Number of people leaving Alaska the highest in 25 years (Anchorage: real estate market, 2015)

[pittsflyer]

Checking mls and craigslist again and prices are still not 80s cheap yet. Hopefully some more lay offs start rolling in to ease demand. I figured the lay offs we already had would have been enough but still only 10% of single family homes are less than 300k.

I suppose a number of folks are living off savings hoping things pick up?

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

Checking mls and craigslist again and prices are still not 80s cheap yet. Hopefully some more lay offs start rolling in to ease demand. .

I wouldn't go so far as to wish this kind of misfortune on someone for my own benefit. Wage cuts would suffice.
That said, it is true that many people really go for the throat when it comes time to sell their home.
I guess they figure the entire country is in on the gouging, so the next house they need to buy in a new location will also be grossly overpriced.

[Pretzelogik]

I guess freezing your butkis off for 7 to 8 months of the year gets old.

[MillerThyme]

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 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.

Long dark winters? Depends on where you live, F/banks, yes. However Wasilla down through the peninsula is fairly normal in winter. Sure we get more darkness than the lower 48, but not enough to not live here.

The one thing I tell people that want to visit or move to Alaska is, its vast and beautiful to look at from the inside out. What I mean is looking from the town out is amazing, but when you get out side town and look in, it is freaking ugly! Our towns are not cute or quaint like ones you would find in Wyoming, Montana, etc. It is expensive to enjoy our beauty because the time it takes to drive or fly anywhere.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by MillerThyme

Long dark winters? Depends on where you live, F/banks, yes. However Wasilla down through the peninsula is fairly normal in winter. Sure we get more darkness than the lower 48, but not enough to not live here.

The one thing I tell people that want to visit or move to Alaska is, its vast and beautiful to look at from the inside out. What I mean is looking from the town out is amazing, but when you get out side town and look in, it is freaking ugly! Our towns are not cute or quaint like ones you would find in Wyoming, Montana, etc. It is expensive to enjoy our beauty because the time it takes to drive or fly anywhere.

There is not much difference in hours of darkness between Fairbanks and Anchorage, but it's usually much colder in Fairbanks than in Anchorage.
Shortest Day In Alaska | Hours of Daylight & Winter Darkness Fun Facts

I agree with you about towns, and even cities, being quite ugly. For example, the downtown center of Fairbanks should look like a frontier town, the bars like saloons from the past and so on. North Pole should look the name implies (the place where Santa lives, makes toys, and so on).

[pittsflyer]

Wage cuts, unless significant don't produce motivated sellers. If a family can scrape up enough money to pay the mortgage they will, and keep the property listed at sky high prices. So I may sound a little callous but sellers are creating the antagonism. Prices won't budge as long as people can scrape the mortgage together. My life is basicly on hold until prices slide significantly.

Originally Posted by Blind Cleric

I wouldn't go so far as to wish this kind of misfortune on someone for my own benefit. Wage cuts would suffice.
That said, it is true that many people really go for the throat when it comes time to sell their home.
I guess they figure the entire country is in on the gouging, so the next house they need to buy in a new location will also be grossly overpriced.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

There is not much difference in hours of darkness between Fairbanks and Anchorage, but it's usually much colder in Fairbanks than in Anchorage.
Shortest Day In Alaska | Hours of Daylight & Winter Darkness Fun Facts

I agree with you about towns, and even cities, being quite ugly. For example, the downtown center of Fairbanks should look like a frontier town, the bars like saloons from the past and so on. North Pole should look the name implies (the place where Santa lives, makes toys, and so on).

Excellent examples. Fairbanks is the ugliest city I've ever been to that I can think of. And that includes Bakersfield, California. North Pole ain't far behind.

[MillerThyme]

Over the last 7-8 years both me and my wife have watched people move up here wanting to live their dream to only realize Alaska is not what TV makes it out to be. I definitely think there was a mass that moved into Alaska during the reality phase we just went through, and once the novelty has worn off they decided to head back south. Most have admitted Alaska is gorgeous, but then mention how un-accessible it is due to cost and time required to enjoy the beauty.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by MillerThyme

Over the last 7-8 years both me and my wife have watched people move up here wanting to live their dream to only realize Alaska is not what TV makes it out to be. I definitely think there was a mass that moved into Alaska during the reality phase we just went through, and once the novelty has worn off they decided to head back south. Most have admitted Alaska is gorgeous, but then mention how un-accessible it is due to cost and time required to enjoy the beauty.

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.

[Metlakatla]

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