IS BUYING A HOME IN ALASKA LESS EXPENSIVE THAN RENTING?

Is buying a home in Alaska less expensive than renting?  Buying Alaska Real Estate can often be approximately 50% cheaper than renting when the added advantages of appreciation and income tax savings are factored in.  If you wish to find out what's best for you, feel free to contact us on our website at Alaska Home Sellers.  You can also look at Mat-Su homes for sale here to see what your money will buy in the Wasilla Real Estate market.

A couple of months ago we blogged about the concept of the Boomerang Buyers that are coming into the Alaska Real Estate market, and how I feel they are going to further drive inventories lower and therefore resulting in higher prices in the months to come.  And when combined with our blog on Interest Rates and what is happening with the Anchorage Housing Shortage you can begin to gain some insight as to how these pieces of the Alaska Real Estate puzzle all start to fit together.   

According to Trulia's Winter 2014 "Rent vs Buy Report", it is 38% less expensive to buy than rent in 100 of the nation's largest metro areas.  Here is a link to the full story Trulia's Rent vs Buy Report Winter 2014.
  
There is even a very cool calculator on there that allows you to input your specific area and to use the sliding scales to find out more for your unique situation.  The link to the calculator can be found here Rent vs Buy Calculator.   As the article points out, the financial advantage to buying vs renting will lessen with an increase in home prices when also combined with higher interest rates.  We are already seeing an increase in both home prices and interest rates for home buyers in Alaska.  There is never a "one size fits all" answer to questions like this and it is only after counselling sessions with a competent real estate professional and an accountant that the answer will become more clear for your particular situation.  As Residential Finance Consultants, we employ even more empowering calculators to design a customized analysis tailored specifically for you.  

If you are a current homeowner and are contemplating a move you can visit our website and fill out this Short Form to obtain a quick estimate on your Alaska Home's Value.  We can prepare an analysis for you illustrating what the financial aspects of making a move now look like compared to waiting.

We can also be reached at (907)352-1828 to privately discuss your Alaska Real Estate goals.

Greg Shepard
Associate Broker GRI, SFR, RFC
Jack White Real Estate Mat-Su

What's Better on St. Patrick's Day Than Corned Beef and Cabbage?

What's Better on St. Patrick's Day Than Corned Beef and Cabbage?  Corned Moose and Cabbage!

With today being St. Patrick's Day, we thought we would share the recipe that we use to make corned venison, moose, bear, etc.  It is truly one of the highlights of St. Patrick's Day every year for our family.

Here is the recipe for making corned venison. If you don't have venison, any "lean" cut of beef will also work. BTW Moose and bear is fantastic!!  If you like Reuben Sandwiches...it makes the best you'll have ever had.  We have friends that don't eat wild game, but can't stay out of this when we make it.

If your cut is thicker than 1 inch, use an injector to get the brine into it, or simply cut it down so that it will completely penetrate the cut. When I do mine, I have done upwards of 12 pounds with this much brine. But rather than placing it a bowl, I place it in a 2 gallon Ziploc freezer bag, and then squeeze the air out of it to completely submerge the meat. Every couple of days, open the bag, move the pieces around and then squeeze the air out of it again and put it back in the refrigerator.

Corned Venison

2 to 3-pound brisket, flank, or shoulder roast up to 1 inch thick
2 quarts spring water or distilled water
1/2 cup canning/pickling salt
1/2 cup tenderizing salt (e.g. Morton's Tenderquick®)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons mixed pickling spice
2 bay leaves
10 whole black peppercorns
1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

Place cuts in a large glass or pottery mixing bowl (I use the 2 gallon Ziploc bags). In a stainless kettle, glass or enamel saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Heat just to boiling. Remove from heat, cover and allow to cool. Pour cooled brine over meat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; or if using Ziploc bags, squeeze to remove air, then seal. Refrigerate 7 to 10 days, (the last batch I did was almost 14 days) turning meat occasionally. Drain. Rinse meat thoroughly with cold water. If you are not going to eat it all at once, take a normal portion size that you would cook and place that in a quart size or gallon size Ziploc. Add some of the brine, squeeze the air out and then place it in the freezer. That way you have more ready to go for next time. The brine makes enough meat for several meals, but believe me you will go through it faster than you think. The recipe that we first found called for preparing it the following way. To prepare corned meat, place in Dutch oven. Cover with cold water. Heat to boiling, then drain. Cover with cold water again. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until tender, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. We have found that just putting it in a Crockpot with beef broth for about 8 hours is the best! And the easiest..... Enjoy!

Will The Housing Shortage in Anchorage Affect the Mat-Su Valley Real Estate Market?

Will The Housing Shortage in Anchorage Affect the Mat-Su Valley Real Estate Market?

The question can be answered in just 3 words.  It absolutely will!

In case you missed the Sunday (3-9-2014) edition of the Anchorage Daily News, there was a very telling article on what is occurring with their real estate market.  Here is a link to their story Anchorage Housing Shortage.

With 25% fewer homes for sale, and with 3 times the population in the Municipality of Anchorage than we have in the Mat-Su Valley, it appears that the Anchorage real estate market is headed for a year with substantial increases in value.

What does that mean to us here in the Mat-Su and the Wasilla Real Estate Market?  It reaffirms the thought that we will definitely see an increase in the number of buyers coming out to the valley this year because they are finding they can get more for their money out here, placing even greater pressure on an already low inventory of homes for sale.

As a seller, it can result in shorter days on market, increased prices, or both in many cases!  As a buyer, you may have already noticed that some of the homes you've been monitoring are suddenly turning up missing from your searches or in your saved favorites.  That means they have most likely received an offer and have been taken off the MLS.  And with the predicted rise in interest rates this year, it's truly like having a candle burning at both ends.
  
We're sharing this to help educate you to the realities of the current Alaska Real Estate market.  Much of the information that you receive regarding the housing market comes from a national perspective, but it is completely different here.

If you are thinking of buying you can shop on our website here.  If you are thinking of selling and want to receive an estimate on what your home may be worth in today's market, fill out this short form.
  
If you have any questions on these developments and how they could affect your decisions in 2014, feel free to call my office at (907)352-1828 or visit our website at www.AlaskaHomeSellers.com.


Greg Shepard
Associate Broker, REALTOR, GRI, SFR, RFC
Jack White Real Estate Mat-Su