Anchorage Folk Festival

If you love folk music, you’re going to love the Anchorage Folk Festival.  Beginning Thursday, January 19, 2012 and continuing through Sunday, January 29, 2012, musicians from around the world as well as our own state will be performing for the public all around the City of Anchorage.  There will also be workshops given throughout the free 10 day event.

Several different acts will be performing on various days at the main stage (Wendy Williamson Auditorium, UAA campus, Lake Otis & 36th Ave, Anchorage).  Performances will be held from 7pm to 9:30pm on January 19th and 20th, 12:30pm to 6pm and 7pm to 10:15pm on January 21st, 1pm to 5pm and 7pm to 10:30pm on January 22nd, 7pm to 10pm on January 27th, 12:45pm to 6pm and 7pm to 10:15pm on January 28th and 1pm to 5pm and 7pm to 10:30pm on January 29th.  There will be a special Folk Night for all UAA students held on Thursday, January 26th from 9:15pm to 11pm.  For a complete list of who will be performing and when, please visit the AFF website’s mainstage page.

Everyone of all ages is welcome to attend any of the workshops that will be held during the Anchorage Folk Festival.  Even kids under 8 years old are welcome as long as they have an accompanying supervising adult with them.  Some of the workshops available include Music Theory: A Zen Approach, Improve Your Singing Voice, Fingerstyle Guitar, Swing Dance Lessons, Native American Flute, Fun With Ukeleles and even a Banjo Workshop.  There is no need to call ahead to make a reservation or pay anything out of pocket.  Simply show up and you’ll be able to join in on the fun.  You might even learn something.  For a complete list of the Anchorage Folk Festival Workshops, please visit the AFF website’s workshop schedule page.

The Anchorage Folk Festival is a great place to listen to true artists from all around the world perform amazing folk music.  You can even learn a new skill at one of the workshops.  The best part of all this is that it is absolutely FREE!  You don’t pay a dime for this great time!  That’s quite a bargain.  So, bring the family and enjoy some great music.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted in my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2728425/anchorage-folk-festival.

Anchorage Museum’s First Friday

On the first friday of every month, the Anchorage Museum presents its First Friday event from 6pm to 9pm.  Visitors get to enjoy the regular museum gallery exhibits as well as live music and a guided planetarium show.  For the first First Friday event of 2012 (January 6th), kids of all ages can enjoy live jazz music by Melissa Bledsoe Fischer as well as a fun, updated version of live elevator music by the Carhartt Brothers.  All of this is absolutely free.  Local artist Michael Conti will be discussing his photographic work and how he uses pictures to tell the story of life in Alaska.

For an additional fee, enjoy the Dark Side of the Moon.  Set to Pink Floyd’s classic rock music, this light show takes you places you are sure to have never been before.  There is some adult subject matter involved, so you may want to keep the kids away.  Another exhibit offered for an additional fee is the Led Zeppelin Cosmic Light Show, which also carries an adult subject matter audience advisory.  The planetarium’s screen brings 3D imagery to life set to some of Led Zeppelin’s classic rock music.  Finally, take a tour of the stars with the Guided Star Show, also available for an additional fee but suitable for all ages.  Click here to purchase your tickets to any of these special shows.

While the music and showcased artist may change every month, Anchorage Museum’s First Fridays remain an interesting way for you to spend a Friday evening in Alaska.  General admission is free as is the music and artist presentation.  Additional fees are required to attend the Guided Star Show, Led Zeppelin Cosmic Light Show and Dark Side of the Moon spectacular.  There’s always something interesting to do here in Anchorage.

Pauline Hofseth, Your Anchorage Real Estate Specialist

A Wonderland of Toys in Anchorage

Christmas is just about here.  One of the fun parts of the holiday season is seeing the joy in kids’ faces as they rip into their presents to find the treasures buried beneath.  The ”treasures”, however, have changed tremendously over the years.  To share a history of the evolution of toys, the Anchorage Museum has transformed their atrium into a Wonderland of Toys in Anchorage.  From now through January 8, 2012, the exhibit will showcase toys throughout the years, with some dating back to the 1800s.

Amongst the twinkling lights in the museum’s atrium, attendees will view World War I toy soldiers, full-sized French dolls and carousel horses.  Disneyland isn’t the only place showing that it’s a small world after all.  The evergreen tree at the center of the Wonderland of Toys exhibit is decorated with over 100 dolls dressed in traditional costumes representing countries all around the world.  You don’t want to miss this incredible display with your family.

Come celebrate a fun family tradition in the Anchorage area by visiting the Wonderland of Toys at the Anchorage Museum.  The exhibit is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm from now until January 8, 2012.  All it costs is the price of a museum ticket.  For museum members, admission is always free.  For non-members, adults are $12 each, seniors, students and members of the military are $9, kids ages 3-12 are $7 and kids under the age of 3 are free (donations are always appreciated).  However you choose to spend your time, I want to wish you a happy holiday season!

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2657330/a-wonderland-of-toys-in-anchorage.

Anchorage Named Top 10 Best City in America

Anchorage was recently named as the 10th Best City in America to live according to online magazine Businessweek.com.  Ranked #10 on the list of America’s Best Places, Anchorage was recognized for its quality of life, educational access and low crime rates amongst other factors.  This is the first time Businessweek.com has compiled its list of 50 Best Cities.

In its report, Businessweek.com specifically cited Anchorage for its amount of park acres per person as well as the best air quality of any other city on the list.  At 6.4%, our unemployment rate is well below the 8.6% national average reported as of last month.  Our low foreclosure rate (0.0053) has kept many Anchorage homeowners out of the mess the rest of the country has experienced in the real estate market over the last few years.

Businessweek.com took 50 of the largest cities in the United States and ranked them according to the following criteria (amongst others):

• Amount of restaurants, bars and museums per capita
• Number of colleges/universities, libraries and sports teams
• Median income
• Unemployment rate
• Crime rate
• Foreclosure rate
• Performance of public school students
• Percentage of population with at least a bachelor’s degree
• Park acres per 1000 residents
• Air quality

The most weight for ranking was placed on air quality, school performance, level of education of citizens and the amount of restaurants, bar, parks and museums available to residents.  This study just puts in writing what most Anchorage citizens are already well aware of: Anchorage is one of the best cities in America to live.  Let me know if you are interested in purchasing your own Anchorage home so you can enjoy all the benefits Anchorage has to offer for yourself.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2635440/anchorage-named-top-10-best-city-in-america.

Tips for Selling Your Anchorage Home

Even in a slow real estate market, people are still buying homes.  There are a few things you can do to help your home stand out from the crowd.  Here are some tips for selling your Anchorage home:

Furniture Placement – Contrary to popular belief, the way to make a room appear larger is not by placing all the furniture against the walls.  In actuality, placing it away from the walls can give your room depth.  Of course, this isn’t true of all rooms.  It is dependent upon the room’s size and shape.  A home stager or your real estate agent can help you determine the best placement for your furniture.

Mix It Up – That bedroom set you bought 10 years ago may look better broken up and moved into different areas of the home.  The dresser can stay, but try placing the high boy or tall chest of drawers in an entryway as an interesting focal point.  Maybe the armoir would look better in the formal living room.  You can also move your artwork around once you set up your furniture to see what pieces compliment the rooms best.  Breaking up furniture “sets” can also help make rooms appear larger.

Lights – Dark rooms can quickly turn an Anchorage buyer away.  Brighter is better.  Make sure there is plenty of lighting for every room.  This includes the ambient (overhead), accent (tables and walls) and task (reading, under cabinet or pendant) lighting.  The right light can really help sell a home.

Neutralize – That red accent wall may have been just what you think the room needed, but a potential buyer may disagree.  Repaint the walls in a nice neutral tone (tans, honey-beige, etc).  Keep the bold “pops” of color to accent throws, artwork or a few colorful tchochkes.

Bathrooms and Kitchens – These areas are still a make ro break deal for buyers.  Give your bathrooms a spa makeover.  Add lightly scented candles, some beautiful flowers and roll your towels, placing them in a basket instead of just hanging them up.  Change out old hardware and update flooring (if it’s in your budget) in the kitchen.  Clear the clutter from the counter tops.  Above all, make sure these two rooms are especially tidy.

These are just a few simple tips for selling your Anchorage home.  Staging your home properly can make the difference between a successful sale and a home that simply languishes on the market for months.  Your Anchorage real estate agent can help you with further staging tips or recommend a professional home stager who may be able to do the job for you. 

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2605161/tips-for-selling-your-anchorage-home.

Government Refinance Program is Revised

In order to try to stem the tide of foreclosures, the Obama administration put a program together called the Homes Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) in 2009.  The goal was to help Anchorage homeowners and others who were underwater on their home loans (ie, owed more than what their home was worth) and struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments due to a current financial hardship get through this rough time without losing their home in the process.  Unfortunately, with the restrictions that were in place with the original HARP guidelines, not as many homeowners were helped as was hoped for.  The administration recently announced that they have made some revisions to this government refinance program in an effort to help more homeowners.

In the original program, Anchorage homeowners couldn’t owe more than 125% of the value of their homes.  This eliminated many people who bought their homes during the boom of a few years ago, when prices were rising at an alarming rate and before they began plummeting.  Only properties that were the primary residence of the homeowners were allowed to try to refinance under HARP, which meant no investment properties were allowed.  Also, homeowners were subject to certain fees when they converted their original 30 year mortgage loan into a shorter term (15 or 20 years mortgages).  Homeowners had to pay for an appraisal when they wanted to refinance as well.  The original program was set to end in June 2012.

With the new proposed plan, these restrictions are no longer in place.  In order to qualify for the Homes Affordable Refinance Program under the current guidelines, Anchorage homeowners must:

• Have purchased their home through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before May 31, 2009.
• Be up-to-date on their mortgage payments, with no more than one late payment in the last 12 months and no late payments in the last six months.
• Have originally purchased the Anchorage home they wish to refinance as their primary residence, even if it is not currently the home they live in full-time.
• Never have used the HARP program previously to refinance their home (ie, you can’t get refinancing under HARP more than once).
• Have a loan-to-value ratio of more than 80%.

If you are an Anchorage homeowner who is struggling to keep up with your monthly mortgage payment, you’re not alone.  HARP may be just what you need to help you get through this rough patch.  And now, with the revisions this government refinance program has received, you may qualify for HARP. 

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Anchorage real estate blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2584485/government-refinance-program-is-revised.

Anchorage Named One of the Best Communities for Young People

This year, America’s Promise Alliance named Anchorage as one of its 100 Best Communities for Young People.  This is the fifth time Anchorage has won this recognition.  America’s Promise Alliance uses this competition to highlight cities all around the United States who show their belief in the youth of their community by reducing the high school drop-out rate and providing support and services to meet the needs of their young people.

Anchorage really does believe that the children are our future and can provide a perspective that the adults of our community should hear.  That’s why the city encourages young people to talk to their government leaders about concerns and issues that are important to them, either in writing or in person.  Middle and high school students are invited to talk about education initiatives with the School Advisory Board.  The Food Bank of Alaska and the Summer Food Service help disadvantaged youth nourish their bodies so they can be strong enough to nourish their minds.  Service programs such as Anchorage’s Promise and America’s Global Youth are designed to get Anchorage youth out of the house and involved in the community.

In order to be considered for the 100 Best list, Anchorage went through an intense application process detailing what the city has done for their youth to provide a safe place for kids to thrive, caring adults to help, a strong education, a healthy atmosphere and a way for kids to be involved in their community (the Five Promises).  Anchorage was evaluated on its strong, innovative methods of fulfilling the Five Promises that America’s Promise Alliance teaches.  As a winner of this most distinguished honor, the City of Anchorage will receive $2500 that can be put back into a local program to continue providing our youth with the tools needed to be productive members of society.

It’s nice that America’s Promise Alliance again recognized what we the people of Anchorage already know.  Anchorage is one of the best communities for young people.  We’ll continue to make it so for years to come, as well.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Active Rain blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2561572/anchorage-named-one-of-the-best-communities-for-young-people.

Anchorage’s 2011 Halloween Film Festival

The Alaska Experience Theatre in downtown Anchorage will be hold its very first Halloween Film Festival every Tuesday through Saturday throughout October.  Movies to be shown range from the fun, family-friendly ‘Goonies’ to the uber-scary “The Exorcist”.  Tickets for each show are just $5. 

October 5-8, 2011 – ‘Aliens’
October 12-18, 2011 – ‘Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining’
October 19-25, 2011 – ‘The Exorcist’
October 26-31, 2011 – ‘The Goonies’

Show times for each movie will be 4pm, 7pm and 9:30pm every Tuesday through Saturday.  The 7pm and 9:30pm showings are for adults only (ages 21+).  Each movie will be shown on the Alaska Experience Theatre’s newly remodeled 40 foot screen.  For more info on the 2011 Halloween Film Festival, please call 907-272-9076.

If you love scary movies, attend one of the classic movies offered at Anchorage’s 2011 Halloween Film Festival.  The Alaska Experience Theatre is a truly a unique experience. 

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Active Rain blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2540332/anchorage-s-2011-halloween-film-festival.

Why Sell Your Anchorage Home Now

Are you contemplating a move in the near future?  As an Anchorage homeowner, you may need to put your home on the market before you can do so.  But is now a good time to sell?  Here are some of the top reasons you should sell your Anchorage home now rather than wait:

More Anchorage buyers are willing to go looking at a new home in the early fall than when we are deep in winter weather.  The late summer lull has passed and people typically want to get moved into their new home before the holidays come.  Don’t miss out on this window of opportunity.

Foreclosure inventories are expected to go up in the next few months.  You don’t want your Anchorage home competing with these lower priced properties if you can help it.  The lower priced distressed homes will influrence your home’s listing price.  Talk to your Anchorage real estate professional about this.

Lending institutions are getting more and more strict about their standards.  Currently, legislation is being considered to tighten those standards even more.  That means that the pool of buyers who are approved for a mortgage loan may dwindle in the next few months.  More buyers means more opportunity for a good offer.  So, now is the time to get your Anchorage home listed.

Since inventory levels are good and interest rates remain low, it is a great time for you to move out of your Anchorage home and into a new one.  There are plenty of great deals to be had and you should try to take advantage of them while you can.

No matter what your reason is for moving, selling your Anchorage home now makes good sense.  Don’t hesitate.  The sooner you sell, the sooner you can move on with your life, no matter where that will take you.  Contact me today to find out how I can help you get your Anchorage home sold soon. 

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Active Rain blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2516973/why-sell-your-anchorage-home-now.

September 11th Memorials Around Anchorage

This Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11/01.  The people of Anchorage will be joining in with millions of other American citizens to remember what happened that day as well as celebrate the strength of the American spirit.  If you are looking for a way to remember those we lost, there are several September 11th memorials happening around Anchorage.

Never Forget Fundraiser – Jodhpur Rd, 8am-6pm.  All proceeds received from the sales of hotdogs and sodas during the local motocross races in Anchorage on September 11th will go towards the Alaska Fallen Firefighters Memorial.  Please go out and support these guys.

Freedom Flag Run – North Star Speed Way (2151 Jensen Circle, Wasilla), 10am-4pm.  Owners of classic cars, street rods, muscle cars, etc. are invited to participate in this 49th State Street Rodders sponsored event.  Beginning at Carrs-Safeway in Palmer, cars flying the American flag will proceed down the Palmer-Wasilla Highway in memory of those we lost on 9-11.  Sponsors want to surpass last year’s line of cars that went on for five miles.  If you’re interested in participating, please call 745-2652.

Alaska Fallen Firefighters Memorial – 5th Ave & A St, 12:45pm.  Beginning with a processional from 5th Ave & Fairbanks St, firefighters from around the state, including the Anchorage Fire Department, will proceed to the dedication ceremony of the new Alaska Fallen Firefighters Memorial located at 5th Ave and A St.  The dedication ceremony will begin at 1pm, with a reception to follow at Anchorage Fire Station 1 (122 E 4th Ave).

September 11 Memorial Event – Curtis Menard Sports Center (1001 S Mack Dr, Wasilla), 3pm.  The Director of the Joint Staff for Joint Forces Headquarters Alaska in Fort Richardson, Brigadeer General Deborah McManus will speak at this free event.  Dessert will be served afterward.

While it’s true that our country was rocked 10 years ago, we know it wasn’t broken.  If you want to do something to publicly remember what happened, consider attending one of these September 11th memorials around Anchorage.  Even better still, take the day to do something thoughtful and helpful for your Anchorage neighbors.  That is the spirit we need to show still lives in us even after a tragedy like 9-11.

Pauline Hofseth, your Anchorage real estate specialist

Originally posted on my Active Rain blog here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2499125/september-11th-memorials-around-anchorage.