Southerners Going North.... (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai: fit in, apartment, rentals)

[hapipupi3]

Hi Alaskans,

Me/Husband are from South Carolina--I SHOULD have said "Hi Y'all!!"--and we are considering moving to Alaska. We came up to Elmendorf in 2003 to deliver a load--we're truck drivers--and we spent a weekend in Anchorage. It was an adventure just GETTING to Alaska on The Alaska Highway, and we LOVED every second of it. While we were in Anchorage, everyone we met was friendly and helpful, and we enjoyed our time there VERY much.

We're bouncing the idea of moving to Alaska around. We DO NOT have the "Romantic Dreamer" notions of moving to Alaska! Alaska IS a beautiful place, but it CAN be a dangerous place for someone who is not properly prepared. We are both too old for this to be a "Honeymoon". We are SERIOUSLY considering this move, so we would appreciate SERIOUS answers, please.


We realize that the prices of groceries and utilites may be higher than what we are used to. Given the geographical position of Alaska, it IS more difficult for vegetables/fruit to be grown and livestock to be raised there. Most foods have to be--more or less-- "Imported", so higher grocery prices are to be expected. We were able to buy groceries when we were there in 2003, so we have at least HALF of a clue. Restaurants were kinda pricey from what we saw when we went out for dinner, so we have a handle on that, too.

Given the weather patterns in Alaska, we also expect higher utility prices. What does it cost for utility deposits? What are the monthly prices-on average-for electricity, heat, phone, etc? Should we augment our heating with a wood stove or fire place?

What do Alaskans do to prepare their homes/cars for the cold weather? What would be the best vehicle, fuel, tires, etc.? How cold does it actually get-on average? What amount of snow is typical for a decent winter? (We also realize that it gets much colder in Fairbanks than it does in Anchorage!) We want to make sure we can PROPERLY prepare for winter. We do NOT want to be a "One Winter Wonder"!! We want to LIVE in Alaska, not run back down south because we were too dumb to get ready for the cold!


What about living accomodations? We probably would rent a home during our first year, so what would be the "Average" cost for rents? We do NOT want to live in an apartment if we can avoid it. We don't have children, so we don't have to worry about schools and such, but we would like a decent neighborhood. We are both middle-aged, so there would be no worries about wild parties and lots of noise, and the police would NOT be regular visitors at our house!

We would like 2 bedrooms, but we can deal with just 1. We'd also like a fenced yard/area if possible. We are clean people, and we keep our home/yard clean. We both smoke, but we smoke OUTSIDE. We do NOT smoke in our home. We're quiet and friendly, and we would be GOOD tenants that don't cause trouble, pay our rent ON TIME, and be good neighbors. We'd consider a "Rent-To-Own" if the price isn't ridiculous, even if we had to do a little "Fixing Up". We're kinda handy that way, and we'd have fun with it,too. We'd also consider a mobile home if it was in decent condition.

What is the job situation in Alaska? I'd be willing to take a retail job, but my husband is a truck driver. He would want a driving job. Are truck drivers paid fairly? What driving job has the best pay/benefits in Alaska? Does Alaska have a landfill? My husband worked as a driver in a landfill for 5 years, so he does have experience in that area. He also hauled heavy equipment and a tanker while working in this landfill, so he is pretty much a "Jack Of All Trades".


Are there any SERIOUS problems with wild animals--Bear, Moose, Wolves, etc? What should we do if any trouble comes up with these animals? Anything special we have to have to keep bears/wolves out of our garbage? How would we scare these animals away without harming them or getting into trouble with the local sheriff/police?

What about gun laws? What would we have to do to get a permit to carry a weapon?


What are the laws concerning PETS? Any city licensing fees? Are there GOOD vets? What are the laws for pet vaccinations? 1 stage or 2 stage rabies shots? What are the laws concerning protecting our pets from being harmed by wild animals? I'm asking these questions for a reason....

We have 4 adult dogs weighing between 25-50 pounds. We have 2 males and 2 females. We have a Keeshond, a Jack Russell/Border Collie mix, and 2 of the pups from their accidental mating. Smokey (Male, Keeshond) is 3 yrs. old, Sable(Female, JR/BC mix) is 5 yrs, old, and Teddy(Male) and Zeenha(Female) (Smokey/Sable's pups) are both 2 yrs old. There will be no more puppies. We took care of that last year. We have quite a "Herd"!!


They are ALL spayed/neutered/microchipped, and they get ALL current shots yearly. They also get monthly heartworm/flea treatments. They are bathed monthly whether they like it or not, and we groom them weekly. They are house trained, and live in our home with us. They are also leash trained, obey basic commands, and socialize with other people/dogs as often as we can manage it. They are also crate trained, and have their own crates. Our dogs are VERY well-behaved, and we are VERY RESPONSIBLE about caring for our dogs. We do not have any children --unless you count the ones with 4 feet!

We WILL NOT give up our dogs. It is NOT open to discussion. We will gladly pay a reasonable pet deposit, and we will make sure anyone we rent from has copies of our dogs' vet papers.

Like I said, we are VERY RESPONSIBLE when it comes to our dogs. We realize that a tenant with 4 dogs is enough to make any good landlord/lady shake in their shoes, so we are more than willing to do our part to help.

We are renting a very nice home here in South Carolina now, and our landlady has NO problem with our dogs, because we DO take such good care of them and they are so well trained. We have lived in our home for 4 years at present, and we are willing to bring a reference from our landlady if one is needed.

We have worked VERY HARD to have well behaved pets, we keep them clean and free of fleas and ticks, and all 4 of them are friendly and playful dogs that love to meet new people. They are really VERY spoiled, when you get right down to it!

There will be no "Puppy Destruction". That's why they have a basket full of TOYS to play with and things to chew on that belong to them. They are all housebroken, so there won't be any potty problems, either. We will also clean up after them in the yard. They may get a little rowdy and a little noisy at times, but that's to be expected, and we don't allow it to get out of hand. We are very responsible about their behavior, and we WILL discipline our dogs if we need to.

We've been able to train and care for our dogs a bit better than a lot of people that have pets because we take them WITH us-2 at a time-on our truck when we go out on our runs. Family members care for the other 2 dogs while we're away.

Our dogs are well trained because we have a "Captive Audience". They have NO choice in the matter, and we've had the TIME to devote to their training. Any one of you that is/has been an "Over The Road" truck driver KNOWS how small the inside of a truck is, so you know what I'm talking about. Our dogs are decently trained because they HAVE to be well trained to be able to live with us in such a small space!

I'm laying all of this out on the line so that any potential problems can be dealt with ahead of time, and I'm basically an honest, straight-forward person. This is a serious endeavor for us, so we want to know what we can expect when we make our move. Any advice will be appreciated, and will be very useful to us. Thank you all for taking the time to read my "Book", and we hope to meet a few of you when we "Go North"!!

[HighlandLady]

Hello
From the 'tone' of your missive, it sounds as though you are looking ahead rather level-headed...and that is a good thing.
There is a search feature that you should consider using - it will aid in several points. The one thing I did not read, perhaps you mentioned it, perhaps no...but where exactly are you looking into moving?
We just recently moved here, outside of Wasilla, in June and have yet to Winter here. I can tell you a few things...
There were not any deposits on utilities and our monthly averages in the chillier months have been around $100 each for gas and electric. I utilize GCI for cable/broadband/phone and the monthly average varies according to usages.
One of the important things we learned and am very glad we did so - it is far easier to relocate here if you have any debt either paid off or reduced to a manageable level. It does make a difference with the costs of things here.

As far as rentals and such, I am afraid I am going to be of no help. We thought on renting at first, but we have two dogs (three at the time) and a cat and really didn't wish to contend with limitations as far as the pets were concerned. I hope someone else may be able to help you, but please utilize the 'search forum' function as well

Good luck!

[hapipupi3]

NO deposits for utilities? WOW!! THAT is different! Never had to NOT pay deposits for utilites before!

We WERE considering moving to Wasilla! We spent a little time there when we came up in 2003, and we liked Wasilla VERY much!! Maybe we can meet and become friends?? It would be SO nice to have a friend!

Please let me know about anything you find that may be useful for our move,too. "Forewarned is forearmed!"

Thank you so much for ANY information you can throw at me!! We'll take ALL the help we can get!

[HighlandLady]

I know...it was rather peculiar not to pay a deposit...but a most welcomed surprise!

Wasilla is a lovely area and we were fortunate to find a place located outside the city, allowing us the privacy and seclusion we had wished for. The one thing I recommend to you most highly...if you have the opportunity to come here for a time before the move and search for a home. Never rent/purchase site unseen - if you are able. I had spent quite some time searching for a home online and several I had chosen, upon seeing them in person, I would not recommend to anyone. Also, there are several rentals in the Wasilla area that are not listed in newspapers and the like....rather, a sign is barely visible in the verve
You may wish to search Craigslist or you can try either Alaska News, Jobs and Advertising from the Anchorage Daily News | Anchorage, Mat-Su Valley, Kenai Peninsula
or Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman (two newspapers of the area).

If I think of anything else, I'll let on...best of luck

[Barkingowl]

I've never had to pay a deposit for utilities. That said, the cost of living is about the same as Charlotte. Gas may actually be a bit cheaper in Wasilla though.

[hapipupi3]

Hi Everybody,

It's those "Nosy Southerners" again!! Got MORE questions for you Alaskans....


What kind of vehicle works BEST for dealing with the climate in Alaska?

Is there a REAL NEED to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle?

Should this vehicle be equipped with a winch?

Are there any issues with snow/ice melting (salt,chemicals)
products on the roads? How would we remove those chemicals so they wouldn't "eat" our car?


How would we care for our vehicle in the harsher climate? More frequent oil changes? Heavier weight oil for the colder winters? Different type of Antifreeze?

Would we need to use tire chains? Studded snow tires?

What kind of devices would we need to have on our vehicle--Block heater, heavy-duty battery, etc?

Would we have to "Plug Up" our vehicle in the winter to make sure it will start?

How are the prices of vehicles in Alaska? Reasonable?

Are used car dealers reputable and decent?

Who are the best insurance companies? Are the rates fair?

Any time frame for having vehicles registered/insured?

*How do the drivers in Alaska BEHAVE?*

*I'm asking this question because I'm a professional DRIVER. I drive a truck for a living. I have been driving for over 20 years, I have almost 3 MILLION accident free miles under my belt, and I have seen some REALLY STUPID things that other drivers have done, especially over the last 10 years with the advent of cell phones, Ipods, and other such devices. I'd like to have a clue about what kind of drivers I'll have to deal with, and how I can do more to "Fit In" with other Alaskans.*

As I said in my first post, we are SERIOUSLY considering moving to Alaska. We WANT to be well-prepared and have as much information as we can BEFORE we re-locate 5,000 miles away, and make our home in Alaska. This is NOT just a "Vacation Getaway" for us by ANY means.

You people that LIVE in Alaska represent a WEALTH of information that we just CAN'T get by cruising the on-line newspaper sites or by requesting information from cities and towns in the mail. Your help is VERY VALUABLE to us!!

You all KNOW how things operate there. You all KNOW the good and bad points because you've had to DEAL with them. You all know the who, what, where, when, how, and why of living in Alaska, and the websites just CAN'T give us the "First Hand" information that you have, and that's all there is to it.

Any information YOU can help us with is another "Penny in The Bank" to us. We're putting any information we can gather into a notebook, and it will help us greatly when the time comes to pack it up, pick it up, get our fannies in the car and start our journey to Alaska.

Who knows? We may wind up meeting a lot of you, and becoming friends for the rest of our lives. I hope so. It's so nice to have friends!!

[hapipupi3]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

I've never had to pay a deposit for utilities. That said, the cost of living is about the same as Charlotte. Gas may actually be a bit cheaper in Wasilla though.

You live in Charlotte, huh? We live in Chester, SC, only about an hour away from you!! Not much more expensive than Charlotte? How do you figure that?

[HighlandLady]

Right now, petrol prices are $3.54/gallon for regular unleaded. I am debating purchasing several gas cans and taking advantage of that.
We own a truck and a Jeep, but I feel that as long as you have studded tires on a car and have a good level-head when driving, you'd be fine in nearly anything.
I haven't experienced the worst of it, but from some here and reading in the papers, there are the ones who forget to drive from one Winter to the next and imo, these are the worst conditions on the highways. Last snowstorm, I believe, report was 84 accidents on the Parks highway between Wasilla and Anchorage - 5 with injuries, 24 in the ditches...and this was in a span of maybe 6-8 hours.

As I stated previously, I have not Wintered here as of yet, I am just beginning, but it has been suggested that a block heater is a near necessity as well as studded tires in the Winter. I prefer a 4x4 to a car, so that is just my own decision.

I purchased the Jeep not long ago and found it on craigslist...and there are plenty of used vehicles there. It seemed the used car prices were fairly reasonable from the dealers I had looked at. Just have to be wise and compare

The one thing I have noticed since arriving here are the amounts of people who are on their cell-phones whilst driving and you can almost always pick them out just by their erratic driving...it drives me batty.

Our insurance rates did rise when we moved...I think we were paying $70 a month for two vehicles in Wyoming and now we are paying $120 (or there abouts) a month. This is through Geico.

I believe you have to have your vehicles registered within 90 days, but I could be wrong.

[warptman]

What kind of vehicle works BEST for dealing with the climate in Alaska?

Fords

Is there a REAL NEED to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle?

Not really, but it helps

Should this vehicle be equipped with a winch?

Nope

Are there any issues with snow/ice melting (salt,chemicals)
products on the roads? How would we remove those chemicals so they wouldn't "eat" our car? No salt here


How would we care for our vehicle in the harsher climate? More frequent oil changes? Heavier weight oil for the colder winters? Different type of Antifreeze?

This is four questions in one...Care for it like it's summer. Lighter oil for winter. Make sure your antifreeze is good for low temps.

Would we need to use tire chains? Studded snow tires?

Studded tires work, no real need for chains.

What kind of devices would we need to have on our vehicle--Block heater, heavy-duty battery, etc?
Yes! Yes! Oh YES...Um...I mean yes.

Would we have to "Plug Up" our vehicle in the winter to make sure it will start?
Only if it's under 20 is a good time to plug it in, that's what they prefer anyways. Get a timer for the plug in.

How are the prices of vehicles in Alaska? Reasonable?
Depends on what you want. Some models are more spendy than others.

Are used car dealers reputable and decent?
Hey, they're car dealers, have you ever met a reputable one?

Who are the best insurance companies? Are the rates fair?
I'm sure what you have now will work....I save 15% or more on.....

Any time frame for having vehicles registered/insured?
Yes, the whole time you own the vehicle and you MUST have insurance in Alaska.

*How do the drivers in Alaska BEHAVE?*
I've seen some dumb drivers here, they're everywhere no matter where you go.

[hapipupi3]

Gas prices are about the same in Alaska as they are in SC,then. VERY nice!! Thank you!!