Chuck Marunde Podcasts

If you live in California, you know the reasons people are leaving California, although reasons are always weighted based on how they affect us personally. This list of California problems is long, but not necessarily comprehensive, but I just want to emphasize that none of these issues exist in the Sequim area. This is why Sequim, Washington is one of the best places to retire in the U.S. The list is kind of ugly: apocalyptic forest fires, floods and mudslides, droughts, pollution, infested dying trees by the millions, grossly overpriced real estate, increasing nightmare crime statistics, unending traffic congestion, illegal alien invasions, massive fracking and drilling, never-ending increases in taxes and regulations, unstoppable government spending at all levels, and what has become a form of political insanity I’ve referred to Sequim as “Paradise” long before I knew there was a Paradise, California, and that goes back at least as far as December 27, 2012 on this blog. It is tragic that Paradise is gone, and there are serious questions about whether it will ever make a comeback. In any event, I hope you will visit Sequim if you are one of the great Californians considering leaving California. My California clients absolutely love Sequim, and never plan to leave.

How much due diligence should you do before you submit an offer to the seller? First, let’s make sure we’re on the same sheet of music by defining “due diligence.” Due diligence is the research you will want to do on a home and the property before you close on the transaction. The bottom line is you need to know if there are any serious issues that would cause you to walk away from the property, which is all part of doing your due diligence.

Can you buy a home in the name of a revocable trust?

When the real estate market tops out and begins to turn downward (and we never really know it at the time), a home seller can end up reducing the listing price again and again, in effect chasing the price down.

What is it that Realtors are not telling you about advertising your home for sale and particularly about print advertising. Chuck Marunde shares from 40 years of experience, and you won't want to miss this if you plan to sell your home.

The Sequim Blue Hole in Sequim WA is very real with only 16 inches of rain per year compared to Seattle's 45 inches per year. 

Ever wonder what the home buying process looks like? Here it is in a nutshell, nice and tidy by Real Estate Broker and attorney (ret.) Chuck Marunde.

It's unfortunate when a dictator is the President of the homeowner association, and it can be a nightmare for a lot of people. What can you do?

Noise pollution can affect your health, so put this on your due diligence checklist when shopping for a home.

Are we moving into a crisis with affordable real estate prices? There are indications on the horizon that a warning signs.

Buyer expectations and reality often collide, which means you have some work to do as a buyer online long before you arrive in Sequim to look at homes.

Growing up in a 900 square foot cabin in remote Alaska was quite an adventure for a little boy.

The home inspection is an important part of the due diligence a buyer will want to do, but knowing what is reasonable and unreasonable in your requests for repairs is vital, especially in a seller's market.

At what point do you have a moral obligation to a Realtor? This podcasts answers the question thoroughly, and it puts your interest above all.

Quite a few people moving to the Sequim area want fresh eggs in the morning and chickens. Having a mini-farm is a fun idea. I have one. So what do you do as a buyer to find properties that allow chickens?

Clandestine land fills are portions of a property that was filled in long ago so you can't notice it, but was it done to hide contaminants or garbage, or is it unstable to build upon?

Contaminated grouind water has an ugly sound to it, doesn't it? Another important due diligence step for buyers.

Buried fuel tanks can be an environmental nightmare that could cost a small fortune to clean up as required by federal law, so this is a rather important due diligence step in the buying process.

Our buyer video series is a great resource for buyers, and no other brokerage has created anything like these videos for buyers.

The home inspecton is unquestionably the most important step in the due diligence process, so be sure you know how to do it and interpret it and negotiate.

When you buy a home with a private well, you may want to have a well inspection as part of your due diligence. 

The bluffs around Sequim have been stable for decades, until about 5 years ago. Since then we have seen surprising erosion occuring north of Sequim. 

Community water systems (shared wells) can work out just fine, but there are some things that buyers need to know in advance.

Many homeowners would like to sell their own homes, and they have two reasons, either to save the commission, or they hate real estate brokers. But they usually have almost zero ability to reach highly qualified buyers. There's much more to marketing a home today.

There's so much to selling a home today in this Internet age, and unfortunately for homeowners wanting to sell, the vast majority of real estate brokers around the United States are simply not up to speed on Internet market and do not market to the most qualified buyers using technology.

Sequim Buyer's Agent Chuck Marunde's intro to buyers from around the country and planning to retire in sunny Sequim, Washington.

In farm country or rural areas, every once in a great while, it is discovered that a fence is not precisely on the boundary line. Oops! Now what?

Every once in a while a driveway is not entirely on your own property. What if it crosses the neighbor's property?

Oh oh. What happens if the neighbor cuts down some of your trees accidentally, or on purpose?

The trap of being the good samaritan finds a place in real estate, too.

You could have a neighbor with tree branches that overhange your fence onto your property. What does this involve, or what are your rights?

If you share a driveway with neighbors, you might have a private road maintenance agreement . . . or not. Here are some things to think about.

The Olympic Peninsula is surrounded by water, so view easements are important in some areas, but there are some traps for the unwary here, too.

Never heard of a private speed bump? If you share a driveway easement with neighbors, you may need one.

If you've never had a private well and only lived on municipal water systems, you have a small learning curve to get over. But this podcasts will tell you the fundamentals.

Shared wells are private wells shared by a small number of people. There are a few critical things to know if you are going to share a common well.

A private well is protected by a 100 foot well circle, and there are limitations on activities within that circle.

Buying vacant land is full of danger, and you need to know what kind of due diligence to do in advance of your purchase.