7989 South Lahti Circle, Wasilla, Alaska 99623, United States

This 1.23-acre parcel sits in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough of Alaska, identified by parcel number 32771.0, fronting on Lahti Circle in a low-density residential area north of Knik Arm. The setting is rural-suburban: wooded lots served by gravel roads, with the broader Knik Arm shoreline — an inlet of Cook Inlet — essentially at the parcel's doorstep. The soil survey maps roughly 27% of the parcel as saline water, traversing diagonally through the middle toward the southwest, which combined with a mapped floodplain and what the federal waterway database records as open-ocean water just 4 ft from the southern boundary points to this parcel extending to or abutting tidal coastal area. That proximity is the most defining physical fact about this land, and it cuts both ways: the waterfront setting is a genuine amenity, but it also means a meaningful share of the parcel's area may be tidal or intertidal ground rather than dry buildable land.

The remainder of the parcel — roughly 73% by soil coverage — is Kichatna silt loam on sloping to moderately steep ground. Mean slope across the parcel is about 10 degrees, and just over three-quarters of the acreage falls below the 15-degree threshold where construction becomes straightforward. One steep pocket of about 0.2 acres reaches slopes above 25 degrees and would need grading review or setback consideration. The dominant aspect is south-facing, which in Alaska meaningfully affects snow melt and solar gain. Topographic relief of 54 ft across the parcel suggests this ground steps down toward the water on the southern end.

The Kichatna silt loam that covers most of the dry portion rates poorly for septic systems — a notable constraint for anyone planning to build, since municipal sewer does not appear to serve this area and on-site wastewater would depend on soils that the survey rates as problematic. It rates moderately for building foundations and is not ideal for agriculture. No wetlands were mapped by the federal inventory, but the saline-water soil unit and coastal location mean that on-the-ground conditions should be verified before assuming the full non-water portion is developable.

Flood risk is formally undetermined: FEMA has not mapped a flood zone here, which is common in parts of Alaska. That is not the same as low risk — a parcel adjacent to Knik Arm tidal water in an unmapped area may carry meaningful tidal and storm-surge exposure that simply has not been assessed. Any lender or insurer will note the unmapped status, and independent assessment of coastal flood exposure is advisable before purchasing or building.

Road access is solid: the parcel has about 196 ft of frontage on Lahti Circle, a local public road, so there is no landlocked or private-access complication. Electric service is mapped to Matanuska Electric Association, a cooperative, with a territory-wide average residential rate of 23.4 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2024, below the statewide average of 26.1 cents. A 230 kV bulk-power transmission line owned by Chugach Electric runs about 2.1 miles to the northeast — it is not a service source but worth noting as a corridor in the area.

No EPA cleanup sites, no mapped critical habitat for threatened or endangered species, and no conservation easements appear in any of the databases searched. Wildfire modeled burn probability is well below the national average, though ten human-caused fire perimeters have been recorded within 5 miles in recent years, all small. The area sits in a moderate radon-potential geologic zone and carries meaningful seismic design loads — a design acceleration of 1.00 g — with one mapped Quaternary-age fault about 2.6 miles to the southeast. A structural engineer would need to determine the applicable seismic design category for any new construction.

The county assessor's data collection failed entirely, so ownership, assessed value, tax burden, legal description, and any recorded sales or permits are not available from this analysis. Zoning data is also unavailable. The aerial photo retrieved from the assessor's website shows a cleared parcel in the area with two structures and a gravel driveway loop, consistent with a developed residential property — but because the assessor record failed and no other source confirms it, whether a structure exists on this specific parcel cannot be established with confidence. Verification with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assessor directly is essential before drawing conclusions about what is on the ground or what permits exist.

According to a regional business publication, the Mat-Su market is active: one-acre lots with power sell for roughly $80,000 to $100,000, and the borough has been Alaska's fastest-growing community, building 768 single-family homes in 2024 alone. This parcel's coastal location and road access support that market context, but the saline-water soil coverage, unmapped flood status, and poor septic soils all represent meaningful constraints that distinguish it from a standard upland lot.

Strengths: direct public road frontage with no access complications, waterfront-adjacent setting on Knik Arm in a growing market, and electric utility service already mapped to the territory. Weaknesses: roughly a quarter of the parcel is mapped as saline water and may not be dry buildable ground; septic suitability is rated poor across the dominant soil; flood risk is formally undetermined despite obvious coastal exposure; and all assessor data — ownership, value, taxes, zoning, permits — is unavailable and must be gathered independently.

Two analysis gaps deserve explicit note. FEMA has not mapped a flood zone for this parcel (100% unmapped), meaning flood risk is undetermined rather than low — do not treat the absence of a mapped zone as clearance. The county assessor data collection failed entirely; ownership, valuation, tax records, legal description, and permit history must be obtained directly from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assessor's office before any transaction or construction planning proceeds.