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Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
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By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
What Does RAIN Mean to Me?RAIN can mean many things.-RAIN is liquid sunshine.-RAIN is ActiveRain, where I've been writing, learning, and sharing real estate for years.And now RAIN has another meaning for me.-RAIN*  Rome's AI NotesRAIN* is what I call the little AI notes I make all day long.I see something. I say it. RAIN helps me remember it.A property detail. A phone call. A name. A date. An idea for a blog. Something I don't want to forget.Same word. Three meanings.-Liquid sunshine.-ActiveRain.-Rome's AI Notes.And after all, ...-No RAIN*. No rainbows.I think I'll keep RAIN* in my forecast.RAIN* = Rome's AI NotesMargaret RomeHomeRome Realty410-530-2400
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By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
The Gold Stars of Real Estate: What Are We Really Working For?October 7, 2026When I started in real estate, our office had two boards: one for listings and one for sales. There was no third board for settlements. Those two boards seemed to rule. Everyone wanted to be the top lister or top seller. The rewards could be small but exciting: a mention at a meeting, a blurb in company advertising, a sign naming you top agent of the month, or even your own parking space for a month.  I thought of it like a kindergartner collecting gold stars. Put the books away neatly, get a star. Turn in tidy homework, get another. In real estate, the star was a title, a trophy, a parking space, or recognition as number one. Those carrots can work. They keep people reaching for the next listing, sale, or mont...
Comments 7
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
130 Slade Avenue, Unit 421 • Pikesville,Baltimore, MD 21208Three bedrooms. Two full baths. A balcony. An end unit. And lots of possibilities. Sometimes you walk into a property and immediately start imagining what a little finishing, furniture, and personality could do. That is Unit 421 at 130 Slade Avenue.This bright fourth-floor end unit offers approximately 1,200 square feet, with three bedrooms, two full baths and a window in every room.  The living and dining area has "wood-look" flooring and opens to a private balcony, bringing in plenty of natural light.   The kitchen is ready to use as it is, with a gas range, refrigerator, dishwasher, plenty of light.  The three bedrooms above, have new wall-to-wall carpeting, and the unit has been recently painted. One has a green accent wall....
Comments 7
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
Small improvements Before listing your house Before You Renovate, Try the Little ThingsSometimes getting a home ready to sell begins with a screwdriver, a paintbrush, and a little attention. When I walk through a home before listing, I notice the finishing touches sellers may no longer see.Switch plates are a good example. Worn, mismatched, or paint-covered plates can interrupt the fresh appearance of a room. Replacing a few is an easy improvement. Doorknobs and handles deserve attention, too. Are they loose? Do they work easily? A few adjustments or replacements may be all that is needed.Look at the front door, inside and out! Buyers pause there while their agent opens the lock. They have time to notice fingerprints, scuffs, and worn paint. A clean, freshly painted door offers a welcom...
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By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
 I have always been attracted to the listings other agents might call impossible. Give me the unusual house, the stale listing, the property that has been through several agents, tried as a For Sale By Owner, gone to auction, and still hasn't sold.I look at that history and think, “Maybe I can do something different.” Sometimes I can.I have sold co-ops that had been on the market a little longer than forever. I once took a property and raised the price by hundreds of thousands of dollars, then sold it. I currently represent a fascinating home surrounded by life-size dinosaurs and giraffes. Those are the challenges that keep real estate interesting and let me use every bit of creativity I have. But taking on the “unsellable” is not for sissies.When you accept one of these listings, you h...
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By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
DON'T JUST WRITE IT. MAKE SURE YOU CAN FIND IT AGAIN.20 Years of ActiveRain Lessons...All in One PlaceLike others, I've been writing on ActiveRain for 20 years.Thousands of posts. Thousands of comments. Thousands of real estate stories, questions, answers, photographs, transactions, and lessons learned along the way. And here's something I've learned: Writing a great blog isn't very helpful if you can't find it again.That's why one of my ActiveRain habits is TAGGING.When I write a post, I use tag words that will help me find it again. I often use words from the title or subject, and I add 'HomeRome' as one of my consistent tags. Why? Because I've created an enormous real estate library without really setting out to create one.If I've talked about home inspections, pricing, unusual house...
Comments 15
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
 THE BEST TIME TO SELL YOUR HOME?Everyone says spring is the best time to sell. I don't necessarily agree. Spring is beautiful. The flowers are blooming, the grass is green, the days are longer, and there may be more buyers looking.But more people looking does not necessarily mean more serious buyers. Think about the people who are looking at homes in October and November. It gets dark earlier. It's cooler. It may be raining. The holidays are approaching. Those buyers aren't usually out looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon. They are looking for a home. They may have a job change, a lease ending, children they want settled, or time off around the holidays that makes moving possible. Whatever their reason, I have found that fall buyers often have a reason for being in the mar...
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By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
9-25-26 | When an ActiveRain Friendship Comes to BaltimoreGwen Fowler and her husband, Henry, were road-tripping from Rhode Island today, and Baltimore happened to be one of their stops.Gwen and I started with ActiveRain twenty years ago, but today was our first time meeting in person. We met at 2:15 for lunch and spent the next two and a half hours talking almost entirely about real estate.We shared stories about their travels, contracts, clients, agents, and the differences between our real estate forms. It was the kind of conversation only two longtime real estate professionals could enjoy for hours without running out of things to say!ActiveRain has introduced me to wonderful people from all over the country. Today, one of those online friendships became a real-life friendship over ...
Comments 8
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
When Technology Fails, Pick Up the PhoneSometimes getting it done means finding another way. Tonight was one of those nights that reminded me thatreal estate is about getting things done, even when technology decides not to cooperate. I had an offer on one of my co-op listings. My seller was in Delray Beach, Florida, and I emailed her and used DocuSign to send the contract.Then came the message. Her computer was down. Not just down for the evening. She had taken it in for service and wouldn't have it back for three days. Three days?I had a contract I wanted ratified TODAY. The person she was staying with had a computer but didn't know how to turn it on. So much for technology! Then I thought of my longtime ActiveRain friend Elyse Berman, PA, who was nearby. I picked up the phone. "I nee...
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By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
That White Stuff on Your Basement Wall Is Trying to Tell You SomethingToday on my live radio show, All About Real Estate, I had a wonderful caller named Dan. He told me he had been in the waterproofing business years ago and has been listening to my show for a very long time. He said I know him. I don't remember him, but I certainly enjoyed talking with him!Our conversation started with something I have seen many, many times in basements: that white powdery-looking substance on the walls.It's called efflorescence.  Efflorescence is made up of mineral salts left behind as moisture moves through masonry and evaporates. By itself, it doesn't necessarily tell you how serious a moisture problem is, but it is certainly something I notice and something worth investigating.That led us to freshl...
Comments 24
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
ROOM FOR THE LIFE YOU LIVEEleven Slade Avenue, Unit 610Some homes ask you to adjust your life to fit the space. Unit 610 at Eleven Slade does something different. It gives you room for the life you already enjoy.With approximately 2,000 square feet, this two-bedroom, two-bath residence feels more like a home than an apartment. The living and dining areas are spacious enough for your favorite furniture, family gatherings, holiday dinners, and quiet evenings at home. A wall of windows fills the rooms with natural light, while the sixth-floor balcony offers another place to relax and enjoy the view.The second bedroom is currently used as a den and features beautiful French glass doors. It can remain a comfortable television or reading room, or become a guest room, office, hobby space, or p...
Comments 4
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
When Someone Clears Your Land Without Permission I received a troubling call from a homeowner who has lived in her house for many years. Her property sits on approximately 2-3 acres, and the mature trees behind her home have always been part of its beauty, privacy, and value. One day, she discovered workers clearing the back of her property. When she went outside to stop them, they yelled that she should not be there because it was dangerous. Now the forest of trees is gone. The lawn has been torn up, the ground is bare, and a backyard that took decades to mature has been destroyed. The work was apparently done by or for a neighbor who believed the land belonged to them.This homeowner had been thinking about selling. How can she put her house on the market while the backyard looks like ...
Comments 6
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
BUYERS ARE FUTURE LISTINGSI have referred to my buyers as my "future listings" for years.Not because I am sitting there waiting to sell their house again.Quite the opposite.When I help buyers purchase a home, I want to be comfortable knowing that someday, if they call and say, "Margaret, we're ready to move," I would be happy to put my name on that property.That changes the way I represent buyers.I don't just look at whether they can afford the house or whether they love the kitchen. I am looking at location, condition, floor plan, workmanship and all those little details that may become very big details when it is time to sell.I am also learning the house.I may see the inspection. I know what repairs were negotiated. I know what concerned us when we bought it. I know what was improved....
Comments 10
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
"BUT WE'RE NEVER GOING TO SELL IT."I've heard this from buyers more than once."Margaret, this is our last house. We're never going to sell it."   I understand exactly what they mean. They have found the place where they picture staying. So why should they care whether the next buyer will like it?Because life has an interesting way of changing our plans. Jobs change. Families change. Health changes. Finances change. Neighborhoods change. Sometimes people change their minds.The house that was supposed to be forever may someday need a For Sale sign.  That doesn't mean every buying decision should be controlled by resale.If something gives you tremendous pleasure and works perfectly for the way you want to live, that has value too. But I don't want buyers completely ignoring resale simply b...
Comments 6
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
Open Floor Plans...Some Buyers Fall in Love. Others Need Help Seeing the Possibilities.  Some buyers walk through a beautifully renovated home and immediately imagine where the sofa will go, how they'll arrange the dining room, or where they'll place a desk overlooking the windows. Others see one large open space and can't visualize it. People see homes differently. That's exactly why I decided to present my listing at 11 Slade, Unit 410, which is beautifully renovated, vacant, bright, and ready for its next owner. One of my favorite areas is the oversized planning center beneath a wall of windows overlooking mature trees. Some people immediately recognize it as the perfect home office. Others envision a sewing room, craft area, homework station, wrapping center, or creative studio. The...
Comments 5
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
 650 Military AveBaltimore County 21208650 Military Ave Pikesville: Looks Small, Lives Large Every home has a list of features. Some homes also have a story. When Kelly and Mette decided it was time to say goodbye to 650 Military Avenue, they did something very special. They wrote a letter to the future owner, not about square footage or kitchens or bedrooms, but about why this unusual home was created, the family it kept close, the improvements they made with care, and the memories they will leave behind. I could describe this house for pages, but no one can tell this part of its story better than the people who called it home.  "Dear Future Homeowner,We wanted to share a little about this home and why it has meant so much to our family.When we purchased this property, our vision was t...
Comments 7
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
Never judge a house from the street.LOOKS SMALL, LIVES LARGE650 Military Avenue is a perfect example.Drive by and you might think you are looking at a charming little cottage.Then you walk inside.And keep walking.And walking. There are approximately 5,000 square feet throughout three levels, and what makes this house especially unusual is that each level can be reached from outside.The first level has the enclosed porch I think of as the plant room, two bedrooms, a full kitchen, full bath, half bath and living room with a fireplace.Then just a few steps take you to another level with another kitchen, another living area, a wonderful high-ceiling room, bedroom and full bath.And there is still another level.Downstairs is a new large walk-in shower, a huge flexible room and a partial kitch...
Comments 8
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
THE HOUSE YOU DON'T BUY CAN BE YOUR BEST REAL ESTATE DECISIONWe spend a lot of time celebrating the house someone buys.The accepted offer. The successful inspection. The settlement. The keys. The smiling picture at the front door.But sometimes the real estate decision worth celebrating is the house you DIDN'T buy.I've watched buyers fall in love with houses. I've watched them picture their furniture inside before we've finished walking through the rooms. I've watched them start mentally moving in before we've even written the offer.And I've also watched deals fall apart.Sometimes we lose to another buyer. Sometimes an inspection tells us things we didn't know when we walked through the front door. Sometimes the numbers stop making sense. Sometimes something just doesn't feel right anymo...
Comments 12
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
I often refer to my buyers as “future listings,” and for good reason. It is not because I am already thinking about listing the house again. It is because I want to be certain that the home they are buying is sound, a good investment, and one I would feel comfortable putting my name on someday.If it is truly a good house for today’s buyers, it should also be a good house for the next buyers. And because I am involved in the purchase now, I will know the house, its history, what the inspection revealed, what maintenance has been done, what may still be needed, and, of course, all the dirty details.When I help someone buy a home, I don't just look at whether they love it today. I look at it through the eyes of the agent who may someday have to sell it.Can I sell it again? Will the floor p...
Comments 5
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
Buyers Have to Be Read Like a BookYears ago, I spent a year or two with some of my best friends visiting houses almost every Sunday. Afterward, we would go out for dinner. I loved observing how they evaluated the homes, and I learned a great deal by listening to their comments. My friends were always very polite. If the owner or listing agent were there, they would say, “Your house is beautiful,” or “We love it.”Then we would get outside, and I would ask, “Why did you say that? This isn't the house for you.” Their answer was simple. They wanted to make the seller feel good. Then came my job. When the agent called me for feedback, I had to explain that there was NO, and I mean NO, interest in the house. You learn a lot about selling by listening to buyers. But you also have to learn to r...
Comments 8
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
What Does a Buyer Notice First?  We spend a lot of time getting a home ready to sell. Fresh paint. Clean windows. Pretty flowers. Decluttering. Maybe new carpet. Definitely clean bathrooms and a sparkling kitchen. But here's something I've noticed after many years of walking into homes with buyers. They don't always notice what we expect them to notice.I've had buyers walk into a beautifully staged living room and head straight for the windows. Another buyer may barely notice the new kitchen because they're looking out the back door to see whether the yard is fenced.Someone else walks directly to the bookshelves. A cook notices the counter space. A gardener notices the sunlight. A person with a dog notices the door to the yard. Someone who loves entertaining starts counting how many peo...
Comments 6
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
Count the Cars Before You Fall in Love With the HouseA caller to my radio show asked what buyers should do when they have several cars, but the house they like has a small driveway, no garage, or very limited parking.My answer was simple. Try to find a house that already has the parking you need.Buyers sometimes fall in love with a home and immediately begin imagining how they can change the property. Maybe they can widen the driveway, build a garage, create another parking pad, remove part of the lawn, or add a second entrance.Perhaps they can. But perhaps they cannot.Before counting on additional parking, buyers need to investigate local zoning requirements, permits, setbacks, drainage rules, curb-cut restrictions, neighborhood covenants, and the actual property line. There may be tre...
Comments 7
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
Title:Come for Dinner. Take the Elevator Home.And then bring the whole blog full circle with the final line:Why move away when you can move together?It is unusual to have five homes available in the same building at the same time. At 11 Slade Avenue, that unusual opportunity exists right now. But once these homes are sold, it will be too late.Imagine five friends, relatives, mahjong players or book-club members deciding to live close to one another without actually sharing a home. Each person or couple could own a separate residence, furnish it to suit their own lifestyle and enjoy complete privacy.They could meet for dinner, play mahjong, have book-club gatherings, watch movies or simply visit. At the end of the evening, everyone could take the elevator back to their own home.Think of ...
Comments 8
By Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400, Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome
( HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400)
Moving to Baltimore? Two Exceptional Homes I have two distinct properties available in Baltimore County: one located in the 21208 zip code and the other in 21209. Despite their differences, both properties share an important feature: they boast impressive kitchens that provide ample space for cooking, gathering, entertaining, and enjoying time at home.At 11 Slade Avenue, Unit 702 is the result of combining two apartments into one extraordinary residence with approximately 3,200 square feet of one-level living. The enormous kitchen has a dramatic one-piece angled granite counter, abundant cabinetry, and plenty of room for entertaining. Walls of windows bring in beautiful natural light and offer wonderful views.This is not a typical apartment. It includes a private laundry, a balcony, a t...
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