Fall is coming to Alaska. This morning, I saw some snow on the mountain range near my office. The leaves are starting to turn gold and yellow. The air is crisp and the pace is frantic as we (some of us, reluctantly) prepare for the long winter ahead.
September is an amazing month in South Central Alaska and the Mat-Su Valley in particular. Our fall is short. The leaves & foliage burst into autumn colors, the snow starts marching down the mountains and then...the wind will come up stripping the last of the leaves till the equally amazing explosion of green in May.
Are you looking to move into your new home before the snow flies? It might be tricky as homes generally take about 45-60 days to close (when you actually have the keys in your hand and can put down the "home sweet home" mat).
I am asked frequently “is it a problem buying a home in the Alaskan winter” and my answer is generally, no. In fact, there are some advantages-opportunities such as:
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Those overpriced “let’s throw it on the market and hope” listings seem to go away leaving primarily sellers that are MOTIVATED to sell and price their homes closer to market value. They also tend to be more willing to negotiate, price, terms, repairs etc.
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The many professionals involved in the process (mortgage lenders, inspectors, appraisers, title companies, real estate agents etc) are not as swamped and tend to provide timelier (dare I say better) service.
That close to perfect home in that close to perfect location may still have multiple offers in the first week on the market so the fundamental rules for buying a home still apply: Be Prepared, Prequalified and importantly, hire a great REALTOR® to guide you through the process from start to finish (and I would love to apply for the jobJ).
If you'd like to know more, please contact me and I'd be grateful to hear any thoughts/questions/feedback.
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