City of Juneau senior planner Beth McKibben introduced a draft 2012 Comprehensive Plan to the City and Borough of Juneau Planning Commission Tuesday that calls for more housing units, particularly in the $250,000 range.
McKibben said that renters can afford to buy homes in the $250,000 range, but there are few homes in that range in Juneau. By providing homes in that price range, McKibben said, renters can graduate to home owners.
Karen Lawfer of the Title 49 Committee recommended McKibben add more nuanced language when defining low-income, lower-income and homeless Juneauites.
“Lower-income housing might be appropriate,” Lawfer said. “The whole comprehensive plan is looking to address the lower-income housing. We need to define that. I don’t want everybody to think that there is low-income or homeless and everybody else.”
“Whenever we talk about affordable housing I say I have an poster from an affordable housing seminar from 1974,” Vice Clerk Nicole Grewe said. “It’s what we’re up against.”
“A lot of downtown housing has been preempted by other private uses,” Bennett said.
Commission members recommend the city update some of the information in the draft plan.
“This ambitious goal will require an infusion of development capital in infrastructure and a lot of focus on affordable housing and low-income housing, et cetera, could we add overall housing,” Vice Chairman Dennis Watson said.
Stipulations put on rental properties rules some families out. A U.S. Coast Guard presentation said the guard had 8 or 9 families living in hotels waiting for housing, Watson said. When you look at real availability in Juneau housing, it’s a tough one,” Watson said.
Commissioners called for easy-to-read tables and graphs to make information readily available.
There are 847 parcels, 119 of which are CBJ owned, which are vacant or underused in the Juneau urban area.
Lawfer said land prices might restrict development in Juneau, “When you are talking just the lot is $150,000 to $200,000.”
She said the city has disposed of property in the past and has property to sell now, but it might be cost prohibitive.
Chairman Michael Sartre said the commission is going to work on the plan over more than one commission meeting.
Grewe recommended the Juneau Economic Development Council respond to the draft plan.
The commission set aside the plan’s policies and implementing actions until the next meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for March 27 at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Chambers.
Comments (55)
Add comment@lvmykyk
What?? I am in a 3 bdr house with a front fenced in yard and a back yard. I am paying $1150 a month in rent. After going through several banks and credit unions, with a 20% down, the mortgage would be $2500 a month. Nowhere near the $1500 - $2000 you mentioned.
I suppose you are talking about a one bedroom house with no yard?
Sync, you need a better
Sync, you need a better lender. I'm in a 3bd/2.5 bath, 1,500+sqft home we bought for $235k with nothing down (thank you VA) and we're just a hair over $1,500/mo.
@ akbrdguru
There are no better lenders in Alaska. The one I quoted is the cheapest in Alaska with great credit.
I suppose I could go outside of Alaska to look for a lender, been trying to avoid that.
@ Audio27
The last I checked, In Alaska, it is illegal for creditors, etc to go after the children for their parent's debts.
or how about the city not
or how about the city not allowing businesses to operate out of all those houses downtown? Seems to me that a house should be a residence not a business.....I'm not talking about people who work from home, I'm all down with that, I'm talking about all those "houses" that are used for nothing more than office space
@Audio27,
If you did not want to pass a load of debt on when you go then perhaps, you should have planned to pay it off before you die. It sounds like your plan is, I am going to go in debt further than I can pay off during my productive life but that is ok, my kids can sell the property and use the proceeds to pay off the loan….Just as long as the cash value stays artificially high everything will work just fine.
If you buy a home for it’s worth and not its cash value, you will only pay what you believe that it is worth to YOU. If the street price of that property falls to zero the next day and stays that way forever it will not matter because you only paid what it was worth to you, not what you thought or hoped it might be worth to someone else in the future.
Millions of Americans think like you do and unfortunately we all got to see thousands and thousands of them go broke. If you try it my way you can never be burned by "The market".
Juneau needs to do a better
Juneau needs to do a better job at planning!
Rather than having small, isolated patches of habitat for our local wildlife we need to make sure we consider their needs when planning development in Juneau. Habitat areas should be connected so critters can migrate etc...
Lemon Creek is a good example of a big mess. It is really sad to see the dump and some of the other businesses in that area. Lots of missed opportunities for wild life viewing etc... I used to watch deer crossing over to and from Douglas in that area, .. but now they cant get across the Highways.
Lets make sure we preserve our remaining wetlands in the Lemon Creek area and by brother hood bridge.
People need to work, save and take some responsibility
If people didn't save a dime but didn't squander their PFDs, there wouldn't be a single renter except for newcomers and transients.
Kids who have grown up in AK would walk out of highschool with cash to buy a moest home outright and go to college without worrying about loans....if their parents didn't steal their PFDs or allow the kids to squander them.
If you home has more debt than it's worth; you couldn't afford the place you bought. It is no one's fault but your own and you and you alone should pay until you are out of debt.
The last thing Juneau needs is more gov handouts to squander away.
You don't NEED to have 20% down
There are SO many home loan programs currently available. You don't need to have 20% down. You can get into a home for as little as $500 down or even as little as 3% down depending on the lender and these are NOT ARM loans. These are lenders that have offices right here in town and they DON'T sell your mortgage to a bigger company. There are also home loans that offer additional monies for home repair. There are soooooo many options available that are too good to pass up during this low interest, "buyers market" economy. If you need help, call me at 209-3572 and I can help point you in the right direction. Don't give up because you think it CAN'T be done, just believe that it IS possible.
@Sync
There are some holes in your claim. Just bought a house above the price range in question, put 20% down and our payments are right under 2100. I used a local lender, no special programs. We used a local Mortgage company.
As for lenders not going after the children for parents debt, may technically true. If the children do not refinance or pay off what is owed the estate is held liable and the bank can take possesion of the house. The children loose what their parents worked so hard for.
@Ivmykyk
I haven't found any holes that you mention. Except for the years difference? We went shopping last year. It sounds like you went shopping this year?
Also, please keep in mind
Also, please keep in mind that anything I have seen in the $250-300K range is a fixer upper. We got a great deal on a decent house (no rot etc) I have put over $50K in mandatory upgrades in two years and have just scratched the surface. The best thing to do with a house in Juneau is fix it up as best you can, sell it for as much as you can and retire somewhere cheap.
Plus, keep in mind most of
Plus, keep in mind most of the houses for sale were bought in the early 90's for $60-80k. Kind of puts in perspective doesnt it. DNR has an online search for any property in Alaska where you can look up and see what the purchase price was and if its been refinanced. It isnt easy research but it can be done. Makes negotiating your lower price a little easier when you remind them what they paid for it. I dont mind someone making a few bucks, but demanging you get $500K for a house you paid $60K for is a little much
The Recorder's Office does NOT show you
The Recorder's Office does NOT show you what the house was sold/bought for. It shows the amount that was financed. It doesn't show if there was cash down, or how much cash was put down. If someone put half of the sales price down in cash, that doesn't show, so what you are seeing in the Recorder's documents may not reflect the true value of the house.
One income cannot afford a to
One income cannot afford a to buy a home at $250,000. This is ridiculous and unrealistic.
@Sync
If it has been a year, maybe it is time to look again. I would suggest going and talking to a mortgage broker, sit down go over what you can afford, what you have for a down. Get pre-qualified so you know what price point you are looking at. Then find a realtor and work with them to find a home. It takes time to find the right place, but honestly the process is easier if you know where you are at, and have someone working for you. But you can't bash today's market because you felt burned last year.
Kpawsuh - my home is in the
Kpawsuh - my home is in the $250-300K range and it is not a fixer upper. Also knowing that someone paid less for your home years ago has no bearing on what it is sold for today.
@AH HA
That isn't my plan at all. In fact, I want to be out of a home loan sooner so I recently refinanced down to a 15 year loan. I work in Juneau, so I needed to own a home in Juneau for a family of four. I'm not sure why you think I should concede on losing money on a home, but the value of shelter to my family is certainly higher than cash. HOWEVER - if the lending institution decides that the drop in value of homes in an area warrants them to come looking for the difference on the principal balance, that burden does not go away.
Your debate with me has been spurred by your contention that I am wrong to object to selling off land at a reduced price because of the devaluation of other property. You justification for your position is that I should just appreciate the value of my home, and not worry about losing money in the property.
I based my position based on a potential local government action which any member of the public could comment on in a positive or negative light. Instead of touting the pros or cons to the story in question, you chose to cast false assumptions at me regarding my ability to manage money.
How does this help your point? It does not. If you believe in the low-cost land offering, please bring points to the table on how it will benefit current and future landowners. However, don't try to win an argument affecting many in Juneau by attempting to speak authoritatively on something you nothing about - my life!
True Karinda, but not too
True Karinda, but not too many people put down more than the 20%. Could you personally drop 250K for a down? How about 50? Not many others can either. It gives you a reference point. I looked at homes that they bought it 3 yrs prior and were trying to sell at 2-3 times what they paid. Needless to say, I didnt buy those houses. And yes anything in the 250-300 in todays market is either in eagles edge, or maybe a low end zero lot line. Otherwise its a fixer upper. Maybe you are just willing to accept more wear and tear than me, Highflyer.
@Audio27
Think about what you just said. You made my point perfectly. The lesson is
DO NOT pay more for a home than it is worth to you. Any belief or thought that you can someday get your money back or even make money on the deal is a fool’s errand.
If you had only paid what it was worth to you in the first place then later on you should be able to walk away from it without a penny in return and not "take a loss".
Affordable housing is not a issue
I have watched this scenario for a while and feel the homeowners in established residential areas are being burdened with the housing issue in Juneau. It is almost like an additional expense, tariff, or cost. So a single lot/property in my established neighborhood becomes available, the folks down town are privy to this or lobbied. Next thing I become aware of is a small lot/property just down the street is subdivided in to two lots so bungalow affordable/housing or whatever can be built by the Affordable Housing group, JDH Building Program and whatever. This is built with grants, low interest loans, or financing. I believe this type of housing should not occur in any residential or establish neighborhoods but could apply to other areas. The current residence or myself for the past 15 or more years did not expect this when purchasing a home. None of those residence, individuals or I get the special treatment these organizations get or have access to, again including financing. This is a greased machine, all in the name of special interest at Juneau home/property owner’s expense. So just say this is subsidized, and put on home/property owners back to burden. Home/property owners, do not think you are protected because you are in a particular area. The downtown organizations are good at obtaining, their objectives in some flag waving issue/drama at your expense. Be respectful of those how have earned, purchase a home/property and give back. Maybe I would not have issues with this downtown or other, however in the established residential areas. I would like the folks whom own homes/property to be protected and respected. Not the folks diving the cab plus $ X $, w/snow machine hanging out the back, texting on the I Phone, while crying about how expensive it is to purchase a home in Juneau. This is why I consider my small home/property an investment, asset, healthy and beneficial to my well being as a person. I would like to think of my home as not necessarily a financial investment but a most wise one for all the reasons like anchoring me in the community that I cherish and care for. I do not know how to address the dwelling or shelter comments. I wouldn’t mind helping a property owner or have issues with a properly place housing complex, just be respectful of the haves who would also like to help the have-nots. If you trouble us too much, things are out of balance and a rouge wave sinks the lifeboat with everyone. Audio27 / Sefisher/Swimmergirl//DormRaider…. good Job …Cheers.
M Williams-Home/Property owner
Correct me if I'm wrong...
but if those $300,000 homes aren't selling, wouldn't the sellers lower the price to the "affordable" $250,000 or lower? People are buying the homes for the price they're being asked for. My husband & I moved to this glorious place last year and we began looking for a home to buy months before arriving. Many of the homes we were interested in were bought or had offers within days after finding the listings and they were in the $200k to $425k range. Fortunately (with the help of our wonderful realtor) we found the house of our dreams & pounced on it quickly...because we had to.
If they can't afford a 300k home...
...lock em up and throw away the key!
Face the reality
Let's face it folks. What the city really needs is a few more trailer parks. That's about all most folks can afford these days.
Move the capital
What this city needs is for the capital to move north. All the propped up home prices and outrageous rent prices would crash, just like down south. Any remaining folks that stayed here would have affordable housing. It won't happen any other way. And you know where the land barons can go.
Sync, where are you renting a
Sync, where are you renting a 380,000+ dollar home for 1150 a month? I'm calling BS on that one.
Regardless of whether or not it's even true, it's not the norm, which anyone that had done 10 minutes worth of investigation into the Juneau housing/renting market knows.