A very relaxing and cozy ranch style home nestled on a 1 acre land in Wasilla!

• Price: $211,000
• Phone#: 907-694-1234 or 907-229-2352
• 

4960 W Hidden Paradise Wasilla, AK 99654

 

Great ranch style home with open living, dining and family room area. The seller has taken extremely good care of this home. Regular maintenance on the heating system has been maintained and attention to detail makes this home feel like new construction. Home was built to a 5*+ energy rating and has garnet counter tops in the bathroom, 2 car heated garage, island in the kitchen and on an acre.

 

 

Just Listed!

 

 

Property Type: Single Family
Style: Ranch-Traditional
Bedrooms: 3; Total Baths: 2; Garage: 2
Year Built: 2010; Sq. Feet: 1,220;
Heat: Forced Air

 

• Features: Private Yard; Garage Door Opener; DSL/Cable Available; Paved Driveway; Cable TV; Dishwasher; Microwave (B/I); Range/Oven; Telephone; Washr &/Or Dryer Hkup; CO Detector(s); Carpet; Laminate Flooring.

Les Bailey & Associates Real Estate Team

Keller Williams Alaska Group

Direct: 907-694-1234

Toll Free: 1-800-784-2912

www.LesBaileyAndAssociates.com

Increase Your Home Value!

If you’re like most homeowners, you are constantly looking for inexpensive ways to increase the value of your home. Whether you’re looking to sell or just want to spruce things up, getting top dollar for your home doesn’t require an over the top remodel or expensive landscape makeover.

Here are a few quick weekend projects that will add value to your home without breaking the bank.

A Cabinet Makeover 
The kitchen is often the most important and used room in the house. If your cabinets are scratched or the color is outdated, a couple cans of paint with a new finish often can turn even the dullest of cabinets around. Updating cabinet hardware is also an easy way to change the overall appearance of your kitchen without having to invest a lot of money or time. Plus, there is a wide range of stores and online resources for finding the perfect pulls, knobs, and handles to match your style.

Spruce up Your Curb Appeal
One way to attract potential buyers is to spend some time working on the front of your home. Cleaning or updating your mailbox, putting up new street numbers, and touching up chipped paint are quick inexpensive fixes.

Update your Lighting
If you have outdated lights in your living room or the dining room, consider replacing them with an eye-catching chandelier. Cabinet and track lighting are also ways to quickly update your home and make it feel more modern.

The cost of these home improvements are mere pennies compared to the money you’ll be saving after the value of your home increases.

Different Loan Programs

Shopping for a mortgage to buy your first home can be the best way to get a great deal! Be sure to compare all the costs involved in obtaining a mortgage. Shopping, negotiating, and comparing may save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

These are some of the most common loan types you’ll come across as you search for a mortgage that meets your needs.

Fixed-Rate and Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
These are two of the most popular loan types when buying a home or refinancing your mortgage. Both options are available for conventional conforming loan amounts, jumbo loan amounts, and FHA or VA programs.

FHA and VA Mortgages
Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans are popular homebuyer choices. These loans must meet certain requirements.

Jumbo Loan Option
If you have a higher property value and are able to manage a larger monthly mortgage payment, consider a jumbo, or non-conforming loan. A jumbo loan provides financing for loan amounts higher than the maximum conforming limits, set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A “blended jumbo” combines a mortgage and home equity line of credit, and may provide greater payment flexibility.

Keep Your List Realistic

Buying a house! When you first think about this you start to think of everything that you could possible want in a home. You start to look and your list extremely short.  Not enough houses that fit the bill? Do you have a list of must have’s a mile long? Are they realistic? Are they keeping you from your first home purchase? Lets review.

Let us start with the simple fact that you must be able to afford whatever house you find yourself wanting.  Going through and making sure you only look at houses within your price range should be your first priority. What good is having a house if you can’t afford anything else, right? Avoid disappointment if you can.

Do you know what kind of area you want to live in? A community with yards? Townhouse? Condo? This will help you narrow your list or create a few more to add to your list. No one wants nosy neighbors or loud neighbors. If you want a house with a picket fence – do not settle for gated townhouse living.

Commute – are you willing to drive or no? Sometimes this alone can make or break what you look at. DO you want to be able to walk to work? Think of what type of area this would be. You may want small town living, but find your drive time to work is 45 minutes to make this possible. Do you care to have a longer drive for peace and quiet?

View - Do you want to have buildings to look at or trees? Mountains or shopping centers? Don't forget to think about cars coming and going and foot traffic. This place may have a view that is only beautiful when school is in session and there are no kids walking to and from.

These couple of things can be helpful in narrowing your search even though they seem like pretty broad topics.

First Time Mistakes to Avoid

It is easy to assume that in busying a house - you know what the right thing to do is, but you would be shocked at some of the moves that are actually not for the good that you might be doing already! There are so many things to consider when buying a house and not all of them are as obvious as you would think. That is why having a knowledgable real estate agent on a good team such as Les Bailey and Associates is helpful!

Thinking that you should pay off all that credit card debt that you have to qualify for a house. You may want to stop putting everything that you have into paying that off. To really understand what we mean - watch this video from Yahoo Finance Guru Trevor Curran HERE.

You can easily fall in love with a house that is very well your dream house. Making sure that you are  staying within your budget. Don't let your head run as fast as your emotions do when you find everything you want in one place. Remember buying a home creates additional expenses not included in the purchase price.

Know the difference between what you are pre-qualified for and pre-approved for. There is a difference and we can help. This is one of the single most worst mistakes made. People forget that you can qualify for something and still get denied.

Not using a realtor. We may be biased, but keep in mind, they know what they are doing, this is what they are in the business of doing. They can help negotiate pricing, counter bids, add things you missed into the contract, and take care of organizing the closing. Since the seller pays the commission, it is at no cost to you. You have nothing to lose when gaining some help from experienced professionals.

First Timer?

Are you thinking about buying your first home? If this is your first time looking into the Alaskan real-estate market, it can be a bit overwhelming. Knowing where to start and what needs more attention than other things - can be hard!

Alaska is a beautiful state and has many styles and sizes of homes available.  Knowing what you want is a great way to start. Keep these few tips in mind when hitting the market regardless of where you start:

• Start saving ASAP for your down payment.

• Get pre-qualified, that way you know what you can afford.

• Drive around different neighborhoods where you can see yourself living.

• Make a list of the top 3 things that are a must for your new home.

• How will you use your future home… to entertain? For your children or future children? Do you have pets?

• Know if you want a fixer-upper or something move in ready.

• Be open minded. You may not get your first choice, but your second one may be a perfect fit!

Here at Les Bailey and Associates, our team can guide you through the home buying process every step of the way. Just give us a call to start the process of understanding!

Get A Head Start!

The time has come for you to leave your home and move on. Here are few quick things to take care of before you list!

Clear and Caulk Gutters. Pick a dry day to really go through a clean these out.  It is also a great idea to re-caulk the end caps on the gutter  - this takes care of an aging look as well.

Patch Nail Holes and Repair Paint. It needs to be done anyways. Plus you may want to take some things off of the wall to make your home less "you" while people are trying to imagine themselves in it.

Stop Faucet Drips. We tend to get use to the sounds in our house or how to shut things off just right to stop drips. New people will not. Save them the hassle.

Repair Cabinet Scratches. Fill in, and polish real well. You may find they look better and almost new! Bonus!

Repair Dinged Baseboards.  It is so much easier to repair these now, then to wait until they notice and request it. That way if during the painting process you make some mistakes - you have time to fix them!

I hope these help get you started! You may end up avoiding the rush come listing time!

A home that looks fresh all the time, with breathtaking views of the mountains and the inlet in Chugiak, a must see!

Price: $485,000

Phone#: 907-694-1234 or 907-229-9466

23110 Sumac Drive Chugiak, AK 99577

Awesome custom home in a private setting w/amazing views of inlet and mountains! Very large over-sized 2 car tandem garage, wine cellar, new roof, office/den, rec room, mud room, sauna, newer high efficiency furnace, gas-assist see through wood fireplace, luxurious master suite with his/her sinks, Jacuzzi tub, steam shower, and best of all, approximately 1100sqft of decking, lots of sunshine.

Property Type: Single Family Residential
Style: Two-Story with Basement
Bedrooms: 3; Total Baths: 3.5; Garage:2, Attached
Year Built: 1987; Sq. Feet: 3,398; Lot size: 1.05 acres
Heat: Forced Air

Just Listed!

• Features: Spectacular View; Deck/Patio; Private Yard; Fire Service Area; Landscaping; Road Service Area; RV Parking; Storage Space/Unit; Home Warranty;DSL/Cable Available; Paved Driveway; Shed; Basement; Den &/Or Office; Dishwasher; Electric; Family Room; Fireplace; Range/Oven; Refrigerator; Washer &/Or Dryer Hookup; Wet Bar;Window Coverings; CO Detector(s); Jetted Tub; Washer &/Or Dryer; Carpet; Ceiling Fan(s); Vaulted Ceiling; Hardwood Flooring; Smoke Detector(s)
  
  
  

  Les Bailey & Associates Real Estate Team

  Keller Williams Alaska Group

  Direct: 907-694-1234

  Toll Free: 1-800-784-2912

  www.LesBaileyAndAssociates.com

Myths About Alaska

You know you have heard a ton of stories about “The Last Frontier” that might have you laughing now that you are here. We have a few of our favorites that we want to share and bust for you!

You can’t drive to Alaska.  Well, yes you can folks. The Alcan is the highway that takes many tourist through Canada to our amazing State.

Alaskans live in snow all year round.  It may seem like it some winters, but no. Our summers, depending on where you are in this state, can range from a regular 70 – 90 degree day! This helps to melt away the snow quite nicely for our almost 23 hours of sun!

Bears are everywhere! There are certain times of year that the bears are out and about. They do not, however; walk around the streets downtown like they own the place. Moose are more common in the downtown area than a bear!

What are your favorite tall tales?

Moving to Alaska?

So you decided on the fact that you are coming to "The Last Frontier" - Now What?

Do you have any idea how will you get here? Should you drive the Alaska Highway or fly and ship everything up? What about the ferry for part of it?

Here is a very basic checklist to get you started!

A month or more before the move:

Start a log of expenses - some may be tax deductible!

Moving companies - do your research! How much time will there be before pick-up and delivery? Do they have insurance?

Going to having housing right away or will you need storage?

Contact your bank - do you have access to them if they do't have a branch in state?

Contact your insurance companies to change property, auto and medical policies. Don't forget to run through housing scenarios!

If you are in the market for an Alaskan home, we would be more than happy to talk with you about the many options for buying in Anchorage!