How I did it: This mainly pertains to purchasing a remote property.


One of our dreams was to own remote beachfront property here in Alaska. We heard about a remote land sale through the Department of Natural Resources. We took a skiff out to see the parcels and picked one we liked.  It was a very reasonable price and the state only wanted $1,100.00 down!   For 2 acres! 

Lessons & tips: Research what permits you will need to build anything.  Find out if your land could fall under a classification that prevents you from building.  An example is that we had to have a Wetlands Mitigation done.  This means a person walked our land to determine if it fell under the classification of Wetlands.  It didn't thankfully.
Walk the boundaries...find the monuments...know your land.
Who owns the land around you?  It looks empty and wooded now but in 10 years what could happen?

Know what you expect of your land.  If you want to grow vegetables have the soil tested.

Check in to bathroom requirements.  We are allowed to have an outhouse as the property is on an undeveloped island.  Some places will not let you have an outhouse.
There are alternatives such as composting or incinerating toilets.

How easy is it to access?  Our property can only be accessed by boat, float plane, or an 11 hour hike.  This comes into play when we want to camp or contemplate building a cabin.

Be aware of the animals that you may have to deal with.  We have bear, wolves, and various little critters like mink. 

Resources: Internet, DNR, friends

Dec 25, 2008, 02:27PM PST | 0 comments | 3 cheers