Moving to Anchorage...how would you do it?

[gobrien]

Well, buying a house could be risky if you don't like it up here, or the job falls through.

[bthorn31]

This is my plan to move - don't know if it is the best, but it's the only working one I have at the moment.

My husband is there, so hopefully he will get the lay of the land while I continue to look for a job. I'm also researching schools as best I can so I can point him in the right direction of a neighborhood once he starts to look for a rental for us (right now he is in corporate housing). When the job thing is settled (next week I hope) I will resign my job here, and then the one child left at home and I will fly out. I'm not sure if I'm taking my dogs with me at this time or not. My eldest child is renting my house so I am leaving possessions here. Next summer, I will fly back here, pack up stuff I need, and U-haul it back to AK. I anticipate having to buy beds, table and chairs, etc for a rental place in AK. But I don't need to have tons of stuff to get me through a few months, and lots of things can be bought second-hand. There appears to be a pretty good variety of things to be found on Craigslist.

As for buying a home... well, I won't count it out, but I'm not in a rush. Still have one here.

So that's my plan, and right now, I'm stickin' to it.

[Bob Blockus]

Make sure you have good tune up on your auto and extra purchased normal tire with rim. I got flat tire 120 miles away from town someplace in Canada on the remote highway. with small spar tire that comes with auto you can only drive about 30 MPH. Mark the boxes, bags with labels in the U haul. Wasilla Alaska has nice Walmart super store. I always pay cash for gas in Canada so they don't screw up credit card at the pumps. use credit card for hotels in Canada. don't make reservations along the rout hotels because driving times change weather and driving performance tired and so fourth. also its nice to pull into hotels on the right side of highway easy in easy out access. Super 8 hotels is the places I stayed throughout Canada going up to Alaska. It's also safe sleeping at night at road side stops to save money if one has too. the police sometimes check your auto tag and don't ask questions. I pull into the trucking area of the rest stop.

[mkloster]

Regarding the job, I will likely be telecommuting for the AK company for 4-6 months before moving up there, so both I and the company will have some time to ensure it is a fit.

[poschulte]

You might try calling John at ABC Motorhomes in Anchorage. He often pays people to drive motorhomes towing Hallmark trailers up in the spring from Indiana. You might be able to make a deal.
Paul from Anchorage