Question 1

1.  What advice would you give a buyer trying to purchase a home?

Accepted Answer

First, find an agent who shares your communication style and has experience in your area: Military, or first-time buyer, etc.    Work with one or more lenders and get pre-approved before you fall in love with a house.  In Kitsap County, well-priced homes — especially near Naval Base Kitsap — move fast. If you're using a VA loan, your lender and agent should be experts in using the VA loan, not just "has worked with VA loans" on their website. And if you're PCSing in from out of state or overseas, lean on video walkthroughs and an agent who knows how to help you make a confident decision without being there in person. The biggest mistake buyers make is waiting until everything feels "perfect" before starting — by then, the right house is usually gone. This doesn't have to be your perfect forever home, but it should be a good home that will resell or rent easily in the future.

Question 2

2.  What advice would you give a seller trying to sell their home?

Accepted Answer

Presentation and pricing are everything, and they have to work together. A beautifully presented home, if priced too high, still sits. Price it right from day one, and make sure your agent invests in quality images and marketing.  Knowing how to market to the buyer pool that's actually looking in your area is key. That's where my 25-year background in marketing and advertising makes a real difference — I'm not guessing at what buyers respond to, I know how to position a home and tell its story in a way that drives interest and protects your selling price. Near Naval Base Kitsap, that also means making sure your home is VA loan-eligible and that your agent understands the timeline military buyers are working with — because that buyer is often motivated and ready to move fast.

Question 3

3.  What types of clients have you worked with?

Accepted Answer

The majority of our clients are active duty military families and veterans PCSing to or from Naval Base Kitsap, many of them purchasing sight-unseen from across the country or overseas. We also work with retiring veterans putting down permanent roots in Kitsap County, first-time homebuyers navigating the VA loan process for the first time, and civilian relocation and move-up buyers across Kitsap, Jefferson, Pierce, Clallam, and Mason Counties.

Question 4

4.  Describe a recent transaction you are fond of. How did it go?

Accepted Answer

This story actually started about three years before we ever got to closing. A military family had been stationed in Kitsap, left on orders, and rented out their home while they were away. When they got back, they moved in and pretty quickly realized that, with their growing family, the house was just too small. So we stayed in touch, kept an eye on the market together, and waited.
When a vintage farmhouse that checked every box finally came on the market, we had days to get their existing home ready to go and on the market. We all worked hard and made it happen. The first buyer through the door had been waiting for exactly that kind of home and made a great offer.
What came next was a three-way daisy chain -- the sellers of the farmhouse, our family moving up, and the buyers of their old home all had to move forward together. There was a last-minute stumbling block that easily could have blown the whole thing up. It didn't. All three families closed and moved into their next chapters.
The little details could've gotten in the way... and they didn't!

Question 5

5.  How did you get started in Real Estate?

Accepted Answer

I grew up as a Marine Corps "brat," PCSing every few years to a new town, a new school, a new normal. I married into the Navy and did it all over again as a military spouse. After 20+ years in marketing and advertising, I got my real estate license — and it became obvious pretty quickly that the clients I was best equipped to serve were the ones living the same life I was. Military families on tight timelines, buying in a place they've never been, trusting their agent to get it right. My husband Jason brought 24 years of military leadership to the business alongside me, and Richesin Homes grew from there.

Question 6

6.  Do you have any special education or training that will benefit your clients?

Accepted Answer

Marilyn holds the MRP (Military Relocation Professional) designation, specifically focused on serving the unique needs of military families during PCS moves. She and the team rank in the Top 5% of Keller Williams agents nationwide for military relocation. Jason's 24 years of combined Navy submarine and Marine Corps service bring firsthand knowledge of VA loans -- including VA loan assumptions, which most agents have never closed -- military timelines, and the real financial picture military families are working with when they PCS. Beyond designations, Marilyn's 20+-year background in marketing and advertising directly benefits sellers through sharper positioning and stronger presentation than a typical agent brings.

Marilyn Richesin

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