Pro's and Con's about relocating to Alaska? (Fairbanks, Salcha: for sale, home)

[LadyAlaskanDreams]

So I'm new to all this so please bare with me.

I'm Stef and I'm 32 years old. My partner (30) and I have been discussing now for the last 2 years about relocating to Alaska as it's been both our dreams since we were kids. I'm a qualified carer and a qualified beauty therapist and my partner makes things such as wooden bowls, cups, furniture etc and sells and he does a lot of fishing.

We are more looking at buying land and building from the ground upwards, but the question is, is there land you can buy? What are the pro's and con's? And What is the cost of living etc? I have looked online but it's not really giving me any answers, then I came across this forum site.

We are aware that living in Alaska isn't straight forward and there are dangers such as the wildlife, very cold temperatures (long winters), etc. We do love a challenge and have started making plans and savings for the move when we have visited a few times to look around and get the feel of it in summer and in winter.

How likely is it to find a job in the area we choose?
Will seasonal fishing jobs be about for my partner?
Is there care jobs available?

I think I covered the first lot of questions just to fully get us started. Any advice or information would be very much appreciated.

[Arktikos]

Care jobs, as in home care for elderly? Yes, there's a big demand for this service in my area. Elsewhere too.

Alaska is a very large state, with dramatically varied landscapes and climates. Any particular part of the state you're most interested in? Obviously fishing jobs are to be found in coastal towns.

Regarding raw land, there's actually not much of this to be found in most areas. The cost of living is extremely high everywhere in the state.

Pros and cons are subjective, so hard to say for you in particular. Coastal areas don't have very cold winters by most measures, though if you're coming from southern US it might seem that way.

[Metlakatla]

There is land for sale in Alaska. You find it the same way you find land anywhere.

No idea what a "qualified carer" is. Unless your partner is very, very good, he won't make a living making wooden bowls and whatever.

Commercial fishing is a whole different thing than sports fishing.

No one can tell you "likely is it to find a job in the area we choose" unless we know what area that is. Same with the cost of living. It varies depending on where you are in the state.

[RayinAK]

Alaska is one of the four or five states with the highest cost of living in the nation, specially in recent months. But if you can afford it, you can enjoy beautiful landscapes and things like that.

[mojo101]

will there be wood for making wooden bowls?

[Techy02]

I read in another post Alaska is like 5 states. You need to figure out which region you'd like to move to. Everything is so variable including the pros and cons. . Your ability to make a living in your career area is probably not the same everywhere. Fishing jobs are more prevelent in certain areas. The climate varies widely, etc.

Might need to rephrase things for everyone here to offer accurate assistance. Or at least figure out which region interests you most. I too am wanting to move up, but I am a ways out, so luckily plenty of time to figure things out.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Techy02

I read in another post Alaska is like 5 states. You need to figure out which region you'd like to move to. Everything is so variable including the pros and cons. . Your ability to make a living in your career area is probably not the same everywhere. Fishing jobs are more prevelent in certain areas. The climate varies widely, etc.

This is a really good way of putting it.

Commercial fishing is in somewhat of a state of flux right now. It's easier now than it was a few years ago to get on a boat. But greenhorns often get suckered into going out with a bad captain and end up making nothing. Anyway, it's an aging industry. The state needs the younger generation to step up, and we want them to succeed. Here's a couple of resources to help him get started on the right foot.

https://www.alfafish.org/crewtraining

https://www.akyoungfishermen.org

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by mojo101

will there be wood for making wooden bowls?

Of course! Birch, cedar, spruce, willow, alder just to name a few. If you want to carve larger pieces, large dimensional wood will probably be harder to locate or more expensive to buy the farther north you are. Obviously, the species of wood that might be more available will partially depend on where you are working. Cedar for example would be easier to source if you're down in SE, but you could buy it from someone.

Obviously if the fishing industry is chosen that's going to restrict where you live unless you're OK being away from home for longer blocks of time. If you're going to base more of your income on woodcraft, you'd need to live/work closer to potential customers (galleries, craft show venues) which may mean a larger town or city. Actually, that would be where you'd have more options in the healthcare industry too.

You're just going to need to start looking in these industries to find potential employers. No one here can really do that for you. Many parts of the state will end up dropping off your list. Don't forget, it's one thing to get a toehold with initial sources of income but nothing requires you to stay with whatever that is forever.

[RayinAK]

There are several small companies that dominate the wood bowl making in Alaska, including this one in Fairbanks:
https://www.woodbowl.com

And there are probably hundreds of pottery makers and businesses as well. There was a lady who had a pottery business called "Tenderfoot Pottery." Her place was located near Salcha on the Richardson Highway, and every now and then I would stop by her shop to buy a piece or two. She retired already, but the pieces she created are nothing but beautiful.

[AKStafford]

It's a big state. Where in Alaska are you looking? Every region is different.
Visit first. Moving here is expensive. Living here is expensive. Getting out of here is expensive.
Don't move without a job lined up.