The Hospital is Only as Good as the Doctor Who Treats You!

The Hospital is Only as Good as the Doctor Who Treats You! The school is only as good as the teacher your child gets! And the real estate company is only as good as the agent you work with.

When associated with the big real estate company, I asked three questions on a listing appointment...now there are only two questions.

1-Are you 100% sure you want to sell your house?
2-Are you 100% sure you want to use me?

The third question used to be: "Do you have any questions about the company I work for?" Most times there were none but on several occasions when the brokerage was mentioned, I got this kind of response:
'Oh, I can't use you.  We once had an agent from your company and we will never use them again...or my sister used them and had a bad experience.'

That's when I had to use this line:  ''The Hospital is Only as Good as the Doctor Who Treats You!"

There has not been that concern since going on my own as Broker/Owner of HomeRome Realty.
As agents with large companies, have you had to overcome this objection?


                                            
The hospital is only as good as the doctor who treats you.
                                           

                                           
The school is only as good as the teacher your child gets!
                                          

                                              
The company is only as good as the Realtor® you work with.
                                           
                           
As agents with large companies, have you had to overcome this objection?  If so how?
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To search the MLS , either to buy a home or to keep an eye on your own neighborhood, I have made it easy to sign up and search the Multiple List System for All Active Maryland Listings   It is...Like Having Your Own Electronic Agent! You can find all the active listings in Maryland plus the five surrounding states.
Try it! It is a Free Service From HomeRome!  Search the MLS just like Realtors®

Click to search All Active Maryland Listings   You can narrow the search down to number of bedrooms, lot size, price range, zip code, etc. Be sure to sign up with your email address to ensure daily email updates of properties. These emails will include photos, address and price of the listed homes. This is a free service to make finding your special Baltimore home easier. I am available to answer any questions or concerns.   mrome@HomeRome.com 410-530-2400

A New HomeRome Listing Will Be Available in the Next Couple of Weeks!

 In a few weeks this 4 bedroom 3.5 bath colonial will be on the market  because the call came today!
                                          

The original owners are in the process of getting this Willow Glen North Colonial  in show ready condition. Very few of these homes were built and even fewer come on the market. They are quite desirable. This colonial was  constructed  with an additional 2 feet  to give a larger first floor laundry room which has a clothes chute and space for the large extra freezer.

The master bedroom is also larger and has a huge walk in closet. I will be getting interior photos in the next week or so. In the meantime... you can see the front  of the well manicured lot and a couple of pool photos.
 
The first floor family room with  gas fireplace and built in storage, is located off the foyer and adjacent to the spacious eat in kitchen. All four bedrooms are upstairs and the house has hardwood floors on both levels....some are still covered with wall to wall carpet. The master bed is on a built up platform giving more definition to the sleeping area.

Such a large kitchen with a planning desk, breakfast bar and self cleaning double ovens.  The window over the sink  allows you to see the inviting pool. From the sliding glass door, you have access to this back yard oasis and you can  enjoy the bird feeders attracting a myriad of exotic colorful feathered friends.

There is an abundant amount of storage both inside and out....large closets, pantry, finished lower level with hidden toy storage and an attached shed to house all those pool necessities, chairs, beach balls etc.

This is a  great place to entertain with the private fenced yard, patio, heated pool, hot tub and natural gas hook up for all your  grilling and summer barbeques.

Please call me for more information 410-530-2400

Are They 100% Sure They Want to List With Margaret Rome?

 I am waiting to see if they are 100% Sure they want to list with me.

Knowing the two questions that must receive positive answers..I am waiting for a phone call later today.

Yes, I went on listing appointment yesterday. These sellers were referred to me by two people..one a best friend and one a former client (her sister). When I asked if they were 100% sure about selling..there was not much hesitation...just qualified by ..'if we get the right price.'  The second question:  Are you 100% sure you want to use me? A bit more hesitation. You see,  I am the first Broker and they may want to talk to others...no problem.

They are going to call with their answer. In the meantime, I am going to tease you with a few photos that are just perfect for this holiday weekend. Take a look and let me know what you think.

This 4 bedroom 3 1/2 bath colonial has a heated in ground pool and a hot tub that can be used separate from the pool.
                                                        

                                                        


Such an inviting backyard oasis, there is no need to plan a vacation this summer. Save gas and spend your travel time at home.

Are They 100% Sure They Want to List With Me? We will wait and see.

Update...

A New HomeRome Listing Will Be Available in the Next Couple of Weeks!

Business Building Workshop at GBBR June 16th 9AM- 3PM...A Well Spent Ten Bucks!

Business Building Workshop

                   

Thursday, June 16 · 9:00am - 3:00pm

GBBR 1306 Bellona Avenue Lutherville, Maryland

Kim Jones has devoted much time towards helping fellow REALTORS® in their education. She was instrumental in the formation of GRRS: The Greater Baltimore Board of REALTORS® [GBBR] Rookie REALTOR® Society. The Rookie Society gives special help to professionals who have been in the industry  less than 5 years. Despite the focus of the group being for Rookies, Kim believes that "Good Information is GGRREAT  4 Everyone!"  This program on June 16th from 9AM to 3PM is an example of Kim's commitment to the real estate community.                                        This was last year's program Almost a Free Lunch! GBBR GRRS..Speaking in Baltimore.  Please join us! For $10 (Ten Bucks) you can have morning snacks, lunch and an entire day of learning. Just look at this line up.

Kathy Connelly from the Maryland Real Estate Commission and  Colette Massengale, Maryland Association Realtors ®  Legal Counsel, will start off the day by sharing ways we can keep from getting to know them better in their official capacities. We will hear from Niche Practitioners to learn about how they do what they do, so we can think about where we want to position ourselves and how we can do so. You will get 60+ Tech-Tips covering Smart Phone Apps, Web-Sites and Products to make your life easier and business more efficient. The day will be topped off with Goal Setting, Business Planning and Prospecting! The cost of $10 will cover AM Refreshments and Lunch. Please bring plenty of Business Cards so you can Network from 9:00-9:30 and during the Lunch Break. You need to Register HERE: https://www.secure.sharpinnovations.com/gbbr/register/event_info.php?event_id=1011&cal=1

     

Thursday, June 16 · 9:00am - 3:00pm

GBBR 1306 Bellona Avenue Lutherville, Maryland

     

Thursday, June 16 · 9:00am - 3:00pm

GBBR 1306 Bellona Avenue Lutherville, Maryland

 

GRRS: Greater Baltimore Rookie REALTOR® Society, Kim Gauger Jones

Business Building Workshop at GBBR June 16th 9AM- 3PM...A Well Spent Ten Bucks!

Another HomeRome Listing Under Contract...Too Late!

Another  HomeRome Listing in Stevenson 21208 With  Swimming Pool  is Under Contract..or as I like to say...Too Late. The "Too Late" Banner is placed on my listings when they go under contract. That's what happened to my new listing at 3506 Gardenview Rd.

                                                 
I have more new photos to post but we had 1/2 dozen showings within 24  hours and a ratified contract followed. Love it when the right buyer and the right house comes together.

Our home inspections are set for next week and settlement is scheduled mid July!
                                        
                                        
                                        

This post was inspired by  Barbara Todaro..showing how our pending Sales Can Energize...the Market!!
And Barbara's post was inspired by a comment I made on one of her pending sales. There is a lot of inspiration going on!

Another HomeRome Listing Under Contract...Too Late!

Another HomeRome Listing Under Contract! 31 International Circle, Owings Mills, 21117

Another HomeRome Listing Under Contract! 31 International Circle, Owings Mills, Md. 21117

                                                   

I love it when the right buyer and seller come together. That happened recently with my listing at 31 International Circle in Garrison Woods. It is a lovely townhouse on the best street in Garrison Woods. It has a large open grassy area in front...a place to relax and throw Frisbees with kids or pets. This circle also allows abundant parking for guests.

It was shown about a half dozen times and got positive comments. The right buyer saw it on the first day it was listed and then also saw all the competing homes and a few outside the area.

After comparing them all...31 International Circle was his choice. A contract, a bit of negotiation and a ratified contract. We go to settlement mid July. Appraisal, home inspection, termite inspection have all been done.
I love it when another  HomeRome Listing  goes under contract!

31 International Circle Owings Mills, 21117 will have a new owner.

Two Cats Were Sold ...Along with 28 Acres and a Cantilevered Contemporary!

Two Cats Were Sold ...Along with 28 Acres and a Cantilevered Contemporary!

I Sold Two Cats  ...they just happen to be part of 28 acres and a very unique contemporary home. Numerous posts have been written about one of my favorite properties...a Westminster Contemporary where you can live like you are on vacation all year round!

                                
                                
These two cats have known no other home...so it was natural for the new owners to take possession and continue to feed and care for these precious feral felines.  I was inspired by Sondra's third place win in the  Photoblogger Contest: Why Did You Leave Me?  Thank goodness these kitties were not left. 

                                           

It was a smooth settlement and we celebrated with a wonderful bottle of 1992 Vintage Port..absolutely delicious, thanks to the generous sellers.
                                                             
 Two Cats Were Sold ...Along with 28 Acres and a Cantilevered Contemporary!

The Corner Stable.. Baltimore's Best Ribs

In Baltimore if you are thinking about ribs, there is one place that comes to mind...The Corner  Stable located in Cockeysville. There is nothing fancy about this place. It is more a neighborhood bar with good finger licking 'fall off the bones' baby back ribs and all the trimmings.

The portions are generous, the service is exceptional and quick. It is a place to go to eat... not dine. You can be in and out in no time.   

                           
                                 
This is a photo on the wall at The Corner Stable.

                          

                          

                          

                           

If you are in or near  Baltimore and have a hankering for some good comfort food, give The Corner Stable a visit. Good food, good fries, good service and you won't leave hungry.

Congratulations, Briana, On Your Graduation!

You'll recall a delightful young woman who came to Baltimore to attend college and who found her home in a Baltimore condo.  The transaction started when her mother read my blog Who Says Baltimore, Maryland Condos are Only For the Old Folks? and contacted me from the British Virgin Islands. What began as a conversation with an out-of-town buyer turned into a special connection for all of us.

That was two years ago...my how time flies and Briana has just graduated. This past week, I stopped by to see this special young lady and meet more of her family. Her mom, dad, grandmother and two brothers were in town for the celebration. What a beautiful family!
While visiting, I noticed more changes in Briana's condo and I love everything! The warm colors make this home "pop"...don't you think?                                 


    
                         
This is the way the condo looked when it was first decorated by Briana and her marvelous mom.
              
The colors  now on the walls and the paterned rug really add to this special home. Congratulations, Briana, on your graduation, your proud family, and your beautiful home!

 Congratulations, Briana, On Your Graduation!

7901 Winterset Ave. Pikesville, MD, 21208 Stevenson Rancher With In-Law Suite

This brick rancher at 7901 Winterset Ave in the Stevenson area of 21208 is a wonderful place to come back for the family gatherings.

4-6 Bedrooms
3 Full Baths
1 Half Bath
$397,944

In addition to 4 bedrooms on one side of the house, there is a separate wing which could be an ideal guest space, Au pair situation or private office.  The previous carport area, adjacent to the kitchen, is now a two room suite with  full bath! This could also be a home office with a separate front and rear entrance. There is plenty of parking in the long driveway.  How about a real estate office?  How about an art studio? Pretty ideal. Finished lower level extends the living space of this versatile residence.

Eat in kitchen with cooking island now houses an electric cook top with grill but could easily be changed over to gas.

                                            
 Plenty of storage space in this over sized eat in kitchen.

                                          

 Family room, with wood burning fireplace, is located adjacent to the kitchen.
                                           


 Sliding glass doors to screened porch is off the family room.
                                          

                                          
Parquet wood floors and cathedral ceilings


                                           
                                                                                 

Bright open Living Room.
                                          
                                                               
Wall of windows in the living room area.


                                          
                                                                                    
Spacious Living room.


                                          
                                                    
Living room, separate den and family room all on first floor.


                                          
                                                                      
Lots of space in this Stevenson Rancher


                                           
                                                      
Formal dining room large enough for all your entertaining needs.



                                           
                                            
Guest suite or offices..two rooms with full bath and front and back entrance.

                                           
                                                   
Large bright window..separate heat and air conditioning unit

                                          
                                                          
Front Office with window, private entrance and parking.       

                                           

                                                                        
Full bath for private guest suite or office.

For your private showing, please call me 410-530-2400

There IS Trouble on the Line...Outstanding Service...NOT!

There is trouble on the line.  Outstanding Service...NOT!

Have you been following my Verizon saga...Nice is Good But I Need My Service?

To recap, I was told " There is trouble on the line",  last Wednesday and they would have it checked on Friday. By going up the supervisor ladder, I got to a fifth person, the best they could promise was 10-2 on Friday with an assurance that it would be corrected May 20th!  That very nice supervisor Prasad, called me Friday morning to follow up. The truck was on the way.

Cicero Lennon, the Service Technician, came out at 10:00 as promised. He gave me his card and cell phone number. 
                                          
Notice the bottom left of the Verizon card..it says "Our goal is to provide you with OUTSTANDING SERVICE!
                                 
After almost two hours, he told me:'There is trouble on the line. '

Duh..they told me that on Wed. Now it has to be referred to a cable splicer. I called Prasad back and the very nice supervisor told me it could take 2-3 business days. I was able to contact his manager, named Pravan (this is the sixth person..are you counting?) Again, Pravan, was very nice and told me,I was a priority, he was taking my case personally and moved me to Red Code with the escalation team.  Hmmm...what does that mean? It would ONLY  take 3-4 business days. I asked what if I were not code red?!!  He told me it would take 7 days!!

There was no place further to go with this group so I called Cicero, who gave me his card and cell.
BTW I gave him a couple of laminated copies of my latest post  to share with the powers at Verizon.

A call to Cicero asking the name of his manager... Within a short time, Kenneth Davenport called, gave me his number and assured me this would be taken care of Saturday morning. You see Kenneth is in charge of the people who actually do the fixing!! Hoping this will be resolved by my next post.

Thank you, Kenneth and Cicero for following up!

There is trouble on the line.  Outstanding Service...NOT!

Nice is Good But I Need My Service.

Nice is Good But I Need My Service.

It hasn't happened for awhile but  it happened on Wednesday... my internet and email slowed to a frozen crawl. A call to Verizon got me an answer several hours later..trouble on the line...their line. No problem, they will have someone out on Friday between 10 and 2! Friday!!

That's three days with this kind of service..not acceptable. You might remember this post when I first got the service. 

                                            

Everyone was extremely nice..they have been trained well. Nice is good but I need my service. So I went from one person, getting their name and identifying number, to another and another...a total of five people so far.  I got all the way to a network supervisor. First I spoke with Ashwin, then Daryl, then Gary, then Kiran and finally to Prasad.

Yes five people... I got all the way to a network supervisor. Again assurance that there would be someone out on Friday...trying to convince me that all technicians were tied up. The last supervisor, Prasad, even called me several times to assure  me  that everything possible was being done...but there is no one available until Friday. Then an automated call saying it would be fixed by 5 PM on Friday!

So instead of 10-2 on Friday it is now the entire day.

 

Two different people Gary a manager and Prasad a supervisor,  offered a 30 day credit and a 2 week credit on my bill. That was very nice but I would gladly pay them to get my service up in the same day!

Verizon does a lot of advertising for new business..they knock the competition. Instead of looking for new customers. wouldn't it make sense to put some dollars in place to take care of the existing clients?
I will keep you posted!

Nice is Good... But I Need My Service!

7014 Colonial Rd. Pikesville, MD. 21208 Colonial Village With a Two Story Addition

7014 Deerfield Rd.
Pikesville, MD 21208 4 Bedrooms
2 Full Baths
2 Half Baths
$239.944

Enjoy this FOUR bedroom Brick Colonial in Pikesville's Colonial Village.

I call this a "pocket area" because it is off the beaten track but still so close to everything. It is in the heart of Pikesville close to transportation, metro, shopping and easy access to the Baltimore Beltway and downtown Baltimore.

This single family home has a huge two story addition which has a first floor bedroom/den , laundry and 1/2 bath. This area make a nice den or guest room.

The second floor addition incorporates a beautiful master suite with new luxury bathroom. There is a walk in shower with custom tile work, double vanity, large bedroom with bright windows and two walk in closets that measure 5 feet by 5 feet! The former 3rd bedroom is now the master bath.

Two other bedrooms on the second level share a nice full bath also with a double vanity.

Bright eat in kitchen has a breakfast bar, stainless appliances and a door to the porch and large fenced private yard.

Separate dining room and large living room with wood burning fireplace both have hardwood floors.

Finished clubroom with 1/2 bath has easy to maintain "wood" laminate floors and a door to the outside. Loads of storage and workshop area.

This home has it all...Hardwood floors, fireplace, replacement windows, fenced yard and Central Air!


Breakfast bar

Wood burning fireplace

wood floors

Fenced rear yard

Back yard showing addition.

Two story addition

Window over sink

Kitchen door to side porch

Stainless fridge


7014 Colonial Rd. Pikesville, MD. 21208  Colonial Village With a Two Story Addition.
Please call me 410-530-2400 for your private showing!

7014 Deerfield Rd

Front

flowers

Welcome Friends

Garden

7014

Master bath custom tile shower

Master Bedroom with Hardwood floors and Ceiling fan

Accent window in Bedroom

Master bath double vanity

2nd bedroom


2nd Full Bath with double vanities