Relocating to southeast Alaska (inside passage) (Ketchikan, Petersburg: apartment, rentals, credit report)

[USMC1967]

As the title states I plan to relocate to SE Alaska, sometime between June and October. I am a semi-retired veteran in my 50's with a small monthly pension ($2,300). I am a "jack of all trades" type and usually have no problems picking up side jobs to supplement my income if need be. I would like to spend no more than 1/3rd of my monthly pension on rent ($750).

I have been researching the various communities along the inside passage and I believe I have narrowed down my selection to Haines, but I am open to other suggestions, hence my reason for being here....

Juneau is out of the question, far too many people for my liking and the rents are ridiculously high.
Ketchikan is out of the question, it seems to be the most "touristy" of all the inside passage towns.

I have an open mind towards the other communities like Wrangell, Petersburg, etc. but Haines is the place that's captured my attention, it's the most northerly (with the exception of Skagway), the population (2,500) is small but not so small that no amenities are locally available, and the Haines Hwy connects to the rest of Alaska.

Now for the $64,000 question, rentals? are they even available? if so, what's the typical monthly rent? If Craigslist is any indication there's nothing ever for rent in Haines? Are rentals more readily available at the end of the season (Oct.) as opposed to the seasons start (May)?

I will be coming up on the ferry with my truck and I would feel much more comfortable about the move if I knew I could at least find a place to live. Any guidance would be much appreciated.

[6.7traveler]

I've heard rentals can be tight in southeast. Could you come up with a truck camper or travel trailer for temporary living accommodations? That would buy you some time, as you'll always find a better place and deal on a rental after being there for a while. Then you could even sell truck camper or travel trailer at a potential profit. Just something to think about.... I had trouble finding a rental when I first moved to homer a while back. There was just nothing available at the beginning of the summer. I did eventually find something but it took about a month and the camper came in handy.

With a pension and some side work sounds like you'll be able to do alright if you can get a decent deal on rent. Good luck to you.

[Metlakatla]

Skagway is far and away the most "touristy" town on the panhandle.

Rentals can be tough to find. You might consider doing a volunteer position with the state parks. You'll get a free place to live. There's one that's at a museum in Juneau, another that's outside of Sitka, one that's north of Ketchikan--worth taking a look. Not sure if there's anything in Haines; didn't have time to check.

Also might be worth a try to put an ad on CL seeing if anyone needs a seasonal caretaker.

Volunteer and Volunteer Internship Positions

[Arktikos]

Sounds like a healthy monthly pension to me. In your boat, Haines would be my choice too.

Yes, it would likely be easier to find a rental in fall, rather than spring.

Here's a current listing: Quiet and comfortable one bedroom apartment on the beach at Portage Cove. Rent includes water, heat, garbage, snow plowing. Easy walking distance to town. Available late May. Non-smoking, no pets. Washer & dryer available.

$800 + electric
766-2156 or 209beachrd@gmail.com
Post date: Sun, 04/30/2017 - 14:02
Expiration: 4 days 2 hours

[AKStafford]

Have you ever visited? Maybe come up and check some places out? Petersburg, Sitka or Haines would be my top three choices.

[Haolejohn]

I am going to give a cautionary tale about CL and renting. I have a friend that just moved to the road. They were scammed off a CL rent ad. Do all money transactions via secured methods, and try to walk the property first.

[Metlakatla]

^ Not only that, but some are ID theft scams where they get you to fill out a "credit report" thing.

The scammers seem kind of easy to weed out, though. The first thing anyone should do when looking at a CL rental is an image search to see if the same pictures are up for other rentals in other locations.


POW has a Facebook page for rentals -- maybe other places do as well? Almost all of them seem to have community pages.

[USMC1967]

Speaking of POW island is anyone here familiar with the town of Craig? if so, how would you compare it to Haines in terms of population, rentals, jobs, climate, etc.?

[Metlakatla]

I can't compare it to Haines because I've only passed through Haines.

Craig is a dump. Ugly little town full of white trash, drunks, grifters, and people who couldn't make it in the -48. ETA there is also a contingent of uber-religious types there of the worst order. Thorne Bay and Hollis are better choices on POW. Work shouldn't be that tough to find there because many seem to consider it their life's calling to avoid living any sort of productive life. Every now and then I see a dump advertised for rent on their FB page.

The guy who owns the Air B and B I stay at in Ketchikan told me he normally won't rent to POW residents. Too many bad experiences with the wrong kind of people, I guess.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by USMC1967

Speaking of POW island is anyone here familiar with the town of Craig? if so, how would you compare it to Haines in terms of population, rentals, jobs, climate, etc.?

For climate data in SE, check out this site: Alaska

Craig is very different from Haines. More than double the rain, and very little snow in comparison.