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No matter what you are looking for we will be happy to help you find it.  Call Marty or Jay at 907 373-0999 or call or text our cell phones.   Marty 907 232-7900 and Jay 907 232-4852.

This week included the end of the month which is always a high point for closings. This month was no different in that more than 30 closings took place. But the beginning on winter is showing in all other categories. New listings fell off a cliff with only 16 coming on the market for the week. Pendings were down a little and the total inventory dropped below 800 for the first time since May.

Over 1/2, (57%), of the 120 closings last month were under $200,000. That should be a wake-up call for the 527 homes on the market over that $200K mark. The higher the price of the home, the more agressive you need to be in your pricing compared to your competition. I had a client last week slash his price by 7 1/2 percent in one move…he got two offers in one week after only getting a showing a week for more than two months.

So we have officially entered the winter season where activity begins to slow down. But I actually enjoy this season of real estate because we are dealing with serious sellers and buyers during this time of year. Buyers are generally not just shopping, they need a home for the winter. Sellers that are on the market in the winter are not competing against the half-hearted sellers who take their homes off the market for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

If you are looking to sell or buy, give me a call. I have been working in the Mat-Su Valley for almost 20 years helping people with their real estate needs. My phone number is 232-7900 and my email is marty@valleymarket.com .

$209,900
3 bed, 3 bath
Palmer, Alaska

This beautiful home is practically brand new! Though it was built in 2005, the owners have kept it in top shape. The lot is just under an acre and is located right off Buffalo Mine Rd. With a total of 2,350 square feet, there’s lots of space to spread out and several closets for storage.

The kitchen sits in the center of the home with a large island and beautiful wood floor. The dining room opens onto the back porch through a sliding glass door. The front living room is great for polite conversation, but the downstairs family room is where it’s happening. With a large space for couches and storage under the stairs for media or laundry, this room is perfect for family movie nights or an everlasting game of Risk.

All three of the bedrooms are spread out, giving privacy to the inhabitants. Two upstairs are on opposite ends and the third is downstairs and is located next to stairs exiting to the outside. Two of the bathrooms are in central locations on both floors and the third is in the master suite and includes a jetted tub.

The owners have worked a lot on landscaping and planted several shrubs on the west side of the home, as well as planted a back lawn. There’s a side shed for extra storage and plenty of space in the driveway for several cars.

This post really doesn’t do justice to the beauty of this home. Schedule a showing to see for yourself!

For a virtual tour of the home, click here.

All photos are expandable if clicked on

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It’s located on .88 acres off of Plumbley road in the Butte area. The current price is $95,000. All of the photos are expandable if clicked on.

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OK…this is a good price for this house. I’ll be surpised if it doesn’t sell in one week.

$185,000, 3 bed, 2 bath, one car garage, .93 acre, culdesac location near Bogard and Trunk.

Go to this page for more info.

15600 E Secretariat Drive
Palmer, Alaska
$300,000

This gorgeous, custom built home is designed to soak in the mountain views and the sun! Skylights, french doors, large pantry, island, breakfast room, electric fireplace and a two car garage are just some of the features of this great home! Right now, it’s listed at $300,000. Don’t let this deal get away!

There’s a spacious bonus room above the kitchen and it looks over the dining room and the entry. It connects to 2 upstairs bedrooms. The master suite is conveniently located on the main floor. Altogether there are 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The dining room opens to a covered back porch, and the breakfast room opens to the back as well!

This home is nestled into the birches looking straight at Pioneer Peak with a peek at the Knik Glacier. An already fenced-in garden plot sits on the side of the backyard, ready to grow delicious veggies or beautiful flowers! A cement walkway runs all the way around the home as well.

It’s located off Bodenburg Loop in a great neighborhood. Still a short commute to Palmer or Anchorage. This home is just amazing! It’s a must-see, you’ll fall in love with it!

Click below for a virtual tour of this home.
Main Floor of Home
Second Floor of Home

Click on photos to enlarge.

We have been in a rush to get several deals closed before the end of November to meet this deadline. Now we can breathe.

In addition, the senate is expending the tax credit to give a $6,500 credit to repeat buyers who have owned their previous homes for at least 5 years. Not sure how the details of that works yet, but we will see.

So, the Feds are continuing to prop up the housing industry with more subsidies. I don’t think this is a good idea on the macro-economic level, but on the micro-level…if I were looking for a home, I certainly would take advantage of it.

I’m short on time this morning so will leave the stats for what they are. All I can say is that the market remains active with a healthy number pending closing and listings for this late in the season. We will see what we will see.

Assume that you are driving 50 miles each way…100 miles a day.

Your car gets 25 mpg and you are paying an average of $3.50 cents a gallon for gas. That will be $14 a day for gas.

Also assume that you are working 51 weeks a year. That is 255 days of commuting at $14 a day or $3,570 a year or $297 per month.

So you can afford to pay $300 a month more for housing in Eagle River over the valley.

I focused on Wasilla because instead of the whole valley so as to not completely blow Eagle River out of the water.

The median price of a 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car garage house in Wasilla is $212,275 or $1,272.70 per month at 6% interest for principle and interest. There are 130 of these houses to choose from.

The median price of a 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car garage house in Eagle River is $279,900 or $1,678.14 per month at 6% interest for principle and interest. There are only 21 of these homes available.

So it averages out to about $400 per month. Of course, we didn’t figure anything into the deal for extra mileage on your car, or the extra commuting time. It will probably take you about 20 minutes to commute to Eagle River and one hour to Wasilla or Palmer. Also, we didn’t take into account that you might buy a Toyota Prius and get 50 mpg.

Another big difference is that most of the houses in Wasilla have at least one acre of land, and most of the houses in Eagle River are on city lots of 1/10 acre or less.

The biggest reason that people who work in Anchorage buy in the valley is the lifestyle, they just aren’t city people and would rather live in Alaska.

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