Moving in May - info request (Anchorage, Kenai: best town, sales, crime rates)

[Alaska-47]

Hello folks. I currently live in California but am moving back to Alaska in May of next year. I am from Homer and have lived in Soldotna, Anchor Point and Stariski (where my grandfather is buried) as well, but all during childhood years. I decided recently to give up this dump and head back home. But it's been decades. Could use a little info from those of you who live there.

First, a little background on myself, my history and lifestyle which will be necessary information.

I have a somewhat divided lifestyle between nature and modern comforts. I am the type who will gather fiddleheads and sour dock for food, use wood for heat and then play video games on a flat screen TV in a massage chair if possible.

I am not a vegetarian but I am sensitive enough to meat that most people think I am. I don't do drugs or alcohol. I don't hunt (due to lack of interest or need) but I have a vast gun collection and have built entire working firearms from scratch and am a multi-skilled individual who builds allot of my resources myself. House renovation, sword/knife smithing, carbon fiber, auto body etc.

The area I am planning to move back to is the lower Kenai peninsula, where I lived before. Homer is not really a place I am considering (I am trying to get away from hippies) but just about everywhere else south and west of Seward is.

I am a strict follower of libertarian values and have been my entire life. You could say that I belong to the same crowd as people like Stefan Molyneux, Hunter (Patch) Adams etc. And; as you might expect, I'm a loner moving up there in part, to get away from overwhelming and negative contact with people.

OK. Now for info request. My info request is really just info scouting. I am interested in knowing what people are like, what the legal system is like, property taxes (I am house hunting now) what sort of social problems or pluses I might run in to (hence all the above background info) crime rates, police behavior, automotive laws (I'm in to kit car building). Also, I have built a long-standing strong and trusting relationship with the good and honest locals in my area and my greatest fear perhaps is not being able to do the same up there.

Also, any info on what I can get away with when it comes to using natural resources for doing home renovations. Mainly stuff involving concrete and/or stone. And is it still easy to get a hold of fiberglassing materials? What about computer electronics?

I am also interested in information about traveling the Alcan highway in May.

I know I am asking a broad series of questions, but really, more than anything I am just interested in hearing you folks who live there go on about life up there overall. Just about any subject probably. I am just trying to build an overall picture.

Thanks in advance.

[AKStafford]

The only thing you didn't mention was employment. The drop in oil prices has hit our economy hard. I wouldn't suggest the move unless you already have a good job lined up.
Driving up: I always recommend having The Bible of North Country Travel - The MILEPOST as your guide. In May, you could still encounter winter weather. You'll probably encounter some breakup conditions. You should beat the summer travelers, but even then there's a lot less of that then there used to be.

[Alaska-47]

I won't be dependent on the local economy for work and income.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by Alaska-47

I won't be dependent on the local economy for work and income.

Internet?

[Alaska-47]

Originally Posted by Haolejohn

Internet?

And nation wide contacts/commerce. Carbon fiber fabricators have a pretty large demand.

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by Alaska-47

And nation wide contacts/commerce. Carbon fiber fabricators have a pretty large demand.

We aren't trying to be nosy... But keep in mind that in a lot locations, internet is slow and unreliable. And if you are going to relying on shipping (via UPS, FedEx, USPS, etc...), most shipping times are double to Alaska and cost much more. But, if you feel confident that you got the income part of the equation figured out, good on you.

Okay, onto some of your other questions: are you wanting to be on the road system? If you want southern Kenai Peninsula, but not Homer; then that leaves Anchor Point or Ninlchik. I would consider Kenai/Soldotna as middle Peninsula.
You'll find plenty of people with libertarian values in Alaska. Live and let live seems to be the theme.
Property taxes: where I live here in the Matanuska-Sustina Borough, property taxes vary based on what service areas you are in. So as you look at stuff with a Realtor, that would be a question to ask for each property. Here's the Kenai Peninsula Borough's page on it: Assessing Home Plus on the Peninsula you also have borough and city sales tax.
Automotive laws: seems to be the same laws as everywhere else... I'm not sure what sort of details you are looking for there...
Home renovations: here in the MatSu, there's no building codes. So you can build with whatever you can afford or get financing for... I'm guessing the Peninsula is the same.
Getting fiberglassing materials or computer electronics: you probably won't find much other than what you can get at Walmart, Fred Meyer, or Home Depot. Or a trip to Anchorage.

Are you visiting before your move? That might help you get a feel for things.

[Metlakatla]

If you are going to rely on shipping from Alaska, you can't beat the USPS flat rate priority boxes. They come in several sizes and aren't any more expense than their lower forty-eight counterparts. That's all I use.

[6.7traveler]

South and West of Seward is the Harding Ice Field, which I don't recommend for full time living .

Homer is the best town on the peninsula, IMO, followed by Seward. The hippies in Homer are easy to avoid and less annoying then their California counterparts.
Kenai/Soldotna is a tad big for my tastes. Everywhere else on the peninsula is a bit "backwoods", especially if you've spent significant time in California.

Most of Alaska is too cold and uncivilized for Californians. Buyer beware.

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

If you are going to rely on shipping from Alaska, you can't beat the USPS flat rate priority boxes. They come in several sizes and aren't any more expense than their lower forty-eight counterparts. That's all I use.

True, I misspoke when I said all shipping would be more. USPS prices are the same as the lower 48. And those flat rate boxes work out to a pretty good deal. Thanks for pointing that out, Met.
But it will take longer. I was at the Post Office a couple of days ago at 4:30pm and the lady next to me was cheesed off that they wouldn't guarantee her box to be in Florida by the next day.

[Alaska-47]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

Most of Alaska is too cold and uncivilized for Californians. Buyer beware.

You obviously haven't been to California recently. People down here are nuts. While there are a few really great people here I wish would move up there with me, I dearly hope 99% of Californians stay here and don't ever go anywhere near Alaska. Trust me. You don't need what this society has.

If you combine my time in Alaska and Tahoe, I probably spent half my life or more in places that snow. I like the cold allot more than these 110f days! The change in the weather is one of the big things I am looking forward to. I am NOT a city slicker. I am more of the small town or "just outside of town" type.

Thanks for the tip on shipping. TBH, the shipping situation is not looking as bad as I originally anticipated.

Tell me more about life in Homer. I'm from Homer but to give some perspective on how long it's been, Paul Banks died while I was a student at the school named after him and my last memory of being in Homer was roughly around the time the challenger exploded and Mt. St. Augustine erupted. Videos I am watching portray it about 8x as large as I remember it. LOL Beyond it's size, how have things developed and changed since the 1980s? Particularly the legal system and culture.