PNNL Relocation: A Move from New Mexico to the Richland Area Ends in a Dream Home on the Yakima River

Cory and his wife, Liz, moved to the Tri-Cities for a position at PNNL. Like a lot of people relocating to the Richland area for work at the lab, they didn’t want to rush into buying before they had a feel for the area.

After a couple months renting, they started looking for a permanent home. They had a budget of around $1 million, a strong preference for something on the water if possible, and a clear sense of what they were looking for in a Realtor: someone detail-oriented, contract-savvy, and always on top of the process.

Cory mentioned to a coworker at PNNL that they were looking for a real estate agent. The coworker asked her husband, a local lender, for a recommendation. He suggested me. Yay! Liz had already found me online independently, so when my name came up twice from two different sources, that settled it.

We sat down, I walked them through what the process would look like, and we got to work.

One House, One Showing

I was heading out of town shortly after we connected, so I sent them a list of properties to drive by on their own. When I got back a few days later, I asked which ones they wanted to tour. They had one answer: a five-acre property on the Yakima River in West Richland.

Waterfront homes in the Tri-Cities don’t come on the market often. When we looked, there was exactly one other listing on that same stretch of river, and Liz and Cory liked this one better. We went to see it, and that was that.

As I’ve often said, finding the right house is usually the easy part. What happens after that is what really matters.

The property was listed at $1,250,000. After some negotiating with the seller, we got it down to $1,215,000 — a 3% reduction in a cash transaction. Saving a client $35,000 is always a big win!

The home was a little dated inside, but the land and location more than made up for it. Five acres, the river running along the back of the property, and a long rectangular lot with room to grow crops, plant lavender, or simply enjoy the kind of privacy that’s hard to find anywhere close to town. They loved it. (I still love it every time I see photos.)

Navigating Water Rights, Property Use, and Missing Paperwork

The transaction had a few layers of complexity that don’t come up in a typical home purchase.

First, there was a missing document from the county — a well log that we couldn’t locate in public records. Liz is thorough by nature, and she started making calls to Benton County and the City of West Richland to track it down. She told me later that every single person she spoke with was welcoming and helpful, which was a real contrast from her dealings with local government in New Mexico. (Welcome to the Tri-Cities!)

Second, the property came with an informal arrangement between the residents on that stretch of road. A neighbor had organized an agreement among several adjacent landowners to collectively grow and sell crops from their lots. It was a neighbor agreement, not a formal legal document, and that meant we needed to get things properly documented before closing. We brought in a lawyer to draft the right paperwork, worked through the water rights and property use questions, and made sure Liz and Cory understood exactly what they were buying and what rights came with it.

None of it derailed the transaction. But it required attention, follow-through, and a willingness to push until every question had a clear answer.

What Liz Said

After closing, Liz left a review that I’m genuinely proud of. A few lines stood out:

“She’s calm while we were working through the challenges in our buying process. We were stressed. We had a big move from across country, were in a rental with our two large dogs and didn’t know much about the Tri-Cities and what area would suit us best. Cari helped keep the process ‘light.’ … There’s lots of Realtors out there. Many sell themselves well enough but they don’t deliver. They don’t know how to problem solve. Cari is different.”

That’s what I’m here for. Liz and Cory came in from out of state, navigating an unfamiliar market, and needed someone who could handle the details so they didn’t have to carry all of it themselves. They’re in their home on the river now, and I couldn’t be happier for them.

If you’re relocating to the Tri-Cities for work at PNNL or anywhere else, and you want to talk through what the buying process looks like here, reach out anytime. No pressure, no obligation. I’ve helped a lot of people moving to the Richland area from out of state get oriented quickly and find the right home. I’d be happy to help you, too.

(PNNL Richland photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)