Anchorage Alaska Real Estate for RE/MAX Properties

10 Reasons the Holidays are a GOOD Time to Sell Your Anchorage Home

2011-11-17T12:03:00.001-09:00

Okay so you need to sell your home and maybe you've been on the market for awhile. The Anchorage real estate market during the Holidays is perfect timing for you...if your price is correct, condition is given. It really goes back to the simple supply and demand and smart buying habits. People should buy low and sell high but they usually wait until there is a big crowd gathered. Listing during the Holidays is counter intuitive and most people take there Anchorage homes off the market...bad idea. Bottom line you need to move and timing is very important.

1. Supply & Demand (Competition) The majority of folks will think this is a bad time to sell a home so they will take their Anchorage homes off the market or wait to put them on the market….this means you will have much less competition!

2. Anchorage Holiday house hunters are typically serious home buyers; they aren’t going to be looking during the holiday season unless they really want/need to buy.

3. Your Anchorage home will likely feel very homey during this season (as long as you don’t go Clark Griswald on the neighborhood).

4. Many of your Anchorage neighbors will be having family and friends over for parties and such…if they love the neighborhood and see your for sale sign…you might just get some interested buyers. One of my most active Holidays is Thanksgiving and I will never take off on this holiday. I am thankful.

5. Let’s not kid…your house will smell amazing with all the pumpkin pies, sugar cookies, and breads you will be making.

6. Lots of people get Christmas bonuses and some will likely plan to use theirs as a down payment…get those folks interested now, while they have the money!

7. You don’t have to worry about any yard maintenance or up keep because your yard is likely dead, your leaves are already raked and flowers won’t be blooming for a while. Snow covers a great deal and your perfect yard looks the same as the neighbors.

8. You can always ask Santa for a ready, willing and able Anchorage buyer.

9. People are generally happy during the holiday season; happy people make happy Anchorage home buyers.

10. Showing may actually be easier than you think if you are planning on spending any time away visiting others during the holidays…your home becomes a “go and show” when you are out of town and is always show ready.

Working Hard to Earn Your Referrals
Lonnie Logan, Associate Broker
REMAX Properties
http://www.bestanchoragehomes.com/
http://www.myfirstanchoragehome.com/
http://www.akrealestateinfo.com/
Team@BestAnchorageHomes.com

Anchorage Alaska Home Statistics - October 2011

2011-11-08T14:17:00.000-09:00

Anchorage Alaska Real Estate Statistic October 2011

For Anchorage homes for sale, Halloween spooked the average residential sales price to go down, although the number of sales did increase. Hopefully meaning buyers are starting to feel confidence with the low interest rates. Inventory for price points below $400,000 is starting to level out a bit, making the supply of homes equal to that of buyers demands. The upper price ranges still have anywhere from 6 months to 4 years of inventory depending on price, area and location.

ANCHORAGE CONDOMINIUMS
How many;
Anchorage Area Condominium Short Sale Property - 27
Anchorage Area Condominium Foreclosure, Bank Owned & HUD Property - 12
(New MLS reporting criteria started)

Supply and Demand - Anchorage Alaska Condominiums
Average Sales Price - Anchorage Alaska Condominiums
Number of Units - Anchorage Alaska Condominiums
Sold Market Analysis - Anchorage Alaska Condominiums

ANCHORAGE RESIDENTIAL
How many:
Number of Anchorage Area Home Short Sale Property - 41
Number of Anchorage Area Home Foreclosure, Bank Owned & HUD Property - 31
(New MLS reporting criteria started)
Supply and Demand - Anchorage Alaska Homes
Average Sales Price - Anchorage Alaska Homes
Number of Units - Anchorage Alaska Homes
Residential Active Listings Inventory - Anchorage Alaska Homes
Sold Market Analysis - Anchorage Alaska Homes

Anchorage RE/MAX Properties - Lonnie Logan, Associate Broker would like to thank you for visiting BestAnchorageHomes.com , MyFirstAnchorageHome.com - We have done our best to design this Anchorage real estate based web site with our valued visitors in mind. We hope you find it to be a useful tool for your Alaska real estate needs. If you have any questions while searching through the numerous Alaska real estate listings for sale or would like to schedule an appointment to view any of these Alaska homes, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime. We want to be your Alaska Realtor and help with your real estate needs throughout Anchorage and Alaska. If you want a list of the active foreclosure properties please let us know, so we can email them to you.

Anchorage Alaska Foreclosure Lists & Seminar

2011-10-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

ANCHORAGE ALASKA FORECLOSURE SEMINAR

Whether you are an Anchorage investor looking to expand your portfolio, an Anchorage Alaska real estate agent helping clients purchase property, a buyer looking to own a first home or condominium or maybe even a second home, this class is perfectly designed as an introduction to Anchorage Alaska investors, real estate associates, lawyers, professionals and home owners alike.
Mark This Date in Your Calendar Right Now: November 10th, 2011

Demystify the Foreclosure Process & Get Beyond the "Foreclosure List"

Short Sales and Anchorage Home Owner Help
Step Through the Foreclosure Process
Public Courthouse Auctions
Rehab Loans, 203b versus 203k
Lease Purchase Options & Owner Financing
What Costs Are Involved and Who Pays for Them
How to Protect Yourself from a Home with Troubles
Choosing an Auction Professional, Realtor® & Lender to guide you

This is not a get rich quick scheme, but a No Hassle, No Obligation seminar, put on by
REMAX Properties Inc., Lonnie Logan, Associate Broker

Seats fill up fast so RSVP

Anchorage Alaska Potential Real Estate Client

2011-10-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

I’m an Anchorage Alaska moose and this is my blog on survival.

I have lived in Anchorage, Alaska for most of my life. I am the largest species in my family and have been overshadowed by my close cousin the deer. I always stop to enjoy a mild and serene slumber, calmly chewing my herbivorous way through the forest. I don’t have my own Disney movie, except for a small part in Brother Bear, I remain relatively quiet...unlike the Elk who is very noisy. Timing wise Bullwinkle came after Bambi and Bullwinkle really wasn’t painted as intelligent. I for the most part have slumbered with little notoriety.

I would like to weigh in my opinion on the tactics of survival, whether it be in nature or the tactic I use.

The first tactic is living day to day within the natural environment. Walking through lakes, fields and forest to find the watery foliage we need on a daily…hourly…and minute we exist. On average we consume 9,770 Calories per day to maintain our sleek body weight. I am almost always eating or sleeping. The natural environment has some pluses and minuses. The biggest plus is no human contact, so I can grow as big and majestic as nature allows. The biggest negative is when I grow big and majestic that is the best place for the humans to hunt.

That brings me to the next survival tactic…the one I have followed and recommend. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I have decide that living in the big city of Anchorage isn’t so bad. People seem to be very kind planting new food sources for me around, even the Municipality of Anchorage Government. Humans don’t mind if I bed down next to the car, shed, house or outbuilding. I often feel like a big Hollywood star. People are always slowing down to admire me and take pictures, just like the paparazzi. My cousin the deer has nothing on me here…I am truly an Anchorage Mascot. They even tie their dogs up so as not to bother me. The best part is no one shoots at me here in town…since I don’t camouflage well in the city that’s a good thing. The biggest drawback in the city is finding yourself in the daily commute, but if I get caught in traffic they are usually very courteous and stop for me. I can always find a tree full of leaves for a real traffic jam. Finally have you ever eaten a washed carrot? They feed them to me all the time and McDonalds drive up...need I say more.

This is just my opinion and it is open for debate. Please let me know how you feel.

Anchorage Alaska Housing Gets Help from Outside

2011-10-06T22:05:00.000-08:00

There are several indicators of the Anchorage Alaska housing market. With the volume of activity we have had, the market has maintained. Many of the markets in the lower 48 have to recover to give us a better foundation to start building confidence here in the Anchorage housing market. Alaska Business Monthly reported that 12 outside markets have almost double in housing, employment and permits.

Anchorage Alaska real estate is being helped by the number of foreclosure purchases. The Anchorage home buyers seem to be holding out for the best deal. Personal savings has increased and that can only mean that patience is a virture or procrastination is at full speed.

The Alaska native corprations are starting to gain a strong capital hold in the State of Alaska. Although the investment may be too little, it is definintly not too late. The influx of confidence and cash flow has help smaller businesses cash out on their extensive years of goods and service to the residents in State of Alaska.

Lonnie Logan
RE/MAX Properties, Inc
http://www.bestanchoragehomes.com/
http://www.myfirstanchoragehome.com/
http://bestanchoragehomes.com/

Municipality of Anchorage Alaska Statistics

2011-10-06T20:47:00.000-08:00

Anchorage "Fast Facts"

Total population 290,558
Average age 32.2

U.S. average 36.5
Median household income (2009) $70,151

U.S. average $51,425
Alaska Average $64,635
Anchorage was featured in Smartmoney.com article “5 Metro Areas on the Real Estate Mend.”
Anchorage featured in Forbes.com “The Best Cities for Jobs.”
Alaska and Anchorage were featured in two articles “Alaska: Caribou Commins Or America's Lost Ace?” and

"Sarah Palin: The GOP's Poison Pearl" by Joel Kotkin in his weekly New Geographer column on Forbes.com
Wired.com December 2010 article featured Anchorage in its article “These are America's Worst, Nest Commutes"
In 2010, Anchorage was made RelocationAmeric's Top 100 Places to Live in 2010 list.
Average Monthly Employment by Industry 2010

Oil, Gas & Mining 2,800 1.9%

Transportation 10,800 7.1%

Construction 8,400 5.6%

Health & Educational Services* 21,600 14.3%

Leisure & Hospitality 15,700 10.4%

Business & Professional Services 18,400 12.2%

Trade 21,700 14.3%

Government** 31,300 20.7%

Financial Activities 8,900 5.9%

Manufacturing 1,900 1.3%

Information 4,100 2.7%

Other Services 5,700 3.8%
*Private education only

**Includes University of Alaska, Anchorage and the Anchorage School District
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Annual Average Unemployment Rate 2010

Anchorage average 6.9 percent

U.S. average 9.6 percent
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Notable Municipal Public & Private Projects Spurred in 2009
Continued construction on the 1,536 bed ($240 million) Goose Creek Correctional Facility located in Mat-Su.
Continues construction at the Tikahtnu Commons development with the opening of a 30,000-square-foot PetSmart, a pet store comibined with Alaska's first pet hotel and spa and a new Red Robin restaurant.
$72.5 million, 350.000 square-foot completed renovation of Concoursers A & B at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Construction of the 80,000 square-foot, $27 million expansion of the Alaska Native Medical Center’s PrimaryCare Center
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2010 Forecast & Results

Return to Growth - Approximately 200 jobs were added to the Anchorage economy in 2010. This far exceeded the loss of 1,200 jobs predicted for the year. After a loss of 900 jobs in 2009, Anchorage is back on the path to growth.
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Population Growth
2002 267,860
2003 273,069
2004 277,880
2005 290,588
2006 283,348
2007 282,968
2008 283,912
2009 290,558
2010 291,826
2011 300,800 (est.)
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Anchorage Alaska Real Estate Statistics

2011-10-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

Anchorage Alaska Real Estate Statistic August 2011

Statistical information for Anchorage Alaska condominiums and homes for sale provides some basis for evaluating a purchase and what price to market a home. Alaska Real Estate is the local Multiple Listing Service, MLS, for Anchorage Alaska. It provides the stastical information need to evaluate how the real estate market is trending. Although if you are experienced in real estate you know that this is more of a art than a science. It cannot be proven or relied upon because of the number of variables is hard to wrap your mind around.

ANCHORAGE CONDOMINIUMS
Supply and Demand - Anchorage Alaska Condominiums
Average Sales Price - Anchorage Alaska Condominiums
Number of Units - Anchorage Alaska Condominiums
Sold Number of Units - Anchorage Alaska Condominiums
Sold Market Analysis - Anchorage Alaska Condiminiums

ANCHORAGE RESIDENTIAL
Supply and Demand - Anchorage Alaska Homes
Average Sales Price - Anchorage Alaska Homes
Number of Units - Anchorage Alaska Home
Sold Number of Units - Anchorage Alaska Homes
Sold Market Analysis - Anchorage Alaska Homes

Anchorage Real Estate Team - Lonnie Logan Real Estate Experts of Alaska would like to thank you for visiting BestAnchorageHomes.com - We have done our best to design this Anchorage real estate based web site with our valued visitors in mind. We hope you find it to be a useful tool for your Alaska real estate needs. If you have any questions while searching through the numerous Alaska real estate listings for sale or would like to schedule an appointment to view any of these Alaska homes, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime. We want to be your Alaska Realtor and help with your real estate needs throughout Anchorage and Alaska.

The information provided above is based on whole or in part on data supplied by, and to the Subscribers of Alaska Multiple Listing Service, Inc. AK MLS. AK MLS or REMAX does not guarantee nor is it in any way responsible for the accuracy. Data maintained by Alaska MLS is for its own use and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.

Anchorage Alaska Home Utilities

2011-10-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

Turning on the utilities to your Anchorage Alaska home is a very important step. With the extreme weather we face, it can mean the difference between a warm cozy home or freezing pipe and seeing your breath if the furnace isn't working. One of the steps provided by your Anchorage Alaska RE/MAX Associates is to let the first time buyer know who and when to set up utilities. Most utilities companies, most of the time do not shut anything off, but it is always better to be safe than sorry in the cold. The home buying process is very task oriented and we are glad to help you find the resources and information needed to make for an easy transition.

ELECTRIC

Chugach Electric Association 563-7366

5601 Minnesota Drive, Anchorage, Alaska

Municipal Light and Power 263-5340

1200 East 1st Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska Matanuska Electric, Anchorage, Alaska 746-7697

WATER SEWER

Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility 564-2700

3000 Arctic Blvd., Anchorage, Alaska

NATURAL GAS

Enstar Natural Gas 334-7600

30000 Spenard Road, Anchorage, Alaska

REFUSE

Municipality of Anchorage 343-6250

Solid Waste Services

1111 East 56th Ave, Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska Waste, Inc. 563-1221

6301 Rosewood, Anchorage, Alaska

TELEPHONE

ACS Anchorage, Alaska 561-1221

GCI Anchorage, Alaska 265-5600

CABLE INTERNET

GCI Anchorage, Alaska 786-9200

Dish Network Anchorage, Alaska 349-7536

JD Powers Rates The Service of Real Estate Company

2011-10-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

RE/MAX Associates are thrilled about the announcement last week that RE/MAX earned highest overall satisfaction for home sellers and home buyers among national full service real estate firms in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Home Buyer/Seller Study.

•View the buyer survey results
•View the seller survey results
Agents and Broker/Owners are celebrating with their colleagues online and in their offices. Here are some of their comments about the difference these awards will make in their markets and for their businesses.

Mark is a RE/MAX Pioneer and opened the first Alaska RE/MAX office in 1980. He is Broker-Owner of the office as well as Regional Owner of Alaska. Involved in REALTORS he was Anchorage Board President and Alaska State Present as well as REALTOR of the year for both. As Regional Owner and Broker-Owner he no longer has time to practice real estate but he will make sure you are connected with the appropriate skilled associate in Alaska.

The Anchorage Alaska RE/MAX office has always taken the time and effort to make sure it's Sales Associates and Associate Broker's have the education and resources to help their clients succeed. In the end a happy client with steller service will grow the profession and provide the community an advocate for success.

iPhone Applications to Help in Your Anchorage Home Search

2010-03-07T19:48:00.000-09:00

At SmaterAgent, they have provided Anchorage home buyers information and access to listings in Anchorage, Eagle River and Chugiak area. Anchorage Alaska real estate Multiple Listing Service provides this service to Anchorage Alaska real estate buyers giving them a direct link to the listing licensee. The listing licensee represents the Seller of the home, althought there are state laws established that allows for one licensee to "assist" both parties it is not always the best idea. Explore the idea of hiring a buyer's licensee to "represent" you and your best interest.

Lonnie Logan
http://www.BestAnchorageHomes.com
http://www.AnchorageNewConstruction.com
Remax Properties inc

Great Resources for Anchorage Alaska Home Buyers

2010-02-20T13:07:00.000-09:00

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation provides Anchorage Alaska home buyers with resources to become informed about how to make good financial and purchase decisions. After the purchase or if you have owned for years, Alaska Housing provides information and classes to assist Anchorage home owners in how to maintain their home or condominium.

They work hand in hand with Cook Inlet Housing, Neighborhood Works and the Municipality of Anchorage.

If you have questions or would like to start collecting information to own your first home please feel free to visit MyFirstAnchorageHome.

What do you do in an earthquake?

2010-02-10T17:18:00.000-09:00

WORTH THE READ!! This may surprise you!

Boy! Is this ever an eye opener.

Directly the opposite of what we've been taught over the years! I can remember in school being told to, "duck and cover" or stand in a doorway during an earthquake. This guy's findings are absolutely amazing. I hope we all remember his survival method if we are ever in an earthquake!! !

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: "TRIANGLE OF LIFE"

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries...

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what I call the "triangle of life".

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the "triangles" you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake.. . It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on The back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency" (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible - It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life. The Entire world is experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

"We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly".

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did "duck and cover," and ten mannequins I used in my "triangle of life" survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the "triangle of life." This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA , Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Procrastination

2009-09-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

Well it looks like the final leg of the Housing Recovery Act, that expires on December 1st, will come to a quicker close. The program was established for first-time buyers provided them an $8,000 credit in their income taxes if they qualify. Well on October 1st, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) is putting it to an early grave for some first-time buyers, specifically condominium purchases. Nationally each condo association that is certified for FHA financing will need to renew their certification. That's Nationally, meaning every condo in the United States with certifications older than 2008. The big question is who will be doing the certification, management company's more than likely. Are they ready? We will have to see.

Is What We Learn From Past Experience Enough?

2009-02-16T11:27:00.000-09:00

George Bernard Shaw once said, "If history repeats itself and the unexpected always happens, how incapable are we to learn from experience."

Anchorage has a pretty solid housing market. The number I like the best is inventory. The supply of homes is roughly about 4 months. In the $250K to $275K price range the inventory is just over 2 months, but homes priced over a million the inventory is 21 months. It is projected without builder activity, some price points could be under supplied. That means Anchorage real estate prices will increase at certain price points and may have an affect on the overall psychological demand.

With the experience of the early 80's though, banks and the State of Alaska have prepared themselves for rough times. The State and Anchorage Municipality may not be as prepared as they like though, based on recent news.

The tough part for Alaska will be those unexpected, maybe outside influences that we are not able to predict.