MatSu Home Show THIS WEEKEND!

The MatSu Home Builders Association is sponsoring the 2009 Spring Home Show and Parade of Homes this weekend at the Palmer Fairgrounds Raven Hall.

Alaska state fairgrounds April 3-5, 2009
Friday, April 3rd - Noon to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 4th - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 5th - 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

$5 General Admission, $3 Seniors or with Military ID
FREE for Military in Uniform or FREE with 5 cans of food (to be donated to Nugens Ranch!) or FREE children 12 and under

Fun for the Whole Family
Saturday, April 4th - Adopt a pet from the Mat-Su Borough Animal Care & Regulation
Saturday, April 4th - Kid Gardner presented by Avant Gardens

Saturday & Sunday, April 4th & 5th - Educational Seminars presented by Avant Gardens

Grand Prize Giveaway
8 X 10 Greenhouse sponsored by Spenard Builders Supply


I will be manning the Prudential Real Estate Booth (J7) and would love for you to stop by and say hello! We are giving away $100 gas card and have lots of information about real estate in the Valley.

Monday March Madness

Well, none of the teams I care anything for are in the Final Four, so the updates on that will stop for now! LOL Next year when Arizona is in the Final Four we will continue this blog update! LOL

Interest rates stayed the same today, holding tight at 4.625 for conventional 30 year fixed.
It is a great time to buy here in the Valley. If you want more information on homes for sale here or in the state of Alaska, just go to www.dodykettler.com or email me at dkettler@prualaska.com I would love to assist you.

Update on the ash fall: Mt. Redoubt continues to erupt regularly and our airport is open and closed as needed. We have not had any ash here in the Valley since Saturday night and that was very, very light. I hope it settles down pretty soon. There are many people here trying to get on flights that end up being cancelled and we have had numerous friends stuck at other airports trying to get home. Craziness!

Ash is falling on the Valley!

Wow! What an incredible experience watching the grey and orange cloud overtake our Valley and mountains. The smell was pretty intense. Smelled like we had just finished 4th of July fireworks! The greyness came and filled the Valley covering the mountains down to the river. We have a very, very light ash on the deck railings, but nothing too horrible at this time. There was a second eruptions not that long ago so we are prepared that there may be more clouds and ash but it will be too dark to tell what is going on. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. I promise to get any pictures I can but for now, here is one of the ash that filled the Valley:

Sweet Sixteen Friday!

Being from Tucson and attending U of A MANY years ago, I am still an avid Arizona Wildcat fan! Today they play in the Sweet 16 against a #1 seed Louisville team. Can we win? You bet! Will we win? Hmm...only time will tell!
Go to espn.com for all the statistics and brackets and cheer on your favorite team!

I would love to be your favorite Realtor! LOL Just sign up to receive all my blog updates on the RSS feed here on my blog. You can keep up with the happenings in Alaska and Alaska real estate.

www.dodykettler or dkettler@prualaska.com
Have a wonderful weekend!

Sportsman Show this weekend

Each year about this time the Valley is host to a great Sportsman Show. There are plenty of booths and seminars to keep you busy most of the weekend. I am always particularly interested in the seminars being offered. This year there is everything from moose calling to king fishing.
If the ash fall holds off, this might be a great place to enjoy the Valley.

If you are going to be in Anchorage this weekend, the Home Show is happening! It is a great show and we usually attend that too, but next weekend is our Home Show here in the Valley and I am going to hold off for that one! I will have a Prudential booth there with tons of information on homes in the Valley, lender information and even a great gas card give-away! Make sure you stop by and say hello and enter our drawing.

Make sure to follow the Volcano today. An ash cloud seems to be heading towards Anchorage and the Valley this morning!

Email me if you have any questions about Real Estate in Alaska! www.dodykettler.com or dkettler@prualaska.com

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday's Eruption

AVO's webcame image of Mt. Redoubt

Not only did Mt. Redoubt erupt with a vengeance, but the amount of sold and pending listings from today is amazing! The interest rates are causing buyers to get out there and actually buy.

It is the perfect time to buy and first time home buyers are in a wonderful position!

I would love to assist you with your home purchase and selling needs. Please feel free to contact me at http://www.dodykettler.com/ or dkettler@prualaska.com

15 year conventional mortgages were at 4.5% today! Fantastic.

First time home buyers can get an $8000 tax credit

Want an energy efficient home? Buy a 5*plus home and get a $7500 REBATE from Alaska Housing Finance Corp. This is an absolutely fantastic deal! Take advantage of it while they still have funds available.

Wednesday's Website

With the Mt. Redoubt volcano being so active I thought I would highlight the website for the Alaska Volcano Observatory. They have added many photos from this newest eruption. I am sure there is more to come. The last few eruption episodes with Redoubt lasted many months. What a great study for your families, just simply exploring this website.

Last night's Anchorage Opera productions of Hot Spanish Nights was very enjoyable. It began with an amazing Flaminco dancer along with a classic guitarist. After a short intermission, an Operetta from Spain...The Tarvern Girl. It was delightful. Most of the teenagers I attended with enjoyed it. That is a good thing.

Interest rates went up a very small amount yesterday but I am hopeful they will continue down today and the rest of the week. We will see. Make sure you watch the rates with your favorite lender and get the pre-qualification process started before you start looking for homes. With so many homes coming on the market, you will want to be ready to offer when you find YOUR home!

Speaking of homes, I listed a great home with a SUPER barn and amazing view! If you want more information about this home go to http://www.dodykettler.com/ or email me at dkettler@prualaska.com. I would be happy to assist you.

Images of Mt. Redoubt

http://www.avo.alaska.edu/image.php?id=17020

Click on the link above for an amazing photo of Mt. Redoubt erupting.
Truly incredible!

Tuesday Tickets!

Alaska is full of adventure, but we do not lack in culture! Tomorrow night Anchorage Opera presents Hot Spanish Nights, Breathtaking Flamenco by one of the worlds leading ladies of Flamenco, Omayra Amaya, highlights from one of the most powerful Zarzuelas every written, Pablo Sorobázal La Tabernera del puerto (The Tavern Girl of the Port), spectacular Spanish piano works and flamenco guitar will leave audiences spell-bound! At least that is what the website says. I get to enjoy a wonderful group of teenagers by driving them to the Opera and attending with them. I hope it is a good as most of the operas I get to see here in Anchorage. I have been pleasantly pleased by the level of performance by our Anchorage Opera group. Check it out this week or next.

Hot Spanish Nights, hot lava flowing down the mountain (click the link to follow Mt. ReDoubt's eruption) and HOT interest rates (as seen here by HomeState Mortgage Co's information page) make a pretty exciting week! Interest rates continue to come down, making a significant reduction in a monthly house payment allowing you to cut your payments or get more house for your money. We are selling houses here in Wasilla/Palmer! If you want to get in on the great deals out there right now, just email me at dkettler@prualaska or go to my website where the AlaskaRealEstate search engine is embedded into my website. You can search the full listings straight from my website and get all the information you would want about specific homes here in Alaska.

Monday Madness

I woke up to a phone call from the Air Force base asking my husband to report immediately. Seems Mt. Redoubt was on her 5th eruption and they needed all mission essential personnel to report. Turns out the ash cloud is not coming towards Anchorage or the Valley so we should be just fine. It is business as usual on the base as of now. We have everything we need if we were to get another ash cloud headed this way so we are just fine.

Another fallout of sorts may be happening this week! Interest rates, as predicted by the National Association of Realtors, are projected to FALL this week to an historic low of near 4%. If you have been holding off purchasing a home in the Valley or Anchorage...it is time to think seriously about doing so! You may just get an interest rate of a lifetime. They are projecting it to rise later in the summer, so take advantage of the huge benefit of an interest rate this low. You may even want to think about purchase an investment property, rental or second home. GREAT time for those things too.

If you need assistance of any kind, please email or call me. I would love to assist you!
www.dodykettler.com or dkettler@prualaska.com

Friday's Fun

I had the coolest experience. As I was driving I spotted a large female moose. I see moose almost everyday. I see big males and mamas with babies, sometimes even triplets. I have seen them in meadows kneeling down to eat, on the mountains, eating my trees in my yards but I have never seen one coming across a large frozen river. I watched this moose cross all the way from one side of the frozen Knik River all the way to the other side, walking through the areas that were not frozen. It was amazing. It was nearly dark so my video is not worth posting, but it was super to watch and hear this moose crunching through the frozen river. I think I watched her for about 20 minutes until she made it all the way and headed into the trees. Alaska at it's best!

Speaking of best...interest rates dropped this week AGAIN! I believe Friday a conventional loan for a 30 year fixed rate was 4.625!! Wow! Even FHA and VA were at 5%. These are amazing rates and buyers are really starting to take notice. I wrote an accepted contract on a beautiful home last night and hope to do the same this morning for some other buyers who are now ready to purchase. If you have good credit, the $ for your down and closing costs and are in the market, today may be the day to take advantage of that. My buyers had two homes they really liked sell before they could make up their minds last week.

If I can assist you in anyway with buyer or selling, please email me, call me or contact me through my website! http://www.dodykettler.com/ or dkettler@prualaska.com

This week in Alaska

Well, Lance Mackey won the Iditarod for the third year in a row, coming in to Nome at 11:30am yesterday morning with 15 dogs! The other racers are now starting to arrive. I believe I am going to ask my husband for a trip to Nome one year for our anniversary. Wouldn't that be an amazing anniversary. We will see.

Neal Fried was wonderful, as usual, and the Palmer Chamber meeting was packed. With great food catered by Karen at Alaska Garden Gate B & B and Neal, it is probably one of the most well attended meetings of the year. I highly recommend hearing Neal when you can and staying at Karen's B & B whenever possible. It is a wonderful place with great food.

Interest rates stayed low yesterday. Just about 5% on most loans. I am showing lots of homes this week to potential buyers. Time to get out there and take advantage of the beautiful sunshine and see some homes.

For first time home buyers: Not only can you get an $8000 tax credit, if you buy or have built a 5*plus energy rated home you can reserve funds from Alaska Housing Finance Corp for a $7500 in the form of a check about 4 weeks after closing. That, along with the interest rates makes it a super time for first time home buyers. Call me or email me for more information!
www.dodykettler.com or dkettler@prualaska.com

Iditarod...an Alaskan tradition

In case you are not following the Iditarod, or dare I say "have never heard of the Iditarod" you are missing an Alaskan tradition at it's best. You can watch the finish line in Nome LIVE today via the website or channel 2 on your TV. They are expecting Lance Mackey to be over the line around 12:30pm this afternoon. If you ever get a chance to watch any of the documentaries about the Iditarod, do take advantage of it. They are super informative and very well done. Before I moved to Alaska, I had no idea what the Iditarod was about other than watching the move Balto and knowing a little bit about the history of the run. Boy were my eyes opened when we came to Alaska and began to learn about this amazing feat. The dogs are tremendous athletes and the mushers just amaze me in what they can accomplish in Alaska in the winter. A great Alaskan tradition and one worth learning about.

Wanna learn about real estate in Alaska too? I would be happy to share what I know with you. Whether you are a buyer or seller, let me help you 'know the realities...find the dreams' in this amazing place called Alaska. Go to my website at www.dodykettler.com or email me at dkettler@prualaska.com if you have any questions.

Buyers: Interest rates are incredible this week! Conventional loans in the 4.75% range. Remember, good credit is key right now. If you haven't already done so, get to your favorite lender. My favorite happens to be HomeState Mortgage Co here in Wasilla. The wonderful lenders at HS can help you develop a plan to better your credit score and get you prepared to purchase a home. There are many listings coming online and you want to be able to get the best rates possible. Be sure to tell them Dody sent you.

Sellers: Buyers are starting to buy because of interest rates and tax incentives. Now is the time to get your home listed. Remember, the first few weeks are the times when you get the most attention put on your home from the Realtors, so have your home in show-ready condition and keep it that way. A home that shows well usually sells. Our time on market is somewhat increased so even though we are still selling lots of houses, it is taking a bit longer. Be patient and price your home to sell.

Valley Happenings: Palmer Chamber of Commerce is hosting Neal Fried, state economist, today during their regular meeting. I will be attending and am excited to hear about his forecast for Alaska and our economy. He is always not only informative by entertaining. If you get a chance to come out to the Palmer Moose Lodge for lunch you won't regret it.

The beginning of something wonderful...

What is it? This blog?

Nope...it is SPRING!

Here in Alaska that is a BIG DEAL. We just went over 12 hours of daylight on our way to over 19 hours of daylight in mid-June. If you continue to read my blog you will see that sunlight isn't the only thing this time of year brings nearer...fishing season is right around the corner, but I won't go there at this time. I will let you have a little 'taste' of what fishing is like in Alaska though:

The daylight brings a new 'energy' to this place. We are like the mama bear who start coming out of their dens around this time...hungry for life and excitement, adventure and activity. Alaska comes back to life in the Spring and along with that the real estate market also starts waking up. We have had a fairly balanced winter, but with Spring comes new listings. If you are a buyer, be watching! We have new listings hitting the market daily. If you are a seller it is time to start thinking about getting your house or land listed. There is no better time than to beat the rush of new listings and get out there when the buyers are waking up.

If you need assistance with buying or selling any property in Alaska I would love to be the realtor you choose to assist you with that process. As one of Prudential's TOP PRODUCERS, it is my honor and privilege to serve my clients.

Contact me by emailing dkettler@prualaska.com or go to my website www.dodykettler.com