Moving In 2 to 3 Years - Questions (Anchorage, Fairbanks: apartments, trip , rental)

[Change_Needed]

We are four friends thinking of moving between Big Lake and the Kenai Peninsula. We are not sure yet. We are planning for a good 2 to 3 years before we move...we are saving up We are wondering what the good spots are and where to stay out of. We are wondering about your opinion on job opportunities? How much you think would be enough money saved up? Should we winterize our vehicles before we go or after we get there? And any other information you can give us. We are all originally from the Michigan Wisconsin area so cold winters will not bother us. We all love the outdoors and just need something different. We've asked around town about Alaska and for some odd reason nobody knows hardly anything about it. And we think that is very interesting. Any info will be helpful. Thanks!!

[RayinAK]

Why don you just visit Alaska to see with your own eyes what life is like up here? See...Alaska winters in the interior of AK is nothing like you have ever experienced in the lower-48, but the summers (from May through August or so) can be warm enough and pretty. The most expensive places to live in Alaska are those you don't want to move to. For example, a 2-bedroom apartment in Anchorage or Fairbanks could go from $1,000 to $1,400 per month, plus a month worth of rent as a security deposit. Most are furnished, but not all. One of my coworkers (in Fairbanks) is a landlord, and he is getting that much for his apartments. He pays for the heating fuel to keep the places warm, but the tenants pay for the rest of utilities (water, electric, telephone, trash collection). As heating fuel goes up, so does the rent.

[Rance]

In 2 or 3 years everything could change. So come up and visit or come back and ask those same questions in 2 or 3 years.

[Change_Needed]

We are thinking about taking a trip up there next summer. What's the best way to get there? Plane, drive, train??? What's the best time of year....possibly the down season? Thanks!

[Rance]

If you want to explore with a less amount of tourists instate...consider May or September. You'd have to fly into Anchorage or ferry up from Washington state or drive up through Canada. No trains run to Alaska from the lower 48.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Change_Needed

We are four friends thinking of moving between Big Lake and the Kenai Peninsula. We are not sure yet. We are planning for a good 2 to 3 years before we move...we are saving up

Good plan, don't rush your move. Take your time and do some research. Monitor the weather in the various areas you are interested in, learn about the flora and fauna, read up on the history of the area, read the local papers, check-out Craig's List for an idea of what rental prices are like, etc., etc.

Originally Posted by Change_Needed

We are wondering what the good spots are and where to stay out of.

I cannot think of any place in Alaska where you would want "to stay out of", but I suppose that depends on how you define a "good spot" or a bad one for that matter.

Originally Posted by Change_Needed

We are wondering about your opinion on job opportunities?

Naturally, the best job opportunities will be in the biggest cities, like Anchorage. Job opportunities are directly proportional to the size of the population where you will be moving.

Originally Posted by Change_Needed

How much you think would be enough money saved up?

Have enough money to cover the first month, last month, and security deposit for whatever place you will be renting, plus at least another month. Factor in between $200 and $500 per month for utilities (phone, electric, gas, cable, etc.) Add in at least another $100/week per person for food. If you can, obtain a job before you move. You may be lucky and find a job quickly after you move, or you may not, so you should plan for a worst-case scenario.

Originally Posted by Change_Needed

Should we winterize our vehicles before we go or after we get there?

Winterize your vehicles after you arrive. They know what you will need here and what works best in Alaska. The same also applies to snow tires. You might save a couple dollars by buying them before you move, but you won't know if you are buying the right thing until after you arrive. Plus, after you haul all that gear you buy in the lower-48 to Alaska, you will have spent the money you saved on your transportation costs.

Originally Posted by Change_Needed

And any other information you can give us. We are all originally from the Michigan Wisconsin area so cold winters will not bother us. We all love the outdoors and just need something different. We've asked around town about Alaska and for some odd reason nobody knows hardly anything about it. And we think that is very interesting. Any info will be helpful. Thanks!!

Since you are from the Michigan/Wisconsin area, you already know what kind of winter clothing you should have. The winter temperatures from Big Lake to Kenai is considerably warmer than Michigan or Wisconsin. Closer to Omaha, NE, winter temperatures. The summers are also far less humid.

Besides the spectacular mountain vistas, your biggest adjustment to Alaska will be the amount of daylight we get in the summer, and the lack of daylight we get in the winter. The best way to keep the changing light cycle from adversely effecting you is to keep a regular sleep schedule and stay active. If you choose 11:00 PM as the time to go to sleep, for example, then stick to that time whether it is still daylight or not. Stay active during the winter, get outside regularly. Don't shut yourself in all winter, and you are not likely to have a problem with SAD. If you have trouble falling asleep while it is still daylight, cover your bedroom windows with aluminum foil. If you are feeling tired all day during the winter, add a few halogen lamps around the house.

One more thing, you must love to fish for salmon and consider it a sacrilege to have to buy salmon at a grocery store.

Get a copy of the Department of Fish & Game regulations and read up on the various bag limits, possession limits, dates and times rivers/creeks can be fished, and when rivers/creeks cannot be fished, or where lures must be used and where bait is acceptable, etc., etc. It changes a little from year to year, but it will give you a good idea of how things work here. I know most of those Alaskans who frequent this forum, like I, are strict adherents to those regulations. We will turn in anyone we find violating them, and they will be punished severely.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Change_Needed

We are thinking about taking a trip up there next summer. What's the best way to get there? Plane, drive, train??? What's the best time of year....possibly the down season? Thanks!

The cheapest and fastest way would be to fly, and then rent a car or small RV up here. This way you can use the five or more days of driving through Canada to look around in Alaska. Also, air fares should be cheaper around August and later.