April 2025 Mat Su Great Lander with Real Estate

Page 1


Large home with huge garage and shop on almost 35 Acres! Very private, yet conveniently located only 20 minutes from Wasilla.

Hey Cora, I have heard that the Valley is getting more million-dollar properties, is that true? Bill Yonaire

Dear Bill, well yes and no, so there are properties that are coming up for sale that are now worth $1,000,000, but as far as “getting more”, I don’t think that’s quite accurate. Builders build what people want. The Valley has certainly become a mecca for outdoors enthusiasts, vacationing as well as just a quality place to live. So naturally, with our current increase in property values, some of those existing homes are going to head toward the million-dollar value. Builders are building more expensive homes, and there is some new construction out there that is over a cool mil, but those are more than likely presold homes, not homes that are going to be going up for sale. It’s a big chunk for a builder to take on a million-dollar speculative build (non-presold) home. Most builders need a relatively quick sale on a home for that expense. But as you know, I love statistics, so let’s look at a few stats out there and see what’s happening.

According to my stats, we have 12 months of inventory for homes $900,000 to $999,999. Anything less than six months of inventory is considered a sellers’ market. We currently have 8 homes in this price range for sale and out of the 8, three of them are pending (meaning it’s under contract and waiting to close). The offer price as compared to the listing price is 97%. That means that if you have a home that is currently for sale at $950,000 most likely, it will go under contract for $920,550.00. But the interesting thing is that just 4 years ago, there were very few homes in the valley for sale over $900K. Today there are 26 and 8 of them are pending status!

Now this is a little different in say the $250,000 to $300,000 price range which is selling at 99% of asking price. So, your $275,000 home is actually selling for $278,575. But we are talking about million dollars plus homes now, but keep this info in your back pocket and when all your friends start talking about real estate, you can through that tidbit of useful information in there and your real estate savvy!

So, what does a million dollar and over home in the valley look like? It can have many things, but usually it could have acreage, or lakefront, or large and in charge, or on an airstrip, or have a hangar and on an airstrip, or midsize and be on a canoe lake, or large on 1 acre with an amazing view or small on 10 acres and private, or large and on a recreational lake with a fast boat! You see, it can be anything, a combination of things or just one fabulous thing. There have been many custom homes built in the last 4 years that are well over the million-dollar mark. Is that because of inflation? Yes and no. Inflation has caused the price of homes to rise, which creates opportunities for home sellers to perhaps “move up” in the market. Some homes that were $800K 4 years ago, may have pushed up over the million mark today.

The point is that values have gone up in the Valley, people have discovered our little oasis and want to share it with us. When this happens, all those older homes built on desirable lots become more

valuable. Remember “location, location, location?”

Homes that were built on these lake lots that were built 20 or 30 years ago, get a facelift and they become the next million-dollar homes. Homes that were built on airstrips with hangars that get new kitchens, flooring and master bathrooms, yup, now are your million-dollar babies!

Homes that have generational living are on the rise too and those are getting right up there in price as well. Let’s go over how this works; You own a home on several acres, mom and dad are needing to live closer to family. You decide to build mom and dad a place right there on your acres (if your CCR’s allow you to do so of course). You now have what is called a “generational living” home. Some people finish a basement and put in what we use to call “mother-in-law” apartments, but we can only call them “In-law” apartments, I think father in laws were feeling slighted! Anyway, once you have created potentially “income property” your value goes up. As our population ages, these types of homes become more and more valuable. And it’s not just aging parents. Many families are choosing to live together. Couples that both work are choosing to live with mom and dad in a separate part of the home. Then Gramma and Gramps are close by, to help with kids and to share the costs of home maintenance etc. These are becoming extremely popular. It may not be for everyone, but the demand is there.

So yes Bill, there are many homes in the valley for over $1,000,000.00 and some are for sale! Now, you can watch for these properties, and you may even home one yourself and didn’t even know it! If you want to list your home or just want the value of your home, please give me a call! 907-982-5700

2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG C 43 AWD #773020A $42,985

2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4WD $29,985 # 513578A

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT 4WD $36,985 #22012A

2021 RAM 1500 Laramie 4W $36,985 #473378A

2021 Honda Odyssey FWD Touring #213064A

2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 4WD $71, 995 #P2452

2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Willys Sport 4WD $29,995 #P2459

2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD SLT 4WD $68,986 #473335A

2023 GMC Yukon SLT 4WD $56,995 #P2464

2019 Toyota Rav 4 $31,215 #P2521

SPRING HAS SPRUNG WORD SEARCH

Find the hidden words in the puzzle

Find the words hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backwards

APRIL

AWAKENING BLOOMS BREEZE

BUDDING BUNNY

CHIRPING EGGS FLOWERS GARDEN GREEN GROWS INSECTS NEST POLLEN REBIRTH SAPLING

SHOWERS SPRING SUNNY SUNSHINE TREES

SUDOKU

(Level - Easy)

The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 boxes (also called blocks or regions) contains the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each.

CROSSWORD

WORD SEARCH ANSWER

SUDOKU ANSWER

ACROSS

1. Native American people

1. Herring-like fish

5. Perform on stage

8. Soda

11. Small growth

13. In support of

14. Step taken when walking

15. Hollyhocks

16. Returned material authorization (abbr.)

17. Feel pain

18. San Diego ballplayer

20. Inches per minute (abbr.)

21. Fat from a pig’s abdomen

22. Create again

25. Honors once more

30. Thin coating of gold

31. Welsh river

32. Japanese novelist Mizumura

33. Husks of corn

CROSSWORD ANSWER

38. Green vegetable

41. Showing guilt

43. Soldier

45. Photographers

48. Language spoken in Nigeria

49. Mimic

50. Expressed pleasure

55. Ancient Greek sophist

56. Beverage container

57. Night monkey genus

59. Lace bugs

60. Hogshead (abbr.)

61. Frameworks

62. Keyboard key

63. Greek goddess of the dawn

64. Influential Korean independence figure

DOWN

1. A place to unwind

2. Helped (archaic)

3. Razorbill genus

4. Bleached

5. Continent

6. Fruit preserved in syrup

7. Impediment to one’s freedom

8. Nocturnal rodents

9. Earthy pigment

10. Relieved oneself

12. Golf score

14. Tech hub __ Alto

19. Sportscaster Andrews

23. Records electric currents

24. Popular Hitchcock film

25. Revolutions per minute

26. NY Giants legend

27. Sports radio host Patrick

28. When you hope to get somewhere

29. French seaport

34. Thai river

35. Rocker’s accessory

36. Extra charge

37. Influential American president

39. Pain in the head

40. Great Plains people

41. Consumed

42. Soluble ribonucleic acid

44. Improves

45. Secret clique

46. Behind the stern of a ship

47. Dough made from corn flour

48. Fallow deer

51. Swiss river

52. Grayish white

53. Engrave

54. College’s Blue Devils

58. Midway between south and southeast

Somewhere, hidden in this publication is a picture of a $100 bill. All you need to do is find the picture of the $100 Dollar Bill and tell us the ad and page number you found it on, along with your name, address and phone number. (If you don’t give us your address and phone number we can’t send you the money!) We will then have a random drawing from your submissions on April 24, 2025 to pick ONE WINNER Mail or bring all submissions to: GreatLander Publications 3110 Spenard Road Anchorage, AK 99503

year she lived in Alaska she paid $33,000 for housing. The next four years she paid $136,800.00 for housing. She was paying for someone else’s investment rather than hers. Miss Abernathy left with $121,000. Miss Baker left with $2,750 (that was already her money)

– Please include your email address –Cora Carleson ad.

Two schoolteachers. Teacher one, we will call her Miss Abernathy and teacher two, we will call her Miss Baker. Both came to Alaska at the same time. Both make the same amount of money and are good at their jobs. But both made different decisions, Miss Abernathy purchased a home; Miss Baker rented.

Miss Abernathy had purchased a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, two car garage home for $350,000 and closed on August 5th. She had a zero-down payment, she asked the seller to pay for her closing costs. This got her into the home for only $0. Her first payment was due in October of $2650 Miss Baker rented a home also with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a two-car garage. Her first month’s rent was prorated for 26 days, because she moved in on August 5th. Her rent for the remainder of August was $2306.50 and her deposit was another $2750. She wrote a check for

$5,056.50 to move into her house. Her next rent payment was due September 1st.

After the first year, Miss Baker and I talked again about investing, she wanted to get a dog to go hiking with. Miss Baker had confided that the rent was about to increase $100 per month and she had thought about moving, but she liked the location of the home to the school. She decided to wait to purchase a home.

Miss Abernathy, on the other hand, was enjoying the home, the neighborhood, and her dog. Her payment was stable at $2650.00.

September 1st, Miss Abernathy’s payment $2650.00 Miss Baker’s payment $2850.00

Do real estate investments always come out this good? No. Because it depends on how you take care of your property. Miss Abernathy had maintenance to keep up with, she had to pay a snowplow guy and someone to repair the shingles on her roof after a storm. She had

This went on for years, Miss Baker, deciding not to purchase and Miss Abernathy staying in her home making the same payment with her dog.

On the 5th year, Miss Abernathy was getting married and moving out of state. We put her house up for sale and because of steady growth, she sold her home for $450,000! After all her expenses, she left Alaska with $121,000! Quite a nest-egg for a newlywed. She was quite pleased with her investment. This means that the entire time she lived in Alaska, she almost lived here rent free!

Now Miss Baker also left Alaska at the same time. She had older parents that needed her attention, so off to Texas she went. When she left, she did get her deposit back of $2,750.00. The first

The $100 bill was hidden on Page 5 in the

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.