Number of people leaving Alaska the highest in 25 years (Anchorage: mortgage, house)

[ashpelham]

while Alaska has a ton of natural beauty, maybe one of the most beautiful places on earth, I don't see how people not originally from the state could want to stay. As some of mentioned, wages are stagnant, something that is pervasive across the lower 48 as well, and the weather is unforgiving to say the least. That alone is a deterrent for me. The long dark winters would absolutely be my undoing. It's just how I'm made.

But God, I want to visit once in my life. To see the outdoors, the wildlife, the amazing last frontier of North America. It has to be stunning.

[Metlakatla]

So you've never even visited and you don't understand how anyone would want to stay. Got it.

[Rock Climber]

I have visited, but had no desire to stay.

I understand why some would, though. It takes a certain type who likes cold and damp and dark. The long dark winters would make me jump off a bridge.

The mountains are incredible there, as well as the unspoiled landscapes. The colors are incredible, especially in the early fall.

Visiting Alaska taught me how much I need to be around people, though.

[pittsflyer]

Yep, I survived the lay offs and I am waiting to buy dirt cheap homes, the reality has not set in just quite yet but the prices are starting to slide but not to what I am willing to pay yet. I think this time next year reality will be sinking in and I can have a sub 1000 mortgage payment in a nice single family home (not some run down condo). The prices were never sustainable to begin with, the median income in anchorage is only 77k hardly enough to justify an average home price of 300k+.

We track the MLS closely and flag homes we like but there are still people buying over priced homes so I am not sure what that is all about. They have to lower them a little to sell but not in line with what I would have expected for all the lay offs we had in the high income brackets. Either that or its dumbys who are getting in over their heads and will be 3 pay checks away from a forclosure.

In fact a lot of homes we have looked at have been vacant which is nice as we can look at them at any time. This time next year I will just start making low ball offers if the prices are not listed at what I want. I refuse to be 3 checks away from forclosure, that's totally unacceptable life style.

Originally Posted by terracore

I haven't visited or posted on the Alaska forum since I left SE about 3.5 years ago. These are the reasons why I left then:

* No healthcare. I understand its available around Anchorage, but watching a family member first commute back and forth to/fro Seattle for chemotherapy, and then eventually dying down south away from home, was an emotional experience.

* Unaffordable housing. Our mortgage payment was so high we were perpetually 3 missed paychecks away from the beginning of possible foreclosure.

* High cost of living. If you're on this forum you already know what this means. There's nothing like running out of heating fuel and having to haul 5 gallon jugs while you wait for your next paycheck.

* Fracking. I knew that fracking would crush the cost of oil and send Alaska into an economic downturn, I just had no idea it would happen so quickly.

* Retiring state employees. The tsunami of upcoming retirees who would subsequently sell their property and move to warmer climates would eventually put me underwater in my Alaska home if the fracking didn't.

Looks like I got out just in time. I sold the house at what was probably the last peak and made some money on it, moved to Hawaii and bought a newer foreclosed home on 6 acres and my mortgage is less than 1/3 of what it was in Alaska. My electricity bill is under $100 month, I grow a lot of my own food, hunt pigs year round, and they've never heard of heating fuel here.

[pittsflyer]

Its unspoiled because there are not an a** ton of people here. The carry capacity of this state is actually quite small.

Originally Posted by Rock Climber

I have visited, but had no desire to stay.

I understand why some would, though. It takes a certain type who likes cold and damp and dark. The long dark winters would make me jump off a bridge.

The mountains are incredible there, as well as the unspoiled landscapes. The colors are incredible, especially in the early fall.

Visiting Alaska taught me how much I need to be around people, though.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Also -- please listen. If anyone lives on or is going to move to POW, it has the highest rate of stomach cancer in the world. I don't know why. No one does. My suggestion is not to drink the water, but I could be way off base. It just seems to be the common denominator.

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.

[Metlakatla]

There have been rumors of some sort of toxic waste being dumped on POW for years. I don't know how true is or any of the details, just something about the gov. dumping sludge of some sort. Maybe it got into the groundwater.

[Sunset_Va]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

Per official city-data rules: No talking about Hawaii during winter on the Alaska forum, it's making me wonder what the hell I'm doing up here. Feel free to discuss Hawaii during the summer time only.

I visit this AK forum and get cracked ribs!

But I am very glad I stopped in and read this thread. I did not know this situation was going on in AK. I of course am not a resident, but just interested in Alaska like so many people. I visited AK in 2006, and could see then , even during my brief stay, living there could be challenging.

I wish all in the forums who live there good luck.

Oh, and a big thanks to RayinAk for his presence in the AK forums over the years I have frequently and infrequently visited. Quite a voice about living in AK.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by ashpelham

while Alaska has a ton of natural beauty, maybe one of the most beautiful places on earth, I don't see how pweatherot originally from the state could want to stay. As some of mentioned, wages are stagnant, something that is pervasive across the lower 48 as well, and the weather is unforgiving to say the least. That alone is a deterrent for me. The long dark winters would absolutely be my undoing. It's just how I'm made.

But God, I want to visit once in my life. To see the outdoors, the wildlife, the amazing last frontier of North America. It has to be stunning.

So what is stopping you? The drive up is great, every season has its own beauty. The AlCan is Drivable all year pending a few days of weather issues like anywhere else.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by ashpelham

while Alaska has a ton of natural beauty, maybe one of the most beautiful places on earth, I don't see how pweatherot originally from the state could want to stay. As some of mentioned, wages are stagnant, something that is pervasive across the lower 48 as well, and the weather is unforgiving to say the least. That alone is a deterrent for me. The long dark winters would absolutely be my undoing. It's just how I'm made.

But God, I want to visit once in my life. To see the outdoors, the wildlife, the amazing last frontier of North America. It has to be stunning.

So what is stopping you? The drive up is great, every season has its own beauty. The AlCan is Drivable all year pending a few days of weather issues like anywhere else.