I've known over the years that moved, realized how much they loved this place and then moved back; I would be rich!

[Alaskan_Adventurer]

Wasilla is a nice city. It is growing at a rapid rate, but is starting to slow a bit. Many people live in Wasilla and work in Anchorage. Now that Wasilla has grown so much, people are starting to work more and more locally. The commute can be pretty nasty and slow in the winters. Due to the growth of the city, the Wal-mart in Wasilla is the busiest in the world.(strange, huh?) Real estate is much cheaper than in Anchorage and you can still buy somewhat affordable land. Most lots range from .5 to a full acre or more. You can't really get that in Anchorage unless you want to give up an arm. The average acre in Anchorage goes for about 100-150k. Wasilla is located in what we call "The Valley" and it is a beautiful region. One thing to keep in mind though, with all the growth comes more crime, but that should be common sense. I hope this helps.

[Classic Satch]

Thanks for all the info and awesome pics folks. Keep it coming.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Alaskan_Adventurer

The commute can be pretty nasty and slow in the winters.

I can certainly attest to this. It took me 2.5 hours to get into work today. It was between 5 mph and 10 mph for 20 miles this morning with at least a dozen vehicles in the ditch.

Originally Posted by Alaskan_Adventurer

Due to the growth of the city, the Wal-mart in Wasilla is the busiest in the world.(strange, huh?)

Interesting, I didn't know that. But then again, I never shop at Wal-Mart.

Originally Posted by Alaskan_Adventurer

Real estate is much cheaper than in Anchorage and you can still buy somewhat affordable land. Most lots range from .5 to a full acre or more. You can't really get that in Anchorage unless you want to give up an arm. The average acre in Anchorage goes for about 100-150k.

Land values have tripled in the Valley since 2003. A typical acre of land might cost you $10K in 2003, now will cost over $30K. Still much cheaper than Anchorage though. Homes have declined slightly in assessed value, while their appraised value has increased by more than 30%.

Originally Posted by Alaskan_Adventurer

Wasilla is located in what we call "The Valley" and it is a beautiful region. One thing to keep in mind though, with all the growth comes more crime, but that should be common sense. I hope this helps.

Very true, the crime rate has increased at least as significantly as the population growth rate. Services are also getting stretched thin. If you live outside of the Wasilla city limits, it could take several days before the borough gets around to plowing your sub-division roads. Power outages are also common place, but they usually don't last more than an hour or two.

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by Glitch

I can certainly attest to this. It took me 2.5 hours to get into work today. It was between 5 mph and 10 mph for 20 miles this morning with at least a dozen vehicles in the ditch.

Interesting, I didn't know that. But then again, I never shop at Wal-Mart.
Land values have tripled in the Valley since 2003. A typical acre of land might cost you $10K in 2003, now will cost over $30K. Still much cheaper than Anchorage though. Homes have declined slightly in assessed value, while their appraised value has increased by more than 30%.

Very true, the crime rate has increased at least as significantly as the population growth rate. Services are also getting stretched thin. If you live outside of the Wasilla city limits, it could take several days before the borough gets around to plowing your sub-division roads. Power outages are also common place, but they usually don't last more than an hour or two.

Very, very interesting. So, buy land now, work in either Wasilla or Palmer, and hope that your road gets plowed. Does that some it up?

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

Very, very interesting. So, buy land now, work in either Wasilla or Palmer, and hope that your road gets plowed. Does that some it up?

Yep, and invest in some battery-powered clocks so you don't have to reset them after every weekly power-outage.

A good snowblower is worth investing in as well. You may not be able to get to the highway for a day or two, but at least you can keep your driveway clear of snow.

I think your idea of renting first is a good one. It is definitely a buyer's market now, and if you don't have to buy a place immediately you will have the luxury of negotiating for a lower price than what they are asking. I've seen quite a few "for sale" signs that have been up for months (in some cases more than a year). People are asking more for their homes than they are worth, so they aren't selling.

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Yep, and invest in some battery-powered clocks so you don't have to reset them after every weekly power-outage.

A good snowblower is worth investing in as well. You may not be able to get to the highway for a day or two, but at least you can keep your driveway clear of snow.

I think your idea of renting first is a good one. It is definitely a buyer's market now, and if you don't have to buy a place immediately you will have the luxury of negotiating for a lower price than what they are asking. I've seen quite a few "for sale" signs that have been up for months (in some cases more than a year). People are asking more for their homes than they are worth, so they aren't selling.

I used to work in real estate so I know exactly what you're talking about. Oh well, it's off to hell(work), I'll be checking back in later this evening.

[Alaskapat528]

I've lived in Wasilla now for about 7 years. Wasilla has grown quite a bit; it has become crowded due to all the building they did. And homes and land are cheaper (or use to be) then what they are in Anchorage. We got twice the home and land in Wasilla.

Attitudes: Hmm, kinda like all over, some friendly and some rude. They love to congreate in groups in the grocery store aisles to visit while their kids think its a playground. .

One thing that is really bad and that is the drivers. If you commute to Anchorage (where most of the work and high paying jobs are), you have to take the Glenn Highway. Just be prepared (even on dark mornings with ice, snow and fog) some of them are still doing 60-70 mph. You see many in the ditches. The drivers are very ignorant; tailgating big time, they love to cut you off and even in the right lane they will ride your bumper. On a snowfall day there has been as many as 120 accidents and 60 ditch divers. Ya think they'd learn to drive like normal human beings.

Not trying to discourage you but just giving you the facts. I don't know what kind of work you do but Wasilla's jobs are very low paying. Hope this helps some. Alaska is breath-takingly beautiful.

[Barkingowl]

Why are there so many power outages in Wasilla?