jesse and kathy clifton: A two Gold medal family - 08/19/08 09:16 PM
Former Fairbanksan and UAF multiple national champion, Matt Emmons, has won the Silver in the 50 meter prone rifle event in Beijing. Emmons won the Gold for the same event at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Together with his wife, Olympic sport shooting champion Kateřina Kůrková of the Czech Republic, they now hold five Olympic medals. Congratulations Matt & Katerina on a job very well done! Photo courtesy of Tzatziki … (1 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Alaska - Bucking the 'Zillow' trends... - 08/12/08 05:59 AM
This morning I open up the 'net and start reading the news (my how times have changed I tell you) and the first article I come across is from Bloomberg; One third of new owners owe more than house is worth. "Almost one-third of U.S. homeowners who bought in the last five years now owe more on their mortgages than their properties are worth... Ok, so that's not exactly new news, is it? Can anyone say 'declining market area?' :) Aside from the "negative equity and declining prices are making it difficult for homeowners to sell property for a profit" (duh) … (19 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: True Confessions: I love short red heads... - 08/06/08 07:31 PM
Can you blame me? Dear Diary... Kathy has been laughing at me lately. We've been puppy sitting this little angel for the past week and for someone who didn't have much use for four legged pillows a few years ago, this little munchkin has stolen my heart. I'm gonna catch the devil from a certain slingback-less eye-talian friend, but I can't help it. This is about the sweetest little thing I've ever seen. We took these tonight while playing in the yard. If only we could bottle that energy. :) This post has absolutely nothing to do with real estate whatsoever … (40 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Schandelmeier Joins Yukon Quest - 08/05/08 07:39 AM
Yukon Quest organizers appoint John Schandelmeier as trail coordinator. In response to critics who argued the Quest trail was poorly maintained, the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race appointed Quest veteran John Schandelmeier for a newly created trail coordinator position. Schandelmeier has completed 16 Yukon Quest Races and won two; once in 1992 and again i 1996. John went on to found the Taiga 300 race and worked on improving the Gin Gin 200 ad Copper Basin 300 trails. The Yukon Quest is an annual 1,000 mile sled dog race from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to Fairbanks, Alaska. Much like the Iditarod, … (8 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Spaulding Interiors - "The" furniture store in Fairbanks - 08/02/08 10:33 PM
Since when does a new house mean new furniture? If you ask Kathy it's in the fine print on page 43 of the marriage contract. I don't know where my reading glasses are so I'll have to take her word for it. We've built several homes over the years and it seems that with each new house comes a new slate of furniture. Sure, the antique pieces and family heirlooms get moved under the watchful eye of my better half. But it's inevitable that certain rooms in the house seem to undergo a transformation with each change of address. We have … (9 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Eielson AFB to host the President & First Lady - 08/02/08 10:34 AM
The White House announced today that President and Mrs. Bush will make a stop at Eielson Air Force Base en route to South Korea and Thailand before spending three days at the Olympics in Beijing, China. Officially designated as a refueling stop veterans and active duty personnel from both Fort Wainwright Army Post and Eielson Air Force Base will get the change to hear the President speak on a variety of military related subjects. The Richardson Highway, which runs directly parallel to the runway at Eielson, will be closed for security purposes during the arrival and departure of Air Force One. … (17 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Chena River Flood Declaration - Fairbanks Alaska - 08/01/08 07:19 AM
Chena River Flood Declaration - Fairbanks Alaska Houston, we've got a problem. It's official. We're a disaster area. The Fairbanks North Star Borough issued a disaster deceleration this morning. Citing damage to more than 500 homes, the Borough Assembly has requested emergency assistance from Governor Palin. The last time the Tanana River was this high was during the disastrous 1967 flood that devastated Fairbanks. The resolution says "substantial damage is occurring due to high water and river current on the Tanana River, the Salcha River and the Chena River, resulting in damage to over 500 private residences with an estimated 1,000 … (18 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Alaska - Real Estate Review - 7/20/2008 - 7/26/2008 - 07/29/08 07:54 AM
Hi, Folks. It looks like the Fairbanks real estate market is still somewhat in flux. Existing home sales continue to dominate the market. New construction homes are still relatively soft despite a current Energy Efficiency rebate offering from Alaska Housing. Lets get the bad news out of the way first. This week 12 homes were sold in Fairbanks; the third week of declining home sales and the lowest sold since the first of June. The average days on the market, while on a decline in June, has increased to 175 for the week ending July 26th. This is a 33% increase … (6 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Alaska; New home buyer finds money in house... - 07/22/08 11:56 AM
... and you can too! ANOTHER NEW HOME SOLD Another smart Fairbanks home buyer just qualified for the $7,500 new construction rebate. This 3 bedroom 2 bath home on a wooded one-acre lot qualifies for the new construction Energy Efficiency Rebate from AHFC. In the past five years more than 460 new homes representing $100.4 million have been built whereas only 238 ($56 million) have been built in Fairbanks. Why buy new? * More choices in design/layout/amenities * Lower maintenance costs * Lower heating/cooling costs * Quality of construction Now, there's a whole new reason to buy new. Buyers who purchases … (9 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Alaska Real Estate Review - 6/22/2008 - 6/28/2008 - 06/30/08 06:53 PM
Fairbanks Real Estate - Week in Review - 6/22/2008 - 6/28/2008
Jesse Clifton, Broker Associate Do you remember the story about the little engine that could? Just like that little engine the Fairbanks real estate market is surviving the housing slump that has derailed many real estate markets around the country. For the week of June 22-28, 18 homes closed escrow. The majority of those (67%) continue to be sales in North Pole, although interestingly, they aren't new construction homes. New construction represented less than 1% of homes sales this week. Days on the market dropped somewhat this week from … (9 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: The weather is here.... wish you were beautiful - 06/27/08 12:16 PM
Sorry folks, I couldn't resist. The sun is shining with only a few clouds in the sky - for now. It's supposed to rain later today and tomorrow but it won't matter. The worst day of fishing beats the best day of working, right? We made it down to our favorite spot on the river without incident and have even been so lucky as to have the place to ourselves. No doubt that will change tomorrow but for now it's peaceful and just about as close to perfect as you can get. One of the attractions that have kept us in … (35 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: 9th Army Band Free Concert - Fairbanks Noel Wein Library - 06/25/08 08:57 PM
The 9th Army Band, stationed at Fort Wainwright, has an upcoming concert performance on June 26, 2008 at 7:00PM at the Noel Wien Library. Tuba Player MSG Roger Ridenour leads the ensemble that features 1SG James Thaxter and SFC Andrew Phelps on trumpet, SGT Dale McSwain on horn, and SGT Vincent Lawyer on trombone. 9th Army Band Sample Performance. If you haven't heard the Band perform, you should make time to come hear them play. They truly do a magnificent job. Request a performance of the 9th Army Band at a military function (PDF) or a civic performance. Following this performance, … (14 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: North Pole New Homes - $7,500 Rebate Available - 06/25/08 08:37 PM
North Pole New Construction Homes - $7,500 Rebate for home buyers.
Jesse Clifton, Broker Associate New construction homes in North Pole have long represented a wise investment. Now there's one more reason to purchase a new home in Fairbanks. A $7,500 New Home Rebate Alaska Housing Finance Corporation is offering a $7,500 rebate for buyer who purchase a qualifying* new construction home that meets Alaska Housing's Energy Efficiency Program for 5 Star Energy Rated Homes. What could you do with $7,500? … (1 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks New Homes - $7,500 Rebate Available! - 06/25/08 04:02 PM
Fairbanks New Construction - $7,500 Rebate for home buyers.
Jesse Clifton, Broker Associate New construction homes in Fairbanks have long represented a wise investment. Now there's one more reason to purchase a new home in Fairbanks. A $7,500 New Home Rebate Alaska Housing Finance Corporation is offering a $7,500 rebate for buyer who purchase a qualifying* new construction home that meets Alaska Housing's Energy Efficiency Program for 5 Star Plus Energy Rated Homes. What could you do with $7,500? … (4 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Alaska Real Estate - Home Sales Moving forward - 06/24/08 09:01 PM
Fairbanks Real Estate Outlook
Jesse Clifton, Broker-Associate Are you falling for the hype? Much is still being made in the national news about the slowdown in the housing market. It seems as though you can't turn on the news without hearing about rising foreclosures, default rates and slow housing starts. But is it really that bad here in Fairbanks? Not hardly. The Fairbanks real estate market might not be moving at a breakneck pace but it's far from standing still. In fact there are some segments of the Fairbanks market that are still attracting multiple offers. Homes in good condition … (13 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: I took the plunge... - 06/22/08 09:50 PM
I finally did it. I talked about it long enough. I looked at it and talked about it so much the boss told me if I mentioned it again she was going to knock my lights out... and I think she meant it. I've been using an old(er) Cannon SLR for more years than I care to remember. A couple of days ago the FedEx man delivered my new Cannon 40D DSLR. Now, where photography is concerned I'm certainly not as good as my buddy Richard Weisser or John & Margaret Hokkanen but I like to tinker with it. By the … (28 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Alaska Absorption Rates June 2008 - 06/13/08 06:53 AM
Fairbanks Absorption Rates for June 2008
By: Jesse Clifton; Fairbanks Real Estate Broker One of the most important yet often overlooked keys in setting an asking price for a home is the absorption rate. It's as important to pay attention to these numbers as it is to the most recent closed sales in a particular neighborhood. Simply stated the absorption rate is the rate at which homes are selling. By dividing the number of available homes by the number of homes sold during the previous 30 days we're able to see how long it will take the market to absorb … (14 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Just for you... - 06/11/08 10:56 PM
We all have them; those days where you want to pull your hair out and scream. Fortunately we also have days where it seems the world is our oyster. Today was one such day here in Fairbanks. The sun was beaming down through the office window enticing me with warm rays to abandon the dull 'ol paperwork I was diligently working on for a little play time. Who doesn't like recess? So, I gave in, grabbed my camera and headed out to see what I could get into. It wasn't until later this evening that we took a walk around the … (32 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks, AK Real Estate Market Report For May 2008 - 06/09/08 10:26 PM
Fairbanks Alaska Residential Real Estate Market Report for May 2008 Fairbanks Alaska is a thriving community in the heart of Alaska's Interior. In addition to being a major outdoor enthusiasts paradise, we are also home to the flagship campus of the UA System - the University of Alaska Fairbanks as well as Fort Wainwright Army Post and Eielson Air Force Base. Life in Alaska is good... come discover what makes our community a great place to call home! Well, it looks as though our spring market has finally arrived... mid summer. The good news is we're seeing an upswing in market … (1 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Sunset.. - 06/09/08 08:08 AM
Tonight as I was washing Kathy's car at 1:12AM, because in Fairbanks, Alaska we can do that in sunlight), I found myself mesmerized by a glorious sunset. I didn't quite capture the best moments but I did manage to snap these photo's at the lake. One of the joys of life in Alaska is that our summers are second to none. If you're new to Alaska or considering a move to the Golden Heart City, expect these sights often. Enjoy! Click the thumbnails below to open to a full size image. My personal favorite Ready to find your own piece of … (29 comments)