Ah, to live in Girdwood, where the Beautiful People spend winters cavorting on the world-class ski slopes of Mt. Alyeska, and summers swatting mosquitoes. My own father lived in a condo there until he died in 2014 at age 84. I once asked him–at age 74–if he still skied a lot? His reply: Yep, and […]
Anchorage Sells off Girdwood: Workers Require AFFORDABLE Housing! Read More »
Most of the information in this article is easily corroborated online but the writer wishes to highlight that Anchorage Bowl and Valley homes are now recommended for Radon testing. Alaska is rated the most Radon active State in the United States. The EPA suggests that levels above 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) are
RADON AN UNDER-RECOGNIZED ALASKA HEALTH RISK Read More »
Dear Dave: We have just moved to Anchorage after living in Hawaii for some 10 years. We are a bit confused because the paperwork for closing the mortgage loan is completely different from what we are used to. Can you explain why Alaska’s real estate practices are so weird? What is a Deed of Trust
Deed of Trust or Mortgage? Read More »
So we always talk about housing but what about the land needed to build it on? We have all heard of gold, silver, zinc and lead but there are a host of Rare Earth Elements (REE) such as Terbium, Lanthanum and Neodymium that are critical for radar systems and consumer electronics. Although China has half
LAND UPDATE – Not A Lot O’ Lots Read More »
You must get tired of all the internet marketing of every service you can think of. I do. As it applies to Real Estate, do be careful of believing cute one-liners that sound great – but may not be. In Alaska, Real Estate Agents are now designated ‘Licensees’ by Statute and this is often confusing.
HOW TO FIND IDEAL LISTING AGENT Read More »
Am I mistaken or has the habit of not being truthful accelerated? In marketing, business and private conversation, is lying almost a ‘norm’? Adolf Hitler demonstrated that if you keep telling people the same thing long enough, and loud enough, they will come to believe it! The Grobe Luge (big lie) is any gross distortion
DOING BUSINESS IN AN AGE OF UNTRUTH Read More »
The real estate business is complicated and requires knowledge for reputable practitioners who are regulated by the State of Alaska to provide Alaskans with honest and responsible property exchange options. I have known many real estate professionals and regret I have witnessed some who exploit those who trust them through cunning because of the client’s
The Hebrew word “Yom” is the word used in Genesis to describe the stages of God’s creation. Hebrew etymology shows that the “Day” referred to in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament is actually a “Period of Time” and not necessarily a 24 hour period. It could be one of our modern days or
HOW LONG IS A DAY? Read More »
For many years, Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC) have been offering to waive the need for an appraisal when the borrower puts 20% or more down. Alaska Housing (AHFC) will also follow the Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac waiver offer. When a lender takes your conventional loan application on a particular property, they
APPRAISAL WAIVERS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT Read More »
Question: Is a tree real estate? Answer: Yes, anything permanently fixed to the land which you own is real estate. When you sell your property, the trees go with the real estate. You cannot remove trees, or growing plants, from a pending sale without the buyer’s consent. An uprooted, fallen tree is no longer real
THESE THREE TREE QUESTIONS Read More »
