I have an opportunity to transfer with my job to Juneau. Been doing some quick checking around on rental houses and there doesnt seem to be to many options. Unfortunatly I'm on a pretty tight time line also. I have a few other questions Id also like to ask some folks in that area. If anyone can help Id appreciate it.
Yeah I know Alabama to Juneau is a bit of a change

Cant help you much with info on Juneau, but I'd live in a tent for the summer if it got me out of 'Bama and up to SE AK.

I'm a J-towner. Housing ain't cheap and it's a tight market. Some of the real estate agents handle rentals. Call Taku Real Estate. I assume you checked Craigs List.

There's also the local rags classifieds:

http://juneauempire.com/classifieds/

There are rentals to be had. But without knowing what you are willing to spend its hard to give you direction. Like MuskegMan said it ain't cheap. Call Gwen Place @ Race Reality.

As the others have said - the rental market is pretty limited and housing prices (OK - the prices for everything) tend to run high. But it's a great place to live - great hiking, hunting, fishing, scenery, friendly people. The weather is great too - as long as you have good raingear and a positive outlook.

Pack a raincoat.

83 F on Saturday (tied a record) and 85 F on Sunday (broke the record). My gills are drying up and my webbed feet are cracking.

Need . . . moisture. . . badly!

Hey, I saw the sun in Juneau the 3rd or 4th time I went there!

I can totally relate with Muskeg! I had a buddy who moved up here a few years ago and stayed at St. Vincent. It's a hole, but its a roof till ya find something else. Keep an eye out for just a room to rent, there are a lot of folks who rent a house then find roommates. September s easier to find rentals, the tourist employees are heading south and rooms come up. Hope it helps.

Well it would also be my wife and my 8yr old son. Was really hoping to find a place with 3br 2 ba. But I was shocked when I saw that 1br apt are $1100+

Welcome to housing prices in Ak. That Salary seemed awfully big until you started checking prices didn't it?

I knew the prices were much higher there but I wasnt expecting $2200 a month rent for a 2 br house. I'm pretty sure I can buy a very nice RV for half that IF I can find a place to park it.
I havent given up yet.
I have always dreamed about living up there, just may be a little bit longer before I make it.

I have a female friend that grew up in Juneau. She's laughing at your post. There's only 2 RV parks in the area that allow long term stay, and the park service campgrounds only 10 days total.

Your best bet honestly is to go up solo. Work a few months and experiance Juneau, to make sure " It's for you". That way you can look for better housing while figuring out if you really want to live there. Then once you have it figured out and housing secured, bring the family up.

I'd give a left nut to be in your shoes. Don't squander the opportunity and just make the leap of faith.

Probably the cheapest way to live here in Juneau, especially for a single guy, is on a boat. You can buy a boat for a month or three worth of rent and the harbor fees are usually about $100.-$200./month. There is a laundry/showers about a block from Harris harbor downtown. Even if you sell the boat at a loss when you leave you tend to save a lot of money plus you might get to do more fishing. Check out Craigslist for Juneau boats for sale or just walk the piers for signs.

I agree and thought about that. But not everyone is cut out to live on a boat with wife and kid. If you can do it then it is the best option for sure.

Most wives (like my lovely wife) are a lot less fond of liveaboards than men. An 8 yo is also tricky. I spent a summer on a sailboat in Harris Harbor back in the mid 70s. I was 13 and my 10 yo brother but those were different times. http://juneau.craigslist.org/
Sometimes your church can help a lot here too.

Lived in Juneau for 4 years. About two years renting a room & the last two I bought a 28' trailer and lived in that at a private campground. I was single at the time. It's a tough market. I would consider buying if you knew you would be there for 2+ years. I really feel like you have to have a trailerable boat to enjoy Juneau.

Not to burst your bubble, but I've lived all over the state, the 14 years I was there, and Juneau was my least favorite place, but I have a few friends that love it.

"Your best bet honestly is to go up solo. Work a few months and experiance Juneau, to make sure " It's for you". That way you can look for better housing while figuring out if you really want to live there. Then once you have it figured out and housing secured, bring the family up."

+1. Also try to be there during the livlier months of October thru April to get a better sense of the place.

As a kid I remember the "Jonico and the Kushtekaa" film being played at every opportunity. That would have been '64-8 or so... Good times in many ways...

Sept and Oct are the toughest months. Miserable weather is the norm.

Dec thru March can suck if you don't like snow sports (which includes shoveling snow!)

April thru August is golden. The wife and I are thinking about retiring elsewhere after 40+ years here.

What about doing the "Snowbird" thing during bad weather and enjoying what you have during the "golden" season?

DF

Why are Sept/Oct rough?

Been in AK/ND/SD so cold, snowy, wet, and windy do not phase me.

Ask away. Lived here going on 20-years almost. And love it! Yea, housing prices can be tough, but you can still find a good place. The weather is just something you learn to ignore -- if you want to go have fun, do it regardless of the rain.

NEGATIVES
1. If you enjoy sunshine there isnt much of it. We have both kinds of weather , rain and snow
2. It is super spendy (everything)
3. finding a place to live can be a problem. not just somewhere you like , somewhere period, and it will cost you 1k plus per month , and in all likely hood it will be a dump.
4. Hippies , there are a lot of them
5. Accessibility to good hunting a fishing without a boat is extremely limited.
6. In the summer (both months of it) up to 5 cruise ships a day dock here and thousands of tourists invade the place.
7. in the winter the politicians come and invade the place.
8. there is one gun shop , right now there are no primers and 3 powders to choose from , midway and the like cannot ship here.
9. you cant drive out of Juneau the highway is about 28 miles and it ends , literally.
10. Flying out of Juneau is also super expensive about $700 to Spokane , Alaska airlines is your only choice, we call it the Juneau exit fee.
11. dont get sick here , anything major will require you to go to Seattle or Anchorage(refer to #10)
POSITIVES
1. When and if the sunshine's it is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
2. The people are mostly friendly and you will meet them all , as there are like 30k in a 25 mile area.
3.If you have a boat big enough there is a lot to see and do
4.There is only a fredmeyer and a wall mart. she cannot drag you from place to place looking for a purse only to return to the first place to buy the first purse she saw

Well they had RL-25 and Supreme 780 when I was last there. Scored a pound of '25 ($40 )to try in my 264 Winny. Going to the range today to get ready for the deer opener. No, I won't be taking the 264. Either the '06 for Admiralty, or the .30-30 for Douglas. I do consider Western Auto to be a gun shop. I'm waiting for them to get powder. Ray is a royal ripoff artist.

Another bummer - quality produce is a bitch to come by.

Western, Fred Meyers, and Walmart plus there are a couple people that have a FFL. Ray is Ray, cheap and tight don't even come close. He is the only person I have even seen buy used ammo to resell.

Ray is a piece of work for sure..if he would deal with more than just one whole seller he could stock more......the guy in the moose club parking lot has decent produce...at a price

Ray will sell you the whole shop and mess! But it will cost you.