High property costs in Alaska (Anchorage)

Why is property so expensive in Alaska? I am vaguely considering a job up there, and was looking at housing costs and YE GADS! Houses less than 1000sq/ft, on 0.10 acres, for nearly $200,000? What's up with that? Is it just Anchorage, or what? I can't imagine that housing is that scarce, is it?

When we first moved to ak, early 90's; lived in valley. Did the 60 mile run to anch each day; gets old after 2 years. Anch is real multicult city; many friends dislike how it has changed over the years.

We bought 40 acres in Sutton; payed 60 grand, shoot moose out the window, run dogteam & snowmachines right from house, watch dall sheep from windows with binos, 7000 foot mnts 2 miles from place looked like the tetons. I hear the land is 4000 gran an acre now, I'm still paying prop taxes on it, even though we moved out further.

Now we live up on the Yukon, was minus 58 this morning, but live where nobody ever locks doors, nobody ever takes keys out of vehicles, no crime, no drugs in school, most all people have sidearms in open view come summer. Natives are great in our village, white people not as sociable as in matsu valley, end of the roaders. I actually liked life in the valley better but can't deal with hearing the whine of trucks going down highway off in the distance anymore; generators don't bother me though. Ya know, you can deal with drive for a few years and live in valley, eventually there will be bridge. Probably best place is up near willow. Winter temps in valley around zero and summers are around 70. Lots to do and the valley & anch are economic hub of ak.

Could never imagine us living anywhere else. The country has been good to us up here and we both feel that we really belong here.

Alaska is boom and bust; always been that way. People that got a plan, do well up here. Too many envision Alaska as some remote undeveloped wilderness; 75 years to late for that kinda thing. Ya know, I live in a community of 100 whites, 30 natives 600 miles from anch, 200 miles from nx nearest town; aint nobody living off the land. About half the white people claim to being living subsistence, but the only subsistence is that govt welfare check and working the system on all the angles.

Try it out; you either will luv her or hate her, but won't regret the experience either way.

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