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NARRATOR: Alaska.
It's been called the last frontier --
a place where only the most adventurous come
to live on the edge in a vast, unspoiled wilderness.
***: Whoo! This is what I'm talking about right here!
This is awesome!
NARRATOR: So you think you want to live in Alaska...
Oh, my, goodness.
...where your nearest neighbor
might be waking from hibernation...
MAN: Wow!
...where the real amenities are outside...
And on the right here, you have your second bathroom.
WOMAN: With a million-dollar view.
...and the views change 'round the clock...
and where every day is an adventure.
MAN: Fish on!
The only thing you can expect is the unexpected
if you plan on "Living Alaska."
Lookit here -- Alaska!
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
HENRIK: Alaska is the last frontier of the north.
It's wild, you can still find places
where animals have never seen a person.
And it's kind of a place where
either you like it, or you don't.
Nice. Oh, nice run!
Whoo-hoo!
That is fantastic, honey.
NARRATOR: Arkansas couple Sheri and Trey Coker
are ready to make the big move.
Oh, yeah. Whoo-hoo!
TREY: Ooh, baby.
Well, we've been playing around with moving to Alaska
for about five years now.
Just decided, if not now, when?
And it might as well be now.
And we figure if we can handle the extremes
of the Arkansas heat, we can handle the other extreme.
So, we're just going to put our big-boy britches on
and make it happen.
NARRATOR: Many life-changing events,
like a move this extreme, have a catalyst.
For the Cokers, it was an unfortunate one.
I've lost both my parents and Trey's dad.
And so I think it really just pushes us to just reach out
and grab everything there is to grab,
because you just don't know, you know,
when you're going to have a tomorrow
or if you're going to have a tomorrow.
Sure, there's a little bit of anxiety
that goes with such a big move, but at the same time,
there's a big reward that goes with it, as well.
But before they can reap any of those rewards,
they have to make the move.
We packed up and left Arkansas
and drove 4,770 miles with four dogs.
[ Laughing ] Yeah, that's true.
...covered trailer literally around every corner
of the most beautiful mountains you've ever seen.
We were driving along with cameras hanging out the window.
I was driving, she was taking pictures.
[ Laughing ] I was hanging out of every window.
Sheri and Trey tent-camped on their journey up
and withstood freezing temperatures.
Outdoorsmen through and through,
the Cokers spend much of their time in nature.
MAN: Woo-hoo-hoo.
Nice.
TREY: I've always had an interest in hunting
and fishing and those types of things.
On our honeymoon,
we went bear hunting on Prince William Sound.
Here, it's pretty much anywhere you look is fair pickings,
and we're just not used to that, and it's just awesome.
Although they love the outdoors, winter is coming,
and living in a tent just won't cut it.
Right now, we're kind of homeless with four dogs, and...
And I start work in a week.
So, we've got to find a place to live.
Trey is now a professor at University of Alaska Fairbanks,
so the couple will call Alaska's second biggest city home.
HENRY: I love living in Fairbanks.
it's got a frontier feel to it.
People are willing to help each other.
It's a big town
with a real small-town attitude and feel to it.
NARRATOR: Once a booming gold-rush town,
Fairbanks is now considered gateway to the arctic.
It's base camp for adventurers headed north
to tackle the Arctic Circle.
Real estate agent Kelli Powers
was born and raised in Fairbanks.
She'll help Sheri and Trey find a place to start their new life.
KELLI: The markets can be a little bit competitive,
so if the Cokers see something they like,
we're going to need to put an offer on it -- on it right away.
KELLI: Welcome to Fairbanks.
Yeah.
Well, why don't we just start off with you guys telling me
a little bit of what you're looking for.
We just want something that fits our lifestyle.
We don't stay indoors, we like to get out
and so, we don't want something
we're going to have to spend all our time taking care of,
but something that lives with us.
Yeah, we love to hunt and fish and we're really outdoorsy,
so anything that would expose us to nature
would just be a bonus.
NARRATOR: The Cokers are checking out properties
between $200,000 and $500,000.
I really just want to know that it's an Alaska home.
I don't want it to look like it's a home that was picked up
from the lower 48 and just plopped into Fairbanks.
You know, I want to walk in my house and know,
"Honey, we live in Alaska."
That's what I'd really like.
NARRATOR: The Cokers are kicking off their house hunt in the Chena area,
about 12 miles east of Fairbanks.
Wow, it's pretty.
The best part we'll go check out up here is the deck.
The deck itself is about 1,400 square feet.
Oh, I see it wraps around.
Oh, my gosh, you can see The Alaska Range in here.
That is amazing.
KELLI: So, this home is on almost four acres.
It's just under 1,500 square feet.
Two bedrooms, there's a bathroom and a half-bath,
and it's just surrounded by trails.
Yeah.
Let's see what you think about the inside.
I can't wait to see it.
Oh, wow.
Oh, this is really pretty, Kelli.
Big windows in here. Beautiful.
I love the wrought iron.
The specific railing was done by a local Alaskan artist.
So, it's local. Yeah.
And the builders of this home,
they didn't miss anything.
They did a little extra feature here that's pretty awesome.
SHERI: Ah!
Instead of having to go outside 50-below
or have a big mess in your home,
you just have Trey load up the wood box, and here you go.
I thought it was a doggy door. [ Chuckles ]
And the kitchen is gorgeous.
Did you see the twigs on the door handles?
Those are really nice.
Didn't miss a beat in this house,
going with the Alaskan theme.
TREY: Yeah, it's a nice kitchen.
This is the mud room, your laundry room.
Hey, Kelli, I notice there's a really small freezer right here,
but we do a lot of hunting and fishing.
I'm a little concerned about freezer space.
KELLI: Here in Fairbanks,
you can have as big a freezer as you want
and just have it outside your porch,
and you don't even have to use electricity to have it plugged in, and...
What a concept.
Wintertime does have its advantages, I guess.
You need to find everyone a home.
Exactly.
So, upstairs, we have the master
and kind of a little office nook.
SHERI: From our bedroom, we can see everything
and everybody that would be down below. I just...
I don't know.
No, it's not okay?
And then we have the master half-bathroom.
Did she say the master half-bath?
That's not gonna be ideal.
Not something I'm real excited about.
Yeah, I do like the tongue and grove wood ceiling.
I mean, that's really pretty. It's just...
However, that does not compensate
or cover my nakedness as I run down the stairs...
[Laughing]...with guests in the living room.
We have goats and geese blocking the road.
This is awesome. This is a man cave here.
[ Laughing ] I do like this.
[ Laughing ]
NARRATOR: Arkansas couple Sheri and Trey Coker
dreamed of moving to Alaska for years.
I was just ready for a real new challenge,
and it is the last frontier.
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
Which one of us is the most silvery, you think?
[ Laughter ]
These outdoor enthusiasts
are searching for a home in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Fairbanks, I call it a 12-minute town.
Uh, it takes 12 minutes to get from "A" to "B,"
It takes you 12 minutes to read the Sunday paper,
and it takes you 12 minutes to name your friends.
JASON: Fairbanks is The Golden Heart City, the camaraderie.
The people in Fairbanks are very fiercely loyal to Fairbanks.
It really is one of the nicest places to live.
NARRATOR: Real estate agent Kelli Powers
has been showing Trey and Sheri a variety of homes
throughout Alaska's second largest city.
SHERI: I'd love it when I open the door of my home
to be able to just feel like I'm at home,
but I'm at home in Alaska.
Today, they're heading 30 miles northeast of Fairbanks
to check out a house that's off the grid.
KELLI: I think you're really gonna like this one.
TREY: Oh, wow.
SHERI: With goats in the road.
We have goats and geese blocking the road.
Off the grid.
It is.
So, this home is actually off the grid,
and what that means is
the electricity company doesn't come up on this lot,
so this home has actually 30 solar panels
that runs the electricity.
When it gets darker here,
Hmm.
This is about 3,000 square feet,
it's two bedrooms, two bath, and it has the two-car garage,
and they're asking $500,000.
Yeah, it really is.
We'll see if it's up to $500,000 for us, but...
All right, well, let's check it out.
[ Rooster crowing ]
These are really cute. I can see having some goats.
A little Alaska goat farm.
Wow, this is beautiful.
This is so nice.
TREY: Wow, look at the windows.
SHERI: Wow, there's a lot to look at in here.
Oh my, honey -- the kitchen.
Double oven.
We can put moose in the top,
and then the caribou that I shoot, the big one,
TREY: Okay, yeah. Mm-hmm.
And a big window -- You can see when I'm coming home
and know that it's time to...
Make sure I got the vittles going...
...Get dinner ready, yeah, exactly.
...[Laughing] for you when you pull up.
TREY: The natural light's perfect.
KELLI: The builder of this home
actually took into consideration
that in Fairbanks, it's dark half the year around,
so the house was built around the light.
And being out here off the grid and having natural light,
that kind of saves electricity, also, I would think.
You don't have to tell me what this is.
I know what this is. Soapstone.
It is. You can cook in the top of it,
and then this, as a heat source,
will heat the entire home
Oh, wow.
And these concrete floors have radiant heat throughout.
Okay.
So, then the whole house will be toasty.
Nice. I just want to let you know,
that you may have some competition with the stove
because I really love it.
In here, we have the master bathroom.
I do like this.
TREY: Yeah, it's a beautiful bathroom.
I could spend some time in here.
Look at this view.
I mean, is this crazy for a bedroom or what?
I'm just wondering about in the summertime,
when it's daylight for 21, 22 hours a day,
and the bedroom...
KELLI: You can always add a shade that you can pull down
so you could still get the view,
but you could block the light, maybe?
Definitely, and that's just a few months of the year.
This is just breathtaking.
This is a true man cave, almost 1,000 square feet.
Wow, this is great. I love it.
Welcome to the cupola.
Oh, my gosh. This is such a great space.
I love this.
This is just awesome.
KELLI: You have Denali out this window,
and then over here, you have The Alaska Range.
SHERI: Oh, that's beautiful.
Honey, I can see us getting a lot of work done up here,
but it would be hard to focus because of the beauty.
What do you guys think?
Well, I absolutely love, love, love that kitchen.
I love this land
and looking out over those hills, it's just fantastic.
Yeah, it's a spectacular piece of property, Kelli.
Only thing I'm a little bit concerned about
is the distance out here, the road being kind of rough,
but with that man cave downstairs,
it might be worth it.
Okay.
Okay.
It's a lot closer to what we're looking for.
NARRATOR: True or false?
NARRATOR: True or false?
The answer -- not quite.
The shortest day of the year is on December 21st,
when there is 3 hours and 43 minutes
of official daylight in Fairbanks.
This is why we moved to Alaska right here.
NARRATOR: Trey and Sheri Coker are making a 180-degree turn,
moving from Arkansas to Fairbanks, Alaska.
SHERI: Alaska, it gives us the opportunity to just
grab more than we could ever grab anywhere else in the world.
But before the couple can completely adapt
to an Alaskan lifestyle,
they've got to find a place to live.
So, today, they're hitting the west side of town
to check out the Tanana River house,
only eight minutes from the university where Trey teaches.
I like that river.
KELLI: So, this is the Tanana, and it flows into the Chena,
and that's the river you've been seeing downtown.
So, the Tanana Flats that I hear is so famous for moose hunting,
is that going to be down here below our house?
It will be, yes.
Look at this. Wow, this is just amazing.
I love this view up here. This is awesome.
Yeah, I don't know whether to look at the house or the view.
This is amazing.
So, this home sits on almost two acres.
It's three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms.
They're asking $399,900.
It just feels so peaceful out here,
and we're not that far away from town.
That's a plus definitely.
Love the grass and the garden beds back there.
We didn't have this many flowers down South.
I know, we really didn't. They all died in the heat.
Let's go inside.
Wow, I love this staircase.
This is fantastic.
That's amazing.
You're gonna love this kitchen.
From the tile work to the custom hickory cabinets.
TREY: It's really a nice kitchen.
Oh, wow, look at this pantry.
That is just awesome.
That's a lot of added space in this kitchen.
Really is.
Oh, wow. This is really, really pretty.
Yeah, this room is kind of small, though.
I mean, it's a little bit cramped.
Yeah, but, honey, look at this wood stove.
I mean, that would really make it cozy.
Oh, my gosh, honey. Look at this room. I love it.
Yeah, there is.
Oh, my gosh, honey. Look at the view out that window.
You can see the garden.
I mean, we can sit and eat at the table
and look at the garden that supplied the food we're eating.
That's a cool concept.
Yeah, that's one of the things we like about Alaska.
Yeah, that would just be amazing.
So, it's really rare in Fairbanks
Oh, wow.
And then on top of it, [Clicks tongue]
Oh, really?!
That's pretty cool.
I figured you guys might like that part.
Yeah, we would, actually. That would be nice.
So, here's the master bedroom.
Yes.
Right next to the bedroom, that's great.
Look at the bathroom floor.
Oh, my gosh. That's gorgeous.
But it's super, super-small.
Seems to be kind of a theme in Alaska.
Small bathrooms.
KELLI: So, we have two additional bedrooms in this home
and both of them have a full bathroom.
Oh, my God. I love this space. This is awesome!
Look at the stained-glass window, honey.
I just love this!
The builder actually imported
all the stained glass in the home from England.
All the way to Alaska, that's great.
SHERI: Yeah, that's a pretty good haul.
TREY: Well, I love the wood, the timber frame is just great.
Yeah, it is nice.
But that bathroom is super-tiny.
I just don't know about that.
Yeah, it's somewhat shorter to work, though, the drive,
compared to the other houses.
Well, that's true, I mean, you've got a point there,
and that's something to consider.
So, I guess that's what we need to do is think about it.
Which house do you think you want, honey?
I don't have to think about which house I want.
Let's go see if we can find some berries.
NARRATOR: Moving to Alaska has been
on Trey and Sheri Coker's bucket list for a long time,
and they're about to cross it off.
Look, here's a whole bunch right here.
One of the reasons we chose to look in Alaska
is because we love the outdoor lifestyle.
SHERI: Who would have ever thought
we would just have wild cranberries by the handful.
[ Laughing ]
He's like, "Yeah."
The Cokers want to spend
the rest of their lives in Fairbanks.
The question is where.
They've seen three stunning Alaskan homes,
and now it's time to choose just one.
Okay.
All right.
So, Trey and Sheri are doing a little target practice,
hoping to hit the bull's-eye on a decision.
All right, be thinking about which house you want.
You got any ideas?
What do you think about that Chena cabin house?
I mean, do you like it?
I like the house, it's just so far out,
and there's such a lack of privacy.
So, what do you think about the custom home off the grid?
I'm concerned about the electricity
just from solar panels and from generators.
I just -- I'm not against it,
I just, I don't know enough about it.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Nice.
You know, I really liked that Tanana River view house.
Yeah, I'm so glad to hear you say that,
because that's just the house that has my heart.
Awesome.
Mm.
So, have you made a decision?
We have chosen the Tanana River view home.
It's just perfect, just what we wanted for a home in Alaska.
Yeah, we just lost Trey's dad and I've lost both my parents,
and we just feel like they're with us in this home.
And they would so much approve
and Trey's mother can spend time with us there.
It's just the perfect home.
Well, you guys got to town just in time.
That home had only been on the market for three days,
so everything's -- just like everything was meant to be.
It was just a blessing.
Thanks so much.
This is some awesome salmon chowder,
straight from the Chena River.
I'm thrilled to be here.
My family is thrilled for me to be here.
It's -- It's a great decision for us.
Can't beat that.
Alaska salmon, Alaska blueberries, looking good.
Seeing a moose in your yard for the first time
is the biggest thrill.
You're both yelling at each other, "Moose in the yard!
"We have a moose in our yard!
Can you believe [laughs] we have a moose in our yard?"