Matanuska Susitna Real Estate Blog

Wasilla and Palmer Realestate Statistics, 2007-2009

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:03:44 -0600

This chart is from the Alaska MLS system. It includes the data from all the members of the Alaska MLS.

The dark blue line are the sold listings. Of course, that is the most important data on the chart. I always think its interesting to watch the rise and fall of the sales. You can see how it dips in the winter and rises in the summer.

But it doesn't die in the winter, there are a little more than 1/2 as many homes sold in the winter months as there are in summer months, but it doesn't drop to near zero, it just slows down.

The blue-green line are the new listings that come on the market. This fluctuates more steeply than does the sales line. In fact last month for the first time since Dec of 2007 there were more sales than there were new listings.

This means that winter is not a bad time to put a new listing on the market as long as it is priced right. The buyers that are in the market at that time are serious buyers and they are starving for new inventory. Most sellers are holed up for a cold Alaskan Winter and don't want to think about moving. A good house at the right price will get attention.

This article was first published on valleymarket.com

Wasilla and Palmer Realestate Statistics, 2007-2009

Marty's Bread Delivery Service

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:46:16 -0600

Every thanksgiving I deliver pumpkin bread to my past clients. I am picking up my first order of 50 loaves tomorrow. It's always a challenge delivering them in the snow, ice and darkness, but they are well received.

Slacks Sugar Shack is one of my past clients and they do a great job for me.

I am often invited in to see how they have decorated or changed their home since I saw it last.

It is a good way to reconnect and is a little different than jumping on the Christmas bandwagon.

Anyone else do anything like this?

Treasure Hunt in Hart Lake Estates

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:19:49 -0500

I'm sponsoring a treasure hunt in Hart Lake Estates, a beautiful development in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

It's a real treasure hunt...the treasure is $100 cash.

The clues are updated on my website here:

http://www.valleymarket.com/2009/09/06/hart-lake-estates-treasure-hunt

I am also putting them on Twitter, Facebook, and craigslist as well as Active Rain.

Clue #3 is " The $$$ is in a little plastic bag tied to an Alder tree"

Go to www.valleymarket.com for the complete list of clues and rules. #1 rule...stay off of private property.

Wasilla Real Estate Statistics for August 25-31, 2009

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:08:20 -0500

I couldn't help posting this view of Echo Lake taken on my way home tonight. The cranberry leaves are turning red, the birches are yellow and the air is crisp with a full moon over Pioneer Peak. It's a beautiful fall day...but enough, let's talk numbers. Below are the statistics for the last week of August, 2009. Activity is relatively high. People want to get into homes before winter, they also want to lock in the low interest rates, and they want to close before November 30 to get their tax rebate.

29 new listings at a median price of $224,000.
21 pendings at a median price of $186,400
31 closing at a median price of $205,000
925 total listings at a median price of $239,000

The inventory is dropping while people snatch up the good houses with low interest rates. I had a couple buy a house this week because they are leaving for a three year overseas assignment. They are sure that interest rates will not be favorable when they return so they want to lock them in now.

Another client was quoted 5.25% today for a 30 year fixed conventional loan. That is a very good rate. If interest rates go up to 6.25% they will only be able to buy a $180,000 house instead of a $200,000 home. If you don't think interest rates are going up, read this. It's only a matter of time.

Alaskan Green Infrastructure

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:55:38 -0500

I attended the Great Palmer Chamber of Commerce yesterday to hear Kathy Wells of the Friends of Mat-Su present the draft Green Infrastructure plan for the Mat-Su Valley.

Friends of Mat-Su has been contracted by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to develop a green infrastructure plan for the core area of the valley. They are working hand-in-hand with the planning department of the borough to bring this plan to the assembly.

“Green Infrastructure” is a term used to incorporate environmental planning into the overall future infrastructure of the borough. They use “green infrastructure” as a term opposed to “grey infrastructure” which consists of roads, utilities, bridges, etc. The borough feels that “green infrastructure” is just as important in planning as is “grey infrastructure”.

Obviously, the core area is surrounded by Green Infrastructure and this is recognized in the plan. These areas are called green “super hubs”. They include the Palmer Hay Flats, Chugach Mountains, Matanuska Moose Range, Talkeetna Mountains, the Matanuska and Knik Rivers and numerous lakes and creeks. The Green Infrastructure Plans calls for creating green “mini-hubs” inside those “super hubs” and connecting them all together with green corridors so that animals and people can migrate between the hubs while staying in a green area.

One of the green “mini-hubs” is already recognized by many as a green zone. It is owned largely by the State of Alaska, the University of Alaska, and the Mat-Su Borough. This is the area surrounding the central landfill and Crevasse-Morraine Trail on the north, extending west to the Experimental Farm, and south to the Kepler/Bradley Lakes Recreation area. The other “mini-hubs” are mostly in areas of private land.

No restrictions on these areas are currently being discussed. The borough and Friends of Mat-Su are both saying that this is an educational effort at this time. But of course, if it is placed into the planning department at the borough, these educational guidelines will eventually have teeth.

Now is your chance to have input. These plans will come up for public review in the near future, if you are concerned about what you can do with your land if you live in a green zone you should pay attention.

Alaskan Alternative Energy

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:17:57 -0500

Alaska is slowly becoming a leader in Alternative Energy solutions. There are several factors that tend to bend Alaska in that direction.

One of the reasons Alaska is moving out in front in the alternative/renewable energy field is the many different options that are available. We have rivers galore, tidal and wave action in the oceans, geothermal possibilities all over the place, wind and more wind, and believe it or not we get a lot of sun. Actually, we get a lot of sun in the summer…not so much in the winter.

The fact that hydro-fuels are so expensive in many communities makes people wonder if there are less expensive ways to make power than burning $ 8 per gallon diesel. The high cost of energy is the number one reason Alaskans keep tinkering with alternatives. Although the environment is always a consideration, the cost of the power is at the forefront of peoples minds. If the cost of alternative energy is expensive, then it is impractical, and Alaskans are practical people.

For the rest of this post go to valleymarket.com

Technology and Real Estate

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:16:02 -0500

I got an Iphone today. It made me aware of how much technology has changed the way we do business.

I remember my first experience on the Internet when I was the tech worker at the University of Alaska library in Fairbanks back in 1981. I kept the copy machines running, microfilmed old books, operated the only fax machine on campus, and sent an occasional message on a computer over the Internet for some VIP on campus.

Then we got cell phones, digital cameras, and more.

Now I can update my blog from my Iphone.

If you would like me to use technology to send you the deals of the week that just went out yesterday, drop me an email.

Btw..this Iphone is nice but I think I’ll type my next update from a regular keyboard.

Why Should You Buy A Home In Wasilla or Palmer?

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:43:11 -0500

You get more house for your money…that’s why!

Anyone who shops homes in Anchorage and then comes out to the Valley can see that there is a significant difference in prices. I thought I would quantify it so that you know how much more of a home you get in the Valley compared to Anchorage.

I narrowed the Valley down to the Wasilla and Palmer core area . This excludes most of the land mass of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough but includes at least 80% of the population. If I would have included the whole borough the contrast would have been even more striking.

Real estate professionals often refer to the “3,2 and 2″. That is a description of the most common house sold. It has three bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a 2 car garage. I decided to compare these homes in Anchorage to the Valley.

Below is the chart that shows all the sales on the Alaska MLS system of these homes in the past year.

3 bed, 2 bath
2 car garage Total Sales
4/11/2008-4/11/2009 Median Price

Wasilla-Palmer	249	$209,900
Anchorage	349	$265,000

You will notice that only 100 more of these homes sold in Anchorage even though Anchorage has a population at least 4 times larger than the Palmer/Wasilla core area.

Significantly, the median price of a typical three bedroom home in the Wasilla and Palmer areas is $56,000 less than it’s counterpart in Anchorage. Not only is this true, but the homes in the Valley tend to have more land, are newer, and are more energy efficient.

They have more land because the Wasilla/Palmer area is more rural so most of the lots are at least 1/2 acre in size. They are newer because the Valley has grown more in population than has Anchorage in the recent past. They are more energy efficient primarily because they are newer. That is not to say that you cannot find newer, energy efficient houses with some land in Anchorage. You can, but if you do you will spend even more for those houses.

I took a look at what would happen if you compared the two locations with a 3,2, and 2 and at least 1/2 acre of land.

Wow!…what a difference that made. Only 25 homes sold in Anchorage while the Valley sales only went down by 13. In addition, the median price in the Valley rose by only $100 but the price in Anchorage went up by $68,000. Now there is a difference of about $123,000. That is huge.

3 bed, 2 bath
2 car garage Total Sales
4/11/2008-4/11/2009 Median Price

Wasilla-Palmer	236	$210,000
Anchorage	25	$333,000

So if you want at least 1/2 acre of land with your house you will pay dearly for it in Anchorage.

Since 1992 Alaska Housing Finance Corporation<(AHFC), has required new homes that hope to receive financing through them to meet certain energy standards. If you buy a home that does not meet those standards you can work with AHFC to bring improve the energy efficiency. Up to a point AHFC will even pay you to do that.

Most of the homes built since 2000 used good energy efficient building methods. Of the 349 sold in Anchorage only 25% were built since 2000 while 48% of the houses in Alaska were built since that date. Almost 1/2 of the 3,2,2 homes sold in the valley were built since 2000.

So, to sum it up…

You get a newer, more energy efficient home with more land, for less money, if you buy in the valley as opposed to Anchorage.

Happy New Year

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:03:05 -0600

Hopefully this will be the coldest day of the year!

Community Councils, Get Involved Now !

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:38:08 -0600

Community Councils…Get Involved Or Don’t Complain.

We just had a presidential election in which about 60% of the registered voters in Alaska participated. Some people think that is a pretty good turnout, I think it’s pathetic. BUT, what people don’t think about is that local government actually has more effect on your everyday life.

It seems that the more local the government becomes, the less participation we see. In the Mat-Su Borough we generally have these levels of government: state, borough, city, community council. There are many opportunities to become involved at each level. Of those four, the community councils are the most local.

The amazing thing is that although everyone can be involved in their community council, the only people that show up are the activists that want to change the status quo. All the people that are happy with the way things are remain at home and complain when their world changes around them.

For example, in the Chickaloon Community Council area the minimum lot size is five acres. This was passed by the community council and now has the effect of law. If you had purchased 5 acres with the intent to subdivide a portion off for a family member you are now out of luck.

I believe that community councils are an excellent way to get residents involved in local government, but it needs community participation to function well. I attended the Lazy Mountain Community Council tonight. It was held at the Lazy Mountain Bible Church on Clark-Wolverine Road. At this meeting there was a sparse turnout, but Chairman Jim Sykes reported much better participation earlier in the year.

The Lazy Mountain Community Council has their own website here. On it they show the agenda and report on each meeting. This is an excellent way to keep the community informed. Here is a copy of their comprehensive: Lazy Mountain Comprehensive Plan, On their website I noticed a plan for the Wolverine Lake Trail Access. This trail may go right next to a fantastic lakefront property I am marketing.

Not only is it normal to have low community participation in the community councils, often the council will restrict who can vote. For example, I received a report today that the Meadow Lakes Community Council restricts voting members to residents of the area. So you could own a rental property in the area but not be allowed to vote. However, your renters will be able to vote to determine what you can do with the property they rent from you. Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Here is the Meadow Lakes Comprehensive Plan. You will notice that it is over 300 pages, while the Lazy Mountain plan is 72 pages. If you live there, you might want to read it carefully.

I searched the web for other community council websites but only found a defunct site for the Butte Community Council. . If you want to know what is going on in your area you will need to dig. You can start with the Borough’s list of community councils here.

The final step for the community councils is some sort of zoning. Meadow Lakes Community Council is in the middle of that right now. The borough will eventually have zoning over all of it’s millions of acres of land. The question is, will you have a say in the rule changes, or will you let someone else make the rules for you?

Wasilla and Palmer Alaska Market Trends

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:47:46 -0500

Yesterday I looked at the market trends for the Knik-Goose Bay Road area. You can see that here.

Today I have the numbers for Palmer and Wasilla. The first chart is Wasilla and the second chart is for Palmer. These are based on the specific map areas of Palmer and Wasilla.

You will notice that the Wasilla area has more sales than Palmer. The reason becomes obvious when you look at the maps, there just are more developments in the Wasilla map area. The total sales volume is down about 18% from last year and down about 25% from the high in 2006. However the median sales price is only down about 2% from the high in 2005.

Year	Total Sold	Average Price	Median Price
2003	468	180,862	165,063
2004	477	193,244	175,000
2005	492	220,412	208,500
2006	559	241,604	225,000
2007	520	241,885	224,975
2008	422	238,343	219,950

The chart below is for Palmer. Palmer’s sales volume is done about 27% from the high in 2005. In 2005 and 2006 Hall Quality Homes was building a lot of homes in several developments. That building is still going on but at a slower pace.

Prices are also hanging in there in Palmer with the median price almost unchanged from the high of 2006. That is an interesting statistic that will bear watching as we go through this winter.

Year	Total Sold	Average Price	Median Price
2003	195	155,802	158,600
2004	238	190,567	177,076
2005	257	209,520	197,900
2006	242	221,035	213,500
2007	219	230,208	212,000
2008	186	233,459	213,200

The study of sales and prices show that the Matanuska Valley is weathering the real estate market quite well. There is a lower volume of sales but they haven’t died. The values are certainly holding their own better than the stock market has been doing lately.

Wasilla Real Estate Market Trends...Fairview and Knik-Goose Bay

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 11:47:13 -0500

With the increase in gas prices this last year I thought I would take a look at the sales numbers for the homes in the Knik-Goose Bay area for the year so far. This includes the Knik-Goose Bay Road area out to and including Settlers Bay.

For Realtors and others familiar with the Mat-Su Boroughs tax maps, these include OC3, OC4, and HO16. You can see the borough maps yourself here.

This area was one of the fastest growing in the Matanuska-Susitna Boroughs which is itself the fastest growing area in Alaska.

You can see that the sales volume, (total sales), was amazingly steady from 2004–2007. It dropped off this year to the same volume as 2003. Prices increased steadily until 2008 with a huge jump from 2005 to 2006.

Year	Total Sold	Average Price	Median Price
2003	125	152,093	153,900
2004	184	171,750	164,583
2005	183	190,101	179,600
2006	183	211,934	205,000
2007	182	214,152	207,000
2008	128	214,048	195,500

I don’t think that this years decrease in volume can be necessarily attributed to gas prices alone. Obviously we have seen a drop in sales volume across the board. It is also obvious that we are not seeing a real estate crash, the volume is still as good as 2003 which we thought at the time was a very healthy sales climate.

I will take a look at the core area between Wasilla and Palmer for a comparison tomorrow. For a comparison to the whole borough you can look at the study I did at the end of September.

Snow Day On Lazy Mountain in Palmer Alaska

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:09:45 -0500

The Chugach Mountains over Palmer were beautiful in today’s late afternoon sun. Gerrit had been asking to get the old Skidoo Elan out for more than a week so we brought it up to Jay’s place on Lazy Mountain. Jay and his family have ten acres there which gives the kids room to zoom around without going on anyone elses land.

This is almost a 30 year old snow machine, but Gerrit loves to zip around with it. It is nice and light and rarely gets stuck. If it does, he can horse it out by himself.

His cousin Thomas had his Snow Sport going and was spinning brodies all over the snow.

The two boys kept zooming around as it got darker and darker.

Thomas finally slowed down when his hands started getting cold.

We left Gerrit out in the dark and went in to Aunt Susan’s hot chocolate. Gerrit finally got the hint and came out of the cold as well.

A great snow day…and it isn’t even November yet. It’s going to be a fantastic winter !!!

Alaskan Winters...Love It Or Leave It!

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:42:46 -0500

The photo above was taken by my daughter near Eureka, Alaska in January at about -20 degrees. I was overheating so had to take off my hood and mittens.

If you don't like winter...you don't belong here. If you haven't liked it before, make a point to enjoy it this year.

The first step to enjoying winter is to have warm enough clothes.

To do this forget about any idea of fashion.

Get a pair of bunny boots that fit.

Get a REAL WARM parka. I mean one that looks like it would keep you warm in liquid nitrogen. I got an Alyeska Pipeline Parka in 1974. I still use it and it still keeps me warm. I thought it was expensive then but as at 40 below it feels great.

Get real warm mittens. And get them large enough that you can wear warm gloves inside of them.

Get a pair of warm overalls or pants for your legs.

Those are just for starters...you won't be real active in the super warm stuff, but just the knowledge that you can be comfortable and warm in 50 below weather will help you enjoy winter.

Then you can get layers of less warm fleece, poly, mukluks, etc. You learn to adjust for the temp and your activity level.

But start with the real warm stuff and get out this winter. Get out of town and go outside in the absolute warmest clothing you can get at 2 AM when the northern lights are out. Lay down in the snow on your back and watch the northern lights for awhile. If you can't enjoy that...forget it and move back to Florida or someplace.

You Know You Are An Alaskan When:

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:50:58 -0500

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is 10 cars waiting to pass a motor home on the highway.
2. You know what is in a "honey bucket".
3. You measure distance in hours.
4. You know several people who have hit moose more than once.
5. You often switch from “heat” to “A/C” in the same day.
6. You use a down comforter in the summer.
7. Your grandparents drive at 65 mph through 13 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.
8. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.
9. You install security lights on your house and garage, and leave both unlocked.
10. You think of the major food groups as: meat, fish, and berries.
11. You carry jumper cables in your car, and your girlfriend knows how to use them.
12. There are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at the grocery store at any given time.
13. You know what Bunny Boots are.
14. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
15. You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and flannel pajamas.
16. You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction.
17. It takes you 3 hours to go to the store for one item, even when you’re in a rush, because you have to stop and talk to everyone in town.
18. You didn’t know what the word “county” meant, and we were never taught about “area codes”… 907 is all you had to know
19. You think bald eagles aren’t that great
20. You know to go to Best Buy a month after a CD release because that’s when it will FINALLY arrive in Alaska
21. You wish seagulls came with a mute button
22. You can go to McDonalds and order off the $1.50 menu which they feel is equivalent to the $0.99 menu
23. You were appalled by the “Carrs-Safeway” merge a few years ago
24. You have to have a raven cage around your trash to keep them out
25. You go to school, work, or both in the dark and come home in the dark
26. 30 degrees is shorts weather
27. -10 is a bit nippy
28. Buses leaving school are delayed because a bear is in the parking lot
29. You tell people you live in an igloo for kicks
30. You don’t swim in natural bodies of water for fear of swimmers itch or beaver fever…or leeches
31. Having a moose in your front yard is a legitimate excuse for being late to school
32. There is nothing like Matanuska Maid…who cares about Meadowgold, Dairyland and Viva!!
33. You only go to the fair for turkey legs and a husky burger
34. You refer to the continental US as the “lower 48″
35. You get an attitude when you have to pay tax in the lower 48
36. There is 4 feet of snow the night before school and you STILL have to go.
37. If you don’t like the weather wait for 5 minutes and then go back out outside.
38. You sleep through an earthquake like nothing ever happened; the only way you know is because the clock fell off the wall
39. Salmon isn’t a delicacy, it’s a staple
40. Halibut is beer battered rather than cooked some fancy way
41. 70 degrees is equivalent to 90 degrees in the lower 48
42. You know who “Sleeping Lady” is
43. During the winter you rarely use your freezer
44. You think $4 for a loaf of bread is cheap
45. A “cookout” is not all the time outside because it’s entirely too cold for all of that
46. You don’t sleep in the summer because it’s too short to miss a minute of it
47. Half your friends own a sled (snow machine) and you think people that call them snow mobiles are idiots
48. You have been chased or know someone who has been chased by a moose at least once.
49. You’ve seen the northern lights, and you know why they are such a “big deal”
50. You know its all about the snow, DUH.
51. You know that Cattle Company has the best potato soup there is.
52. Your bedroom windows are covered in aluminum foil or black blankets.
53. You know the two speed limits in Alaska: the ‘get outta my way limit’ and ‘taking cover limit’
54. You only watch the news when they announce the amount of the year’s dividend
55. Your school classes were never canceled because of ice
56. You have to start your car at least an hour before you leave so most of the ice and snow will melt off by the time you leave
57. You wear flips flops all year without getting sick
58. You’ve never seen cotton or tobacco growing, but your neighbor has a 30 acre potato field
59. You literally can’t leave the house without seeing some one you know.
60. You know the term “studs” isn’t referring to hot guys.
61. You have to ski in gym class
62. You know who “Binki” was, made fun of that stupid Australian tourist, and was so sad when he died.
63. You expect to see a moose crossing Tudor every time you drive down.
64. You give up and tell people in the lower 48 that you DO live in an igloo and you DO have a pet polar bear named Mishka when they refuse to believe otherwise.
65. You call someone without a crack in their windshield a tourist
66. You attend a formal event in your best clothes, your finest jewels and your Sorrels.
67. When you go to the lower 48 you wonder where everybody’s block heater cable is
68. You’ve been to the Peanut Farm but refuse to tell anyone…ever
69. Combat fishing isn’t a joke, it’s a religion.
70. You’ve seen a 2-month old moose get hit by a full-size van at 65 MPH, then get up and run off
71. Two words “Korn Fritters”
72. Your parents taking you trick-or-treating involves riding door-to-door in the car
73. You design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

Alaska Housing's Energy Programs Are To Good To Ignore

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:49:40 -0500

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, (AHFC), recently introduced several incentives to try to help alaskans save money on energy.

We have all heard about the energy assistance program where a one time check of $1,200 will be issued to all alaskans. You should have that cash in hand soon if you qualify for a Permanent Fund Dividend.

But in addition to cash to pay heating bills, Governor Palin and the Alaska State Legislature approved three more programs to help alaskans use less energy.

These are the Weatherization Program, the Home Energy Rebate Program, and a Second Mortgage Program for Energy Conservation.

The weatherization program provides free energy saving renovations on homes for home owners and renters as well. There are income limits on this program that are actually pretty generous. I think this is an amazing program that anyone who qualifies should use. You need to be patient because there is a waiting list. I believe it may be possible to receive up to $30,000 in renovations. The decision of what and how to renovate is made by AHFC and not the homeowner or renter.

Then there is the rebate program. There are actually two divisions of the rebate program. One for current home owners and another for new home buyers. There is no income limit for the rebate program.

For new home owners, if you purchase a 5 star plus energy rated home, you receive a $7,500 rebate from AHFC. Simple and to the point. This is something to keep in mind while you are shopping for a new home.
For existing home owners, you can also qualify for a rebate if you upgrade the energy rating of your home. You need to document the current energy rating by having an energy rater test your home. This costs $395 and will be refunded by AHFC if you follow through with the application. The energy rater will give you options on how to upgrade and you decide how and what to do. Then after you upgrade the energy rating and document it you can be eligible for up to a $10,500 rebate depending on the level of the energy upgrade.

The third program is the second mortgage for energy conservation. If you would like to upgrade your home but don’t have the cash to spend up front you can borrow it from AHFC. The rebate program for home owners requires that the upgrades be done before you receive the rebate so this creates a problem for cash short home owners. That is where the second mortgage for energy conservation comes in. You can borrow the money to make the upgrade and then pay the money back with the rebate after you receive it.

To find out more about these programs, check out Alaska Housing website here.

If you have more questions about these programs or real estate in general feel free to call me at 907 232–7900 or email at marty@valleymarket.com

Palin Puts Wasilla On The Map

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:07:03 -0500

John McCain just shocked America by choosing our governor and former Wasilla mayor as his Vice Presidential running mate.

All of a sudden, people all over the world are talking about Wasilla. They are even pronouncing it correctly. No more Waseea.

Almost everyone I met today is excited about her candidacy. Most of the people in this area voted for her as governor and still support her. I think she still has an approval rating in the high 80s.

Our home phone started ringing early this morning. Reporters were calling for my wife Grace who is a delegate to the Republican National Convention. She is in New York state visiting relatives before heading for Minneapolis tomorrow for the convention.

I’m not sure how this is going to change our little community. Wasilla is already one of the fastest growing communities in the Alaska. I guess we will wait and see.

Until then…GO SARAH.

Beware...The Sharks Are Still There

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:42:42 -0600

I wrote in a previous post about how an Alaskan woman lost her $5,000 deposit by dealing with what appeared to be an unscrupulous person who specialized in scamming people who couldn't qualify to buy a house. Apparently his enterprise was almost nationwide in scope and the search for him has gone international.

Go to Valleymarket.com for info on how this guy managed to steal money from hundreds of people and even drain their bank accounts.

It is a good lesson about dealing with people you only find on the internet. Deal with local loan officers, and local real estate professionals to keep from getting ripped off.

Is Video The Answer?

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:43:59 -0600

The question of videos, photos, and virtual tours has become a touchy subject with some people, but I am becoming convinced that real estate videos are the wave of the future.

I am not a professional videographer and don't pretend to be. In fact, after the first couple videos I ditched my digital camcorder and just use the video setting on my little Canon Powershot camera. It works fine for what I need, short simple walk-through videos of the house.

I use windows movie maker to do voice overs and simple editing. Then I load them up on Welcomemat.com. Then I embed them into my blog.

The response has been noticably better than a virtual tour. People tell me that they watch the videos numerous times and it has been instrumental in getting showings for house in a competitive market.

Even though the video is choppy and slow on the first showing without a high speed connection, the second showing is smooth and I find that people are patient enough to work through it.

Here is one example from my website of how I am using real estate videos.

365 S Weiss Circle, Wasilla Alaska

I'd like some feedback...pro or con.

Sharks in Alaska?

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:25:03 -0600

If you have been paying any attention at all to real estate news in Alaska you should have noticed this story in the Anchorage Daily News about nine people charged with mortgage fraud.

They had almost every level of a real estate transaction involved in the scheme. They had buyers, sellers, loan officers, a title officer, and an appraiser. It’s pretty amazing that they were able to pull this kind of stuff.

What people don’t think about is that real people are often hurt in these scams.

In this particular case I don’t know of anyone hurt, but just this past week I had an offer on a house from what I think may have been a scam artist.

A buyer who was working with another Realtor wanted to purchase one of my listings but didn’t have good enough credit to qualify for a loan. This buyer found a company in Oregon that purchases homes for buyers who can’t qualify and then leases it back to them until they can improve their credit score enough to purchase it themselves.

This buyer sent the Oregon company a large cash deposit and the the company then made an offer on our listing. The seller countered back with a higher price and evidence that this buyer could actually close.

Oh…the seller wanted to see that the buyer actually had some earnest money. Although they had accepted a large cash deposit from the potential lessor, they failed to send even the $500 check that they offered as earnest money.

After waiting a week and leaving lots of unanswered messages the seller has decided that this buyer is not really serious about purchasing the property.

So now the poor person who wanted this house is out the large cash deposit and our seller is back to finding another buyer for their home…the only winner is the scammer who is still holding the cash.

This shark needs to be gutted and fileted. I think I’ll start fishing with a HUGE hook tomorrow.

Wasilla Real Estate, Monday Morning Market Memo

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:48:43 -0600

Wasilla, Palmer

and all Mat-Su Borough Statistics for the week of 11/26–12/3/07

After the short week last week, this week made up for the delay. There were 45 closings and 27 pendings this week. Those are very healthy numbers for this time of year.

I don’t expect the high number of closings to hold up between now and Christmas,(that is just because of closings that were delayed due to Thanksgiving), but I do think that the market is pretty healthy for the winter. Now that we are past Thanksgiving, we have definitely hit the traditionally slow time of the year. But the market isn’t slow! It’s surprisingly active.

		Average Price	DOM
New	14	$292,721	.
Total Active	801	.	.
Pending	27	$236,232	99
Closed	45	$216,462	74

New listings have certainly dropped and that is to be expected, people don’t usually put their houses on the market just before Christmas. But that means the houses currently on the market are getting more activity because buyers are still out there. If this continues, we will be back to a sellers market by spring.

Look at the chart to the right. Click on it to expand. This is from the AKMLS system and shows the averages for the last two years. Notice that the the new listings drop sharply every winter but the pending activity remains comparatively steady. That is the reason I now recommend that a seller consider hitting the market before the spring rush. You will have less competition.

Compare to previous Monday Market Memos, click here.

“This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by, and to, the subscribers of Alaska Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (AK MLS, Inc.). AK MLS, Inc. does not guarantee nor is it in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by AK MLS, Inc. is for its own use and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. “

Things I've Learned

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 04:00:54 -0600

Things I've Learned...while working with elderly people.

What is Love? By Tamara Van Diest

Love is holding an ice cream cup for a resident because she can only use one arm and needs it to hold a spoon.

Love is sitting and reading a book with a resident, when you could be taking a break.

Love is not giggling or making a face at a smell made by a resident.

Love is explaining what sort of animal is in a picture to a resident, because his eyesight is failing.

Love is playing piano for the residents when you could be resting.

Love is maintaining the dignity and privacy of a resident when something embarassing happens.

Love is picking up a cat so a resident can pet it, even if you're allergic.

Love is hugging a resident who is known for hitting.

Love is embarassing yourself in front of a resident, just to see her toothless grin.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude it is not self-seeking, it is slow to anger, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Cor 13:4-8)

Yeah. my certified nursing class is pretty much over. I finished my last clinical at Providence Extended Care Center in Anchorage today...and then cried on the busride home.

My other clinical days, I was fine...I went in and took care of the residents and went home and didn't think more about them.

But today...was different. Today I realized for the first time that I didn't want to leave.

I didn't want to leave one lady because she couldn't sit and eat her ice cream without help. Sure, someone would probably come to help...but it was the idea that they depended on me.

Was I just caring for them? or was I caring about them?

She followed me around the hallway in her wheelchair, pushing herself with her one good leg. She poked me when she got close enough and grinned her toothless grin up at me. She looked at a picture book with me and I had to explain what the smaller animals were because she couldn't see well enough to make them out, though the book was 6 inches from her face. And I was really really sad to have to go and leave her there. How many people actually care about her? I only knew her one day. And it felt like we were best friends. We were. I loved her.

That was when they all became real people. They hurt and cry because of their ulcers and bruises and stiffened limbs. They wail and yell because they don't speak English and we can't communicate. They grin and their whole day is brighter just because someone took the time to say Hi and smile at them. They laugh when you make a silly face or jump into their room just to do the Chicken Dance.

It wasn't just a job. It was a wonderful, life changing experience.

Is that the kind of relationship that you have with your friends?

Not real estate...just sharing something written by my 18 year old daughter yesterday after her last clinical for her Certified Nurses Assistant training.

Hatcher Pass,Alaska...Beautiful In Winter And Summer

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:31:44 -0500

Anchorage Daily New photographer Marc Lester has a fantastic slide show of Hatcher Pass on adn.com. It's too good not to post for all my readers as well.

I wrote about Hatcher Pass last December when we watched a bunch of kids downhill skiing. There were having blast. Hatcher Pass is a special place for our family. It's only a 30 minute drive from my home.

Hatcher Pass is one of the crown jewels of the Mat-Su Borough. It's a fantastic get-away both summer and winter. The photo at left was from an overnight camping trip with my kids up by "Monkey Face Rock". There is a beautiful valley beyond the rock. These photos were taken by my daughter Teressa.

Below is the valley above our camping spot. Is that pretty or what? That clear mountain stream came directly out of the rocks just to the left of the photo.

Here is just partial list of things to do in Hatcher Pass:

Hike
Camp
Take Photos
Pick Berries
Cross Country Ski
Down Hill Ski
Go Sledding
Snow Mobiling
Hang Glide
Explore Old Mines
Identify Wild Flowers
Watch Wildlife, Everything from Pikas, Ground Squirrels, Moose, Bear, Foxes, Raptors, Ptarmigan, Marmots and more.
Hunt Moose, Bear, and Ptarmigan in season.
Rock Climb
Mountain Climb
Explore WW 2 Bombers

Price It Right...and They Will Come

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:46:58 -0500

Lenn Harley has a current post about home prices outpacing incomes. She is exactly right. It was only a few years ago that we could get buyers into homes here in Alaska for less than they were paying for rent. I remember advertising in Wasilla and Palmer that we could get buyers into a brand new home for less than they were paying for rent on a 2 bedroom apartment.

The recent price run-up has put those days away. It seems that in most places in the country, even here in Alaska, the payment on the average home is too high for the average income. This will have to change before we can get rid of our inventory.

In a few places, incomes will rise enough to make up difference between prices and incomes but most of us will have to wait for prices to come down to reality before sales will pick up.

I noted in a recent post on my off AR blog that we have seen a price increase in my area of just over 7% a year. That has not been nearly as large as many other parts of the country. Because of that, I don't think sellers are going to have to take as large a hit as they are in Los Angeles, or Pheonix, or Las Vegas.

But sellers in my area still need to come down to earth. I posted a warning on my most recent post about price.

We still have a good enough market that if a house is priced right, it will sell quickly. We need to look at the competition and just beat them, We don't have to price homes at the levels they were in 2000, we just need to price them at the current market. Of course, that market is always changing, and we need to take a look at it every 30 days or so.

We have a large inventory of unsold houses, the truth is that many of these houses will likely not sell for a LOOOOONG time. Those houses are just clogging the MLS system. But then we have an active market just below the price of those houses. Many of these homes are selling in 30 days or less at full asking price.

The difference? The successful sellers understand reality, not wishful thinking.

Wasilla Alaska Real Estate Prices, 2000-2007

Marty Van Diest, Your Alaskan Realtor (Valley Market Real Estate) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:03:04 -0500

I just read an article by Yale Economics Professor Robert J. Schiller about why we had such a large increase in home prices since 2000. Basically, he believes it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. People believed that the prices will go up and so they did. It was a classic bubble like the bubble in tulip bulbs in Holland centuries ago.

Of course, eventually a bubble like that bursts and things come down to a more normal price. He says that the higher prices are not based on any underlying value, other than the percieved value that someone else may give for the property. As long as someone else will pay more than the seller's purchase price, the prices continue to increase.

Of course there is an underlying value in any house, that is the amount that it would cost to purchase the labor, land and materials to build the house. The builders profit is a fluctuating amount that may or may not be included in this value.

You can download the article here.

After reading the article, I did a little research on the Wasilla Market. You can take a look at our price increase from 2000-2007 on my website here.

It appears that we have had an average price increase of about 7 1/2 percent over the last seven years.

What has been the average price increase in your area?