A Great Night Out + A Look at Land & Financing in the Mat-Su  Insights from Dave & Travis

by David Johnson

Before I get into some market numbers this week, I wanted to share something a little more personal.

I was excited to see Tommy Emmanuel at the Discovery Theatre on October 8–9. I first saw Tommy live back in 2009, so I was really looking forward to seeing him again and he did not disappoint. The place was packed, everyone was having a great time, and this was actually his 50th state, which made the night even more special.

Tommy is just an amazing talent. He can make you feel joy one minute and almost bring you to tears the next, all with a guitar. I even recorded part of “The Mystery,” one of his songs. By the time we were getting ready for the second set, I was already reminded why I wanted to see him again after all these years. A true master of the guitar and a pretty incredible musician.

Now, back to real estate. Last week I talked about what we’re seeing in the residential market more inventory, more choices for buyers and more competition for sellers. This week, I wanted to look at two other parts of the Mat-Su market that caught my attention:
Land sales and how buyers are financing their purchases. And there were a couple of numbers here that surprised me.

Are We Selling More Land This Year?
I’ve asked a few people recently whether they thought we were selling more land this year. Most people thought we were. The numbers actually show the opposite.
So far, we have:
2026: 365 Land Sales — Average $101,000
2025: 442 Land Sales — Average $102,000

That’s about a 17% decrease in the number of land sales from last year, while the average sales price is almost exactly the same. When you look back over the last several years, the number of land sales has bounced around quite a bit:

What really caught my attention, though, is what’s available right now. We have approximately:
500 Active Land Listings
47 Pending

That’s only about a 9% pending-to-active ratio. There is a lot of land out there for buyers to choose from. And then look at the pricing:
Average Active List Price: $173,000
Average Pending Price: $143,000
Average Sold Price: $101,000

Now, I’m always careful with land averages. Acreage, location, utilities, road access and what you can actually do with the property can make a huge difference in value. But when you have 500 properties available and only 47 pending, sellers have to pay attention to what buyers are actually willing to pay. There’s simply a lot of competition. One other thing I find interesting is how much land values have changed.
Back in 2019, the average sale was around $62,000. This year, we’re around $101,000. So we're selling fewer properties than last year, but land values are still quite a bit higher than they were several years ago.

How Are Buyers Financing Their Purchases?
I also took a look at financing types and compared this year's numbers with last year.
Here’s what I found:

Conventional continues to be a big part of the market and is up almost 28% from last year. VA is also strong at 358 transactions, and FHA is up as well. Cash really hasn’t changed much 128 last year compared with 132 this year. But the number that surprised me was USDA. We had 17 USDA transactions last year and only 5 this year in the numbers I pulled. I honestly wouldn't have expected that big of a difference. We're also seeing 21 seller-financed transactions this year, which is another number I think is worth watching.

What Do These Numbers Tell Us?
For me, the land numbers tell a pretty straightforward story. There’s plenty of inventory, and buyers have choices. Sales are down from last year, and with roughly 500 active properties compared with only 47 pending, pricing matters. The financing numbers tell us something a little different. People are still buying and transactions are still getting done, but it's interesting to see how buyers are putting those deals together.

Conventional, VA and FHA continue to make up a big part of our market, while USDA has dropped considerably in this comparison. These are the kinds of numbers I like to look at because they tell us more than just whether prices are going up or down. They give us a better idea of what's actually happening underneath the market.

If you're thinking about buying a home, purchasing land or selling property in the Mat-Su Valley and want to know what the numbers look like for your particular situation, give Travis or me a call. We’re always happy to take a look.

Ask Me About Your Home's Value

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Call or text Dave now at 907-863-7289
Call or text Travis now at 907-575-6779

davesalaskahomes@gmail.com

http://www.DavesAlaskaHomes. com

A Great Night Out + A Look at Land & Financing in the Mat-Su Insights from Dave & Travis

by David Johnson

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A Great Night Out + A Look at Land & Financing in the Mat-Su  Insights from Dave & Travis