Meet Sparky (Rich Jacobson) :: SoundBiteBlog.com

Welcome to SoundBiteBlog! My name is Rich Jacobson, and I’m a licensed real estate professional here on the Kitsap Peninsula in scenic Washington State. When I’m not working with clients, you’ll usually find me in my boat out on Hood Canal pulling up crab pots. You can check out my ‘other’ fun blog, Crabbing in the Hood.

I first knew of Mark Flanders when he would come to the Windermere office here in Silverdale to meet his wife, Marie, the Managing Broker, for lunch. But it wasn’t until I joined the online network, ActiveRain, that we started to connect and become best friends.

I thought it would be good to start things off by sharing a brief snapshot or ”bite” about me, my family, and what makes living on the Kitsap Peninsula so amazing.

I was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area most of my life. My Mom was born here in Washington State, out on the coast, near the edge of the Olympic Rain Forest. Her parents, Bill and Ruth Thompson, lived in various towns throughout Western Washington and eventually settled in Everett. I have many wonderful memories of time spent in the Puget Sound area. We even visited Seattle during the 1962 World’s Fair when the Space Needle opened!

Later, while serving as a radioman in the US Navy, I was stationed onboard the nuclear ballistic missile submarine, USS George Washington (SSBN598). We pulled into Bangor Subase in the late ’70’s to onload missiles, and for several months, we were tied up to the pier on Hood Canal. I recall standing watch up topside and being in absolute awe of the majestic snowcapped Olympic Mountains, and the deep, clear waters of Hood Canal. Silverdale was just a four-way stop sign back then, and Clear Creek Road was the major north-south road down to Bremerton.

Throughout the rest of my life, in the back of my mind, I always dreamed of one day living here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

After the Navy, I remained in Hawaii, went to school, and served as the youth director for First Baptist Church of Honolulu. Eventually, I returned home to California, where I met my bride, Janice, and got married July 2nd, 1983. Together we’ve raised four of the most awesome kids on the planet: Emily (21); Ben (20); Elliot (18); and Luke (15).

Due to a job promotion, My family and I ended up living in the Midwest for 15 years – 5 years in Chicago, and 10 years enjoying a great quality of life in Lawrence, Kansas, the home of Kansas University and the storied Jayhawks basketball program. I started my real estate career there in Lawrence, as an agent with Realty Executives/Hedges Real Estate.

One day, my brother-in-law, called with a proposition. He had taken over a business from my father-in-law in the San Francisco Bay Area and wanted to expand into the Pacific Northwest. Would I consider heading up the expansion? After much discussion and a brief reconnaissance trip to the Seattle area, we decided to make the move.

Leaving our roots in Kansas proved to be a much more difficult of a transition than anticipated. Taking your kids out of school mid-year and moving to the Puget Sound region in mid-December is not the best timing. Our family endured an extended cram course in endlessly wet, gray overcast weather. We bought a hot tub (something my oldest son, Ben, had always dreamed of), making things somewhat more bearable. Finally, the Sun returned, the Rhodies began to bloom, and Spring exploded in full force! We started to make day adventure trips, exploring our new surroundings. By the time Summer rolled around, we had purchased a 16-ft. C-Dory boat, the consumate Crabbin’ vessel, and we were fully immersed in the supreme privilege of calling Kitsap County our home.

About a year or so after our arrival here, the market dynamics had changed, and the future prospect of successfully expanding the business became rather remote. As a result, I left the company, and went back to real estate.

I joined forces with Windermere Real Estate, a large regional brokerage with offices throughout the Western US, and have enjoyed some wonderful success. Recently, I was asked to help out as a Community Builder for ActiveRain, a large online social network for real estate professionals with nearly 150,000 members. Last Summer I had the privilege of speaking at BlogWorld & New Media Expo in Las Vegas and the REBarCamp in Houston. I am also in the process of becoming a certified trainer and developing some clock-hour courses on Social Media and Blogging for the Washington Association of Realtors.

So, whether you’re considering a relocation to our area, you’ve just arrived, or you’ve been a resident for a while, whatever you’re reason for landing here, we’re glad you’re here! It is our hope that you will find all the articles helpful, informative, or at least, slightly entertaining!

‘Welcome’ to SoundBiteBlog! Don’t be bashful, jump into the conversation!

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