Number of people leaving Alaska the highest in 25 years (Anchorage: mortgages, buyers)

[Music_Man]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Most of the towns on the panhandle are pretty picturesque and "quaint."

And wet!

[pittsflyer]

You hit the nail on the head. You have to make buku bucks to really enjoy what Alaska had to offer. If your not making a min of 100k and/or you don't have substantial family here it's really actually kind of a crap hole. I suppose if you win the apartment hunting jack pot and get a place that has a meaningful view of the Mts from bay window with a sitting area that's something. But if your making less than 100k it won't take you long to do everything you can do from the road on a budget. After that you are just enduring cold dark and sub par living conditions for no reason.

Alaska is awesome if you have some combination of a super cub, hangar, 4 wheelers, snowmachine, semi remote cabin etc etc plus plenty of cash for gas and maintenance and a decent home near your place of work.

If all you can do is afford a sub par appt and make a few sub par camping trips to the valley with the other hoards of rude ignorant people I would take a pass on even coming here. A lot of the valley is getting to the point where you need private property just to tent camp to keep the ingrates at an arms distance so you can sight your rifle without dirt bikes flying by etc.

It costs big money to live here properly, otherwise it's just a cold dark place to live with over priced dining and a rude entitled population. Most contractors, mechanics, etc are still drunk on the oil money that has trickled down over the years and despite the mass lay offs they are extremely antagonistic to anyone that challenges there hr rates. That will change eventually but hadent yet, so if you don't want to pay 80/hr for any kind of mx work you will have to learn to do it all yourself. People think I'm full of it until they have to make that call to a contractor or mechanic, then things get real real fast.

Originally Posted by RayinAK

I agree with you.

I have been here for a long time and have seen coworkers and other people, including spouses and other family members who could not handle the darkness, or cost of living, or just the long winters. If they get here during the summer months, for some it takes a winter or two for them to change their minds about staying. While in the military I saw a lot of separations and divorces. I imagine that it was most difficult for the person taking care of the kids, or just at home, than for the active military member. But military families were not the only ones separating and leaving Alaska.

A lot of people love it up (my wife and I do), but some other people hate it once they live here long enough. To like the place you have to enjoy outdoors activities, not only during the short summers, but winters as well. But seeing Alaska it can get very expensive.

[terracore]

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

You are not off base. Bad water or drinking lots of booze are major contributors to this cancer, from what I've heard. The Last Chance Basin watershed in Juneau won the competition for best drinking water in the state last year.

My dog used to swim there.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by terracore

My dog used to swim there.

The water used is ground water, not surface water.

[Amercity]

Good! Less People, more space. I hope wherever they went, they told everyone Alaska is a terrible place to live.

[pittsflyer]

I dont think numbers will be in until mid next year for 2015 which kind of sucks.

[Fargobound]

Originally Posted by Amercity

Good! Less People, more space. I hope wherever they went, they told everyone Alaska is a terrible place to live.

Don’t worry those TV show producers will rev up every lumbersexual flat lander in the lower 48 to move to Alaska.

[Dakster]

Have the troop cuts actually taken place yet? Or is it this upcoming summer?

Since I am looking for a place to buy, I too, have noticed a lot of homes stay on the market a long time. If you do the research a little further or in my case, my realtor does, the numbers seem to indicate that once the property is listed at the correct amount it sells for that more realistic amount.

[GnomadAK]

Originally Posted by Dakster

Have the troop cuts actually taken place yet? Or is it this upcoming summer?

Since I am looking for a place to buy, I too, have noticed a lot of homes stay on the market a long time. If you do the research a little further or in my case, my realtor does, the numbers seem to indicate that once the property is listed at the correct amount it sells for that more realistic amount.

I would think that some of those prices reflect a balance owed and the seller's share of closing costs, and there's not much incentive to dip under that price.

[Dakster]

The market determines a price in which a property will sell. Has nothing to do with seller's mortgages or closing costs. Other than if ALL the sellers refused to sell, the market will adjust upwards as long as their are buyers. The economics of Supply and demand is still valid in Alaska.

I will admit that the real estate market is somewhat strange in at least the Anchorage area.