5700 E Gershmel Loop, Palmer, AK 99645

Not a cookie-cutter house--this is an Alaskan original. Tucked out of sight on private acreage in the Palmer-Wasilla commute corridor, about 2.4 miles to the Mat-Su Regional Hospital, this remarkable custom home blends original log construction w/ soaring wood ceilings, expansive windows, exposed beams and logs, brick, and an extraordinary antique Franklin fireplace reported to date back to 1864. Built just over 50 years ago, the home has the kind of scale, warmth, and individuality that would be enormously expensive to recreate today. The dramatic vaulted great room is the heart of the house, surrounded by substantial natural wood and architectural character. Four bedrooms include two exceptionally large rooms, with remarkably generous walk-in closets, and every bedroom has its own gas fireplace--an almost unheard-of luxury that gives the home an unmistakably cozy Alaskan feel. And the interesting spaces just keep coming. There is a south-facing pass-through sunroom, a...