Anchorage AK recently came in at third place in a survey of best midsized U.S. cities for jobs.  This survey by Forbes.com was based on employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics including data from November 1999 all the way to January 2010.  Several strong sectors for Anchorage AK job growth have been the medical (which has seen 600 new jobs just last year) and government sectors.  Anchorage AK’s ranking as third best among midsize U.S. cities for jobs is a jump from last year’s ranking.  The Forbes.com survey also ranks Anchorage as 18th overall, with almost 400 metropolitan statistical areas represented.

For more on this survey, visit ktuu.com.

For more on buying or selling real estate in the beautiful Anchorage AK area, contact the experienced and friendly Kristan Cole Team today.

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the nation’s second highest volume cargo airport, and is seeing a rising demand, with new stopovers and a greater demand for fuel.  Manager of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, John Parrott, reported that the return of Cargolux Airlines, which is a Luxembourg-based cargo carrier, is a great sign of an economic upswing as Cargolux is making twice weekly refueling stops in Anchorage.

Statistics reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have indicated that Anchorage used to be the nation’s highest volume stop for air cargo, but saw a 15 percent drop from 2007 to 2008.  Official FAA numbers for 2009 are expected to be available this July.

For more on this story or other economic news in Anchorage AK, visit KTUU.com.

And for more information on buying or selling Anchorage AK real estate, contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

According to a recent report from KTUU, Alaska car sales are ahead of the lower 48 states.  Marten Martensen with Continental Motors, an Anchorage car dealership, reported that sales of big ticket items such as homes and cars are an indicator of how well an economy is doing and what’s happening in the personal life of individuals; although last year, Martensen and other Anchorage car dealers had  a tough time, the first quarter results of this year were promising as they revealed a faster rebound than the rest of the nation.

Jim Benkert of Lithia Dealerships, announced to the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce that new car sales are up 35 percent compared to the first quarter of 2009, with used cars up 21 percent.

For more on this article or other economic news in Alaska, visit KTUU online.

And for information on buying and selling property in Anchorage AK, including Wasilla and Palmer, contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

Anchorage Alaska voters will have the opportunity to be part of the Municipal election this Tuesday.  This crucial election has voters deciding on whether to have new ambulances, bus stop improvements, and other city upgrading projects; the ballot contains six bonds all together designed to fund projects expected to bring better efficiency such as a new ambulance to answer emergency calls in the Sand Lake area as well as two new fire engines.

Although these projects will be good for the community, the results of this vote will be an indicator as to whether Anchorage AK taxpayers are ready to take on the additional property taxes, with $15 added to every $100,000 of property.

For more on this story and other Anchorage AK community news, visit KTUU online.

And for information on buying or selling real estate in Anchorage AK, contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

Proposed Plans for new bridge may be pushed back

This past Tuesday, community members attended the Anchorage Assembly chamber meeting to offer their opinions on the proposed Knik Arm Bridge project.  This proposed Knik Arm Bridge would cross the Knik Arm of Cook inlet to offer another connection besides Glenn Highway to the north. During this meeting, there was a lengthy discussion about whether this project should be on the short-term priority list or moved to the long-term one.  The advisory vote ended up in a 6-5 decision, which reflected the public discussion also as an almost even split between the short and long term options.

Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions (AMATS) voted in 2009 to delay the Knik Arm Bridge project construction to 2018, but after being challenged by a lawsuit, they put the project on the short-range transportation plan.  While many people believe that this project will be a benefit to the region with improved mobility and access into Anchorage AK, others are concerned about the cost.  AMATS will further discuss the project in a meeting next Thursday where a committee will be making the final decision on the matter.

For more on this issue and other proposed developments in Mat-Su Valley AK and Anchorage AK, visit KTUU online.

For more information on buying and selling property in Mat-Su Valley including Anchorage, Wasilla and Palmer AK, contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

AK Educators Look for New Ideas at the Anchorage conference

This week, teachers all across Alaska have been coming to Anchorage for the latest tips in using new technology in the classroom.  The Alaska Society for Technology in Education is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and this annual conference in Anchorage is a great opportunity for teachers in AK to get new ideas for keeping their teaching fresh and up-to-date.  Some of the highlights at the conference include tutorials on how to set up a 3D video station where students can learn from video instruction via 3D, and using internet technology that allows teachers from all over Alaska to share teaching tips and classroom materials.  The goal of the conference is to keep the spirit of educating alive using a medium that kids are already familiar with for effective learning.

For more on this or other Anchorage AK community news visit KTUU online.

And don’t forget to contact The Kristan Cole Team for information on buying or selling property in Anchorage AK today.

Anchorage AK officials are currently discussing a new proposal that may give buses priority at traffic lights.  The idea behind this proposal includes a similar technology used by emergency vehicles that are able to send signals to traffic lights to turn them green for faster times to crisis situations; under the new proposal people mover buses would be able to use devices that would also change the pattern of some traffic lights around town.  Currently many bus goers complain that it takes more than twice the time to get somewhere in the bus than in a car, thus giving buses priority would speed this along and give more of an incentive to ride.

For more on this issue and other community issues in Anchorage AK, visit KTUU online.

And for all your Anchorage AK real estate endeavors, contact the friendly and experienced Kristan Cole Team today.