Kirby & Frank;

I understand that the Upper Midwest has a lot to offer ... perhaps especially to 'mixed-ethic' persons like myself.

I too am putting the final touches on a nest-egg that will be converted to a new home. The Olympic Peninsula is a rather small place (especially for humans), and from a jetliner circling SeaTac airport can be plainly be seen as an appendage, a side-yard of the Greater Puget Sound 'anthill', which is 10 million strong from Vancouver BC to Portland OR. Land prices in some areas (of OP) have ballooned dramatically, while other parts remain reasonable. Savvy & important Peninsula people think the whole thing is on the verge of 'exploding' ... say in the next up-cycle.

Therfore, I debate whether to buy here, or relocated to Alaska ... perhaps the ultimate refuge of 'mixed-ethic' lifestyles.

On the Olympic Peninsula, I watch the "Land" section of Lunsford Real Estate in Forks, out on the West (Wet) End where I was born, spent my early years on the Sol Duc River, and went to grade school with all the La Push native kids at Forks.

But Frank, when I gather my courage and 'face the music', I admit that I'd regret not at least taking an honest, close & careful look at Alaska. I worked as a logger for 2 seasons in Southeast Alaska, and I refer to the experience as "brutally stunning". "Beat me in the face with a chunk of firewood."

There are other good ones, but my favorite realty page for Alaska is the "Rural & Remote" section of Fox Realty in Fairbanks. (If you are on a dial-up connection, be sure to turn off images before visiting this page: the agent puts full-size images on the page, and resizes them small 'in code'. The page is 4-6 megabytes and can take near a half hour to download. When you see an interesting listing, turn images back on and "Open in a New Window". If you have broadband, should be no problem.

We live in exciting times, partly out of control, but relocating to the apparent 'best bet' is an option we can still decide! ;-)

Ted (email tclayton "at" olypen.com)