Somersett: The House Was Just the Beginning

How One Conversation Led to a New Life in Somersett and a Shared Vision for Serving Others

When people ask how JB Benna and Jenn Marie Pelfini came to work together, they usually expect the story to begin with real estate.

It doesn't.

It begins with a vacation property in Truckee. 

Eight years ago, Jenn Marie and her husband Michael were expecting their first child. Life had taken an unexpected turn. Jenn Marie had been laid off while pregnant after nearly three decades in corporate marketing. The family was grieving the loss of Michael's mother, who had passed away after a difficult illness. Plans to renovate their California home had stalled, and they found themselves asking a different question.

Not, Where should we live?

But, What kind of life do we want to build for our family?

On one last vacation before their daughter's arrival, they met JB and Jen Benna in Truckee.

A simple conversation led to an invitation to explore Reno. Why not Reno? 

Two visits later after touring several homes exploring both south and north Reno at the end of the year and one month before and birth of their child, JB and Jen Benna found Jenn Marie and Michael a home in Somersett.

Just weeks after their daughter Audriana was born, they made the trip back to close on the house. Four few months later, they packed up everything they knew and started over in Northern Nevada. JB and Jen were also entrusted as the California listing agents for Michael's mother's home in San Mateo, and Jenn Marie and Michael's home in Millbrae.

Jenn Marie and Michael placed all their trust for this life-changing move and relied on JB and Jen's expertise. 

More Than a Change of Address

Jenn Marie: Looking back, we weren't just moving to Reno. We were choosing a different way of life.

We left behind a fast paced corporate career and everything that was familiar. When we arrived, I didn't know anyone except JB, Jen and their family.

Starting over was exciting, but it was also intimidating.

Community doesn't simply appear. You build it.

Over the years, that happened one introduction, one school event, one neighborhood conversation, one volunteer opportunity, and one friendship at a time.

Today, those connections have become an incredible network of neighbors, local businesses, schools, nonprofits, and friends across Reno. It's one of the greatest gifts this move has given our family.

Why Somersett Felt Different

JB: Jenn Marie and Michael weren't looking for the biggest house. They were looking for a place where they could build the life they envisioned.

Somersett offered beautiful surroundings, an active lifestyle, a welcoming community, and a place where neighbors genuinely know one another. It wasn't just about the home. It was about everything that happens after you move in.

Eight years later, that's exactly what happened.

A Community That Became Home

For Jenn Marie and her family, Somersett became much more than the neighborhood where they bought a home.

It became the place where their daughter has grown up. Where evenings at Somersett Golf and Country Club turned into lasting friendships. Where neighbors became trusted friends. Where the trails, community events, and everyday moments created a life they couldn't have imagined when they first arrived. They were seeking a community they could serve in. 

Jenn Marie: Beautiful homes brought us here.

The people made us stay.

A Partnership Built on Shared Strengths

Years after that first meeting, Jenn Marie and JB reconnected professionally.

Jenn Marie had built a brand around direct sales and was growing her own business. While delivering products to her Realtor friend, the two began talking about marketing and quickly recognized how naturally their backgrounds complemented one another. Before Jenn Marie entered real estate, they worked together for four and a half years on communications initiatives for the Diocese of Reno, building a trusted professional relationship that eventually evolved into Benna Mountain Luxury.

Today, that partnership reflects two very different perspectives.

JB is a seventh generation Nevadan whose deep roots, local knowledge, and decades of experience provide clients with invaluable insight into Northern Nevada.

Jenn Marie brings the perspective of someone who intentionally built a life here from the ground up. She understands what it feels like to arrive knowing almost no one and how meaningful it is to find community, connection, and a sense of belonging.

Together, those experiences shape how they serve every client.

Beyond the Transaction

Buying or selling a home is rarely just about real estate.

It's often about a new chapter. A growing family. Retirement. A career change. A fresh start.

That's why Benna Mountain Luxury approaches every client relationship with a concierge mindset.

For sellers, that means thoughtful preparation, strategic marketing, and presenting each home at its very best.

For buyers, it means more than finding the right property. It means introducing them to neighborhoods, local businesses, schools, clubs, community events, and the relationships that help a new place begin to feel like home.

Jenn Marie: I know what it's like to arrive here without a community.

If I can make that journey easier for someone else, introduce them to people, help them feel connected, and shorten the time it takes to truly belong, then we've done much more than help them buy a home.

Sometimes the House Is Just the Beginning

Looking back, neither Jenn Marie nor JB could have imagined where that first conversation in Truckee would lead.

A move to Somersett.

A new chapter for one family.

A friendship.

A professional partnership.

And today, a shared commitment to helping others find not just the right home, but the right community.

Because sometimes the house is just the beginning.