Want to be your cabin caretaker (Fairbanks: to rent, home, living)

[sola lupus]

Hello all,

My Family and I are wanting to relocate to Fairbanks and I was wondering if anyone on here has a cabin (hunting or recreational) they would be willing to let us stay at in exchange for work on the property or any other option. This would be a great opportunity for someone to get work done on their property and my family a place to stay while we get settled.

[Frostnip]

Good luck. Close to the city I expect most people would prefer to rent their unoccupied place out if they wanted a resident in it, but you never know

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

Good luck. Close to the city I expect most people would prefer to rent their unoccupied place out if they wanted a resident in it, but you never know

You are right about that. Besides, summer is the time to live in the cabin, and vacations to Hawaii or some other warm place are left for winter when it's too cold in the cabin
-----------------
Frostnip,

Look at I just read at the Daily News Miner:

It’s a traveler’s nightmare. Leave your home in the hands of another only to have them betray your trust. A Fairbanks man and his friend are accused of doing exactly that.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Fairbanks men try to sell possessions while owner on vacation

http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_s...dow_left_top_4

[blackzzz01]

Nobody in his right mind would agree to something like that. Talk about asking for trouble.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by sola lupus

Hello all,

My Family and I are wanting to relocate to Fairbanks and I was wondering if anyone on here has a cabin (hunting or recreational) they would be willing to let us stay at in exchange for work on the property or any other option. This would be a great opportunity for someone to get work done on their property and my family a place to stay while we get settled.

I'm sorry, but hunting and recreation cabins in Alaska are often located off the road system and just aren't practical for family living. Although I've considered letting someone live on my property for reasons you describe, the potential liability is just too high.

[sola lupus]

I totally understand the whole liability thing. Makes sense. It is sad that we live in a world where there is so much mistrust. People in general will shy away when they get burned, and rightly so. I had a glimmer of hope that thing in AK (Fairbanks) might be a bit different that the Lower 48. I guess the same type of crap exists everywhere. Well, I just thought I would throw it out there. Thank you to those that responded..

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by sola lupus

I totally understand the whole liability thing. Makes sense. It is sad that we live in a world where there is so much mistrust. People in general will shy away when they get burned, and rightly so. I had a glimmer of hope that thing in AK (Fairbanks) might be a bit different that the Lower 48. I guess the same type of crap exists everywhere. Well, I just thought I would throw it out there. Thank you to those that responded..

You're basically asking us if we're willing to trust something we've worked hard for to a stranger on the Internet. You're asking for free housing. I don't think you'll find that anywhere. Still, the reason why people aren't willing to allow others to live on their remote property is because they probably wouldn't survive the first winter.

Most hunting and fishing cabins are located off-grid rather than within commutable distance to Fairbanks. Most of them don't have running water or heat sources other than wood stoves. In order to keep yourself warm throughout the winter in one, you'd need to chop wood every singe day between now and freeze-up. You'd have to find a consistent water source and develop a communications systems (telephones and Internet service don't exist at most remote cabins).

Unfortunately, housing in the Fairbanks area seems to be almost impossible to find right now.

I know that it's sometimes possible to get winter care-taking jobs at small fishing lodges, but they're likely to be on remote property as well.

[Frostnip]

Well, I wouldn't overstate the impossibility of finding an arrangement. I live in someone's recreational cabin on the road system for extremely low rent mostly because they wanted a warm body in the place tending to it. They could almost certainly have rented it for much more, but they were happy to get someone who could reliably independently do a caretaker role instead. But I am employed in a position that both has a reliable paycheck and requires a pretty extensive background check, so there was some assurance that I was not a scammer, wasn't going to disappear and had funds. I also had a 6 degrees of separation connection with the owners. And I grew up and have worked in pretty rustic conditions so I was able to speak cogently on how to handle many of the things Alaska throws at you, although to be honest I wasn't really prepared for that first winter. (I didn't die or destroy the home, though, hurrah!) And, perhaps most importantly, I am not close to Fairbanks and the crazy Fairbanks housing situation.

So what I am saying is, it is not impossible to make an agreement, but it does require a perfect alignment of the planets and is not something you can count on finding, particularly if you have any strikes against you.

[sola lupus]

Like I said in a previous post, I was throwing it out there to see if it was even a possibility. Everyone has made good points, and I appreciate it. No matter, I will figure something out. Just to clarify, I was not looking to live for "free". My post offered work on the property in exchange for board. I dont expect a handout. Nor do I want one. I believe in earning my way.

[Frostnip]

Well, it'd have to be pretty darn impressive work to make it financially worth the amount someone could be getting in rent near Fairbanks.