Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate Blog also registered as iRealty Virtual Brokers

The Most Powerful Argument to Buy Real Estate Now

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 00:43:28 -0800

This article is one of the most powerful reasons people should shift assets from the stock market and retirement mutual funds to real estate NOW before they lose 30% to 70% of their retirement. The author is an economist, real estate attorney (ret.), was a registered financial adviser, and now a real estate broker. He is also the author of six books and thousands of articles. Share this article with your clients and give them the strongest argument you can to shift into single family homes right now. The Myth of Traditional Retirement and Why You Must Buy Real Estate Now to Survive

Sequim Real Estate and Travel

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 04:53:40 -0800

Many retirees are looking at Sequim real estate, which makes sense since Sequim, Washington owns the famous Sequim Blue Hole or the Sequim Rain Shadow where the rainfall is one-third that of Seattle. For retirees planning to come and look at Sequim real estate, they may also be thinking about how they will travel to visit children and grandchildren. Is Sequim close enough to an aiport and how difficult are travel arrangements from Sequim to many other areas of the country? A trip from Sequim to Vegas starts with a two hour drive to SeaTac. Parking is easy, and I recommend a secured parking lot I have been using for years, MVP Airport Parking. They will park your car and drive you to the airport which is only a few minutes away, and they charge $10.95 per day. SeaTac is a beautiful airport, and if you plan ahead and get their early, you’ll find some nice restaurants after you get through security. The journey an adventure. Why not make it a fun trip? The flight to Vegas was only an hour and twenty-nine minutes (we had a huge tailwind). The cost of flying round trip to Vegas is typically $225 to $250. In this photo above riding on a ski lift, I’m in the middle with my son, Bristol, on my right and my other son, Brady, is on my left. We drove to Brian Head Ski Lodge in Utah just across the border and spent the night in a condo, ate a delicious steak dinner, then soaked in the hot tub and caught up with great conversation. I started my sons skiing when they were very young, and we made it a Marunde family tradition to hit the ski slopes every winter, so we have fond memories of all the great times (and even some of the hilarious crashes). Of course, I never fell myself. My oldest son, Jesse, was missing on this trip as he went home to be with the Lord a few years ago, but my time with my sons this weekend was one of the best weekends I’ve ever had. My sons are incredible men now, men of good character, hard workers, and great family men. I’m very proud of them. This is what you can expect if you retire in Sequim. You can travel to visit your family and enjoy your trip. But most of all you can enjoy your children and grandchildren. What a blessing! Learn more about Sequim WA at the largest Sequim real estate blog with over 1,500 articles at Sequim Real Estate.

Sequim Real Estate for Buyers

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 05:09:27 -0700

Sequim real estate has become a hot item, and retirees from around the country are searching for their idea of the perfect Sequim real estate. Now they have help. The largest Sequim real estate blog with over 1,400 articles gives buyers more relevant information about Sequim real estate than any other source. Sequim Real Estate Help This Sequim real estate blog is written specifically for retirees who are planning to move to the Sequim or Port Angeles area. There are answers for almost every question buyers have been asking about Sequim real estate for 20 years. You'll find answers on issues like: What is the best Sequim MLS site?, Tips About Negotiating Price on Sequim Real Estate, Sequim Septic Systems, An Insider Perspective on Sequim Home Prices, Mistakes Sellers Are Making, Traps for Unwary Buyers, Is the Sequim Real Estate Market Recovering?, Things Buyers Wish They Knew, How to Search for Sequim Homes and Land, Private Wells, Homeowners' Associations, Sequim Weather, Sequim Recreation, Sequim Volunteer Work, The Land Buyer's Checklist, Home Inspection Issues, and much more. You'll find this rich resource at Sequim Real Estate. Sequim Real Estate MLS The most powerful and easy to navigate MLS site is free to use and is located at Sequim Home Listings. Sequim Real Estate Answers Buyers can also ask Sequim real estate questions from real estate attorney (ret.) Chuck Marunde, J.D. who is also a Sequim Buyer's Agent and the broker of Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate. There is a real estate site devoted to Sequim Real Estate Q&A which you'll find at Sequim WA.

What Makes a Great Realtor Today?

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:13:34 -0800

How would you describe a great real estate agent? Consider this. A person will spend $300 at a doctor's office, and expect that doctor to have University degrees and advanced medical degrees and a long internship, plus we also want a senior doctor with many years of experience. When we see a dentist, we also expect him to have 18+ years of education and a lot of experience, and we expect all that even if we are only spending a couple of hundred dollars. So when a consumer invests his life savings or several hundred thousand dollars in a home, shouldn't he demand that his real estate agent have a relevant education and the experience that will protect him and help him meet his goals? Finding and hiring a good real estate agent ought to be high on the due diligence checklist. What Defines a Good Real Estate Agent? I've compiled a list of skills a good real estate agent would have on one side compared to many others in the business. Which Realtor would you choose? Would you choose the agent with all of these marked "yes" or the agent with only some of these qualifications? Of course, a good real estate agent doesn't necessarily have to have all of these qualifications, but the more the better. Just Pick a Good Real Estate Agent I compiled this list of what defines a good real estate agent because I hope to get consumers thinking about what they want and require in a real estate agent. You might compile a slightly different list for what you feel is important. I do believe that just picking up the phone and hiring anyone with a license is not in a consumer's best interests. Just hiring an agent because he or she is the spouse of a friend or has been referred by someone says absolutely nothing about their qualifications. Just because he or she is in your club or church also may be nice, but says absolutely nothing about qualifications. Remember, even honesty does not make up for a lack of qualifications.

Sequim Real Estate Seminar for Sellers

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 08:04:46 -0700

ANNOUNCEMENT: A Sequim Real Estate Seminar for sellers will be held this coming Monday, June 11th from 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening at the Sequim Library. The seminar is free for Sequim homeowners. Seating is limited and you can register online right now. Sequim Real Estate Seminar for Sequim Homeowners Topics covered will include: How to bridge the gap from the traditional approach to the new world of marketing. Discover what new marketing techniques have replaced print newspapers & magazines. Find out the deadly sins that almost guarantee you won’t sell your home. Learn how to connect with “qualified buyers.” Learn how to price your home to sell (that doesn’t mean keep reducing the price). Learn how buyers think today. Learn about the importance of social media & other technologies. Find out about search engines, SEO and how buyers search for Sequim homes. Learn the truth about what marketing techniques work and which ones do not. Seating is limited, so it would be good to register right away. Register online for the Sequim Real Estate Seminar now at How to Sell a Home in This Market. Your Sequim Real Estate Seminar Instructor will be Chuck Marunde. Chuck is a Sequim Real Estate Broker, a 37 year real estate veteran, a 20-year real estate attorney, the author of two real estate books, including one written for real estate agents entitled, The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents. Chuck is recognized as one of the nation's experts on Internet marketing and how to bridge the gap from traditional real estate marketing to the new world of marketing. He has taught thousands of agents around the country, and for the first time is going to share some of these strategies with Sequim homeowners. Register online for the Sequim Real Estate Seminar now at How to Sell a Home in This Market.

Have You Dealt With an Unprofessional Realtor?

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:12:45 -0700

So you're on one end of a real estate transaction, and the Realtor on the other end hits you with an off-the-wall, irrational, and offensive email or phone call. You shake your head in disbelief and wonder, "Where did that come from?" If you are in the business for a long time, you will be confronted by the unprofessional Realtor. They are out there. So what do you do? How do you respond? Having practiced real estate for 37 years, including 20 years as a real estate attorney dealing with the periodic unprofessional or incompetent Realtor, I have a few suggestions that may be helpful. First, don't respond in kind. Pause. Take a deep breath. Consider what the other agent has written or said. Could there be some truth to it even though the agent may have been less than articulate? Self reflection is an important part of growing personally and professionally. Pride will steal your growth, so my suggestion is that we never shy away from the truth. We should listen and look in the mirror for flaws in our behavior or in how we handled a relationship or transaction. Second, after some reflection, if we conclude we did handle a situation competently and professionally and correctly, then take what the other agent says with a big grain of salt. Don't let an unprofessional agent ruin your day. If you have confidence (not arrogance) that you handled the situation in a reasonably correct manner, then you can go to sleep with a clear conscience. Let the other agent have a sleepless night dealing with his or her own bitterness and dysfunctional behavior. As for you (and me), we can rest in peace and know that "someone" has issues. Third, it is okay to set the record straight, but do so very diplomatically and choose your words carefully. Be especially cautious that you state or re-state the facts accurately. If you slip and mistate the facts or inject opinion that offends the other agent, you have just given him or her ammunication to shoot at you. This is like fanning flames that would otherwise go out. Be accurate, be articulate and to the point, and be kind. Fourth, assume that everything you write in that email will be on the front page of your local newspaper. That should help you tone it down and be objective and professional, even in your response to a Realtor who is being unprofessional. Fifth, these tips will guide you in all your professional relationships. Remember, it's not who wins an argument that counts. It's who honors all their relationships and lives with integrity, extending grace and mercy to everyone in every transaction. After all, someday you may need a little grace and mercy from the other agent.

Search for Sequim Real Estate in the MLS Online

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Mon, 28 May 2012 04:43:36 -0700

You can search the Sequim Real Estate MLS online with a powerful site, and this video explains how to get the most out of your search:

New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents 2nd Edition

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:22:48 -0700

Real estate broker and retired real estate attorney Chuck Marunde has written a new book which has just been released. The title of the book is, The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents. This is a 2nd edition and almost a new book compared to the 1st edition. The 2nd edition doubles the size of the book and includes very practical, but still largely unknown, tips on marketing real estate and connecting with buyers. The purpose of the book is to help real estate agents all over the country make the transition from the traditional brokerage to the New World of Marketing. All agents will have to figure out how to bridge the gap, or they will go out of business. Consumers have moved on, but many agents and brokers around the country have not. As a real estate broker, I've had to learn how to bridge the gap from the old to the new, and for years I've tracked what successful agents are doing around the country. I've also tracked the broker bankruptcies, mergers, and consolidations. Real Estate Broker Discusses the Brokerage of the Future The book reviews traditional real estate brokerage and how consumer demand and preferences have changed and how technology has changed the entire real estate industry. In the context of a major real estate recession, the book's marketing concepts are cutting edge concepts and frankly way out ahead of the traditional brokers we all have known so well for decades. Many brokerages are still operating with a 20-year old business model and still primarily using the same marketing and sales techniques. But times have changed, and what used to work to sell a home and to connect with buyers does not work so well anymore. There are entirely new technologies, new methods, new business models, and a new generation of buyers who have moved into the future already. Real Estate Broker Training Realtors Traditional brokerage has relied heavily on print advertising, flyers, open houses, and even billboards, not to mention huge luxurious bricks-and-mortar offices, and this has been true for three decades. Agents today who practice under a traditional business model are still using many outdated methods. This is not about the character or integrity of agents. It is about the dramatic changes taking place in the industry and how agents can and must bridge the gap from the old to the new. Real Estate Broker Speaks to Sellers As a real estate broker I wish that I could sit down with every homeowner who wants to sell their home and every homeowner who has been unable to sell their home. Of course, that is impossible. I do not do mass mailings to reach all of these people, and I do not cold call expired listings. I also do not run expensive print ads in the newspaper. All that is very expensive and not very effective. But guess who is doing their due diligence on the Internet when it comes to real estate? Buyers! Buyers are doing extensive Internet research, but the vast majority of sellers are not. To reach a larger audience, I decided to write The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents. The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents, 2nd Edition, has been endorsed by big names in the industry, including Tom Hopkins, who is known by almost every Realtor in the country as a top trainer, motivator and author. “With more and more people depending upon social media and the Internet for information, that’s where today’s real estate agent must be in order to gain new clients. Chuck Marunde’s book is well written and provides great information. Agents who want to be in the right place at the right time for the future need to read this book.” Tom Hopkins The book has also been endorsed by well known national trainer and author Don Hobbs, and by a broker who has sold over half a billion dollars in real estate, Beau Weidman. Don't buy the first edition which is still in Amazon.com, because the 2nd Edition will replace the 1st Edition entirely is available right now exclusively through this link below. The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents can be ordered at The New World of Marketing.

Assessed Tax Value vs. Sales Price

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:15:50 -0700

How does the assessed tax value and the sales price of homes compare compare? This is a question I get from clients moving to my local market, and because it’s different around the country, clients ask me if the county assessed tax value of the home they might buy is the same as fair market value or the price at which homes actually sell. In other words, would an independent bank appraisal be the same as the County tax assessment? If you are going to make an offer on a home (or write an offer for a client), wouldn’t you like to know if the assessed tax value is a good indicator of the true FMV? Clients are willing to pay a reasonable price, but they don’t want to over pay for a home in this market. Read full article at: Assessed Tax Value vs. Sales Price

Buyers Are Taking Control on the Internet

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:38:51 -0700

Buyers of real estate today are taking their searches and their methods to entirely new levels, thanks to the Internet. Buyers want access to instant information that is free, and they do not want the kind of uncomfortable confrontation that occurs when they have to pick up the phone and call a salesman. I believe there are two powerful reasons for this change. First, the Internet has given consumers the ability to search the multiple listing service in their target markets at no cost anytime of the day or night. When I first started in real estate before the Internet, I had an MLS book that was published every Friday with all the listings in it. People had to actually come into the office and sit down with me while we thumbed through this two-inch thick book. Now, buyers can jump on the Internet from the comfort of their homes and search the MLS without even talking to a real estate agent. They like that. Second, there is a cultural shift occurring that is fueled by consumers. Technology has facilitated consumers' desires to move away from traditional high pressure sales and from traditional advertising. Buyers do not like being force fed news and advertising without choice. They don't like being told what to do. Consumers want to have the power to decide what they look for, who they talk to (or don't talk to), and who they do business with. And they want to be able to come and go as they gather information without being hindered. The advent of the Internet and the explosive growth of technology on the Internet to facilitate consumers is a Godsend for the majority of Americans. Even the news that consumers are reading is part of this cultural change. They are shifting from print newspapers to the Internet at the speed of light, and they are loving the fact that they get to choose what news to read. A fascinating study by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism examined what news consumers are reading when they have a choice: The question of whether citizens define the news differently than professionals is becoming increasingly relevant. It started with offering visitors a sense of what others found interesting: what news stories were most emailed and most viewed? Soon, establishment news sites like CBSNews.com allowed users to make their own newscasts. Then, names like Digg, Reddit and Del.icio.us emerged as virtual town squares that became a way to measure the pulse of what the web community finds most newsworthy, most captivating, or just amusing. The trend continues, as even Myspace, the social networking site popular among 20-somethings, has launched a news page (http://news.myspace.com). Some key findings include: The news agenda of the three user-sites that week was markedly different from that of the mainstream press. Many of the stories users selected did not appear anywhere among the top stories in the mainstream media coverage studied. And there was often little in the way of follow-up. Most stories on the user-news sites appeared only once, never to be repeated again in the week we studied. The sources user news sites draw on are strikingly different from the mainstream media. Seven in ten stories on the user sites come either from blogs or Web sites such as YouTube and WebMd that do not focus mostly on news. The three user news sites differed from one another in subtle ways. Reddit was the most likely to focus on political events from Washington, such as coverage of Vice President Cheney; Digg was particularly focused on the release of Apple's new iPhone; Del.icio.us had the most fragmented mix of stories and the least overlap with the News Index. On Yahoo Newseven when picking from a limited list of stories Yahoo editors had already pared down users top stories only rarely matched those of the news professionals. Consumers are taking control of what and how they gather information. That is true with the news and the advertising they choose to read, or ignore, and it is true today about how they search for and buy real estate. Home buyers can search a beautiful map based multiple listing service (see example of an MLS search that is easy to navigate and graphically pleasing), they can search the locale of interest with a Google search to find for-sale-by-owners, to find an exclusive buyer's agent, to read local real estate blogs, and view photos of the area. They can do all of this from the comfort of their home without talking to a single salesman. The vast majority of buyers are not using real estate portals either. Buyers are no longer pulled by the big names of real estate companies branded on billboards or on TV commercials. The dominant branding of big names that was such a major factor in the 60's, 70's, and 80's has faded just as the Internet has grown. Consumer loyalty is no longer to the "branded companies." Consumers are loyal to themselves, and that is the way it should be. Technology has finally given the consumer what they have always wanted--the power to choose. They choose the information they view, how and when they view it, and they choose what to do with that information without interference from anyone. Buyers are taking control, and they love it.

What a Virtual Office is Really Like! It's Exciting!

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 06:29:16 -0700

I remember saying to myself, "A virtual office could never take the place of a real office." What a surprise it was for me when I first "walked into" a virtual office. After a one hour meeting in a virtual office, I felt exactly as I did when I attended a physical office meeting. Let me explain that, because if you haven't experienced a fully immersed virtual office (not a Webinar or GoToMeeting or a chat session), you might not understand what it is like. When I first entered a virtual office, I walked into the big conference room by using my mouse and walking forward, and it looked just like a theater with a stage and a podium and seating. One of the participants looked at me as I walked in and greeted me and introduced me to a friend just like we would in a physical office. We chatted for a minute, took our virtual seats, and then the meeting got started. I sipped on a gourmet cup of Starbucks Espresso at my computer. The speaker was at the podium and shared a slide presentation while he talked, and we were able to ask questions during the presentation. All of this was live and virtual. Later that day I realized that I experienced the same feelings as when I attended a physical office meeting of that nature. I learned what I wanted to know. I had great personal conversations with friends, made a new friend, and emotionally I experienced the same feelings. It was a real awakening for me. The virtual office is extraordinarily efficient and as personally satisfying as a physical office meeting. The difference was that I didn't have to drive for three hours one way to attend the meeting. The reality is most agents have an office at home already. A computer with an Internet connection, a printer and scanner, and you've got an office. It's as simple as that. The argument is often made that some agents don't have the discipline to work at home. Okay, but it's not that hard to learn. The virtual office is not just the office of the future, it is the office of today, and agents who are early adopters are getting on board. Many are earning 70% to 100% of their income through leads generated with powerful Internet marketing systems. I can tell you that building a successful virtual business is very satisfying, just as if I had built a physical business down the street. Why are we moving toward virtual offices from the traditional bricks-and-mortar? Because that's what clients want and demand. Because they are using the Internet to find their homes and their buyers' representatives. Because buyers want free information and they want it available 24/7 any day of the week. Because buyers want powerful online services and do not want high pressure sales or cold calls anymore. Because buyers are the consumers who determine what the demand is, and real estate agents and brokers must respond to the demand or buyers will go elsewhere. Notice that it isn't the real estate industry that has decided to move the office from the bricks-and-mortar to virtual reality. It certainly isn't real estate brokers or agents who initiated this paradigm. It is consumers, particularly buyers who have made this happen. This is nothing more than the American free enterprise system. Supply and demand. It's Adam Smith and Milton Friedman. Suppliers respond to demanders, not the other way around. Buyers want to be in control of their buying decisions and the entire process. Internet technologies have given consumers what they want--the power to be in control. The virtual office is a huge benefit to consumers and to real estate agents. This has been a preview of my all new updated and expanded 2nd edition to The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents, which will be out in a few weeks. If you'd like to receive an email notifying you when it is available in the iBookStore as an eBook, email me. By the way, if you would like a personal tour of the eXp Virtual office, let me know, and I'd be glad to show you around. Make sure you have a cup of coffee in your hand, because this is going to feel very real.

Sequim Real Estate eBook for Buyers

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 04:12:55 -0700

There's a new Sequim Real Estate eBook out and available as a download, Buying and Selling Real Estate in the Rain Shadow of Sequim, in an eBook format for the iPad and other eBook readers using the ePub format. The book looks beautiful on an iPad. The fonts are easily changed on an iPad, and the size of the fonts can be increased or decreased. This technology is great, and the eBook includes color photos. Sequim Real Estate eBook for iPad This eBook is not quite 300 pages (depending on the size of the font you use), but it does includes relevant links to hundreds of articles, videos, and audios, as well as tools to learn all about Sequim real estate. This is a great tool for buyers who want to avoid traps for the unwary and who want to find the perfect home and negotiate the best possible price. While this eBook is written with Sequim, Washington in mind, buyers all over the U.S. will find the practical tips and insider secrets that 30 year veteran real estate attorney and real estate broker Chuck Marunde shares. Sequim Real Estate eBook for eBook Readers The purpose of this Sequim real estate eBook is to give buyers the knowledge they need to make the best buying decisions for their Sequim home. I openly share what you might think of as "insider secrets," because I want my buyers to have the advantage. You can download this Sequim real estate eBook right now.

Sequim WA, the Rainshadow and Motorcycles

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 06:31:12 -0700

Sequim WA is absolutely beautiful and sunny today. Summer is finally here! Everything is blooming, the grass is growing fast and green, and the fresh smells of flowers and rich vegetation is everywhere. But if you're a motorcycle rider, you will be in Heaven on the Olympic Peninsula. Our curvy two lane shoreline and high bluff roads are a motorcycle driver's dream. Check out the Sequim news at Sequim Real Estate.

Sequim Real Estate

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:52:13 -0700

Sequim Real Estate Links(9 Key Links to Find Your Home)Sequim Real Estate Just SoldSequim Featured ListingsSearch Sequim MLSSequim Real Estate Market ReportsSequim Relocation Package OnlineSequim Real Estate LawSequim Custom Home BuilderSequim Custom Homes Blog Sequim Real Estate NewsletterSequim Newsletter

Drive to LaPush Beach of Twilight Lore

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 06:25:39 -0700

La Push Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Olympic Peninsula. For those fans of the movie Twilight, you'll recognize La Push Beach as one of the scenes in the teenage vampire love story. La Push is about a hour and a half drive from Sequim, but what a great way to spend a weekend afternoon on a sunny day. I took my 14 year old daughter and two of her friends and we picnicked on the beach and explored all afternoon. I highly recommend this trip.

Download Your Free Book for Realtors

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:43:09 -0700

I just wrote a new book entitled, The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents, Early Adopters: The New Millionaires. It sells on Amazon for $14.95, but I'd like to have some fun and see if we can make it go viral by offering it as a download right here on ActiveRain at no cost: http://sequim-real-estate-blog.com/book/temp/newworld.pdf

Seattle RE BarCamp: Free Book with Registration

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:36:22 -0800

The Seattle RE BarCamp is the best of the best when it comes to technology and Internet marketing in the real estate industry. This one day training camp is very popular, and is coming up March 3rd, 2011 under the shadow of the Seattle Space Needle. I expect at least 600 real estate agents, mortgage reps, title and escrow reps, and social media marketing attendees at the 4th annual Seattle RE BarCamp. Topics will likely include the latest in Internet marketing techniques, search engine optimization, effective blogging, social media and the new wave of virtual networking, video production and marketing with green screen techniques (to be taught by yours truly), cloud software, the latest in CRM, modern advertising v. traditional advertising, paradigm shifting real estate brokerage concepts, dramatic changes in the mortgage industry, and much more. This year's Seattle RE BarCamp will have what we are calling "newbie sessions," in which a facilitator will share fundamentals and get right to the point for those who want to cut to the chase to make money in their business in this competitive environment. Many who attend this BarCamp are the top producers in their specialites. These are the movers and shakers, the people who are ahead of the crowd. That makes the open discussions even more valuable. Imagine, for example, what it would be like if you could hire the top producing Realtors in the Northwest, to share their most successful techniques with you, openly and honestly! Imagine if you could talk to the agents who were having great success with blogging, with video marketing, and agents who are using social media to generate millions of dollars in business! That's what Seattle RE BarCamp is all about. Sharing, encouraging, inspiring, and collaborating. In the end, we come and share because we realize we aren't competitors--we're friends on the same pilgrimage. I believe we must re-invent ourselves and take advantage of new technologies, or we will find our businesses drying up and we'll be left behind. If you're not inspired after attending this BarCamp, check your pulse. You do not want to be like so many in the real estate industry who have not kept up with the extraordinary changes that have been taking place. They are the walking dead, but like Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, they just don't know they're dead. This year a new book has been published by a local author that is a perfect fit for the Seattle RE BarCamp. It is entitled, The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents, Early Adopters: The New Millionaires. It has been my pleasure to write and publish this book, and the first 200 BarCamp attendees to register for their copy online will be able to pick up the paperback version at BarCamp at no cost. Reserve Your Copy Online Now. Dale Kreiser, Washington State Broker for eXp Realty, wrote the Forward, and here's an inspiring quote: "Since attending my first RE BarCamp in San Diego in 2009 with the likes of Tom Ferry and Stefan Swanepoel, I was hooked. The free flow of information and collaboration with other top agents and brokers is priceless. I am very excited about seeing all my RE friends at this year’s Seattle RE BarCamp. . . . RE BarCamp participants are diverse, although there are specific interests that bring them together. Using the Internet and new technologies is always a huge theme and business is a major theme, but BarCampers bring many passions, including art, design, hobbies, engineering, environmental responsibility, and social responsibility. All participants will find there is much to learn and teach at BarCamp. In the broadest sense, anyone who builds or uses the Internet is a part of the culture that drives BarCamp." Don't miss this year's Seattle RE BarCamp. You will be thankful you attended. Register online now for the Seattle RE BarCamp. I would encourage everyone to spread the word about the Seattle RE BarCamp by copying this post and re-posting it. You have Chuck Marunde's permission to do so, provided you copy the full article and all the links within the article, including this sentence so others can spread the good news. See you at BarCamp!

Brokerages Closing

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:33:49 -0800

Why join eXp Realty? Watch Video Answer

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 03:53:40 -0800

Why join eXp Realty? This short video explains why with Chuck Marunde, Attornry (Ret.) and Broker with eXp Realty.

Violent Change Coming for Real Estate Agents

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:51:11 -0800

The real estate business is obviously in the midst of dramatic changes, and that is certainly an understatement. I just published a new book entitled The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents (Early Adopters: The New Millionaires). The book will be available on Amazon for $14.95, but what I’d like to do for all my ActiveRainers right now is give you this free eBook version that can be immediately downloaded and read on your computer or iPad. Some traditional brokers undoubtedly will think I am a radical, but I think my arguments for a new business model are supported by the evidence. Here is an excerpt from the book. How is real estate marketing changing? The traditional bricks-and-mortar real estate brokerage is hemorrhaging, and all that keeps this archaic business model alive is consolidations. As offices close, some agents quit, but the survivors move their licenses to another sinking ship, a ship that looks just like the last one and often with the exact same name on the bow. The changes in real estate marketing are dramatic. According to the NAR, we’ve lost 300,000 agents nationwide since 2006, and one NAR spokesman suggested we need to drop from 1.1 million agents to 750,000. This past week two more offices closed in my small market, and the press is not writing about these closures. But this is happening all over the country–it’s just not front page news . . . for anyone who still reads the front page. These changes in real estate marketing are killing traditional business models. Bricks-and-mortar real estate brokerages that stubbornly refuse to bridge the gap to an entirely new business model will die a slow and painful death. It’s one thing for brokers to ride their own ship down, but it is quite another thing altogether for those brokers to sell tickets to real estate agents with promises they can’t keep. The most unfortunate thing about all of this is that the agents who think they are doing what it takes to survive are only re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Many of them truly do not know or comprehend how precarious their fate is. They know generally that real estate marketing has changed, but they are getting little genuine help from their brokers. Just like so many of the passengers on the Titanic near the end who smiled and kept saying, “Don’t worry, everything always works out alright,” traditional agents continue to greet people with a smile and wait for the phone to ring. But the ship is tilting, and they are at risk. They just don’t know what to do. I outline what I think the future real estate brokerage will look like, and how it will operate. It will be substantially different than the traditional brokerage of today. I love reading books on my iPad, and this eBook is a nice read on an iPad. It downloads in a pdf format, so you can read it on any device. Here’s the link for this free download. Enjoy. The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents. Comments are welcome and encouraged here, but please read the book before you critique it, because some of your arguments are debated in the book.

The New Virtual Real Estate Agent

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:07:54 -0800

New marketing techniques for real estate agents who want to bridge the gap from the old to the new, from the traditional bricks-and-mortar to the new real estate brokerage using cutting edge technologies and entirely new business techniques are shared in this new book by Chuck Marunde, The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents, Early Adopters: The New Millionaires. Watch this short video in which Chuck talks about the book. See more about The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents at MyMarketingPlan.biz.

The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:41:07 -0800

Virtual real estate agents will work more efficiently, less hours (maybe only 4 hours a day on core work), and generate more income with entirely new business models and technology using the Internet. They will focus on their clients' needs and their business tools will give their clients extraordinary personal customer service. These agents seek first and foremost a lifestyle that brings a deep sense of satisfaction. Money isn't their God, but having a smart business model and working hard will produce wealth. They will live more fulfilled lives, work with greater passion, cultivate rich relationships with their children and spouses and friends. They will enjoy recreation in nature as it was meant to be, and they will laugh harder and more often. Their lives will have meaning, and their children will grow up with a solid foundation, good values, strong character, and well prepared for life. This is the contrast between the traditional and the new. Who wants to live in the past when such a compelling vision of the future is not only possible, but is actually practiced today by a small number of real estate agents around the country. These agents are ahead of their time. These are the agents who will become the top producers and millionaires of this decade. This is the Introduction to my new book, The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents, Early Adopters: The Next Millionaires. Download the eBook at MyMarketingPlan.biz.

Real Estate Agent of the Future with Revenue Sharing

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 19:22:39 -0700

The real estate agent of the future will earn commissions plus a residual income not restricted by geographic boundaries. I produced several videos that explain how this will work. We are in the midst of an extraordinary opportunity. What will you do to position yourself to make more money than your competition? You definitely will want to see these videos. Real Estate Agent of the Future

Sequim Real Estate Online for Buyers

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:08:38 -0700

Sequim real estate online resources are right here for buyers. These websites and blogs are the most powerful online absolutely free resources for buyers of Sequim real estate in the Internet world. Sequim Real Estate Links(9 Key Links to Find Your Home)Sequim Real Estate Just SoldSequim Featured ListingsSearch Sequim MLSSequim Real Estate Market ReportsSequim Real Estate PodcastsSequim Relocation Package OnlineSequim Real Estate LawSequim Custom Home BuilderSequim Custom Homes Blog

Sequim Real Estate: Beautiful Home on 10 Acres

Chuck Marunde, Sequim Real Estate Broker (Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 07:31:09 -0700

Chuck Marunde | eXp Realty as Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate | chuckmarunde@gmail.com | (360) 775-5424

1715 Happy Valley Road, Port Angeles, WA

Beautiful custom home on 10 acres with barn and RV storage in private setting in Sequim, WA.

4BR/3BA Single Family House

offered at $795,000

Year Built	1994
Sq Footage	3,997
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3 full, 0 partial
Floors	1
Parking	2 Car garage
Lot Size	10 acres
HOA/Maint	$0 per month

DESCRIPTION

Sequim home for sale: New on the market is this Sequim custom home on 10 acres in a private setting, only a few miles from downtown Sequim with custom cherry cabinetry, Avonite solid surface black countertops, stainless steel appliances, wine cellar, 4 bedrooms, a den, an office, hot tub, double car garage, sprinkler system, and comfort that says this is home. There’s a custom built horse barn with two stalls, wash rack, hay loft, heated tack room with cabinets/storage, saddle racks, and washer and dryer hookups. The house has a double car garage and there’s a covered RV stall with hookups for electric, sewer, and water. The deck has Trex decking, and the house had all new roofing in 2010. This property is available exclusively through eXp Realty, also known as Sequim and Port Angeles Real Estate. There’s not another property like this in Sequim. This home is not in the MLS and it is shown only by appointment. Call Chuck Marunde for your private showing.

see additional photos below

PROPERTY FEATURES

- Fireplace	- High/Vaulted ceiling	- Walk-in closet
- Hardwood floor	- Tile floor	- Family room
- Living room	- Office/Den	- Dining room
- Dishwasher	- Refrigerator	- Stove/Oven
- Microwave	- Stainless steel appliances	- Laundry area - inside
- Balcony, Deck, or Patio	- Yard

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Photo 1	Photo 8
Photo 2	Photo 1
Photo 3	Photo 4
Photo 5	Photo 6
Photo 3	Photo 12
Photo 7	Photo 4
Photo 6	Photo 2
Photo 1	Photo 9
Photo 10	Photo 11

Contact info:

Chuck Marunde

eXp Realty as Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate

chuckmarunde@gmail.com

(360) 775-5424

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Aug 8, 2010, 10:13am PDT