Access is the entire question
In most of the country access is one item on a checklist. In Alaska it defines the parcel. A tract on the road system is a fundamentally different asset from one requiring a float plane, and the price difference reflects a real difference in what ownership involves.
Establish precisely how the parcel is reached, in which seasons, and at what cost per trip. Ask whether access is legal as well as physical — crossing native corporation land, state land or private tracts may require permission that is not guaranteed.
Then price the lifetime of that access honestly. Aircraft charter, fuel, and the logistics of moving building materials to a roadless site frequently exceed the land price many times over.
Permafrost and building
Where permafrost exists, conventional foundations fail as the ground thaws under a heated structure. Building requires elevated foundations, thermosiphons, or other approaches designed to keep the ground frozen.
Soil investigation before building is not optional in permafrost country. Ask locally about ground conditions and get a professional assessment before designing anything.
State land sales
Alaska's DNR offers state land through auctions and over-the-counter sales, sometimes with state financing. Parcel descriptions are detailed and worth reading in full, particularly regarding access, and the programmes have specific terms including survey and residency requirements in some cases.
These sales are a legitimate route to Alaskan land ownership at reasonable cost, provided the access reality is understood before bidding.
What to verify
Access route, seasons, legality and annual cost. Permafrost and soil conditions. Whether the parcel is surveyed and whether corners are monumented. Native corporation land adjacency and any access implications. Utilities, which in most cases means none. The risk scorecard covers the general fundamentals, though Alaska's access line carries far more weight than the score suggests.