Congratulations on your new assignment to Alaska! Our real estate team understands the challenges and rewards of serving in the military. Most of us on the Alaska Realty Experts team have either served active duty or are a spouse of a current service member. We understand moving can be a very stressful and exciting time for the entire family. That’s why we specialize in helping service members and their families relocate comfortably with peace of mind.
The biggest decision tends to be, do you want to live in close proximity to Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson (JBER) or are you okay with a 30-45 minute commute to work from off base? Do you need to live close to the base or are you more interested in living out in the local community? There are distinct advantages and differences to living in the various locations around JBER…..Eagle River, Chugiak, Palmer, Wasilla and Anchorage.
If the commute isn’t too big of a factor in your home relocation decision, then ‘The Valley’, (Wasilla & Palmer) offers excellent and affordable homes due to the cost of living being a little less. A few things to consider are the wear and tear on your vehicle and the time you spend in the car driving on the Glenn Highway. A lot of people enjoy the commute and the views on your drive to and from home will be amazing. Others prefer to live in the surrounding areas of Eagle River – Chugiak – Peters Creek. These areas have a lot to offer and are a bit closer to the base. Living in Anchorage will guarantee that you and your family will be immersed in the diverse Alaska culture and suburban city life. The commute can be quite different with city driving when you’re traveling north to JBER from Anchorage.
Once that decision is made, the fun begins! Let’s get started on finding your Alaska home!
We’ve listed some websites to help with your move to Alaska….take a look!
- JBER’s homepage is filled with helpful information and services offered on base to include contact information, units on base, facebook site and the latest base status in emergency situations and road conditions. https://www.jber.jb.mil/
- Military OneSource – JBER is an excellent website to assist with your relocation as well to include various modes of travel as you make your way to Alaska by road, air or ferry. https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/in-depth-overview/joint-base-elmendorf-richardson-jber
- BAH Calculator (Basic Allowance for Housing) will help determine what the rate of BAH will be for your new duty location based on grade and with/without dependents. https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm
- COLA Calculator (Cost of Living Allowance) will give you the rate based on location, years of service and number of dependents. https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/conus.cfm
- The Milepost is your one stop shop Alaska Travel Planner to include maps, highway info, lodging, railroads, ferries, attractions and FAQ’s to assist in your journey to Alaska. https://www.themilepost.com/about-us/#
- Utility companies: https://www.muni.org/Residents/Pages/Utilities.aspx
- Schools by zipcode: https://www.greatschools.org/
- Alaska Mileage Chart: https://www.alaska.org/advice/mileage-chart
- Current Alaska Road conditions, highway traffic reports: https://511.alaska.gov/
- Banks in Alaska: http://search-banks.com/AK-banks
Can’t find what you need give us a call at
907-406-9403.
We are here to help and would love to answer any relocation questions that you might have.
Congrats again and WELCOME to Alaska!
