Chuck Marunde is a Virtual Real Estate Broker in Sequim, Washington with over four decades in real estate, 20 years as a real estate lawyer, an author of many books and thousands of articles on real estate as well as videos. If you would like to learn more about his professional credentials, see further below, but now we want to get to the fun stuff.
You can check out Chuck’s many videos for Buyers on his video channel at: Sequim Real Estate Videos.
Who is Chuck Marunde on a personal level? When you hire a buyer’s agent or a listing agent, it isn’t just important that he or she be competent, professional, and experienced. Chuck is all of those things, but something else is important, too. Honesty, integrity, and character really do matter. These are not just hollow words to Chuck Marunde. So let’s take a peek behind the curtain.
Chuck grew up in Alaska in a 900 square foot cabin with his parents, two sisters and two brothers. Their cabin was heated with a 55-gallon barrel welded into a wood stove. A single kerosene lantern hanging from a 16-penny nail lit the entire cabin. The outhouse was a lonely walk in the middle of a dark cold winter night. Their little cabin burned 10 cords of firewood every winter.
Life in remote Alaska was harsh in the late ‘60s, but it was also rich with experiences and valuable lessons for life. Chuck worked his way through college as a firefighter for the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). After graduating from the University of Alaska with a B.A. in Economics, he got his teaching credentials and taught high school for two years. He then married and attended Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane while raising a family.
The Air Force and Prison Fellowship Ministries
Chuck joined the USAF and served four years as a Captain and a JAG. After the military, he worked for Chuck Colson and Prison Fellowship Ministries as Area Director of Nevada and Utah. He was drawn back to Washington as he looked for a safe place to raise his children. That’s when he found Sequim, Washington, and he finished 20 years of law practice in Sequim, one of the most beautiful areas of the country.
The Best Part of Chuck Marunde
But here’s the best part saved for last. Chuck’s proudest legacy would be his four children. Chuck’s oldest son, Jesse, became a professional strongman, and the second strongest man in the world in Chengdu, China. He became very popular around the world and especially in Europe where the Strongman contests are more popular. He had a heart to help young kids and changed a lot of lives for the better.
Chuck’s second son, Bristol, is also a professional athlete as a mixed martial artist living in the fight capital of the country, Las Vegas. In addition, he is a fight promoter, a real estate investor, and has his own wonderful family with two of the cutest boys on the planet.
Brady is the basketball player of the family, and at 6’4 he is quite an athlete, too. He is also a generous and gifted young man. He is a commercial fisherman in Alaska, a hard worker, and an entrepreneur.
And Sabrina is Chuck’s daughter. Her senior performance as Maria in the Sequim High School play, The Sound of Music, surprised a lot of Sequim residents with her natural acting and musical gifts. The theater was packed every night.
“I have an incredible life in Sequim. I love how all the pieces to the puzzle of my life fit together so perfectly right now, and I feel very blessed, because buyers trust me with the privilege of helping them find that ideal home where they will feel safe and be happy for the rest of their lives, and sellers trust me to market their property effectively to qualified buyer around the country. I love what I do, and I love my life in Sequim.”
Here’s a bullet list of Chuck Marunde’s experience:
- Over 30 years in real estate
- Real estate attorney for 20 years
- Founder and Broker of iRealty Virtual Brokers, dba Sequim & Port Angeles Real Estate, LLC
- Experience as an Escrow officer who personally closed hundreds of transactions
- Negotiated hundreds (if not thousands) of real estate transactions
- National expert in foreclosures, short sales, private financing, complex negotiations
- Author of the first real estate book in Sequim and Port Angeles (Buying & Selling Real Estate in the Rain Shadow)
- Author of Sequim Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide
- Author of The New World of Marketing for Real Estate Agents
- Author of The Sequim Real Estate Series books in the Apple iBookstore
- Author of The Seven Myths of Selling Your Home
- Author of thousands of real estate articles, including over 1,700 on SequimRealEstateNews.com
- Internet Marketing Consultant on Real Estate, SEO Expert
- Awarded the Prestigious Five Star Real Estate Award given to less than 7% of 25,000 Seattle area agents & recognized in Seattle Magazine for accomplishments
- Full Time Sequim Professional Buyer’s Agent
- Number one individual selling agent of homes over $200,000 by total volume from Jan 1, 2009 through Dec 31, 2016 in Sequim and Port Angeles (all Clallam County).
Chuck Marunde’s Email is chuckmarunde@gmail.com
Chuck Marunde’s Direct Phone Number is 360-775-5424
Chuck Marunde’s Real Estate Blog is at: SequimRealEstateNews.com
Sequim Real Estate Buyer’s Agent
A Few Testimonies about Chuck Marunde as a Buyer’s Agent
Testimony 1
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.
Testimony 2
We contacted Chuck Marunde 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
Testimony 3
“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
Testimony 4
“My husband and I had a serious deadline, and Chuck Marunde spent time educating us to the process of selling our home for the best price within our time constraints. We really thought we could do it our way, but he showed us how to make it happen in our market and get where we wanted to be. The result was we did sell our house in two weeks, and we were able to move to Hawaii in our critical timeline. Chuck knows real estate, and he was so diplomatic with us while still telling us the truth and what we needed to hear.” Mary Ann
Testimony 5
“When Chuck Marunde 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
Testimony 6
I have known Chuck Marunde since he moved to our area and established his law practice from which he is now retired. I have depended on my personal attorney, Chuck Marunde, to assist us in keeping the covenants of the Community current and to artfully arbitrate some contracts, the contents of which were either being ignored or misinterpreted. I am not exaggerating when I aver that Chuck has been responsible—in part, of course—for improving and maintaining my quality of life and that of my neighbours. He accomplishes this by his intelligence, diligence, and experience, all affected, or “leavened” if you will, by his overt honesty, responsibility, and forthrightness. He and I also agree that one of our greatest satisfactions in life is to share the bounty and good fortune we both have been granted with those less endowed or in need. For example, he is the only Real Estate Attorney of which I have any knowledge who maintains a web page of free information for everyone, not only his clients, to consult about often asked questions and frequently encountered problems in regard to buying and selling of homes, land, businesses and the like. Apart from the professionalism of which I spoke, Chuck is also the most moral, the most ethical, the most sincere person I have ever met. Trust me when I say that in the Real Estate history of the Olympic Peninsula, Chuck Marunde is a welcome variance from the norm and I consider myself “blessed” to have met him and to have maintained a friendship during many of the past years. Phil
Testimony 7
“Chuck helped me and my partner purchase a building we were renting for our large business. There were a lot of complicated issues, including legal issues, but because of Chuck’s experience as a real estate lawyer, he was able to help us get through an entangled mess. Actually, he came up with a strategy that helped us buy our building, and we got rid of some liens, so we were able to pick up about $90,000 in equity immediately. Where can you find a real estate agent that has that kind of experience?” Bill
Testimony 8
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.
Testimony 9
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 & Linda M.
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Chuck Marunde Resume
Not-So-Brief-Synopsis (and more than you want to to know):
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska
Major – Economics, Bachelor of Arts, 1976
Minor – Education w/Teaching Certificate (1979),
LEGAL EDUCATION
Gonzaga School of Law, Spokane, Washington, Juris Doctor – May 1985. Admitted to Washington Bar May 1986
CHUCK MARUNDE LAW EXPERIENCE
Private law practice in Washington since 1986 with a four year stint as a JAG in the USAF. My private practice focused on real estate (with some time in estate planning, probate, litigation, and business development). I have advised thousands of real estate and business owners, investors, developers, builders, and Brokers. I’ve also been intimately involved with an international technology company. I have created many businesses, their structures and long-term strategic development.
I have litigated issues around the state, drafted numerous contracts, and resolved hundreds of disputes amicably and through arbitration. Credentials have also included Certified Estate Planner, Registered Investment Advisor (Series 7 and Series 66) and licensed in insurance and certified in long-term care.
May 1, 1991 to January 1993 – Area Defense Counsel, Nellis Air Force Base, USAF, Feb. 1989 to May 1, 1991 – Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Nellis AFB, USAF. Positions included: Government Prosecutor, Chief of Claims, Chief of Legal Assistance, Chief of Preventive Law.
AWARDS/RIBBONS: Training Ribbon, Outstanding Unit Award, Achievement Medal, Commendation Medal, Expert Marksman Ribbon, National Defense Ribbon. Plaque for Outstanding Performance as a Judge Advocate. Quote from Commendation Medal, “His management skills and determination were matched by his precision as a trial advocate.”
Chuck is on all social media, and you can Friend him on Facebook as well.
