Anchorage just handed homeowners a free head start on adding a rental unit to their property. The city of Anchorage released two pre-approved accessory dwelling unit designs available for free download. The Williwaw is an 811 square foot one-bedroom unit that sits over a two-car garage, and the second plan is a 460 square foot one-bedroom cottage. Both are ready to use for permit applications, which means thousands of dollars in architect and design fees disappear from the equation before you ev

Fairbanks: no vacancy? Fairbanks might show higher vacancy rates on paper, but that doesn’t translate into easy renting for people on the ground. Many of the units counted as “vacant” aren’t actually available to long-term renters. Some are seasonal rentals, others are in poor condition, and some simply aren’t being offered to the market at all. This creates a disconnect where the data suggests there should be more availability, but renters in Fairbanks are still struggling to find quality housi