Living Alaska

Real-estate agents in Alaska help their clients find homes that are slightly off the beaten path in this series, which premieres with a family of four from Pensacola, Fla., who are making the move for professional reasons.

A couple from Minnesota set out to find their dream fishing cabin on Kodiak Island.

Michael and Amy Van De Grift and their 4 children (ranging in age from 2 to 17) are moving from Oahu, Hawaii, to Soldotna, Alaska. Despite its tropical allure, Hawaii was not the perfect fit for the Van De Grits: their neighbors were too close, and there wasn't a yard for their beloved dog, D.O.G., in Hawaii. So this family of 6 is chomping at the bit to buy their forever "true paradise" Alaskan home. It's an extra plus that their desired Alaskan destination has some of the best nationally-ranked schools in the state AND a wonderful place for kids to thrive and play outdoors and experience all four seasons.

Oregon attorneys Matt and Deneen Keller have been dreaming of buying a waterfront getaway cabin in Alaska for years. They both love the sense of freedom, the incredible wildlife and all of the outdoor activities that the state has to offer: ocean fishing, river fishing, crabbing, shrimping, hiking, exlploring, etc. When Deneen received a breast cancer diagnosis, the couple realized that life is too short to be spent working behind a desk. They decided there was no better time than the present to get to Alaska, and their home search commenced. Matt wanted to find something completely off the grid and remote - he really wanted to own his own island! They looked in several locations, most only accessible by floatplane or boat - the best way to check out oceanfront properties.

Nathan and Monica Matlock decide to make the big move from Minnesota to Alaska. Both avid outdoor adventurers, they are extremely excited for this new life and hope to find a place close to fishing, hunting and hiking areas, and a home big enough to start a family. And Nathan's already started growing the Alaskan Bushman Beard to fit in with the locals.

Shelley and David Waite are headed back to the place they first fell in love. After some time inFlorida for a family health concern, they are heading back to the place they wanted to call home. But what seemed like an easy choice is proving to be a bit more complicated then they thought. As avid outdoorsmen, they're looking for a rustic cabin but - as a modern couple - having pizza delivered has its perks as well.

There aren't a lot of couples that would consider a bear hunt in Alaska the perfect honeymoon but, then again, Sheri and Trey Coker are not your average couple. This Arkansas duo, after tragically losing her parents and his dad, realized life was too short to sit idly by. So they packed up their belongings and four dogs, and set out for Alaska. Camping along the way, they endured extremes of suffocating heat and bitter cold. Now, with Trey starting a new job at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in a week, and winter fast approaching, camping is no longer an option. They're in a race against the clock to find the perfect place to call home.

Newlyweds Rayette and Angel Casiano cannot wait to begin their Alaskan adventure. This self-proclaimed modern day Brady Bunch couple, with their six kids ranging in age from 12-19, weren't necessarily looking for destiny when it found them. Disguised as a job opportunity for physician Rayette, they quickly realized this was the perfect excuse to start over as a family. To build the home they wanted together. And the kids are beyond excited to be leaving behind their shared bedrooms and small town, for the shot at their own rooms and, what could be better, a Walmart right around the corner.

After vacationing in Alaska for the past decade, Marja and Chris Hammershoy are ready to call the magical Last Frontier home, but it won't be easy. A whopping 12-hour flight from their current place in bustling Connecticut, they're looking for their Shangri-La in Halibut Cove. This island off the Kenai Peninsula is only accessible by plane or boat. And with a full-time population of only 76, there are no roads, no convenience stores, and residents get their mail from one of the only floating post offices in the world! They'll have to move fast if they want to grab one of the few waterfront listings that have just come on the market.

Ryan and Anduin McElroy have moved eight times in the past eight years for Ryan's job. With a toddler and plans to continue growing their family, Anduin is ready to put down some roots. So they packed their dogs and the rest of their things and trekked 3700-miles away from the heat of Oklahoma to the icy chill of Fairbanks in search of the perfect place to settle down. Now they're in a pinch to find their Alaskan dream home before Ryan starts his job in a few weeks. With so many great choices, the pressure is on to determine whether they want to be closer to the city in suburbia, or closer to Ryan's job in an area appropriately called the North Pole.

Twin sisters Anna and Kristy Berington have been chomping at the bit to move to Alaska and pursue their dream of becoming world-class dog mushers. So, they're packing up their pups and leaving friends and family behind in Wisconsin, to find the perfect property on the Kenai Peninsula. Known for being a dog-mushing mecca, the Kenai is home to the Tustumena 200, one of the biggest qualifiers for the Iditarod, and this is exactly where the twins want to be. The caveat, they must find a property big enough to accommodate their sixteen sled dogs, with access to trails as well. And although the dog's come first, it would also be nice to have running water and in-door plumbing.

Recently graduated from college in Washington, newlyweds Dustin and Jessica Moore are packing up their life to move to Soldotna, Dustin's childhood home. Dustin is excited to hunt, fish, and snow machine and Jessica can't wait to be introduced to all that Alaska has to offer. But when it comes to house hunting, they're polar opposites. She wants stainless and granite that a new build can offer, while he wants acreage and that Alaskan feel that only a log cabin will fulfill. So is it going to be happy wife, happy husband, or both?

Sick of the hustle and bustle of Seattle, Karen Wilken and her husband Paul Johnson are moving back to Karen's hometown of Fairbanks. Karen's been gone for nearly a decade, but has longed to get back to her family. Now that her brother is opening a brewery and in need of their help, she's convinced Paul the time is right to make the move. He's definitely excited about leaving their 500 sq. ft. condo and enjoying the great outdoors, but when their realtor shares one of the property's $1700 monthly heating bills, Paul starts to wonder just how much Alaska they can afford.

Newlyweds Will and Erin Earhart are starting married life together with a monumental move. And even though Erin knew she might end up in Alaska eventually, it's the last place she thought she'd be a mere two months after their nuptials. Never having lived outside southern Tennessee, she is now knee deep in snow and Anchorage real estate. To top that off, Will wants to fully embrace Alaska and find a place that reflects the great outdoors, inside and out, but she's not really keen on winter driving and wandering moose. Can they come to a compromise and find the perfect Southern Alaskan home?