AK Gal's Web Musings

Lemonade Day in Anchorage

This Sunday, May 6, 2012, is Lemonade Day in Anchorage. What is Lemonade Day, you ask? It's a fun way to instill an entrepreneurial spirit into kids via their first business...a lemonade stand. Each child that participates in Lemonade Day in Anchorage will receive a backpack containing a workbook that shows them how to create a budget, set a profit-making goal, serve customers, pay back investors and generally give back to the community. Kids who participate will keep any money they earn from the lemonade they sell throughout the day but will also be encouraged to save part of their money and spend some to help the local economy.

To participate, all you need to do is visit the Anchorage Lemonade Day website, register and print your confirmation page. When you bring your confirmation page to the Fairview Recreation Center (121 E 10th Ave), the Spenard Recreation Center (2020 W 48th Ave), the UA Center for Economic Development (4500 Diplomacy Dr #202) or Catholic Social Services (3710 E 20th Ave), you will be able to pick up your backpack that will help your child get organized for their day. Make sure to add your lemonade stand to the list of others on the Anchorage Lemonade Day site so they can help you get traffic to your stand.

Help your child develop a sense of empowerment as well as prepare them to become a productive member of society by letting them participate in Lemonade Day in Anchorage. If you're interested in volunteering, please click here. Whether it's stuffing backpacks, being a "Lemonhead" or simply spreading the word, all help is appreciated!

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3214111/lemonade-day-in-anchorage.

Kids Day in Anchorage

This Saturday, April 21, 2012, is Kids Day in Anchorage. Sponsored by Anchorage's Promise, Kids Day has been set up to offer free fun activities for kids and their families at various attractions around the City of Anchorage. The Dena'ina Center is the centerpiece of Kids Day, where, from 10am to 4pm, free interactive activities as well as information from more than 70 Anchorage area organizations about their services available to Anchorage children, teens and their families will be made available. There will also be live entertainment throughout the day. In addition to the free fun at the Dena'ina Center, the following locations will be offering free admission for children on Saturday only:

Alaska Aviation Museum (4721 Aircraft Dr) - Free admission from 9am to 5pm as well as free posters for the first 50 people through the doors.
Alaska Museum of Natural History (201 N Bragaw) - Free admission from 10am to 5pm
Alaska Zoo (4731 O'Malley Rd) - Free admission from 11am to 4pm for all kids with an accompanying adult.
Anchorage Museum (825 C St) - Free admission for kids 12 and under from 10am to 6pm.

It is the goal of Anchorage's Promise to help build the character of children living in Anchorage by fulfilling each of five promises they have set in place: bring caring adults into their lives (parents, extended family, coaches, teachers, etc), offer safe places for them to socialize with their peers, provide a healthy start with prenatal care, affordable health insurance, nutrition and exercise, give them an effective education and allow them the opportunity to help others. By encouraging children in each of these five areas, Anchorage kids will grow to be productive, caring members of the community. And that, after all, is what every parent wants for their child. Spark your child's imagination by visiting any or all of these businesses on Kids Day in Anchorage this Saturday, April 21, 2012. And, best of all, it's free for them to get in.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3170761/kids-day-in-anchorage.

Buying Your First Home in Anchorage

Buying your first home in Anchorage is probably one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make. Real estate times have changed over the last few years, however. Just a decade ago, it seemed that all you needed to buy a home was a handshake and a smile. Nowadays, however, you're going to need a decent credit score, a steady source of income and around 20% of the Anchorage purchase price for a downpayment to get the absolute best deals (and there are still plenty of those to be had). There are several programs available if you don't quite have 20% down, so don't worry. Here are some other things you should do to prepare yourself to purchase your first Anchorage home.

Beginning three to six months before you start looking for your perfect Anchorage abode, you should pull your credit report from all three agencies (TransUnion, Equifax and Experian). You are legally entitled to one free credit report from each agency every year through AnnualCreditReport.com. Creditors don't always report information to every credit reporting agency. So, the information may vary greatly from agency to agency. Check for errors. When you find them, send the appropriate reporting agency a detailed letter explaining in writing the error and why you believe it should be removed. Most mortgage companies will take the middle score of the three reports to determine your interest rate. For example, if you have a score of 720 on TransUnion, 670 on Equifax and 630 on Experian, they are going to use the 680 as a basis for your interest rate. That's why you want your reports to be as error-free as possible.

Save, save and save some more. Curb your spending as much as possible so that you can put more money away for the downpayment on your Anchorage property. The more you put down, the less you have to borrow. That makes your monthly mortgage payment even lower, giving you the opportunity to possibly pay it off sooner. This will save you thousands of dollars in interest. It also shows mortgage companies that you are financially responsible, thus making you a more attractive candidate for a home loan.

Interview several Anchorage real estate professionals before hiring one. You will be working closely with this person for at least a couple of months, if not more, so you want to be comfortable with them. Ask friends and relatives for recommendations for an Anchorage REALTOR®. Read testimonials from past clients. You wouldn't trust your child to just anyone. Why trust your financial information to just anyone?

Finally, visualize what you want in an Anchorage home. It may sound a little hokey, but the key to a successful, smooth real estate transaction is to know exactly what you want and/or need in your home. That will also help your REALTOR® narrow the list of homes they show you to just the ones you really might be interested in. How large/small does it need to be? How many bedrooms do you want? Do you need an attached or detached garage? How many vehicles do you want the garage to house? What area of the city are you interested in living? Do you need to be close to work or is a commute alright? How much of a payment can you afford? Nailing down these details will help buying your first home in Anchorage go much easier than it would otherwise.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3124984/buying-your-first-home-in-anchorage.

Quick Tips to Make Moving Easier

Moving out of your old Anchorage house and into a new one can sometimes feel as stressful as having to sell your home in the first place. This can take away some of the excitement of moving into a new home. But, moving doesn't have to fray nerves and cause undue anxiety. With a little planning and organizing, you can make your Anchorage move go smoothly.

Packing - The best tip I can give you when packing up your Anchorage home's contents is start early. As soon as you put your home on the market, start packing away holiday decorations, extra linens, special occasion cookware/dinnerware and knick-knacks. This can also help you sell your home faster because it eliminates clutter. The more time you have to pack, the less stressed you'll be.

Keep/Sell/Donate - Chances are, you have accumulated a lot of "stuff" that you don't use anymore. The longer you are in your Anchorage home, the more likelihood you have extra "stuff". A good rule of thumb is if you haven't used or worn it in the last 12 months, you won't miss it if it's gone. Of course, this doesn't include family heirlooms. Before anything goes into a box, go through your clothing, linens, kids' toys, books, etc and decide what you want to keep, what you can sell and what you wish to donate. Holding a garage/yard sale can bring in a little cash to help with the move as well as reduce the amount you have to pack. Whatever is left over after the sale can be donated, as long as it is in good condition and still usable. Keep your receipts from any donations you make since they are tax deductible.

Organize - Pack room by room. Only put items in each box that belong in a particular room. For example, keep items from the bathroom in the box for the bathroom. Don't add them into the box with the kitchen stuff. That will cause frustration when trying to find it at your new Anchorage home. Clearly mark which room the box belongs to on the outside of the box on at least two (preferably three) sides with a big black magic marker. If you want to be even more organized, write the contents of the box on the outside as well. That way, if you're looking for the toaster or coffee maker, you can find which kitchen box it is in without having to open 10 boxes first.

Unpack Me First Box - Always pack a separate box that contains things like paper plates, plastic utensils, disposable cups, napkins/paper towels, a roll of toilet paper, instant coffee, creamer, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, prescription medication and, if necessary, forumula, diapers and pet supplies. Mark this box "Unpack Me First" and keep it in your vehicle, separate from the rest of the boxes. This will help make your first night in your new Anchorage home much easier.

Moving doesn't have to be a stress-filled event. Follow these quick tips to make moving easier on your and your family. Start early, stay organized and filter through the extra stuff and you'll do just fine. Let me know when you're ready to sell your old Anchorage home and start anew.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3069190/quick-tips-to-make-moving-easier.

Bill Proposed to Shorten Short Sale Timeline

Three senators (Scott Brown from Massachusetts, Sherrod Brown from Ohio and our very own Lisa Murkowski from Alaska) have proposed a bill that will help shorten the time it takes to complete a short sale. This will help prevent more American homeowners, including those here in Anchorage, from losing their homes to foreclosure. In order to sell your Anchorage home in a short sale, you must reach an agreement with your lender where they allow you to sell your home for less than is owed. This happens when the homeowner is struggling to make their monthly mortgage payment, is facing the possibility of foreclosure and owes more on their home than it is worth, making it difficult to sell it via a traditional home sale.

Right now, an Anchorage short sale can take anywhere from four to nine months to complete. The bank has final say in whether to accept an offer on the Anchorage home in question or not. Sellers are finding that buyers get restless waiting for the transaction to move along and decide to walk away from the deal in frustration. This translates into more unnecessary foreclosures. The senators have proposed that a law (aka the Prompt Notification Short Sale Act) require lending institutions to respond in writing within 75 days of the buyer's initial written request or face financial penalties.

Studies have shown that buyers have no problem buying a home via short sale. They just want it to be done in a more manageable time frame. While foreclosures tend to bring down the home values of the neighborhoods they are located in, short sales do not have this impact. Previous;y proposed legislation required banks to respond within 45 days of the initial written buyer offer, but this never even made it to debate, presumably because this was considered much too short a time frame for lending institutions to conform to. The 75 day time frame seems much more reasonable.

This much is true: short sales are helpful to the Anchorage real estate market. They prevent homeowners from losing their property to foreclosure, the seller gets a good deal and the banks don't have to deal with the expense of having to get the property back and resell it to someone else. It's a win-win for everyone if this bill to shorten the short sale timeline can be passed. Let your congressman know how you feel about it today. And, thank you Senator Murkowski for looking out for all us Alaska homeowners.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3015596/bill-proposed-to-shorten-short-sale-timeline.

Election Workers Needed in Anchorage

Election workers are needed in Anchorage. The City of Anchorage will be holding it's municipal elections on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 and they need people to help organize and process election day paperwork. Even though seasoned election workers are always available and willing to pitch in during election times here in Anchorage, there is always a shortage. Encouraging younger people to become an election worker is one way to get them more involved in local government, as well as showing them that they really can make a difference.

Anchorage election workers will be required to work from 6am to 10pm on the day of the election (April 3, 2012). To be considered, you will need to be a registered Anchorage voter, possess the ability to organize and process paperwork accurately, can follow directions and must remain neutral at the polling place. All approved applicants will be required to go through a two hour training session before election day. All election workers will receive $9.50/hour for training as well as the actual election day work, while Chairmen will receive $12/hour.

Training for 2012 Election Workers will take place at the ZJ Loussac Library located at 3600 Denali Street in Anchorage. The training schedule is as follows:

March 14, 2012 - 10am to 1pm
March 15, 2012 - 5pm to 8pm
March 17, 2012 - 10am to 1pm
March 19, 2012 - 2pm to 5pm

All Anchorage election workers will need to submit an I-9 form (using your mailing address) and a valid form or forms of identification. This can be either a passport, a driver's license and social security card or a driver's license and birth certificate. For more information on becoming an election day worker in Anchorage, please visit the City's website, call 243-VOTE or email elections@muni.org.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2888668/election-workers-needed-in-anchorage.