Fairbanks or Wasilla, Palmer area (Anchorage, Big Lake: real estate, loan, how much)

[AK99901]

I live in Southeast Alaska. We are looking at relocating our family further North. My husband is in the medical profession and so we can pretty much go wherever we decide to. We are in no hurry. We have about 3 years before we will relocate. I'm trying to find the most ideal place in Alaska for a family.

My interests in moving further north are:

1) nicer homes at a more reasonable price.
2) cheaper airline tickets (here we can't leave for under $400 and that only gets you to Seattle. Traveling anywhere beyond Seattle will cost you $650-$850)
3) More sun!! Southeast is AWESOME as far as the communities go, but the dreary rainforest is well DREARY! We've had 27 inches of rain in one week and average 14 feet a year. Winters are mild which is a plus compared to up North, but summer is most often cloudy and rainy all summer. I always feel cheated out of summer every year.

My question is which is the better of the two places overall comparing the winters to summers and communities.

Fairbanks or Wasilla

We have 6 kids (in three years 2 will be away at college). So four kids ranging from Elementary to High School ages.

[AKStafford]

I live in Wasilla, so I'm partial to the Mat-Su Valley.
Fairbanks probably gets sunnier summers though.
We bought our home in Wasilla for family and work reasons, but if we had to do it over we'd look a little more at finding a home in Palmer.
Since you've got some time, maybe plan a couple of trips up to check each area out...

[usafracer]

Your not going to get all that you seek in any one of those places. Fairbanks has the best summers but the worst winters. The cost of living up here is a bit higher than in the valley. Also the price of a house up here is stupid. They are selling 3 bed one bath homes that are just crap on perma-frost for 200K.

[lv2hoop]

The Mat Su Valley over Fairbanks. We have nice summers and fall plus you have all the amenities of Anchorage at your doorstep. Winter is okay except when the dang wind rears it's ugly head. South-central AK is better than Fairbanks and you'll like it more than rainy and isolated SE AK.

To be fair, the Valley is also going through some growing pains as it's the fastest growing region in Alaska so I think that can be considered a drawback. I personally appreciate the economically robust atmosphere that you sense in the Valley and in Anchorage that I think SE lacks in many ways.

[Marty Van Diest]

Palmer

[heathen]

Fairbanks has more sun, a university, and it's own unique "culture," I guess you could call it. Palmer has a more balanced climate, better scenery, and much more to do (mostly because Anchorage is so close). Wasilla has strip malls, bad traffic, and bad planning... (but also some really nice rural backroads just north of town).

I just moved from the interior back to the Palmer area, so I guess that's my vote, though I'm going to miss Fairbanks in some ways.

[ArcticState]

I <3 Squarebanks.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

Palmer

What he said.

Avoid Wasilla like the plague.

[AKSteveB]

Palmer or Fairbanks. I live in ANC, but would be much happier in either one. As weird as this sounds, I think Fairbanks is highly underrated. Yep, the winters are what they are, but every time I'm up there ...I'm amazed how much ..well ...artsy fartsy stuff is up there as well as the "real Alaska" ...often done by the same people!

[keyman51]

My wife and I moved from Wasilla sucks and Palmer blows to a interior village of 300. My wife will never miss the cold blowing winds. She says -40 is warm. Life there in the valley is nonstop hustle and bustle. Go further north to Big Lake or better yet Willow. Get a very good real estate agent, as they can steer you to non wind areas. Off road areas are in desperate need for medical personal, so check them out. South Central Foundation out of Anchorage is a great service to the bush. In my Village houses are around $40,000 to $80,000. Most are sold by the owners as banks hate loaning money in the bush. Think out, out and away. Loving every minute of it.