61.15°N, 45.31°W
Dispatch: Qassiarsuk Greenland
With the population shrinking from 89 in 2010 to 60 inhabitants today, real estate opportunities abound in Qassiarsuk.There’s a store, a partially paved road, boat dock, heliport with an airstrip nearby at Narssarsuaq (no taxis, you’ll need a boat to get there), and a church.Families are welcomed with a school and playground for children. Eric the Red and his family made a home here in 950 AD and you too might delight in this land where every property has a fjord view.
Take for example, this lovely sod home in historic Brattahlid, a suburb up the coast.It has street appeal with the sod roof growing its own flowers.The interior ‘open’ plan has a fire pit with an authentic cooking pot. It is fully furnished with sealskins on the walls and floors and a private bed cupboard for the headman and his wife. There’s plenty of room to pack in all your relatives increasing the body heat quotient, a unique approach to saving energy costs. And if that isn’t enough, there’s a weaving loom and harpoons included in the sale. Heat efficient with no windows this property includes a view from the door to delight you when you emerge when daylight returns in June.
If your budget can’t handle this top of the line property, try a fixer upper like this stone house. Yes, it will need a redo of stonewalls and the sod roof, but you could make it your own. Most of the original stones are still on property so there’s no need to haul them from the other side of the mountain. Acreage with lush grass for your sheep is an added extra. Owner will negotiate for the sheep.
Properties with historic pedigrees are also available, like this sod rehab project built near the shore by Inuits in the 1700’s similar to the 900 B.C. models. This is definitely a family neighborhood with room for children to play in the open lot next door.The coveted picture window provides extraordinary vistas of the fjord, at least until winter snow covers it up. Full disclosure: the roof is not sound and will need to be redone and the window may leak cold air blown in from the North Atlantic.
If you prefer a more modern place, there are farms built in the 1940’s and 50’s when the United States had a WW II airbase nearby. Houses are color-coded by the type of work one does.That makes it easy to find the doctor’s yellow house in a snowstorm, or it will when the community finds one to work here.
Eagles fly above public art projects on the hills, including ancient cairns placed near the statue of local hero Eric the Red. Water is pristine and free. Electricity is available upon request. Cargo ships arrive at least once a month. Your children can run free and are safe. Schools have an excellent teacher to pupil ratio through 9th grade. Three high schools are available in Greenland, the nearest in Qaqortoq about 2100 nautical miles depending on which fjords are iced over.
There are no organized police or fire services, keeping property taxes low.The Qassiarsuk community responds to help their neighbors in emergencies. Fortunately polar bear sightings inside city limits almost never happen.
Make an appointment to view soon.Available properties may go quickly.Try Qaaiarsuk; you’ll learn how to pronounce it in no time!
