Well, COVID has finally caught me so I am writing this article from my home office. Being sequestered has certainly given me some time to reflect on the market fluctuations we have had over the past three years. From our locked doors until we came together Continue Reading
Have Interest Rates Had a Negative Impact on the Residential Real Estate Market
Sometimes I forget that the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) is more than the Anchorage Bowl. Its 1,947 square miles stretching all the way to Portage and north to Eklutna. We all tend to be a bit myopic and get comfortable with our favorite Costco or coffee Continue Reading
Mortgage Lenders React to Market Shifts with New Loan Programs
Mortgage lenders and their back-end investors are reacting with aggressive new and revised loan programs to help potential buyers disappointed with higher interest rates while they struggle to find an affordable home. Despite the increased 5.75% for today’s Continue Reading
Anchorage Housing Market: Where We Are Today…
The only surprise in the Anchorage housing market is that the recent bump-up in the 30 year fixed rate mortgage didn’t put a stop on the local buyer frenzy. In fact, it had the opposite effect as buyers raised into the market before another projected increase later Continue Reading
What’s an ARM?
Most buyers are familiar with the 30 year fixed rate mortgage but with higher interest rates the ARM mortgage is becoming the talk of the industry which typically has an initial lower interest rate. An ARM mortgage, according to Madona Rhine-Stack, NMLS #204026, Senior Continue Reading
Still Chasing the American Dream…
From Dubai to Dallas to Wasilla, Alaska, the residential real estate market flourished in 2021 despite the disruption of covid virus. Nationally, home prices rose 18%, according to a recently published Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices report. Anchorage experienced Continue Reading
Still a Sunny Market
All Anchorage MLS districts have had a 25% jump in sales volume year to date with downtown Anchorage leading all districts with a 220.32 per cent increase. Except, I should clarify for District 101, Girdwood-Turnagain Arm, which has had a 39.13 per cent decline due a Continue Reading
Home Prices Reach Record High
Anchorage’s average sales price rose to $428,313 for the first half of 2021 with a 7.95% increase. Even higher was May’s average sales price of $458,580 which was the highest monthly price since January 2013. No crystal ball at the end of 2020 would have Continue Reading
The Hidden Underbelly of Our Red Hot Housing Market
The red hot housing market has pushed its way into the new year. For January 2021 MLS reports a 41% increase in the number of sales compared to last year’s January plus an average price increase of 12.95%. This past week there were 65 pending sales in Anchorage/Eagle Continue Reading
Low Mortgage Rates Entice the Small Investor
Historic low mortgage rates are not just for the single family/condo home buyer. Mortgage rates are also a major factor in profitability for the small investor who chooses to begin with an owner-occupied property. According to Madona Rhine-Stack at Alaska Continue Reading
Connie Yoshimura is the Owner and Broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alaska Realty. With over 40 years of residential real estate experience, she continues to be a leader in Alaska’s housing market. Most recently, she sold the highest-priced home ever recorded in the Alaska MLS.