Real Estate Information

December 21, 2010:  Isn’t It Really Dark in Alaska?

Today is the shortest “day” of the year, so it is a good opportunity to discuss how dark it is during Alaska’s winters.  Those who really want to come here would call most of the “darkness” stories, fabled.  But, there is truth in at least some of what you have heard about sunrise and sunset in Anchorage and Eagle River.   

The facts are these:  Sunrise today was at 10:14 AM.  Sunset was at 3:41 PM.  Our total “Day with Sun” was 5 hours, 28 Minutes and 6 seconds.  We lost only 7 seconds from yesterday.  And, tomorrow, we begin to gain “daylight!”  Now that might sound like a short day to you, but having experienced it for 10+ years now, I can tell you that most of us adapt to it rather well.  That is not to say that we don’t suffer some symptoms of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).  I think most of us do.  It’s just not to the extent that we need treatment (like sitting with our face in a SAD light for 20 minutes a day).

Consider that many of us work in offices and are not exposed to the much sun in the course of our normal day.  And many of us like to spend some time outside, no matter the weather, so we ski and jog and bike year-round as a coping mechanism, in spite of the light conditions.  And, consider that the normal ground cover this time of year (snow) reflects even the smallest amounts of light—the moon, the city lights, and our Christmas decorations.  I went out last night and experienced it, along with a full lunar eclipse (the last time the lunar eclipse and the winter solstice coincided was in 1638). The owls were calling each other across the hillside and there was a magical effect that Mother Nature brought to the moment. 

Of course, the great news today is that now we start gaining daylight.  Yes, tomorrow it will be only a few seconds, but in a few months, our gain will grow to 5 minutes a day.  That’s more than a half an hour a week.  And then we’ll get to the summer solstice—the 21^st day of  June--the longest day of the year.  That is when you can stay on the golf course until midnight, or fish all night, or….  It is almost more troublesome than the shortest day because you generally run out of energy before you run out of daylight. 

Yet, you have heard that the sun doesn’t come up in Alaska for weeks at a time.  That is true, but only in the very north part of the State, in Barrow, and other cities north of the Arctic Circle.  Eagle River, Anchorage, and even Fairbanks are all well south of that.  Remember, it’s over 600 miles from the Gulf of Alaska to the Beaufort Sea.  That’s roughly the same as from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian Border.  Trust me, that’s a lot of difference in light data.

So, can you deal with that much darkness?  Or that much light?  The answer is largely in how you treat each day.   I have always been able to find the bright part of every day, so it isn’t much of an adjustment for me.  If I am feeling down, I try to go out for lunch with a friend and either the daylight at noon, or the friend picks me up and sooner than I realize it, the day looks better.  And, we begin to gain daylight again.  Like we will tomorrow!  Wasn’t is Shakespeare who wrote, “as surely as the night becomes the day…?”  And of that I am assured-- in Alaska, or anywhere else in our wonderful world.

After reading this, if you have questions about how dark (or light) it is in Alaska, just ask.  And, for more information on homes for sale in Eagle River, Alaska, click here.

November 18, 2010 Update:  Winter Rules!

For about six months of every year, the residents of Eagle River, Alaska, live with winter.  Temperatures are generally below freezing, and there is snow and ice on the roads.  The part of the day when the sun is up grows shorter, and the night becomes longer.  Our shortest day of daylight is slightly under 6 hours.  And, so, we adjust our activities accordingly—or not. 

The kids seem to go to school in the dark and come home in the dark.  And they generally go to school whether or not there is snow.  It takes about 8 inches of snow to invoke a school closure.  School is more likely to be delayed by severe ice on the roads. 

The first snow/ice of the year is always a busy day for traffic.  People seem to forget that our driving habits need to change in the winter.  The lines to get tires switched to the studded variety get long, and the ditches seem to fill with people still driving without 4-wheel drive.  By the third snow, we have all re-learned our winter driving skills and traffic seems to run more smoothly. 

But there’s more real danger than that.  After all, most winter driving accidents during that time are fender-benders and bumper battles.  The real danger is in winter itself.  The issue is how do we prepare ourselves and our children for the unexpected winter encounter?  When winter rules, what are our winter rules?

Here are a few I have used in my 11 years living in Alaska: 

Respect Mother Nature’s winter, but enjoy it, too.  Just plan for your own safety in it.

Always take gloves and a hat when you leave the house.

Wear appropriate footwear.  Warmth and tread are both important. 

Empty the garage and put the car in there.  It saves a lot of wear and tear on the car, and it makes the morning routine much easier when you don’t have to scrape the windshield.

Keep an extra coat in the car. 

If you are planning a long trip, carry a sleeping bag, something to eat and drink, and a candle (with a way to light it).  I’d be happy to explain its use if enough of you don’t know. 

Having a phone is good, but be prepared for the situation in which it doesn’t work—which is the case in much of Alaska.

Provide assistance to others you find who are stranded in winter weather.

Have a warm, safe home you can return to when you are finished reveling in the delight of our winter wonderland!

If you feel you are lacking the latter, I am available to assist you in exploring the possibilities. For more information on homes for sale in Eagle River, Alaska, click here.

October 29, 2010 Update:  It’s “Decision Time” in Eagle River, Alaska; and this time it’s not about which of the homes to choose.  It’s about who you want to represent you in the United States Senate.  At least we have a lot of choices.   In fact, there seem to be as many choices for Senate as there are 4-bedroom homes for under $350K.  The issues and the personalities are hotly debated.  It’s something you just can’t avoid these days.  The television is replete with commercials by the front-runners.  The mail is littered with their post cards.  The signs clutter the roadsides, and the newspapers headline the latest political gaff by one or the other of the candidates.   Our phones ring off the hook with political polls. 

Which of these insidious pre-election pleasures will you miss the most on November Third?  Many of us who have made up our minds, would vote early if by doing so, we could turn it all off.  But we should remind ourselves that it is this very process—the public discourse and the casting of our secret ballots—that is one of our Nation’s hallmarks.  It is also the fact that people of ordinary origins can become the people who make our laws and guide our Nation’s path.  And it is the fact that each one of us has a say, albeit a small one, in just who that will be.

I know that we can each make an argument that there are no decent candidates, or that none reflects all of my own views.  I couldn’t agree more.  My response, though, is that those arguments are compelling enough to push you to research just which candidate reflects your position the best.  It is after all, not just your right to vote, but your responsibility to do so—and to make an informed choice.  Nothing makes me more upset than the bumper sticker that says, “Don’t blame me, I didn’t vote.” 

So, this isn’t a piece on which candidate to vote for, it’s a mandate to exercise your right and responsibility to Vote!  

And if you just happen to pass by that dream home while on your way to the polls, call me and we’ll see if there’s a way to make it your little corner of America.  For more information on homes for sale in Eagle River, Alaska, click here.

September 1, 2010 Update:  So what is happening in Eagle River Real Estate Sales?  Last month, 39 single family homes and 6 condo’s were under new ownership in Eagle River.  In August a year ago, 48 single family homes and 4 condo’s changed hands.  So, sales have slowed some—just like in the rest of our Country.  Where we differ is that prices in the rest of the country are still declining a bit and ours are mostly stable.  (The average sales price in Eagle River actually increased about 3% in July.) 

So, is it a good time to buy?  My answer would be an emphatic, yes!  My response is heavily weighted by mortgage interest trends. 

Just in case you haven’t been following them, today’s 30-year conventional mortgage rate was at 4.25%.  The VA and FHA rates were the same, 4.25%.  We haven’t seen rates this low in 40 years.  Why, your parents probably can’t recall when rates were this low!  So, why are folks waiting to buy?  Hoping for a decrease in prices?  Is that logic sound?  Let me provide an example from which you can draw your own conclusions.

Let’s say you bought a $325,000 dollar home, the average for Eagle River.  And for the purpose of illustration, you got a $300,000 loan.  If prices went down, and the house dropped 10% next year, you would lose $32,500.  If you got a loan for that same home, today, your principle and interest payment would be $1,476.  If interest rates go up next year to 6% (We cannot really predict where interest rates will be next year, but 6 % is a reasonable possibility) then your payment would be $1,799.  The payment difference is $323 each month.  That’s as much as a car payment!  Over 30 years that difference is $116,280!  Can you afford that?  Wouldn’t it be better to be putting that into your retirement fund? 

If that makes you feel like it is time to buy or sell a home in Alaska, I am available to assist you in exploring the possibilities.  Or, for more information on homes for sale in Eagle River, Alaska, click here.

There it was--today’s Anchorage Daily Newspaper--blown to the middle of the road by the 50-MPH breeze we were experiencing this morning.  It made me think of how what others would call “extreme weather” is so routine to those of us who live in Eagle River and Anchorage.  It is part of our living-in-Alaska bravado!  So, what is the weather like in Eagle River?  And how does it affect us?

Eagle River is in what some Alaskan’s call the “banana belt,” a reference to its warmer climate (when compared to Fairbanks).  Average temperatures in the summer range between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and in the winter between 0 and 30.  Extremes in summer reach 85 and in winter, 25 below.  Our secret to comfort, though, is our low humidity.  Once acclimated, you can play golf in shirtsleeves in the summer at 60 degrees, and you won’t need  much more than a sweater until we get into the 30’s.  In fact, sourdoughs (those who have lived in Alaska for more than a few years) dress in layers throughout the winter and bring out their heavy stuff at about 0.   These temperatures seldom require air conditioning, so most of our homes have none—but of course a good heater is quite important, and a cozy fireplace is useable about 8 months of the year.

It might surprise you that “hurricane force” winds are common here.  Depending on the front that is moving across our mountain ranges, primarily the Chugach, today’s 50-MPH breeze is an every month occurrence.  We get 80-MPH winds 6 or 7 times a year.  That fact invites a close inspection of any home you are considering, to ensure the roof has 100-MPH shingles. 

It has been a particularly rainy Summer, with very few sunny days since about the 4^th of July.  (It’s all good—the fish still bite in the rain.)  July usually has less rain than August, often causing alarm at the dryness of the local hillsides and some concerns about wildfires both in the city and throughout the State.  But this year, the clouds provide a different vision of the mountains and the inlet, every day.  My awe at our views continues, with something different to notice, daily.  I marvel at the Creation! 

 But what about precipitation in the winter?  Yes, we get it—and some years lots of it.  Expect to see snow (affectionately known as “termination dust”) (go on, ask me, Why?) on the mountains beginning in mid-September.  And from about the end of October until the middle of April, you are likely to have snow in your yard.  Some days it will cause you to get up early to shovel your driveway, and some days you’ll work on it when you get home from work—or better yet, have the kids shovel it when they get home from school, because it is fairly certain that they went to school, even if it was snowing.  It takes a pretty heavy snow storm to close schools here.  I cannot recall even one snow day last year, and I do recall several days when I had to remove 8 inches of snow from my driveway.  That makes a snow-blower a very important tool in one’s shed.

All this snow gives some plausibility to the jocular phrase, “Alaska has 4 seasons—June, July, August and Winter!”  Alaskans revel in them all!

All of the above is written from personal experience and has absolutely no basis in researched scientific records.  But, I am certainly willing to share my experience(s) living in Alaska with you.  And I am certainly available to help you buy or sell a home in Alaska.  For more information on homes for sale in Eagle River, Alaska, click here.

I am delighted to have been chosen by Roger to assume his web presence.  While I am familiarizing myself with it, please continue to use it as you have in the past.  I will do my best to continue its excellent messages and to provide tidbits on living in Alaska and on the Eagle River Real Estate market.  I will soon provide a bio and picture so you can get to know me as I want to get to know you.  If you have questions, please ask.  I promise to respond in a timely manner with the best information I have available.  And, if you want more information on Homes for sale in Eagle River, Alaska, click here.

The number of homes on the market in Eagle River rose slightly last week. Eighteen new listings came on the market while 15 sold or came under contract, for a net gain of 3 homes. This is typical for this time of year, and represents a somewhat steady increase since February. As of June 21st, the total number of homes for sale in Eagle River was 213.

So far this year sales prices have been steady; the average sales price year-to-date is approximately $323,000, which represents a slight increase (less than 1%) over 2009.

For more information on homes for sale in Eagle River, Alaska please be sure to visit http://www.HomesOfAlaska.com

Median sales prices rose all three months of the first quarter of 2010 in comparison to 2009 for Anchorage, Alaska, including Eagle River. Both January and March posted 3.1% increases compared to the same months in 2009, while February posted a very healthy 9.1% increase. These numbers reflect the continued stability of the local housing market.



Home buyers wishing to take advantage of the generous tax credits need to start thinking about finding their new home as soon as possible. Even though the deadline to close on a newly purchased home is still months away, the law requires that would-be buyers be in a binding contract no later than April 30, 2010.

Eligible first-time home buyers can receive up to an $8,000 tax credit, while eligible repeat buyers can receive up to $6,500. A first-time home buyer is defined as someone who has not owned a principle residence in the last 3 years. Repeat buyers must have owned their current home for 5 consecutive years out of the last 8 years at the time of closing on the new home. For both first-time and repeat buyers, the home being purchased must be used as a principle residence. Income limits also apply; to ensure eligibility buyers should speak to their tax professional as well as their REALTOR.

Tips for Buyers:

1. Don’t procrastinate: To have any chance at finding a home and having an offer accepted by the end of April, buyers will want to wade into the home buying process right away. The immediate steps include making a final list of desired home attributes, scouting favorite neighborhoods and areas, contacting a bank for mortgage pre-approval and beginning the home search process. Home buyers who have a house to sell need to act NOW and should price it aggressively to generate interest and a sale in time to close on their new house by the June 30th deadline.

2. Don’t count on another extension: The tax credits won’t be available forever. To guarantee you can take advantage of it, act now.

3. Mind the interest rates: Interest rates are low right now, hovering around 5%. Anyone considering a home purchase in 2010 should do it now to take advantage of the cheaper cost of borrowed money in addition to the tax credits if they qualify.

For more information on the Tax Credit or to get started with the home-buying process, please contact me right away and I will be happy to assist you. If you have a house that you will also be selling, I would be happy to provide you with a market analysis showing the value of your current home.

For a complimentary Tax Credit Fact Sheet, please email me at roger@homesofalaska.com

Best Regards,
Roger