Is Alaska for me?

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And check it out..our largest city, Anchorage, is an ethnically diverse progreeive (to the extent that everyone can live their own lifestyle without a lot of thupers) modern US city (except for architecture) with some fine resteraunts and shopping...

And you can carry a gun anytime ya want...

Try ordering Thai food with an MP5 under your coat anywhere else...

WilddimsumAlaska
 
Keith: Didn't mean to get into a debate about the Pilgrim's. I was assuming that the "roads" would mean "trail passable by a deuce and a half or decent pickup with a bit of upkeep." Good to know what's meant by that word up there:)
 
Land on the road system can be VERY cheap once you get outside the Anchorage radius of 65 miles or so. I recently bought five acres in the Mat-Su valley for $2,000 an acre and am currently turning it into my own personal compound. I won't say it isn't tough. It is. Even in the mild South-Central, you can expect rough cold nights. But after a while you get used to it.

There is plenty of land to be had. www.landinalaska.com has quite a few properties on the block. "Remote" means no road, which makes it tougher to develop. I'd keep an eye out for parcels on the road system that have neither zoning nor CC&R's. The covenants are a major issue. How free can you be if the CC&R's mandate a lawn with 2" grass and no dogs? Thankfully, Alaska is one of the last places in the world where can escape the petty rules and busybody neighbors. Just stay out of Anchorage!

If you look deeply at the real estate prices, you will notice a magic line north of Anchorage, BTW. It hits about Mile 70. Beyond that, land is still very cheap because nobody in their right mind will commute that distance. The closer you get to Anchorage the higher the prices get. I wouldn't even consider trying to buy in Eagle River, Eklutna, or even Goat Creek. The good lots are all taken, and what's left is overpriced. For good, cheap, level land on the road system, you gotta go North. Once beyond Mile 70, the whole thing opens up and you can find a ton of cheap land on the roads.
 
Try ordering Thai food with an MP5 under your coat anywhere else...
Click to expand...

I thought an MP5 was for ordering Schnitzel? I need to get into town more often, I'm getting out of touch with this whole Nouvelle Cuisine business...

KeithCountryRubeInAlaska
 
I thought an MP5 was for ordering Schnitzel
Click to expand...

No no, MP44s are for schnitzel..

Now for chinese I use a BHP, but others prefer Colts..

You rubes in Kodiak eat way too much fresh crab to truly know the ins and outs of Alaska armed gastronomy....:D

WildfoodfightAlaska
 
alright, its been touched on, but needs further elaboration: the cost of living up here is rather high, and sometimes the pay rates dont compensate for this.
grocery shopping is easier in anchorage, and Costco/Sams wholesale clubs are the way to go, but fresh fruits/veggies are pricey.
about the daylight/lack of thing....its mostly a misconception. yes, the sun only raises itself for 4-5 hours during the middle of winter, but if there is snow on the ground, it isnt complete darkness. snow reflects the light, and a person can get sunburned during the coldest winter day if they spent those 5 hours in their shorts. course, if they did that, i think getting sunburned should be the least of their concerns.

if you have to live here in anchorage, you are going to have neighbors. about the only way you can have a couple acre compound is if you have money spilling out your shorts. heck, not even in eagle river can you find a secluded area. so your best bet is out in the mat-su valley with cosmoline.
or! down on the kenai peninsula. theres some great areas down there.
 
Well, I'm just soooo humiliated! There we were dining on blackened halibut under the umbrellas behind Humpy's last summer, and I had no idea why the waitress was sneering at my Kimber... How was I to know that a blackened fish still falls under the fish/fowl/stainless firearm rule?

At least I stiffed her on the tip...

KeithFirearmsFauxPasIsMyMiddleNameInKodiak
 
Keep in mind there's plenty cheaper that I passed on. But mine is flat, dry, with good well water, little wind and five acres of mixed spruce and birch. And road access--that's the key. If you go off road you can buy the equivalent of a small European nation for what it costs to get a two bedroom in urban California. But you may need to invest in a plane with floats first.

For just plain cheap and easy living, go with the rural south. Alaska will test you in a way sitting on the porch eating takeout from Starks simply won't. :D
 
Hopefully that means it's an express easement indicated on the relevant plats so nobody will shoot at you if you cross their property. Sounds like there's a trail in place, and depending on how it's set up a trail may be all you're entitled to.

One thing's for sure--never buy raw land up here without coming to look at it in person. Lots of folks have lost their shirts. I spoke with a mother and daughter who had come up to a mining claim and "cabin" on fifty or so acres they bought. Turns out there was no cabin, and no real mine. The seller had long since vanished with their money. SO they ended up alone, wet, cold, and in deep trouble. They're still only just barely making it--living in a small rented trailer.

Have cash on hand when you come, that's for sure. Alaska is not really friendly to poor folks, just by the nature of things it's tough enough if you have a car and some money.
 
Another point I wonder about is the educational situation up there. Not just four year colleges, but community colleges and trade schools. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I might need to get my machinist/gunsmith training after I get out of the Corps. It seems as though that might actually be for the best. Work a lucrative but short duration job such as boatman on a crabber part of the year, go to school part of the year. That way I'd have some money saved up, and a few years to scout out a desirable location. Of course I'd still be in a more urban environment than I'd like, but it would be better than most other places.
 
I'm considering something very similar... except I'm thinking about doing it next year. Hopefully, buying land early next spring and building a house on it before winter... or buying land with a house on it sometime before winter. Not clear yet how its going to go.

Been thinking I should bring my partner up so she can see Alaska. I've been up there twice, but she's never been. So we were talking about going up in November. Course, it would be nice to drive up so we can go all over while we're there.

IF some Alaskans would indulge me, could you hit me over the head with the cluebat? I have a stock 2003 Toyota Tundra 4WD, V8. Planning to put a camper shell on it or a slide in Camper. What would be required to do to it to drive up there in November or January? I'm assuming I need a block heater... but the Alcan is a long road, and I have camped along side of it in summer, but I imagein a block heater is pointless if you can't plug it in! Are there alternatives? Is it viable to plan to stay at a hotel each night on the Alcan? When I last drove it, the hotels seemed too spread out, and I had the slide in camper then anyway.... I believe we can camp in the truck down to about zero degress F, but I have no idea how cold the Alcan gets in November (or January!) I'm mostly concerned about something happening to the truck with the cold...

Secondly, what's the soil like in the Kenai and parts south? I've seen reports that the soil in SE Alaska is 4-5 feet of gravel covered by bedrock. When I was north of Fairbanks, the Tundra seemed to be mostly frozen water and not so much gravel, and it seemed like each year it would shift and break and all that.... so all the buildings were built on stilts. Is this necessary in parts of alaska south of Anchorage?

Assuming the land is in Kenai, Kokiak, or possibly north of Talkeetna:

What I think I want to buy is 40-80 acres, about 2 miles away from a road. I want to build using Cinderblock (hopefully locally sourced). I want to put in that 1-2 mile road (well, hire someone local to do it). Think a gravel road can be built for $5,000 (2 miles.) I figure I'll do much of the maintenance on it after its built... but I don't know much about what needs to be done on ground that can move.

But mostly I'm concerned about the ground in these areas... if the bedrock is 5 feet deep, I figure I can put in pilings down to the bedrock (cement) and shore up the footing, and then put in a foundation like a typical slab house (with rebar sticking out vertically) and then build cinderblock on top of that, and bond it to the footing and foundation with cement and the rebar. But that information was for SE alaska which is mostly mountains and islands... whats the soil like in Homer or Kenai north of there? OR around Seldovia? How about Talkeetna and north to Denali in those areas? I figure north of Anchorage its going to be more tundra and less soil.

I know Alaskans seem to be fond of mobile buildings, log cabins, and wood buildings on pilings. _IF southern Alaska, is like the north slope, and I pretty much need pilings, that throws out Cinderblock, and I'm just one that figures if I'm going to put the labor into building my own house, I really don't want to build it out of wood. Any thoughts? Any of you dug any holes in this region or know about the building types and issues?

We may end of living in temporary shelter initially. One thing that's surprised me is that there isn't as much wind in these areas as I expected. One of you mentioned finding land that didn't have wind as a good feature... I'm wanting wind so that I can put in wind generators... figure solar is great half the year. I'll probably put in some other fuel system, or maybe even have a hook up to electricity... but I would like to at least have a self sufficient contingency plan.

I'm sure lots of people move to Alaska and get in over their heads... unfortunately, they aren't writing books "My failure in Alaska" or "Alaska- not for the faint hearted" so its hard for me to learn from their mistakes. Really want to make sure the enthusiastic girlfriend will be enthusiastic after the move. And want to make sure I can handle the winter there.

I'll say one thing... I moved to Seattle because Texas was too hot. Now Seattle is too hot for me.
 
Just 800km from the polar circle here too... Don G., these are pretty often used for maintaining starting heat, actually the brand has become to mean "fuel-driven engine block heater" here... :D I'm getting one for my next car, now I've got a Defa electric one.
 
You couldnt pay me enough to drive the Alcan in January. LOL Buy land on the Kenai. IMO its the most beautifull part of Alaska. As long as your not trying to buy land right in the town of Kenai, or Soldotna you should come out pretty cheap. If anyone is interested, my dad is selling his place. 10 acres, on the Kasilof River. Gorgeous 4 bedroom house, boat launch, etc, etc, etc. I think its going for 500g's. Only reason its that much is because its on the river. If I had my choice, Id move across the inlet. LOTS of land out there, and its only 20 minutes to Kenai or Soldotna by boat.
 
Thanks for the link, their website is broken for me, so I'll have to find a browser that can browse it. I gather these are heaters that use the battery to start, but heat up the enging block without running the engine? Hmmmmm.....

Why wouldn't you drive the Alcan in January? Too much snow? I've read in Milepost that its kept clear year round.... but I would rather do it in November than January!

And accross which inlet are you talking about? The cook inlet into the northern part of the Aelutians? (Probably not the right term.. the penensula across from Kenai to the west?)

How about Dutch Harbor? Thinking that might work... has marine highway so we can get the vehicle in and out.

Would love to buy the 500G place, but thats out of our price range. :-( IF only I'd taken that job with that company that went public... :banghead:

Do I need a front mounted snow-plow to drive the Alcan in January? I'm sure it couldn't hurt... I wonder if you can get them for a couple hundred dollars, a small emergency one, rather than a big full time one.

Thanks for the thoughts... without living there, its hard to know what its like.
 
I'd stay away from Dutch unless you like rain and more rain. And wind. The Kenai area is very nice, and not too cold at all. Permafrost isn't a concern until you get up closer to Fairbanks. Where I'm at about 80 miles north of Anchorage, there's a layer of good soil for about 5" or so, then nasty mud/silt for two feet, then nice gravel. If you want a gravel driveway all you have to do is turn five feet of ground upside-down with a backhoe.

I'm building on pressure treated 6"x6" posts buried down to the gravel layer and covered in concrete. I suspect that method would work well anywhere in SC Alaska.

Some advice--put a good winch on that truck! I recently blew out the front end on my S-10 trying to drag an old trailer across the lot. Stupid mistake, and I could have avoided the problem with a nice winch.
 
Its different now, but the last time I drove the Alcan it wasnt even all paved. A plow couldnt hurt, but in a pinch, Id take a winch. Im not too partial to Dutch Harbor, but some people like it. Cook Inlet is what Im talking about (sorry bout that). Beautifull, cheap land. Its only a matter of time before it gets developed, so Id buy it now. Someone mentioned Mat-Su earlier. One thing to think about is that right now land is VERY cheap around there compared to Anchorage, but plans are in the works to make a bridge over to Anchorage. That would put you 15 minutes from the city. Your land value will SKYROCKET. So if your looking for a way to make some money, that would be it. Up on Church Road right outside town there are some awesome plots available. Beautifull land.
 
BTW- If your really considering Dutch, Id at least go check it out first. Swing by the Elbow Room while your there. At least that way you can say youve been into the most dangerous bar in North America. LOL
 
Dutch Harbor? I don't they are a regular stop on the Marine Highway - more like two or three trips a year, about three days each way. There's not much out there - no hunting to speak of, no trees, 300 days of rain a year. It's a great place to make money, but not such a great place to live.

And honestly, I don't think I'd bring the girlfriend up in the winter to introduce Alaska to her. Show it to her in the summer and let her fall in love with the place. You can put up with December, when you know what July is like.

And winter is not a good time to look at land. You might find the beautiful piece of property you bought is muskeg soup come June.
There are certain places I just wouldn't want to live if I knew what they were like in the summer. Glennallen is such a place - a gorgeous little town in the fall, but come June and clouds of mosquitoes rise off all those ponds and make life a misery...

Keith
 
Cameron,

I spent many nights at the Elbow Room back in the early 90's. They always had a great house blues band and the beer was cheaper than the Unisea. I hear they've tamed Dutch Harbor somewhat, but back in the day it was such a wild and wooly place that anything could happen.

Deadwood with crab boats!

Keith
 
anchoragites arent exactly thrilled about a bridge across the inlet. that would just make the valley people that much closer. (no offense cosmo! :D you're one of the 'good' valley peeps).

you'd have to be crazy to want to drive up the alcan in november/december..... should be okay though once you make it to whitehorse. stay overnight there and then the drive to tok isnt that bad, spend the night there. after that you can hit fairbanks for the next night. fall back on the camper as a very last resort.
 
I did the Alcan in Novemeber...

1. Install a block heater
2. Get a winch
3. Only drive during the day
4. CB radio

Wild7daystorontotoAnchorageAlaska
 
AND make sure to have a propane backup heater in case your car goes bye-bye and you need to keep yourself from freezing solid too. There are some very nice, safe ones on the market now.
 
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