In recent Wasilla AK news, Mayor Verne Rupright has expressed plans for growth in the area.  Mayor Rupright reported that Wasilla remains financially strong and he would like to make the city more business-friendly for existing businesses and those hoping to start up or branch out in the city.  At a recent Wasilla Chamber of Commerce meeting, Mayor Rupright impressed that buying local is very important in this plan for growth, and he would also like to see downtown Wasilla resemble the buyer-friendly look of older cities, with several anchor buildings surrounded by smaller streets lined with local shops.

Wasilla’s comprehensive plan for growth, which has hitherto been out-of-date, is in the process of being updated as well, and is expected to be completed next year.

For more information on new developments and improvements in store for Wasilla AK, visit adn.com.

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

Due to a better than expected performance of Wasilla sales tax, the city is lowering the rate sooner than was planned.  Back in 2001, the city council increased the sales tax to fund the purchase and construction of the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, raising it from 2 percent to 2.5 percent.  This ordinance gave Wasilla until April of 2011 to repay the debt, but because city revenue has exceeded expectations, the sales tax rate will be reduced by half a percent starting July 1st, adjusting back to 2 percent.

For more on this story and other Wasilla AK news, visit Frontiersman online.

Planning on buying or selling real estate in Wasilla AK?  Contact the experienced, hard-working Kristan Cole Team today and get the professional assistance you need to be well on your way.

The Wasilla Airport has secured a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration that will expand the airport, as reported by the Frontiersman last week. The $1.35 million grant will be used to expand the airport’s apron–the paved area off the runway.  Currently the airport’s apron is hindering further growth of the facilities as the waiting list for airplane tie-downs as well as the amount of space that can be leased to commercial operations is thus limited.  Wasilla Public Works Director, Archie Giddings, believes that future expansion of the runway and an access road are great possibilities as the current improvements will produce a dirt fill that would pave the way to these other projects.

The city of Wasilla AK also has a new airport master plan in the works that is expected to be reviewed near the end of this year.

For more economic and community news in Wasilla AK, visit Frontiersman online.

And remember to keep the experienced Kristan Cole Team in mind whether you are planning on buying or selling Wasilla AK real estate this year.

Wasilla AK Winter Festival Starts this month

The Wasilla Winter Festival is coming up at the end of February, with exciting events to watch and participate in.  Starting February 27th through March 7th, Wasilla’s annual celebration will include events for all ages, including the much anticipated Iditarod sled dog race.  The Iditarod sled dog race is historically linked to Wasilla AK as a unique and high spirited adventure for Festival goers.  The ten days of festivities will also include the Outhouse race on the 27th at 11am, Golf Ice Classic event on March 6th, the Winter Fest Masquerade at Mendard Sports Center in Wasilla on March 6th at 8pm, and a Volley Ball Tournament scheduled for March 6th and 7th.

For more information on tickets, pricing, times and dates for each event, visit iditarodday.com.

To learn more about available Wasilla AK real estate, contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

Sarah Palin’s national book tour met with Wasilla AK residents this month at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center.  Palin was greeted by some 750 fans that were waiting at the sports center at 11 a.m. for the former governor and Republican vice presidential candidate’s arrival.  There were approximately 1,000 people at the event and most were residents of the Mat-Su Valley AK area and knew Palin or her family members personally.  Earlier in the month, Palin stopped at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage and Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, but the Wasilla AK stop was the first book signing in her home state to be open to the general public.

For more on this story and other Mat-Su Valley AK news visit Anchorage Daily News online.

For more on real estate in Anchorage, including Wasilla and Palmer Alaska, contact the friendly Kristan Cole Team today.

Pictured: Kristan Cole and Howard Brinton

Under new management, and with the support of the top-producing agents in North America, StarPower continues its 20-year tradition of elevating the standard of care in the real estate industry.

Kristan Cole of The Kristan Cole Team, Keller Williams Realty Alaska Group, recently attended and was a guest speaker at the Star Power Advance in Las Vegas.   StarPower, the number-one brand in real estate education, announced a transition of leadership from Howard Brinton to Alex Charfen, a leading trainer, author, coach, speaker and StarPower Star.

“StarPower will remain the most relevant, recognized leader in real estate education,” Charfen said. “With the dedicated involvement of our StarPower Stars, the contributions to the advancement of the real estate industry and our success as an organization are assured.”

Founded by industry icon Howard Brinton, StarPower is an organization focused on elevating the standard of care in the real estate industry. Each month a new StarPower Star is selected based upon achievements in sales, leadership, business acumen and a willingness to share the lessons of their success with others. This has helped StarPower Stars typically average more than $35 million in annual sales volume and more than 200 transactions per year. Less than 300 real estate agents have achieved the distinction of StarPower Star, making it the most exclusive designation in the industry.

After news of the transition was presented at Star Advance, StarPower Star Kristan Cole announced support of the new management and strategic direction of the StarPower brand.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the future of StarPower, and to increase our positive impact upon the real estate community,” Cole said.

“In the current economic climate, we have the opportunity to make a real difference in the personal and professional lives of countless real estate professionals,” Kristan  added. “As a StarPower Stars and leaders in our market, there is a responsibility to share the lessons of our success with others. In this way, StarPower Stars are actively improving the industry we have chosen to be a part of.”

On a monthly basis, StarPower Club members receive the strategies, tools, insights and perspectives that have helped StarPower Stars realize success. The StarPower Annual Conference, one of the best-attended conferences in the industry each year, will continue its presence on the real estate calendar. Details on the conference will be announced in the near future, Charfen said.

And for information on real estate in Mat-Su Valley AK, including Anchorage, Wasilla, and Palmer Alaska, contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

There are some new developments for the University of Alaska to come, including a new UAA sports arena and a UAF science building.  Although budget request delays the Anchorage campus’s new sports arena, the University of Alaska Board of Regents has approved its capital improvement budget request to move to the state Legislature for January.  The proposed science building will be a $108 million project for the Fairbanks campus and is expected to bring in research grants that will improve the current programs.  The delay of the sports arena will also make it possible for designers to look closely at the building plans and make improvements that local sports enthusiasts will appreciate.

For more on planned improvements to University of Alaska, visit Anchorage Daily News online.

For more information on buying or selling real estate in AK, including Anchorage, Wasilla, and Palmer AK, contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

Wasilla AK’s annexation plans were meet with opposition according to the outcome of a series of informational sessions over the past several weeks.  The city council presented their work in gathering information on various areas that could potentially be annexed including areas north of the city of Seldon Rd, east past the Seward Meridian Parkway, and including sections south of Fairview Loop and west past Jacobsen Lake.  During the informational sessions that were held by the city of Wasilla, residents expressed concern about how it will affect those already in the city limits and those being added.  Marvin Yoder, Wasilla’s Deputy Administrator indicated that issues with taking annexation requests from homeowners is still being looked into as some areas are only in 80% favor of being annexed; Yoder also stated that the city isn’t going to force its sewer and water coverage on any citizen unless it is needed or there is a state mandate to do so.  As far as zoning issues are concerned, Wasilla’s R1 zone is limited to single family residences, but in the rural residential areas of the Mat-Su Borough almost anything is allowed.

The city administration will now weigh costs and benefits of annexing each potential area and assess public opinion before going before the council with a report and recommendations.

For more information on Wasilla Annexation plans, visit the Frontiersman online.

For more information on real estate in Wasilla AK contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

Currently, the city of Wasilla AK is planning to purchase the Meta Rose Square in order to build a new Wasilla Public Library in the near future.  The Meta Rose Square is an indoor shopping center that is conveniently located at the center of downtown and Wasilla has signed a purchase agreement for $1.5 million, which is below the building’s assessed value.

Wasilla AK officials say that the existing public library is too small to accommodate the needs of the city and plans to build the new library include converting the shopping center to a library that will be 2.5 times larger.  The good price for the building comes with conditions from Meta Rose owners Harold and June DeArmoun which enforce that the entire building must be used as a public library and that Meta Rose remains in the name somewhere.  The city plans on giving retailers to the end of next year to find a new location for their stores before any changes will be made to the center.

For more on plans for a new library in Wasilla AK visit the Frontiersman.

For more on real estate in Wasilla AK contact The Kristan Cole Team today.

Longtime football coach Hans Deemer is excited to bring his vision of having Mat-Su Valley AK home to a new indoor football franchise a reality.  This week the Arctic Predators, a professional indoor football franchise, officially announced their future home to be the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla AK where they will be actively involved in the community and offer families a fun way to spend quality time together.  Deemer worked for more than a year to build a foundation for the franchise, as reported by the Frontiersman, and businessmen Chris Kokalis and Ken Moninski are the newly introduced owners of the 24th IFL franchise.

For Wasilla IFL fans, the Arctic Predators already have a team website where season tickets are available for purchase.

For more about the new Indoor Football Franchise in Mat-Su Valley AK visit the Frontiersman.

For more information on real estate in Mat-Su Valley AK, contact The Kristan Cole Team today.