would love to hear from those who had planned to move to alaska! (Anchorage: property taxes)

[warptman]

Depending on where he works, there is construction year round in Alaska. New stores going up in south central and new buildings going up, too. If she already moved away from you, what is the reason you don't want her to move up? Summers are great here and depending on where you live, winters aren't so bad.

[Marty Van Diest]

Right now in Palmer, we have no snow on the ground. The temperature is 31 degrees and it's forecast to be sunny today. I think they are wrong on the sun though. I don't see it.

We get around 16 inches of rain a year. I think you get a lot more rain there.


Take a look at this link comparing Palmer weather to the rest of the US...especially note the comfort index . climate

I have been in Florida 3X...I hope I never go back. It is very uncomfortable. You need AC to survive. In Alaska, all you need to do is add more clothes. In Florida there is a limit to how many clothes you can remove.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Rita Snyder

My daughter wants to move to AK. What can I do to make her not move there? Thanks.

Send her to the University over there, or give her perhaps $50,000 and send her on her way. Is she a college student?

By the way, I would agree with you in relation to NOT letting your daughter "just leave" without her being prepared to live alone away from home. Well, if she was a martial arts expert, then she could take care of herself. If she is a student, then she can live on campus at the University, which is much larger in Fairbanks than it's in Anchorage. If she is not a student and wants to move to Alaska, then she should have enough cash for the following:

-Food
-Shelter for three months (month rent, plus month deposit, plus another month to look for work)
-Clothing
-Transportation

Depending on where to she moves, transportation can be a problem. For example, there is a bus line in Fairbanks, but the routes are limited. Taxis are expensive. However, during the summer she could ride a bicycle, although it can be a little difficult to ride with a bag full of groceries. She can do well as a waitress depending on her level of experience. A lot of young ladies and men without college degrees end-up in the service industry. Lots end-up as janitors, flipping hamburgers, etc. It's a little difficult for a young woman to live alone in Alaska, unless she can take care of herself and have some kind of work skill, a trade or something. You don't want her to end-up as a dancer or something like that (well, if she were my daughter).

When my youngest daughter was 18, she decided that she wanted to move to Fairbanks nearby, so she saved money for an apartment, and then she got a job cleaning apartment there. Her best friend did the same (both worked at the same place), and both rented a small apartment. Both had to work two jobs each, which translated to around 60 hours of work per week. They still had no insurance of any kind, since they had to work part-time at each job. But as a team, both did well enough to survive.

A lot of newcomers to Alaska only see and hear what they want to see and hear-we humans are that way Once here, then they soon realize that there is an unemployment line, to which often they have to drive or take a taxi to, and that the waiting can be long unless they can do any kind of work with little pay. See..there are locals-who also want the best jobs available-to compete with.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Rita Snyder

I have not traveled there, but want to visit within the next five years. There's no doubt in my mind that Alaska is beautiful. Her husband is a carpenter, how many months out of the year could he work in this profession in AK?

All depends. For example, most of the construction in the interior of Alaska is done during the summer months, but big companies such as Wall-Mart and the rest work yearlong. However, a lot of these companies have their own work crews, plus a few local construction workers. Competition can be quite stiff for workers, since the jobs (vacancies) that pay enough to survive up here are not that numerous. Just look at the employment rate in the boroughs or cities, and that will give you an idea. Trades are already big up here, so there are lots of carpenters, plumbers, etc., just waiting for work. Also, the housing market is not going very well lately, specially for small home-builders who depend on loans to built houses to sell.

[Sunset_Va]

Good advice,Ray, you always have a way of explaining it clearly.

[alaskaboy]

In my experience, be prepared for long winters and learn how to love them, or travel a lot that time of year. Make sure you can adapt to having an active lifestyle despite extreme weather conditions. A lot of people do come and go here, perhaps more then other places, but great friendships can and will be made living here. There are no huge pittfalls here unless you create your own. Research a lot before you come and make sure you will like it.

[Metlakatla]

I would love to hear from those who have posted questions about moving to alaska and still made the move. My husband and I are planning that move in about 3 years or so. What were the biggest pitfalls and what things should we avoid? Do you guys love it so far?!

Never posted here about wanting to move here and then did so, but just now it crossed my mind that it would make a tolerable reality television type of show. The North is the latest media It so perhaps city-data should make a proposal to Fox or something.

[Rance]

Great idea! One of those reality shows where say one subject comes up, suffers through some trial and errors...but manages to hang in there. And another subject that just completely goes distraught...and finally calls home to Mom and Dad and begs for plane fare home.

[lisaagogo]

I have been in Florida 3X...I hope I never go back. It is very uncomfortable. You need AC to survive. In Alaska, all you need to do is add more clothes. In Florida there is a limit to how many clothes you can remove.[/quote]

Right ON!!!! I've always said that it isn't against the law to put more cloths on, but for whatever reason people get upset when you start to take it off!

[alaskaboy]

Originally Posted by lisaagogo

I have been in Florida 3X...I hope I never go back. It is very uncomfortable. You need AC to survive. In Alaska, all you need to do is add more clothes. In Florida there is a limit to how many clothes you can remove.

Right ON!!!! I've always said that it isn't against the law to put more cloths on, but for whatever reason people get upset when you start to take it off![/quote]

I hear they have one of them nuddy beaches in Florida.

When I was back east during the August "dog days of summer" it felt like someone was trying to kill me with a warm, wet rag all day. It was literally like suffocating. This was in Florida where we were looking at beach houses. We eneded buying a home in Virginia on the beach as it does not get quite as humid. Florida was just too humid and hot for us.

If you really think about it, Alaska's weather around the valley and Anchorage is really pleasant and mild most of the year. We get about 3 months of true hard-nosed winter weather, but the remainder of the year is really mellow and comfortable.