Originally Posted by
bifff15
Boys & Girls, Brown, Purple or otherwise,
With the every increasing likelyhood of ending up in ANC (this time with a family) I'm curious who has bought, where and why. Particuarly did you buy a condo with underground parking, a duplex (they appear to be very prolific up there), or a house. Did you buy in ANC or Eagle Creek, and how long does it take to get to the airport? Are there other areas that are close enough that you can make a call out and where do you get the best bang for the buck.
Thanks in advance,
Biff
Building new in Eagle River. I'm tripling my mortgage for a home that was the same size in the South USA. If your wife likes "neighborhoods with sidewalks"--the locals seem to make fun of that here--you can find only about 3 neighborhoods in Anchorage that are nice, and rather expensive. Many more hoods in Eagle River, and a little bit cheaper. Acre+ lots for "dirt cheap"--compared to Eagle River--out in Wasilla and Palmer. You can certainly get a very nice place for a decent price out there. FYI, I am building a custom home in ER for about $235/sqft, if that helps your cost-of-living calculator.
It's exactly 20.0 miles from my lot in ER to the UPS lot--30.0 minutes in good weather/no traffic. Exactly 9.0 miles to the the Elmendorf AFB gate. If you are willing to make the drive from Wasilla,etc--it's another 20-30 minutes in good weather, and there are no streetlights on the highway out there--part of my decision for not going past ER--those 1500# moose can kill in the dark.
Having a heated garage is VERY well worth it! I HIGHLY recommend it wherever you end up.
--My 2 cents