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You’ve done it, you’ve finally found your Alaskan dream home. It’s located in the perfect part of the Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla and the Mat-Su Valley, and it’s everything that you’ve been looking for. The problem? So have Mr. and Mrs. Jones, and now you find yourself in a bidding war! How do you win the bidding war and secure your dream home?

Tip 1 – Show your love

A strategy that has gained increased popularity is to pen a ‘love letter’ to the seller letting them know how much you love and appreciate their property, and how perfect it is for your family. Your agent will let you know if there are any issues with writing a letter as sometimes there are rules around fair housing laws. A letter could be just what you needed to help the seller to create a connection with you, and get your foot in the door, literally.

 Are you in the process of looking for a new home, but you aren’t sure how to financially make it happen? Not all of us have enough cash at our disposal for a down payment on a home. Did you know that home buyers can apply for down payment assistance through state and local programs? There are also grants and forgivable loans available. Many states and counties provide grants and no-interest loans to help buyers pay for down payments and closing costs.

Who qualifies for assistance with a down payment?

Are you wondering if you qualify for assistance with your down payment? There are a few requirements typically in place:

We are often told what we ‘should do’ and how we ‘can do’ something but how often are we told directly what ‘not to do’? When we are looking to sell a home in Alaska it’s important to take the time to do your research. Find out how to avoid making costly seller mistakes. Check out our Alaskan real estate “avoid list”.

It can be scary working toward finding and moving into your dream home in Alaska. But you can be confident that you’re making the best choices if you take into consideration these tips.

1. Avoid choosing the wrong realtor

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s actually an important thing to take into consideration. Your realtor will be your number one asset while you are selling your home in Alaska. We always have a friend that knows a friend, or a cousin that is an agent. Some may even refer to Yelp. Be sure to take the time to skip the crowdsourcing and do your own research. Here at Alaska Homes, we would be happy to help answer any questions you might have about the Alaskan Real Estate market. We can help you sell your home or help in your search for your dream home.

We’ve heard them all, the dozens of Alaska Real Estate myths and comments shared by well-meaning friends and family members as you enter the home-buying ring. Many people would like to purchase a home, but they just aren’t sure it’s possible for them. Would you like to buy a home in the Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla and the Mat-Su Valley area? We are here to help you debunk three of the most common myths and help you get on your way to fulfilling your dream of becoming a homeowner.

We recently shared a few articles sharing 8 steps toward buying the home of your dreams. You are itching to start your home buying process but may be worried that the timing is off. What are the reasons to buy your home now? Now might feel like one of the most intimidating times to buy a house. All we keep hearing is that it is a seller’s market, and the bidding wars are in full swing. Yes, that’s great for sellers that are often getting well above asking, but why does that mean YOU, on the opposite end of that stick, should buy now?

1. 1031 Exchange still exists

What is the 1031 exchange and why should you care? The 1031 that gets its name from the IRS code Section 1031 is a swap of one investment property for another with deferred capital gains taxes. It must be done with like-kind properties, but there’s no limit to how many times or how frequently you can do these exchanges. In some cases, it can even be extended to a former primary residence or swapping vacation homes. The benefit of 1031 is that you can make a profit on each swap, while avoiding tax until you sell for cash many years later at a lower long-term capital gains rate.

What does this mean for you? If you currently have a rental and you have been considering buying something bigger and better, you can make the upgrade while holding off on paying the taxes on the profit from the sale until you sell that new property. If you’re an investor you can go from owning a single-family home to apartment buildings that may have felt beyond reach before.

So the reasons to buy your home now? There’s talk that the tax code might change soon, and these investments could become more costly.

 As we discussed in part one buying a house in Alaska doesn’t need to be scary. We previously discussed 4 ways to prepare to buy a house. Now that you’ve become friends with your money, chose your neighborhood, found an ally and partner in a real estate agent, and have your pre-approval for your mortgage it’s time to find your dream home. You know what you can afford and you’re ready to start shopping!

When you’re working to sell your house, sometimes the ‘to-do’ list can feel longer than the hands on the clock allow. Our brains are easily overwhelmed if we look at everything as a giant task. It’s actually recommended that you tell yourself you only have to spend 5 minutes doing something and just get done what you can in that time. Getting started is half the battle, and once you do, you may find that you’re finishing in no time. Some tiny tasks add curb appeal in only 5-20 minutes and can speed up your selling process.

Make a welcoming outdoor space

Many people only think about staging the inside of the house. If you’d like to create a welcoming mood you can carefully place inviting seating in your outdoor spaces. Don’t forget to add a pop of color via pillows and other outdoor items that can brighten the space.

If you’ve ever watched a home design or house-hunting show you’ve probably heard the expression “This house has good bones.” What exactly does that even mean? When you’re buying a home sometimes the process can feel overwhelming, and the terms can seem like a foreign language to many buyers. Educating yourself and knowing what to look for will help you to reduce the stress and make the process, especially in a highly competitive market, a lot smoother.

Sometimes in order to figure out what you’re looking for, you need to fully understand what you’re NOT looking for and what you do not want to see in your new home. What are signs of ‘bad bones’? We know that we want the opposite, so that will help us to weed out the bad ones.

Spring fever can hit at any moment, it doesn’t have to even be spring! Have you ever been sitting in your living room and suddenly you have the urge to redecorate? Maybe you think it’s time for a new rug, or to finally clean up that clutter, or find a way to organize that stack of papers on the counter. As we started spending more time at home during the pandemic many of us started to find some creative ways to reorganize and redecorate our homes without even leaving the house. Did you know you can give your home a free home makeover with the items you already have?

Here are 10 ways to accomplish this:

1. Kitchen counter organization

Remember that pile of papers on the counter? It’s time to reduce the clutter. If you have a storage tray or even a serving tray tucked away, you can utilize it to contain all of those random items. Once those items start to overflow, you’ll know it’s time to visit the shredder and the trash can.