tammy63

Alright.. I visited Alaska in June and now I want to have a summer cabin there! Is it possible to purchase... long distance? We are looking at some lots near Soldotna, Homer and Clam Gulch. Does anyone know much about Clam Gulch? I don't hear about it much and didn't go there when in Alaska. It looks like it is near the Cook Inlet. Would this be a good place to build a cabin? The lots look beautiful. Is insurance cost higher near the ocean and do you have to carry flood insurance? Any thoughts?
Thanks!!
Tammy

tammy63

Are any of my Alaskan friends available?

starrsville

My immediate thought is a comment made by a woman who was building a cabin near Denali in Alaska - and working for the state government in Juneau for most of the year. Over Thanksgiving dinner in Juneau she was happilly reliving a summer's memory and shared that it got warm enough to wear short sleeves for TWO WEEKS!

Do you really want to spend that kind of money for such a long commute? Why not rent for a summer or two to see what you like - and why. Alaska's awfully big

jetset1

tammy63~ yes, quite possible.. Clam Gulch has hundreds of miles of trails for off road recreational vehicles, summer and winter.. very popular to own a cabin in that area.

You can google realtors on the Kenai Peninsula, and they can send you some real estate magazines too. Hope you find your getaway cabin or land to build one. I was raised in a log cabin for the first five years of my life. J.

tammy63

Thanks friends for your comments! I hope that in the area that I'm looking at I would be able to wear short sleaves for a little longer than 2 weeks. Hopefully! Correct me if I'm wrong. I was there for a week and wore a tank top and shorts one day and got hot! (I was in Anchorage running a marathon though!)

J. - I'm glad to hear that the Clam Gulch area is nice. The trails could be for jogging in the summer too couldn't they be? That is one thing that I didn't get to do while there was check trails out.

Thanks!
Tammy

dfrostnh

Friends of ours built north of Anchorage in Knik and had trouble getting a well that would provide enough water. After several wells and carrying water for a few years they finally engineered a storage system so water could be slowly pumped into the tank and then the reserved water would be enough for showering, etc. It doesn't matter where you build, you can run into all sorts of problems that can blow a budget. I agree, renting for a few seasons would be a good way to see how you like it. Don't forget, you probably also need earthquake insurance.
If you aren't used to living in a rural area, check into what services will be available and what won't be, costs of running electricity, etc. A friend's son is living in a yurt near Talkeetna. It was very expensive to bring in electricity and they aren't able to afford a phone line. Also check into the local building codes and regulations. The lots might look beautiful now but if they are small, you might find your future neighbors too close. Will you want someone to check your property during the winter, open it up in the summer, close it up in the fall? I think you really need to know what it's like during every month of the summer and also become familiar with local practices and habits. People get used to using other people's land when there's no one living there. There might be a popular nearby ATV trail that will drive you crazy. Although we do not live in AK, our new property has been popular with hunters for a long time. We have allowed hunting to continue but we no longer allow anyone and everyone to use our driveway and farm roads to get deeper into the woods. We also require the hunters to follow state law and have a signed permission from us to build tree stands, etc.

jetset1

tammy~ I can verify that during our summers on the Kenai, wearing a sunscreen is just as important and necessary as anywhere else. Our 75-80 degrees feels much more intense for whatever reason.
Visiting friends and relatives are often surpised at how warm it is, May-August, depending on that year's weather systems. Many a sunburn can be seen in the grocery stores and hardward fishing supply places!

Certainly a marine climate is cooler with the wind.. we lived in the Aleutians and the weather is much different than where we are presently.
My husband spent half a summer working in Petersburg, and it was beautiful and dry 95% of the time he spent there.(S.E.)
The areas you expressed an interest in also have year round residents. I know people who housesit during the winters, young teaching couples are often quite reliable and have good references.
Consider all the benefits/options if you are serious. One thing is the land has steadily increased each year due to the popular recreation access available all year.

Good luck, and if I can be of further help, please let me know, J.

enzian

Having bult a cabin in Alaska ourselves many years ago, I would strongly suggest you not buy long distance. You need to go and look at the lots, find out all there is to know about water, access roads, electricity, and so on. Orientation to the sun may be very important, as are details about building codes and insurance.

tammy63

Once again you have provided wonderful information for me and I so appreciate it! I never even thought of earthquake insurance?? Is that standard for most residents or just in the area that I am looking?

repete

Never had e-quake insurance.

Not that common. for instance, allstate dropped Alaska quake coverage in 2006. At that time about 15 percent of the property insurance they sold included optional quake coverage.

Interesting figure: Some 54 companies offered earthquake insurance in 2004, taking in premiums totaling $12.3 million and paying out $36,000.

Heckuva deal ... if you're an insurance company.

amdc

We purchased land in Soldotna through a land auction, sight unseen. Of course we were familiar with the general area but not each specific lot. Our lot ended up being okay but some of the lots are significantly sloped, marshy, etc. I'd recommend whenever possible you look at what you're buying. Why not take another trip to Alaska, since you plan to be a "regular" anyway and take the time to look around. It'd be fun. Also, keep in mind that cabin aren't mobile. I've known some that wish they were in an RV and mobile versus stationed in a cabin.

tammy63

I have contacted a realator and she seems to be very helpful.. of course! Anyway, she mentioned "ground quality" which I never even thought of or heard of until then. Is that maybe refering to some land being "marshy"? Does that mean that the land holds water?

So what did you do with the land you bought near Soldotna and how did you do a land auction without being there???

Thanks!!

bdawk

Visit at the end of May to go land shopping. You will see the fresh results of the winter's snow melt, which is what causes the "marshy" clumps in the lot. We purchased land after our 5th trip to AK. We will be building our cedar home in 2 more years when we retire to Homer.

travelbug44

Building a cabin in Alaska, how good does that sound? I would loveit.

amdc

In response: Yes, as the others said some of the land can be very "soft", wet, like a marsh. Not good for building a property on.

There are periodic auctions. We bid on the land sight unseen as mentioned. Each parcel went to the highest bidder. It was a risk of course but sometimes the land can be purchased at a less expensive price that way. I am sorry, I don't even remember how we heard about the land auction.

We didn't do anything with the land for years but recently we turned it into our own mini campground. There are places for 4 RV's (for family and friends), Barbecue table, fire pit, and outhouse. We left as many trees as possible to provide privacy from the road and between camp sites.

There doesn't appear to be any type of rules for the land so "neighbors" have done a variety of things. There just a few year round homes, a few cabins, a few places where people use tents/RV's, weather shelters, a whole variety of uses we've seen for the different lots.

tammy63

Well.. we did it! We bought some land and are hoping that it is all we hope it is. We will make a trip in June to "see" it. Thanks everyone for you tips!! You all are FABULOUS!

amdc

How exciting! I hope you love what you see in June.

j_999_9

Just a suggestion: Don't ask Perry Edward Smith for help.

tammy63

Who is that?

tammy63

UPDATE! Well, the time is drawing near! We are so very excited. We will be leaving May 28th taking my parents with us for their first visit to Alaska. They are in their early 70's and they don't know what to think. They are very nervous they are going to be COLD! They are so funny. I can't wait for them to see the beauty of Alaska. I hope we aren't taking them too early so they won't be so cold. We will only be there a week and fly home. We will be doing the "touristy" thing with them. Including Anchorage, Seward and Homer. We will also get to go view our purchase that we made in November in Clam Gulch. That is the scariest part for us. We will fly home on June 4th. AND THEN... the party begins.. LOL! My husband and I bought a small fifth wheel and when we get home.. you guessed it.. we are hitting the road for an adventurous road trip to Alaska! We aren't sure how long it will take but we are going to take our time. My husband is retired and I am a teacher so will be off from school. I do have a summer job that I need to get back to though. We are guessing it will take us about a week to ten days to make our final destination in Clam Gulch. We plan to drive up to Fairbanks and Denali on our way since we haven't been there before. We will stay at RV places all along the way I guess! Has any of you done this? Are we crazy??? When we reach our destination of Clam Gulch we hope to park the RV on the land and hopefully start looking at builders to see what we can do. We really won't know until we get there. I will stay with hubby about a week and then will fly home by my lonesome! (SAD FACE).. but I have to work. He is planning to stay until near the end of August to see how much he loves it.. that lucky duck! Our son-in-law is planning on flying up early August and making the drive back with him. Any suggestions or comments?? Sorry so long but am VERY EXCITED!!!