A recent study has concluded that 39% of buyers prefer to rent out their last residence rather than sell it when purchasing their next home.   The study cites that many homeowners were able to refinance and “locked in a very low mortgage rate in recent years. That low rate, combined with a strong rental market, means they can charge more in rent than they pay in mortgage each month, so they are going for it.”   This logic makes sense in some cases. We at KCM believe strongly that residential real estate is a great investment right now. However, if you have no desire to actually become an educated investor in this sector, you may be headed for more trouble than you were looking for. Are you ready to be a landlord?   Before renting your home, you should answer the following questions to ... 04/04/2014

NOW is the time to list your Ellicott City, 21042 home. Winter may still be refusing to give up in the Metro Baltimore area, but buyers are not deterred. The snow just keep coming, but frigid Open Houses are VERY well attended.......assuming the house lasts that long on the market. NOW is the time to list your Ellicott City, 21042 home. Basic Real Estate 101 is the concept of "Supply & Demand". Currently Ellicott City 21042 is very high in demand, but painfully underfunded with new listings. The old listings have all been picked over and discarded and the eager buyer is waiting and salivating over the next new listing that they HOPE will hit the market very soon. NOW is the time to list your Ellicott City, 21042 home.    In February 2012 saw 57 new listings in 21042, February 2013 there... 03/24/2014

The Ellicott City Market Report for home sales in February 2014 is here and see the numbers for yourself. In the month of February 2014 - 11 of the 34 homes in Ellicott City were sold after being on the market for LESS THAN 30 DAYS!  The majority of the remaining 42 homes sold in January were on the market less than 2 months. The average selling price in the 21042 zip code was $624,125 which is 14% higher than the year before while the average selling price in the 21043 zip code was $392,737 which was 7% higher compared to the year before.  Prices appear to be reaching a stable point - at least for now! The Ellicott City area here in Maryland is a popular destination for people moving from other states because of our proximity to jobs in the Baltimore/Washington region.The Ellicott City... 03/12/2014

Columbia/Ellicott City in Howard County named #8 in top 10 places to live in the USA! Howard County, MD has done it again - Money Magazine has named Columbia/Ellicott City the 8th best city to live in the United States!  Catonsville borders both of these areas so we enjoy most of their atributes as well! With a combined population of just over 100,000 the editors say "Families in this pair of unincorporated cities get to enjoy living in a community with a diverse population, reasonable housing costs, terrific schools, miles of hiking trails, and a new development, Blandair Park, which will include 20 acres of forest, wetlands, meadows, and a historic farm complex."  The medium income is $117,000 and average home price comes in at $298,000.  As far as housing - you'll see a bit of everyt... 03/11/2014

Howard County Home Owners Show The Love to the McIntire Team!Eftyhia and her family wanted to move from out of state to Ellicott City.  She searched online for a local Realtor with great ratings and found Ellie McIntire: Check out homes on the market in Ellicott City right now!   Even if you already live here -  it's always a good idea to know what homes are selling for in your area - selling prices affect your home's value as well!______________________________________________________________________________________________ Are you are planning to move to Howard County or Catonsville and you want a Buyers Agent that really knows the area?  You also need a local Realtor to sell your home quickly and efficiently!Please visit www.FindAHowardCountyHome.com or www.FindACatonsvilleHome.com *... 02/28/2014

Home buyers from California Show The Love to the McIntire Team!  Rachel and her family selected The McIntire Team as their Realtor because of our positive reviews on the Internet!  I was on the phone with them as they drove cross county telling me what they wanted in a house and neighborhood.  I was so excited to help them find their new home in Ellicott City!Check out homes on the market in Ellicott City right now!Even if you already live here -  it's always a good idea to know what homes are selling for in your area - selling prices affect your home's value as well! ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Are you are planning to move to Howard County or Catonsville and you want a Buyers Agent that really knows the area?  Want to s... 02/14/2014

The Ellicott City Market Report for home sales in January 2014 is here and see the numbers for yourself. In the month of January 2014 - 11 of the 53 homes in Ellicott City were sold after being on the market for LESS THAN 20 DAYS!  The majority of the remaining 42 homes sold in January were on the market less than 2 months. The average selling price in the 21042 zip code was $494,363 which is 14% lower than the year before while the average selling price in the 21043 zip code was $415,187 which was close to 1% higher compared to the year before.  Prices appear to be reaching a stable point - at least for now!   The Ellicott City area here in Maryland is a popular destination for people moving from other states because of our proximity to jobs in the Baltimore/Washington region.The Ellic... 02/11/2014

Ellicott City Home Owners Show The McIntire Team Love - Feb 4th!Holly and her husband knew they wanted to move out of Baltimore but didn't know where - Howard or Baltimore County.  Finding a reliable buyers agent who knows both areas was their challenge! I was so happy to help them find their ideal location - Ellicott City, MD.  Now these former city dwellers are happy in their new locale but still just 10 minutes from downtown!Check out homes on the market in Ellicott City right now!Even if you already live here -  it's always a good idea to know what homes are selling for in your area - selling prices affect your home's value as well!______________________________________________________________________________________________ Are you are planning to move to Howard County or Catonsvil... 02/04/2014

The real estate market in Ellicott City, MD was booming in 2013!It was definitely a good year to sell a home in the Ellicott City area of Howard County.  Check out these important indicators at the end of 2013 - they were strongly improved from 2012: Homes sold                            - Up over 30% Average sold price                - Up over 6%Average time on market      - Down over 100% Home sellers are getting offers that are VERY close and sometimes even above their asking price and homes are selling quickly. The Ellicott City area in Maryland is a popular destination for people moving from other states because of our proximity to jobs in Baltimore, Washington and Annapolis.  The 21043 zip code is in an excellent Howard County Public School District including Veterans, Illchester ... 01/24/2014

Ellicott City, MD 21043, Homes for Sale, Community and School Information, Virtual Tours Buy a home in Ellicott City, MD Virtual Tour Homes for Sale in Ellicott City, MD If you are interested in the current homes in Ellicott City, MD neighborhoods, subdivisions and communities, use the link below to search for homes. Each of these Neighborhood and Community pages contains the active real estate listings in Ellicott City, MD, and are updated multiple times per day. View full details and Virtual Tours online...   Find a Great home in Ellicott City, MD Find Homes in Other Areas What's Going on Nearby Ellicott City, MD? Find out about all the local amenities near Ellicott City, MD including, banking, shopping, Attractions and recreation and much more on my website. Community Information Wha... 01/04/2014

Ellicott City, MD 21042, Homes for Sale, Community and School Information, Virtual Tours Buy a home in Ellicott City, MD Virtual Tour Homes for Sale in Ellicott City, MD If you are interested in the current homes in Ellicott City, MD neighborhoods, subdivisions and communities, use the link below to search for homes. Each of these Neighborhood and Community pages contains the active real estate listings in Ellicott City, MD, and are updated multiple times per day. View full details and Virtual Tours online...   Find a Great home in Ellicott City, MD Find Homes in Other Areas What's Going on Nearby Ellicott City, MD? Find out about all the local amenities near Ellicott City, MD including, banking, shopping, Attractions and recreation and much more on my website. Community Information Wha... 01/04/2014

My girls and I stopped by the Christmas Lights House in Ellicott City, MD last Friday. What a treat! Not only was the light show fantastic but there was free popcorn, the Girls' Scouts selling cookies, a bench and heater and bubbles... I don't know who the owners are but - if you are reading this - you are awesome! A stop by your house during the Holidays has become an annual must for us. Thank you! What better way to wish all my Active Rain peeps, clients and friends a very MERRY CHRISTMAS than with this video?! I hope you are all surrounded by your loved ones, cozied up in front of the fireplace, put all your Real Estate transactions aside for a couple days and are enjoying the magic of the holiday. The Christmas Lights House is located on Red Hill Way in Ellicott City, MD, right off ... 12/24/2013

Midnight Madness in Ellicott City, MD turned into one magical night for my girls! Nothing could have stopped us from heading to Main Street in Ellicott City this evening, not even the rain. After all, Santa set up his workshop at the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin today - and only today - so we grabbed our umbrellas and ventured out. Both my girls loved seeing Santa (and yes, they do believe!) who spent quite some time with them listening to their wish lists and even dancing with them. They also got a goody-bag, courtesy of The Wine Bin. We then made our way down Main Street towards A Journey From Junk (one of my favorite stores) to pick out special ornaments... and ran into Frosty, the Snowman! Oh, the smiles on my girls' faces - priceless! At A Journey From Junk we were greeted warmly and wit... 12/06/2013

Tonight is Midnight Madness in Historic Ellicott City - rain or shine!  All the shops and restaurants are open for business with specials and holiday cheer.   There are 600 free spaces downtown and a free shuttle running until 1am from the George Howard Complex and the County Courthouse. You can access that area by coming in from Route 40 onto Rogers Avenue and avoid cutting through main street.To make it even better - parents can take their kids to the Roger Carter Rec center (off of Rogers Ave) while they shop. A small fee applies but well worth it to shop on your own!  If they are with you - visit Santa at his workshop in the log cabin at the top of main street.A great follow up to Small Business Saturday and always supported by the local community! Tonight is Midnight Madness in Hi... 12/06/2013

I don't know who is more excited that Santa will be returning to the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin in Historic Ellicott City this Friday December 6th, 2013 - my girls or I. I am not a fan of the "Mall Santa". I don't know about you but I'm not feeling the magic there. I also find it difficult to explain why Santa is hanging out at the Mall for a month. Santa at the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin at the other hand is the real deal - or so my girls think. And that's exactly why we will be visiting him there again this Friday. What could be more magical than a beautifully decorated, historic log cabin on a historic Main St? And while we are there, we'll also do some shopping - December 6th, 2013 is the 36th annual Midnight Madness in historic Ellicott City - and cast our vote for the annual Holiday Windo... 12/02/2013

  Bob Chew & Ronna Corman-Chew: Group Top Producers in Volume, & Top Listings $3.6 million + total production on 10 units. Ken Zeng Team: Group Top Sales Volume: $3.2 million + total production on 7 units Kevin Hammersmith: Group Top Producers in Units, & Top Sales in Units $3.1 million + total production on 11 units. Don Enright: Individual Top Producer in Volume & Top Listings $2.3 million + total production Laura-Lee Jones: Individual Top Producer in Units: $1.8 million + total productionon 5 units Robin Wilson: Individual Top Sales: $1.6 million + total production on 4 units Proctor/MacBrayne Group: Team Top Producers and Top Sales Diamond Club: Karen Ingalls:$1.5 million + total production Connie Cousens: $1.3 million + total production Emerald Club: Maureen Wienecke, Jean Chavis, ... 11/21/2013

Get ready for some Pumpkin Chucking this Sunday at Clark's Elioak Farm.  Bring your jack-o-lanterns or squirrel eaten pumpkins from 10am to 5pm on Sunday, November 3d.  They'll load em into a catapult and see how far they fly before they splatter!  It's pretty entertaining stuff and the pumpkin part is free! It is the last week of the season for this beloved petting farm in Ellicott City near Centennial Park.  It is a kid's paradise and brings out the kids in adults too! The farm visit is $5 per person and includes animals such as goats, pigs, horses, bunny rabbits, sheep and turkeys.  Check out the hay rides, pony rides, slides and of course tons of fairy tale creatures and sculptures.  If you haven't been in a while, go in the morning before The Ravens Game, indulge your inner child a... 11/02/2013

The Ellicott City Market Report for home sales in Sept 2013 is looking good and homes are flying off the market!In the month of September 2013 - 15 of the homes in Ellicott City were sold after being on the market for LESS THAN 10 DAYS!  The majority of the remaining 42 homes sold in Sept were on the market less than 2 months. The average selling price in the 21042 zip code was $564,631 which is just over 1% higher than the year before.  Prices appear to be reaching a stable point - at least for now! The Ellicott City area here in Maryland is a popular destination for people moving from other states because of our proximity to jobs in the Baltimore/Washington region.The Ellicott City Market Report for home sales in Sept 2013 shows that we really are seeing a sellers market!  But every t... 10/21/2013

October is the perfect time to see Dracula performed by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company!  The play is performed throughout the ruins of the historic Patapsco Female Institute in old Ellicott City - the audience will literally follow the actors as they travel the ruins. The play is an adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula and scenes will take place in various locations for an intimate and creepy experience.  Photo by Teresa Castracane Photography.  Actor Michael Sullivan portrays Dracula at the Chesapeake Shakespeare Theater. The event is great for Halloween since October is the perfect time to see Dracula performed by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company!   The shows are Thursday - Sunday evenings and are already selling out so get your tickets now. What a fun idea for a grown up night o... 10/07/2013

Don't miss the Ellicott City Fall Festival and Main Street Music Fest together in Historic Ellicott City this Saturday, September 28th!  The fun starts at noon with the music going until 10pm!This festival in Ellicott City is always a great time and the weather for this weekend looks perfect - blue skies and cool temps!This is the second year that the festival is really focusing on live music!  The music is free and there is every kind of band you could want (check out the schedule online above)! Seriously - they are advertising over 80 bands playing at nine music venues throughout the city from 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm at night! There are outdoor music stages (Wine Bin Parking Lot, Lot behind Tourism Building) and indoor venues too (The Phoenix, La Palapa, Cacao Lane, Judge's Bench and t... 09/25/2013