info help-moving Los Angeles to HOMER AK! (Anchorage, Fairbanks: for sale, rental)

[-W1LL]

hello,
my family and I are looking for a little help with our move to homer we are in Los Angles and will be moving as soon as we can sell our cars and find a place to rent near homer.
we are a family of 4 my wife and daughter and one on the way! we also have 4 dogs who are family.
we found one place to rent in Anchor point that might be ready in AUG but thats not for sure we also have another possible place in Nikolaevsk any info on these towns would be great I have read some about the drug problem near soldotna homer and the surrounding area but I would like first hand neighborhood knowledge on that, as I grew up in a crappy crappy part of LA I can handle most anything I just don't want my family having to worry about our neighbors and their secrets.

Alaska is the place for us weather we have to move to Anchorage first Homer will be where we will probably end up. we love the atmosphere and I hear it is possible to surf there?

my wife has an almost assured job in homer and I have seen some office job for at&t cell phone store I consider this job only because I want to live there so bad!

I have heavy equipment and well and septic drilling exp. not really on that path anymore though. I was a soils inspector for my last job if anyone could help with a company to look for a job with out there.
I have a small glass blowing shop in my garage now and it seems homer would be a good community for glass art? if the market is good enough for a glass shop I am looking for help to start one out there!!(or if anyone wants to learn I would be more than happy)

we are looking for any help with finding work but mostly for a place for us and our dogs. we will be towing a toy hauler with the few things we will need and right now we don't have a for sure place if winter comes a dry cabin will do!
if anyone else is going to be making the same drive anytime soon let us know it is always safer to travel with a group.
thanks in advance for your info.

[elgusano]

Anchor Point is about 15 miles from here, but it is cheaper to find housing. Also, more drugs and crime, but it's finding its way here very well. However, with gas at $5 per gallon, take that into account with "cheaper".

Niko is a Russian village, and is about 10-15 miles past Anchor Point. It's a different lifestyle out there.

I'd recommend coming up by yourself and checking things out a little bit.

Biggest thing is, leave LA in LA.

As for glass blowing, there are several already, but as an arts community, there is room for more (if you're good), but it's difficult to make a living doing art here. For most of us, it's because we love it, plus it provides a little additional income.

[-W1LL]

I like the sound of Niko the Russian village 15 miles out if I had my way we would be further out. don't worry my family and I are not typical LA people we are leaving it here and getting a plow for the front of the truck! I like the sound of homer it is inspiring I am just sorry to hear about the crime/drugs (what are the gun laws out there?)
what we are planning on doing is packing up our toy hauler and moving out of that so worst case we can stay in that and travel around to different areas of Alaska, I was first looking into Fairbanks but got directed towards homer and I love the atmosphere of it all. I love art and just being able to practice and learn from other artists would be great.

[elgusano]

Niko is more than "15 miles out"; it's about 15 miles out from Anchor Point, which is about 15 miles out. I drive a bus out there every day, and it gets long on a daily basis, especially with the price of fuel.

Alaska believes in the US Constitution, so you can carry concealed or open with no permits, therefore much crime is deterred, but there are a lot of drunken assaults in bars, a lot of drugs, and a lot of property crimes. There weren't really a lot of property crimes until recently, however. They did just bust a lot of people in separate incidents, and a bunch of them were people who had recently moved up here from Outside, plus some teens that were trying to pay for drugs. (We've had one murder in about 20 years, and it was over drugs. That's not counting the tourist who pushed his wife off the cliff, although he was acquitted.)

[-W1LL]

definitely sounds like the place for us I just found a good rental with option to buy about 45 min from homer a little ways passed fritz creek we like the remote, we drive 30 min to get anywhere now and thats without traffic I understand the snow makes the drive allot different we are prepared for that change we will take the drive in the snow and nice people over the heat smog and crappy people out here,

do you know how the drive is up that way towards fritz creek?
thanks for all the info.

[elgusano]

Yep. That's my regular bus route during the school year. I'm doing the Niko run for summer school. (No East End route for summer school.)

It's about 20 miles or so to the end of the pavement. You probably don't want to live beyond the end of the pavement.

Where is the rental you're looking at? If it's Caribou Hills, forget it. Ever hear the expression, "You can't get there from here?" Well, you can't get there from here!

If it's down in Vosnesenka or Razdolnah, those are Russian villages that pretty much eschew outsiders from moving in. Although there are a few non-Russian families, most of them were there before the Russians. I have several Russian friends down in the villages, and most Russians are good people, but there are a significant number that would just as soon drain your oil tank as having an infidel living near them.

ETA: Fritz Creek is only about 15 minutes out East. I would need to know where the house is to give you a better picture. BTW, be prepared to have your water trucked in.

[-W1LL]

Fritz Creek whew thats LIVING! well good news we have an agreement for a house in Niko which is exactly what we want, and it has possibility to buy. Anchor Point, Alaska Home for Sale From RE/MAX

our daughter is six and will be starting first grade I wonder if you will be driving her haha thats really cool.
my great grandfather migrated from russia so hopefully that will help although the orthodox part is long gone, I think we will be fine we are happy people looking for a good town.

my wife was wondering everyone is telling her that it is so expensive to live in AK because its so cheap? we have looked at the prices for groceries propane heat oil and there really is no difference from LA and we have the A/C running right now so elec. is really high is it really expensive out there more than we are seeing.(the people telling us this all say were moving to another world)! I cant wait!

[elgusano]

If you live in Niko, I only drive that route for summer school. I'm way the opposite direction during the regular year.

Unless you're going to homeschool your daughter, you will probably want to look at sending her to school in Homer. She can ride the bus, but she's on it for a long time. The schools in Niko and AP are questionable. The Russians don't place a high priority on education, and AP is... interesting.

AK is cheaper than LA, but more expensive than the rest of the country, overall. (My wife found a cost of living calculator, and if we were to move, we would cut our cost of living by 40%.) One of the things that has driven our property values through the roof is that people come from CA, say, "Wow! Only $400k for a 3 BR house? I'll take two!"

ALERT! If you have not put any money down, take a look at the house in person. It has been refurbished, but before it was refurbished, it was... questionable. PM me if you want a better adjective and description. We looked at that house to buy a couple of years ago.

[ErikaKazan]

I really do not mean any disrespect by what I am about to say but you really need to listen to what your being told. I am only trying to be straight with you and tell you the way it is. First of all I am from Bakersfield, CA ... We moved to Soldotna area in 1980 when I was 9 ... I lived in Anchorage for 2 years in my 20's ... When I was 30 I moved to Gig Harbor, WA just over the bridge from Tacoma for 2 years with my 2 children ... then moved to Valencia, CA for 2 years... then back here to Soldotna. I can appriciate that your not typical LA folk. There is an expression here "Some people are born here and live their entire lives in Alaska and are not Alaskans, some people step off the plane and are Alaskans" I can also appriciate the artist in you.

But the fact is you have a family and are making a move that is about more than just location than you can really understand. This place is like now where else, and not always on a good way. I have nothing against Homer by any means and it may turn out to be a perfect fit for you and your family. But you seem to not really "get" what is being said. You may "like the sound of a russian village" but what you have to understand is the Russians do not want you there. Not that they are bad people because they are not. They have a whole way of life and culture that they would prefer you kept your nose out of. If you are welcomed into that community it is a slow process taking years. It is very different than even the Mexican influance in California, think more along the lines of how the media says the Muslim people think of us. One step back from that extreme.

I can not stress this one enough!

****Do not under any circumstances purchase anything before you move here****

You have no idea what you are going to like and what your going to hate. You have no point of reference. That house you linked to scares me! "As is" talk about a red flag! I bet the sewer is trash, a common problem, probably has terrible drinking water. The road may be awful possibly unpassible at some times. 15 miles off the highway is a lot of road to be bad, and it will be. 15 miles on a freeway is a whole different ballgame.

My advise, if you are absolutly set on Homer fine, but rent with the knowledge that it is temporary to get your feet wet. If the Homer part is flexible I would consider the Kenai/Soldotna even Sterling or Kasilof. That way you can have a bit of town. Sterling and Kasilof are very small but Soldotna & Kenai are decent. Better schools, stores, community services etc.

Above all I want you to understand something, I LOVE ALASKA. No where else I want to raise my kids, BUT if you jump into something permanent before you know what your options are I know you will regret it. I want you to love it here as much as we do. Just keep an open mind and an adventures spirit!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Want some pictures, area info, houseing info just ask. I would love to help. I really hope I did not offend you but once your here a year you will look back at this message and think so that's what she ment!

Good Luck!
Erika

[-W1LL]

I do not feel at all disrespected I can understand the russian mentality up there my grandfather was full blood from russia and I knew him well, but aside from that the house in Niko fell through it was in rental agreement and then the Realtor had another offer so, not ours, thats a good thing tho we are planning on renting for the first year anywhere in AK that we can find jobs at first we were going to Fairbanks now we have a good offer in montana so who knows we love to travel so that is what we are planning on doing, I hate the feeling of being stuck in one place. thanks for all the info especially on the current status or Alaska I hear it is turning a little more gray than white,
thanks will.