Published in Anchorage Daily News on 2.29.24 By Connie Yoshimura Every day we drive past restaurants, office buildings, big box stores and then one day the sign changes and we wonder what happened. Most likely that’s the work of a commercial real estate Continue Reading
Cautionary Take-Aways for Buyers in Today’s Market
Published in Anchorage Daily New on 1.18.2024 By Connie Yoshimura On January 15, 2024 there were only 180 single family homes for sale. With the average original list price in the last six months of $506,172, there were only 6 homes between $500 and $549,000 Continue Reading
Home Sweet Home
Now more than ever, your home is a safe haven. Whether it’s an apartment, a trailer, a single family home or your first condo, we are grateful to have a place in which to ‘hunker down’. A special thank you to Robin Ward, head of Real Estate Services for the MOA, who Continue Reading
How Alaska’s Changing Demographics May Affect our Housing Trends
Alaska’s population fell in 2019 to 731,007 which is 8,600 below the peak of 739,649 people in 2016, according to the Alaska Economic Trends February 2020 report. The major factors affecting this decline is the number of people moving out of Alaska and fewer Continue Reading
The Right and Limitation to Homeownership in Alaska
This Fourth of July weekend seems like the perfect time to reflect on our right to own property. The Declaration of Independence specifically recognized the inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, as originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson, Continue Reading
Why Interest Rates May Not Matter
A few weeks ago, I wrote about rising mortgage interest rates. At that time the 30 year fixed conventional rate had risen to 4.3% and I predicted that interest rates would go to 5% by the end of the year. Well, this week that same 30 year fixed rate went down to 4% which has Continue Reading
Why Are HOA Dues So Expensive?
Today, it’s rare to find a new single family community that is not part of the Common Ownership Interest Act. Even a monument sign and landscaping at the entrance requires an association and thus a board of directors and a budget. The list of expenses that are included in Continue Reading
How Accurate Is Your MOA Tax Assessment?
Pretty darn accurate, according to the MOA tax assessor’s 2016 annual report. MLS reports an average sales price of $366,592 through November 2015 and the MOA average assessed value is $354,704. That’s a 97% ratio based on 3,037 deeds recorded through Dec. 12th 2015. Of Continue Reading
When Is a Contract Not a Contract?
The forms committee of the statewide Multiple Listing Service has done an outstanding job in creating purchase and sale agreements which are used for the vast majority of residential real estate transactions in the state of Alaska. The contract is virtually a fill in the 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.