Memorial Day in Catonsville.If you take a walk down the Main Street of Catonsville on a regular day of the year you might wonder why all the parking meters and light posts have flag holders. On days like Memorial Day it becomes quite evident why Catonsville is known for it's Patriotism.. Today I was up and out early enough to see the "Catonsville Flag Detail" at work. Even at 8:30am the heat was intense, yet with a spring in their step, a band of young men followed a pick up truck down Frederick Road carefully unfurling flags and placing them in the flag holders. Just a few miles down Frederick Road in Catonsville and over the Baltimore City line,  the Baltimore National Cemetery was also a blaze of red white and blue after local cub scout troops continued a 25 year tradition of placing... 05/28/2012

Swimming Pools in Catonsville, Maryland Is it HOT enough for you?  Did the summer sneak up on you and you are trying to figure out what to do with the kids? School will be over in a matter of days and you are already dreading the "I'm booooored" that will be sure to come. If you have been discouraged to find that several of the area pools have long waiting lists to get in, you are in luck! I am going to let you in on one of the areas best kept secrets.  There is NO WAITING LIST at Crosby Crossing Swim Club (formerly known as Wesview Pool). CrosbyCrossing is a member owned pool, with a professional management team. You don't have to be a resident of the Westview Park neighborhood, we have members from all over the area! Just wait until you check out the beautiful facility situated on  3 ... 05/25/2012

Another reason why the Catonsville and Ellicott City areas are a great place to live!Did you know there is a historical museum tucked away in the Oella area?  The Benjamin Banneker Park & Museum  is hosting a Colonial Market Day this June 9th, 2012.  The museum is located at 300 Oella Ave just down the street from the Trolley Trail, Truetts Butcher and the Breadery.  The Colonial Day runs from 9am - 4pm and is a open community event featuring craftsmen, tradesmen, music, children's activities, food, and Banneker's log cabin. Walk the grounds where Ben walked and see how he lived. All ages welcome, open to the public. Free, donations appreciated. The museum itself keeps a low profile as it is really off the beaten path!   There are other summer activities taking place there this summer i... 05/23/2012

Home Residential Resale Statistics -- April 2012 Catonsville, MD   Real estate in Catonsville is alive and strong.  The market saw a solid increase from April of last year with sales volume going from $8.4 million to $12 million, a 43% increase.  Though the number of units sold was exactly the same at 43, the change came in with the average selling price.  In April 2011, the average price for sold homes was $195 million, and this past month it was $281 million, which is a trend we hope to see continue.  In addition, homes sold on average 27 days quicker, and 50 less homes are currently on the market.    21228   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you are planning to move to the Central Marylandarea and you want a BUYERS AGENT that rea... 05/23/2012

Catonsville has a number of great little playgrounds tucked away!  A recent discovery for us is the Rollingwood Park on Devere which cuts between Frederick Road and Old Frederick Road near Westchester Elementary. This playground is special for its' appeal to younger kids - including 2 kiddie basket swings (and 2 regular swings), a small plastic slide and ladder, and a cool race car on a spring big enough for several kids to play in. Even young walkers can be helped on to these play areas.  For the older kids, there is a larger area with several slides and options for climbing. Some other stand out features include: A basketball court fenced in on 3 sides.  Perfect for riding bikes, scooters, etc as well as shooting baskets or playing with other balls. Picnic tables to enjoy snacks or lu... 05/20/2012

Ah - lacrosse season in Baltimore County!  I didn't grow up around here but have learned how HUGE this sport is in Maryland.  The Catonsville High School girl’s team just won the County championship by the way! Many of my son's friends started playing this spring in the Catonsville Lacrosse Recreation Clinic.  The games are often played on the fields at Hillcrest Elementary.   Catonsville also has a Soft Stick Program for 3-5 year olds.  They use a soft lacrosse ball so they don’t need all the equipment to start playing the sport! Boy’s lacrosse allows stick checking even at this young age and kids as young as 5 years wear helmets and full pads.  As they get older – the skills that shine in LAX are speed, agility and passing as well as scoring of course!  Watching kids play at the recre... 05/20/2012

Knock Knock....Who's There...PROSPECT! The knock on the door at my home came as I was finishing up with a client.  I answered the door and asked the salesmen to hold just a second while I finished up my call. Once I finished, the gentleman at the door said:  "I am sorry that we caught you in the middle of a call." ME:  "No worries, I am a loan officer, pretty much any time you come by these days, you will catch me in the middle of a call!" HIM:  "You are a loan officer?  I am trying to buy a home and I am having trouble, can you help?" ME:  "I would be happy to speak with you about it and see what I can do" HIM: "That would be great, I haven't felt comfortable that the folks I am dealing with really know how to help me." HIS TRAINEE:  "I have a friend dealing with a lender in California... 05/07/2012

The Breadery Bakery is a hidden gem in Catonsville. Walk into the charming store of The Breadery Bakery Catonsville MD and you are enveloped by the scent of fresh baked bread, muffins, scones, croissants and cookies. Click here to read more about the The Breadery bakery in Catonsville!    The McIntire Luxury Home Team Are you are planning to move to Howard County or Catonsville and you want a Buyers Agent that really knows the area? Find out why Goldilocks would use the McIntire Luxury Home Team and you should too (hint - we are just right)!Visit www.FindAHowardCountyHome.com or www.FindACatonsvilleHome.com ****** Don't take my word for it, see what other happy families have said about their home buying or selling experiences:Ellie McIntire Client Reviews on Zillow. The McIntire Team Re... 05/02/2012

Home Residential Resale Statistics -- March 2012   March 2011 saw a dip in sales compared to March of last year, partly a result of such a strong showing last month. Sales volume was down 35%, going from $8.3 million to $5.3 million.  This was largely the product of only 23 homes being sold this month: twelve less units than March 2011.  Homes sold, on average, in 16 less days, though three homes took over 180 days to sell.  Because February was so strong, March's decline isn't too worrying, and the market in Catonsville should look to recover in the next few months.   21228   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you are planning to move to the Central Marylandarea and you want a BUYERS AGENT that really knows the area and all that it ... 04/22/2012

Catonsville, Maryland is located in the heart of America's oldest heritages. Settled by the Europeans early in the discovery of the new world, they lived beside the Piscataway Indians for many years. Since its early beginnings Catonsville has been a choice location for living. During the colonial period Baltimoreans would build their summer homes in Catonsville to escape the heat. Through the centuries Catonsville has remained a great place to start a new home and has been voted in the top 50 places to live.  The Catonsville culture revolves around music. It was named Music City, Maryland due to the numerous music shops, venues, and education opportunities. Each summer there are many summer concert series in various locations around the community. Each month there are also the famous Ap... 03/30/2012

A Night of Food, Festivity and Fun in Catonsville ~  Taste of Catonsville 2012 The best kept gastronomic secret in Baltimore County, Maryland is the abundance of great restaurants in Catonsville. In the past 9 years that I have resided here, the area has seen a huge change in dining options. Just recently The Ships Cafe on Frederick Road in Catonsville celebrated 10 years of new ownership. A complete facelift and expansion and the best crabs in the area all year long has become a local destination. Across the street is the Catonsville Gourmet (my personal favorite) and a handful of other new restaurants too have opened their doors. The choice in Catonsville is abundant.What an amazing concept to gather local restaurants for a big event in one place.The Greater Catonsville Chamber of Com... 03/28/2012

Home Residential Resale Statistics -- February 2012   February was a good month for Catonsville.  Sales increased over 50% when compared to last year, going from $5.2 million to $8 million. Ten more homes were sold, and on general sold for 7& more than the same time in 2011. The average days on the market increased by 4%, though that's slightly skewed by one home taking over 720 days to sell. Ten sold within 20 days. Active listings are down over 27%, but it certainly has been more active in terms of sales this year than it was in 2011.   21228   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you are planning to move to the Central Marylandarea and you want a BUYERS AGENT that really knows the area and all that it has to offer, I can help. (Pers... 03/26/2012

Catonsville, Maryland Market Report February 2012 ~ 21228The average: detached home sold price $248,869 number of homes sold 33 days on the market 131 average sold to original list price ratio 90.4% seller subsidy $4,617 property age in years 58 number of bedrooms 3 number of baths 2 number of ½ baths 2 Baltimore County, MarylandThe average: detached home sold price $215,899 number of homes sold 425 days on the market 125 average sold to original list price ratio 88.2% Homes went under contract 489Homes New on the market  848Catonsville, Maryland has diverse population of 41,567 with 15,503 households and the median income for a family was $67,000 Catonsville’s housing market is performing better than Baltimore County as a whole. Remember,there is a lot more to home buying than statisti... 03/22/2012

Loans, Loans, EVERYWHERE"I heard no one can get loans.  How is your business?"  That was what I heard recently.  I guess they didn't read my blog entitled "Rates are Crazy Low, but can I get a loan?Here is my answer:I am blessed.This has been a crazy time for me, good crazy! The Spring buying season is already in full swing, as long a  a home is priced right and looks good, there are often multiple offers within days.  As the flowers have already started to bloom, so has my business. This is my activity for just the last 3 weeks:In the last week I have had several buyers with accepted contracts, a few are even approved short sales.I completed an FHA streamline refinance for the boyfriend of one of my pre-approved buyers looking for the right home.I am getting referrals of qualified buye... 03/12/2012

Open Houses in Catonsville, Md on Sunday February 26th 2012. The Mcintire Team are holding 2 Open Houses on Medwick Garth in Catonsville  today from 1pm till 3pm. Stop by these two very affordable homes within walking distance of each other. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are planning to move to the Central Maryland area and you want a BUYERS AGENT that really knows the area and all that it has to offer, I can help. (Personal tours of the area included in the service) If you are looking to successfully sell your Maryland home with a Realtor who will market your property with multiple resources, call me for an appointment. These are the areas that I serve Buyers or Sellers in the Metro Baltimore area :  Howard County, Baltim... 02/25/2012

CATONSVILLE, MARYLAND-NEWEST SWEET SPOT Grab the kids and head to the HMART Shopping Center at Rolling Road and Route 40 in Catonsville for Catonsville's Newest Sweet Spot. SweetFrog opened recently to serve folks in Catonsville, Maryland premium, all natural, soft serve yogurt.  It's not just yogurt, it's yogurt YOUR way.  They have a great selection of delicious soft serve yogurts (100-110 calories per 83g which is about 3 ounces).  How Does It Work? 1.  Serve yourself the flavor or flavors you like.  There is a wide variety to choose from. K There are so many great flavors and flavor combinations, be sure to ask Kristin or any of the SweetFrog employees for a taste. 2.  Head to the toppings bar... Talk about options?! Keep it light and add fresh fruit, or a bit more decadent with syr... 02/24/2012

Many people that know me well, know that Daffodils are my absolute favorite flower. Imagine my delight today, February 22nd, as I am driving towards Ellicott City from Catonsville on Frederick Road this Spring display adorned the landscape. Usually it is not until March, but due to the AWESOME Winter we have had, Spring is springing early- I knew I was not going to heed that groundhog this year! All photos were taken and are the property of Ellie McIntire. All Rights Reserved. This content may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission of Ellie McIntire or an officer of The McIntire Team.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you are planning to move to the Central Marylandarea and you want a BUYERS AGENT that ... 02/22/2012

  Ellie McIntire | The McIntire Team of Keller Williams Greater Howard County | (443) 418-7668 5516 Medwick Garth N, Catonsville, MD Quintessential Catonsville townhouse located in quiet cul-de-sac. 3BR/1BA Townhouse   offered at $175,000 Year Built 1956 Sq Footage 1,216 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 0 partial Floors 3 Parking 2 Uncovered spaces Lot Size 2,146 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION A quintessential Catonsville townhouse located on a pleasingly quiet cul-de-sac. Enjoy this pleasant neighbourhood from the charming, elevated front porch before experiencing the beautiful, gleaming refinished hardwood floors that ornament this property as soon as you enter. Freshly painted throughout, this home comprises living room, separate dining room, three bedrooms and a classic subway... 02/19/2012

Wordless Wednesday ~ or is it TOOTHLESS Wednesday in Catonsville?  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you are planning to move to the Central Marylandarea and you want a BUYERS AGENT that really knows the area and all that it has to offer, I can help. (Personal tours of the area included in the service)If you are looking to successfully sell your Maryland home with a Realtor who will market your property with multiple resources, call me for an appointment. These are the areas that I serve Buyers orSellers in the Metro Baltimore area :  Howard County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Harford County, Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Montgomery County or Prince Georges County . If you would like more information please call me, Ell... 02/15/2012

Home Residential Resale Statistics -- January 2012   Catonsville experienced a pretty good January to kick off the new year.  Sales were up 2% compared to last year, the average selling price was up over 20%, and the average days that homes spent on the market was down by almost 20%.  Four less units were sold, however, at 22 versus 26, though four of them sold within 10 days and two within 20. The number of active listings compared to last year is down 40%, 116 now compared to 195 in 2011, so with that said Catonsville experienced a solid month.  Hopefully this trend will continue in the future.   Catonsville   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If you are planning to move to the Central Marylandarea and you want a BUYERS AGENT that re... 02/15/2012