Looking to Move to Alaska? Just DON'T (Anchorage, Juneau and: real estate, rentals)

[GnomadAK]

Originally Posted by InchingWest

I always like to ask the question on posts like this (in any state/city):

"What were you expecting?"

The pilgrims do tell us their expectations and then often accuse Alaskans of holding out or wanting it all for themselves, they don't seem to want to believe what they are being told. Cuz they have seen the reality TV shows and all....

Anyway, it's pretty clear the state is heading into a trough from a recent high. If you can find a steady job that looks good long term, a softening real estate market offers some opportunities that weren't available 2 years ago. I am glad we left pretty much at the peak. Judging by the number of new AK plates I see around here it's a trend.

[Frostnip]

I'm not sure what the point is here. It's no secret that there are challenges to living in Alaska. None of these challenges are the slightest bit concealed. Two seconds on the google machine reveal all. People who persist in choosing to believe Alaska is some vast pioneer libertarian utopia where bunnies hop into your soup pot and natural resource money flows like water despite all warnings to the contrary are being willfully ignorant and yet another thread isn't likely to dissuade them any more than the fifty trillion other such articles, forum posts, news stories, memoirs, etc, so this whole DADDY'S HERE NOW, LET THE TRUTH-TELLING BEGIN approach seems a bit over the top to me.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by GnomadAK

The pilgrims do tell us their expectations and then often accuse Alaskans of holding out or wanting it all for themselves, they don't seem to want to believe what they are being told. Cuz they have seen the reality TV shows and all....

True words. Particularly the ones who want to move to southern SE and play farmer in the dell because they saw on the USDA site that the growing season is relatively long here. They don't want to believe that farming muskeg swamps and peat bogs isn't possible, at least not in a profitable kind of way.

[Re3iRtH]

Originally Posted by Haolejohn

Curious how Alaska prices compare to Hawaii's? It's been a loooong 15 years since I lived in Hawaii and there are times I long to return. I simply love Alaska to much.

Honesty, Hawaii (waikiki/honolulu especially) has changed quite a bit in the last 5 years. So far, food prices are about the same, gas prices slightly more in Alaska, and utilities are (obviously) way more in Alaska. I never even had the near for an A/C as my apt was 70F cool and breezy year round.

Given this, why is COLA way less in AK than HI? Beats me. I suppose housing is more expensive in Hawaii. However, the Hawaii BAH significantly surpased what a comfy 1/2 BR house would rent for. However, Alaska BAH barely covers a decent 2 BR. Not complaing, but who does this analysis?

[jabogitlu]

The trick with Alaska is to find the (admittedly very few) areas where the best of all of the Alaska worlds collide. Places like Wasilla, Palmer, Soldotna/Kenai, and Homer are sustainable for a reason. Their hub status provides some level of recession-proof employment, they provide a basic and very decent level of infrastructure (whoever wrote that stuff about 'no Internet' above was just off the wall), the people are friendly, helpful and not afflicted by the 'Anchorage freeze,' and they are very close to some truly remote nature that is difficult to find in other parts of the US -- literally, not much comes close. Maybe Montana.

Places like Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kotz, Barrow, Nome, etc., are extreme in one way or another, either for their level of urban/suburban mess, or their complete disconnect from the wider social fabric. That can be really great for some people but really bad for most.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

The trick with Alaska is to find the (admittedly very few) areas where the best of all of the Alaska worlds collide. Places like Wasilla, Palmer, Soldotna/Kenai, and Homer are sustainable for a reason. Their hub status provides some level of recession-proof employment, they provide a basic and very decent level of infrastructure (whoever wrote that stuff about 'no Internet' above was just off the wall), the people are friendly, helpful and not afflicted by the 'Anchorage freeze,' and they are very close to some truly remote nature that is difficult to find in other parts of the US -- literally, not much comes close. Maybe Montana.

Places like Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kotz, Barrow, Nome, etc., are extreme in one way or another, either for their level of urban/suburban mess, or their complete disconnect from the wider social fabric. That can be really great for some people but really bad for most.

Exactly... I was going to add something to that effect. A lot of us don't really need or want to be connected to any of that business.

But, in what way/s is Anchorage extreme? That is definitely not a word I ever think of to describe Anchorage.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by Alaskamo

Fire services, for one, are unique by default simply due to the vast territory that has to be covered: more than 660,000 square miles with three federal agencies taking jurisdiction over certain regions. Alaska is unlike any other state in terms of size and cannot, by default, provide the same level of fire service. This is probably apparent to anyone who looks on a map, and sure, it has been said a thousand times before a thousand different ways. But how many from the Lower 48 are truly thinking about this when they decide to move? There are some areas which are completely inaccessible, and some houses can't even be found due to lack of addresses, putting lives at risk when a wildfire starts. The firefighters are to be commended for their service by the way, this is not a dig in the least.

Internet services, for similar reasons, are not on demand anywhere and everywhere. Anyone coming from a constantly connected city has to adjust, probably withdraw from an internet addiction. This is like stating the obvious, right? One would be surprised.

Since roads to remote communities do not exist, this has led to dependency on Alaskan Marine Highway whose ferries can be stranded due to weather or mechanical failure.

Alaska Railroad can be expanded to spurs such as Port Mackenzie to connect that port's activity to the rail system (interior to exterior and vice versa)

Natural gas pipeline, a controversial issue not to be delved into at this time I imagine.

So just to end on a positive note, Alaska’s trade advantages are its fisheries, air cargo, petroleum and coal. Alaska’s potential is in environmentally sound and responsible extraction of natural resources and expanding the tourism sector. In fact, I'd say Alaska is the state with the greatest potential with the least effort required. I write my opinions not out of bias, but disappointing dismay. The only thing standing in the way, in my opinion, is its government and electorate not agreeing on a grand vision for the state.

Or airplanes. The marine hwy only serves the SE portion of our state. I've never been on it, but my children have spent more time in airplanes than vehicles.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by riceme

I know it... they are oddly hot, aren't they? Or do we just think that because we're Alaskan?? I also wear mine with skirts, skinny jeans, Levis, Carhartts,... whatever I happen to be wearing that day.

Bunny boots, on the other hand, are not at all hot. Not by any stretch of anyone's imagination.

Did you show your wife the new fancy, girly designs of Xtra Tuffs? Maybe she'd go for a pair of those.

She prefers the Boggs, but they just don't have that sex appeal. Lol.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Haolejohn

She prefers the Boggs, but they just don't have that sex appeal. Lol.

Yeah, my cousin's wife wears Boggs too, and I will side with you on that one. Definitely not hot, even though they try real hard by offering all the different girly colors and patterns. Meh. Xtra Tuffs for the win.

[Metlakatla]

Since roads to remote communities do not exist, this has led to dependency on Alaskan Marine Highway whose ferries can be stranded due to weather or mechanical failure.

This doesn't happen very often. You're (way) more likely to be stuck on the Seward Highway or between Anchorage and the valley due to idiocy than to be held up by the ferry busting down or the weather acting up. I agree the ferry can take some getting used to by newcomers -- a lot of them seem to have the impression the travel times are like those in Puget sound, and all these little communities in the Alexander Archipelago are within an easy ferry ride from each other.

Not sure from your wording if you realize that the lack of roads to most remote communities that are on the AMH isn't really a matter of inferior infrastructure.