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A Message From Chuck Marunde
My husband and I went to Sequim intending to interview several Realtors to find one to help us locate and buy a home in Sequim. We knew we wanted someone we could trust and who would have our best interests in mind. Since we would be handling the transaction from S. California this was very important to us. We met Chuck and looked no further. We felt a connection right away and spent some time looking at homes together so Chuck could get a feel for what we wanted. Well, we left Sequim having made an offer on a home which the owner accepted. Chuck has helped us through the purchase process. We are positive it would not have gone so smoothly without his help. We give him 4 thumbs up. Cathie and Wally
My husband and I were interested in relocating from Georgia to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, and while we were staying at an Inn in Port Angeles, Washington, the Innkeepers gave us the name of Chuck Marunde as a contact for helping us with our real estate needs. Upon meeting Chuck we hit it off and immediately became friends and felt a real sense of trust in Chuck handling our wants and needs as far as real estate goes. We gave him, for lack of a better word, "unrealistic" demands in this unstable economy, and by the next morning Chuck had a list of properties that would fit those "demands". Chuck was able to help us not only find a home and property that suited our needs as a large family, but he went above and beyond what he needed to do to ensure that our offer was presented (and accepted) in a timely fashion. In the past 25 years of dealing in real estate, Chuck is, without a doubt, the most prompt, reliable, trustworthy, and friendly professional we have ever done business with! We will always use Chuck from here on out for all our real estate needs.
Larry and April Leach
Sequim, Washington
"Selling a house remotely is not an easy task especially in this market. But Chuck sold our house and made the transaction effortless. The people that he found were perfect, too, and that makes us very happy. Now the weight of having to sell our house is off our shoulders and we can finally feel settled and enjoy our new location. Chuck is our HERO!" Phil and Janet
Andy Romano is a successful motion picture character actor with over 40 years in "the Biz." Mr. Romano has a home in beautiful Santa Barbara, California, but he chooses to live most of the time here in Sequim, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula in the great Pacific Northwest. Why? In his own words, "Because it's even more beautiful and surrounded by more beauty in this incredibly peaceful and quiet place. With respect to real estate agents or brokers, well my friend Chuck Marunde, owner of Sequim and Port Angeles Real Estate, is hands down the best there is." Andy Romano
"I’ve known Chuck Marunde for several years. My wife and I bought and sold one house through his services, and now have another listed through him for sale. Whether Chuck was representing us as the buyer or seller, I am confident he always had our best interests at heart. He helped us set or negotiate a reasonable price, and made sure there was a clear and open line of communication. He responded rapidly to email and phone calls and always knew the best person to contact for the various services involved in a transaction. I have worked with quite a few real estate agents and Chuck is right at the top of my list of good ones. Actually, Chuck is first and foremost just a good person, and he carries his personal honesty and integrity over into his profession. He has the greatest depth of experience in real estate of any agent or broker I have known. His years of practicing real estate law prior to becoming a broker are evident in the meticulous care he takes with the process and documentation. I am impressed by the way Chuck has integrated internet services into his real estate business. He probably knows more about this process than any other realtor in the country. In this tight market it is important to use every possible means to spread the word about available properties…to reach the few people who might be interested in a particular property." Steve L.
“When Chuck told me I not only got a Realtor with decades of experience, but I also got his knowledge and experience as a real estate attorney for 20 years totally free, I couldn’t believe it. But it was true, and I strongly recommend Chuck to anyone dealing with real estate.” Susan
"We contacted Chuck to be our buyer’s agent for our purchase of a home in the Sequim area. Throughout the entire process he was enjoyable to work with, and we found him to be exceptionally knowledgeable, thorough and diligent on our behalf. He was in constant contact and always readily available and responsive by phone and email. We were buying from out of state and unable to cover the various steps in the process, so we really appreciated Chuck’s willingness to personally handle what we needed to have done. He coordinated and attended the various inspections, followed up on our numerous questions and requests relating to the sale (including measuring rooms and sending photos), and even conducted the final walk through of the property for us. We particularly valued his advice on a number of different issues that arose – and that he handled for us – during the transaction. In short, we were very impressed with Chuck and would recommend him highly to anyone who is considering purchasing (or selling) in the Sequim area." Ed and Sharlene
“Chuck Marunde’s level of expertise in real estate investment is amazing. His knowledge, experience and legal training have given me a dramatic advantage in real estate investing. He works hard to stay on the cutting edge of real estate marketing, sound advice and value-added service for his clients.” Kirk Wald, Financial Planner
"Our experience in working with Chuck Marunde was very enjoyable, he is a knowledgeable, dedicated professional who knows the real estate market extremely well. The thing we like most about Chuck is that he is a realist, he is very well versed in what is going on in the current volatile market and he understands "true value" in the market. Chuck is a honest and loyal leader in his field who really goes the extra mile to please the customer at every level. Having the legal background is a real bonus when it comes to negotiating a real estate transaction, Chuck is the guy you want in your corner when you come to the buying table." Sara and Ken
"We are ex-Washington residents who currently live in Arizona. We had been searching the Puget Sound area four years for a waterfront property to build a retirement home when we first contacted Chuck Marunde through his website. We had made multiple trips to various areas but most of the Realtors we contacted simply sent us an email, provided no follow up and did next to nothing to help us locate a property. On our first trip to Port Angeles, after connecting with Chuck, we purchased our dream property. We now own a high bank waterfront lot overlooking the Straight of Jaun de Fuca, and are excited to become part of the Peninsula community." Paul and Linda
"Chuck, I visit your site just about every day to see what is going on in Sequim. Although I have never been there, it is on my short list for a retirement home in 2014, when I turn 66. (Save me a house!). I do hope you are still in business then so you can help me find a little house for me and my cats with a view of some water. :-)" Ruth
Over a year ago, during a visit to the Olympic Game Farm, we developed what we eventually called the “Sequim Syndrome.” We live in New Mexico and decided Sequim was where we wanted to live in retirement. On our second visit to Sequim, we met with Chuck and asked him to help us. Chuck's web site provides such amazing search capabilities. Chuck's site also contains a 1000 blog postings and a real estate video series detailing buying real estate in Sequim. We bought Chuck's book about Sequim real estate and set out to follow his advice carrying on an ongoing email and phone conversation with Chuck. Doing our due diligence “Marunde style” and using his MLS search site, we came up with about 50 homes that met our needs. We narrowed the list down to 15 properties that best met our needs. We came back to Sequim a third time with our list in hand, and Chuck spent two days with us showing us all the homes on our list. Not only did Chuck help us find that dream home, he spent time to educate us about the quality of construction, fair market values of various properties, home layouts, and the joys of Sequim living. We had a great time as we traveled from house to house. By mid afternoon of the second day, my wife said we had found “the house.” Chuck helped us draft our offer and sent our offer to the seller's agent. It turned out there was a second offer made on the property at the same time. Chuck's help to make a clean offer paid off. At breakfast two days later, we got a call from Chuck saying our offer had been accepted by the sellers. We are now back home in New Mexico. Chuck attends every inspection on our behalf, updating us at every turn by email and phone. Our dream home is becoming a reality because of Chuck and because we were smart enough to follow his advice. We absolutely would NOT have been able to do this without Chuck Marunde's expertise and enthusiasm. We recommend Chuck to everyone planning a move to Sequim, Port Angeles, or anywhere on the Olympic Peninsula. Chuck is a gold mine of information and expertise for home buyers everywhere, not just on the Olympic Peninsula. Larry and Shirley
During the months of February and March 2012, Chuck showed my wife and I over two dozen homes from Port Angeles to Port Townsend. We found Chuck to be very helpful, friendly and courteous. With Chuck there is no pressure; It is all about finding the best home for the buyer. As a Buyer's Agent, Chuck will give you his honest opinion of a property, including a fair market price. In one instance Chuck wrote up an offer for us which was accepted. Chuck was very helpful arranging for home and well inspections which involved multiple trips to the property. Unfortunately, escrow failed to close when, during the home inspection process, it was determined that a septic system repair was needed which the seller was unwilling/unable to make. We will continue to work with Chuck as there is no better Buyer's Agent on the North Olympic Peninsula. Bert and Sally
One Response for "Seattle RE BarCamp"
Kudos to you for your constant involvement in the changing real estate world ! As you mention in the article, it is surprising that not one person from the real estate community from Clallam County attended. Guess they think they are above this. From our experience, when we were looking for real estate in the Port Angeles area a few years ago, we knew more of what was going on at times then our agent. Some agents do not even know what is happening in their area. They don’t make it a point to find out so again, as a buyer, we did our own homework. Many agents DO NOT want to change, but it is inevitable. Those keeping on top of new technology will be the ones to survive this market. The days of buyers just signing the line are over ! We as buyers and sellers are more in tune and have access to most any information you need to know BEFORE you sign that line. Some of the local architects and home designers need to get with the program as well. The computer could save hours of design time if they would buy the software to show the virtual design ! As you say , as a buyer , we were frustrated as well with some of the archaic systems being used. We suggested to one architect to use SKYPE, as we live out of state . This would have helped us SEE many things and be able to discuss “real time” many details, changes, and problems. It is a FREE service. But they just don’t want to bother. No wonder buyer and sellers are “turned off”. Thanks Chuck, for doing all you can to assist future buyers and sellers. Keep the info coming !!!!
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