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Joan Goldman, Baltimore's Outside The Box Realtor (Cummings & Co. Realtors) Real Estate Agent

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Joan Goldman
Baltimore's Outside The Box Realtor
location_on Baltimore, MD — Cummings & Co. Realtors
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Get to Know Joan Goldman

My Personal Background

I currently live with my family and two cats in a 1910 colonial in Mt Washington on a beautiful tree lined street. We moved to Baltimore in 1998 from Menlo Park, California.

Prior to real estate, I had a career in Medical Diagnostic Ultrasound, as well as Pharmaceutical Sales and Ultrasound Medical Equipment Sales.

My interests include:
- interior design (I love staging homes)
- antiquing (anything from yard sales to estate sales and beyond)
- quilts (can't sew straight, so I admire them)
- gardening (digging in the dirt makes me happy)
- independent movies (you'll often find me at The Charles)
- the beach (Outer Banks of North Carolina)
- music (tastes too vast to categorize-music is what keeps me sane)
- reading (never enough time in the day to read all I want)
- great friends (what else do you really need?)
- giving back (I get much more from volunteering than I give)

A great multi-tasker, I rarely ever sit still, yet do know how to to take that moment and smile at nature and children.

I strongly believe in community service, and gladly volunteer whenever I can, with three wonderful organizations: NAMI (National Association of Mental Illness), CHANA (The Jewish Response to Domestic Violence), and The House of Ruth, Ruth's Closet.


My Business Philosophy

Buying or selling a home can be very stressful. I can help reduce that stress by taking care of all the details. My positive energy and organization skills will make your real estate experience truly enjoyable.

Former clients say I am personable, highly energetic, detail oriented, and fun. I like to analyze every situation from all angles, with an "outside the box" approach, which helps me stay two steps ahead of what comes next.

My personal philosophy is to find humor in everyday events. Life is too short so I like to make the most of each and every day. Corny but true!

A few of my standout strengths are my communication, creativity, flexibility, common sense, perserverance, and plain old hard work ethics.

We all share this one earth, and must do what we can to preserve it for future generations. Therefore, I am pleased to say I am: GCREP-CL (Green Certified Real Estate Professional-Green Leadership) as well as ES RES (Energy Smart Real Estate Specialist).

I am also proud and pleased to announce I am a pioneer in the LGBT RES (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Real Estate Specialist) certification.

Though I have taken many classes on negotiation during my Pharma and Ultrasound Sales careers, I also completed the CNE (Certified Negotiation Expert) certification.

Working with buyers is very satisfying to me, and I am proud to be a member of the ABR (Acredited Buyers Representative).

Certifications

ABR- Accredited Buyers Representative
CNE- Certified Negotiation Expert
RESE- Real Estate Staging Expert
LGBT RES- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Real Estate Specialist
ES RES- Energy Smart Real Estate Specialist
GC REP- Green Certified Real Estate Professional

I have a B.S in Business and Management from The University of Maryland  with a focus on Marketing.

RDMS- Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
RDCS- Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer

Skills

*Outstanding communication

*Tough negotiator

*Extensive knowledge of the real estate process

*Extremely organized

*Excellent stager

Testimonials
CH
07/01/2013
Joan was recommended to me by an acquaintance, who told me she was "a real go-getter". They weren't wrong! I was moving to Baltimore from interstate and could only come look at houses for a short time. Joan was always available on the phone, and quickly grasped what I was looking for in a neighborhood and house. We set up a weekend for me to fly out and look at houses. She arranged for me to see 14 houses from noon Saturday to noon Sunday. By Sunday evening I had made an offer on a house (the one Joan said she "knew from the start" would be the one I'd go for!) and got it accepted. Joan arranged for the inspection the very next day before my flight out, and even arranged for a lender to come and meet me at the house. I had heard horror stories about the stress and difficulty of buying a house. Turns out it is easy -- at least, it is when Joan is on your side! I love my house and I can't recommend Joan Goldman highly enough.
NH, MH
06/14/2013
We were very lucky to have Joan Goldman as our realtor! She helped us find the perfect house in a great neighborhood, tailoring the search to what our needs were and giving us invaluable advice at every turn. We've moved a lot and had a number of other realtors: Joan is the most knowledgeable and the most energetic we've had or heard of. She anticipates problems and comes up with creative and smart solutions. She also knows every angle of the business, which made everything so much easier for us. She not only got us the house we wanted at a very good price, but when we had to move and sell it three years later, she got it sold for over asking price in an amazingly short time, especially given how difficult the real estate market was at the time for most sellers. She spent days helping us stage it, took wonderful photographs, and timed the advertising so as to get two offers the day we listed, and a contract two days later! She saved us a lot of time and money both in finding and then selling a terrific house. I should add that she is also a pleasure to work with: cheerful and understanding as well as incredibly savvy. I always felt that she was 100% committed to making sure we got what we wanted.
TK, JK
02/11/2013
Our family was searching for the perfect place to raise our new family. I had met Joan when a friend was working with her to buy their house. After seeing first-hand what a fabulous job she had done with my friends, I knew she was the realtor for us. Joan enthusiastically worked with us scouring multiple neighborhoods spanning multiple Baltimore area counties for over seven months in search of the ideal home. Joan was both an advocate and a friend guiding us through the home ownership process. She offered sound recommendations on everything from a lender to a tree remover when solicited. The people she recommended were of the highest quality and made sure to treat Joan’s referrals with care. I truly believe we wouldn't have found the house we did without Joan. She is absolutely amazing and I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy a home in the Baltimore area and if we ever have to sell, I know exactly who will be my listing agent.
TP, SK
01/25/2013
Joan is one of the most communicative, responsive and detail-oriented realtors we’ve ever met. She helped us tremendously in buying the home of our dream. She was very quick and thorough in putting together an offer, keeping us informed, and guiding us through a complicated process of inspecting and buying the house. She has a great eye for detail and knows what to look out for. With Joan, we really do have a friend that knows real estate inside and out, and highly recommend her to anybody. Thank you Joan
CK, SK
05/25/2012
In late 2011, I took a position in Baltimore that required me to relocate, leaving my family in another city for many months to sell our house while we looked for a new home. During this particularly stressful period with a separated family and a lot of uncertainty, Joan was an unfailing partner. We had many requirements – minimum amount of land, distance from neighbors, type of house, and distance from school, commuting distance to work, etc. – and no clear idea of the area. Joan took all of this in stride, and began showing us properties, working to orient us to the area and providing astute advice and guidance. When the sale of our home in Virginia experienced some unexpected challenges, Joan was a consummate professional, providing context and helping us see the next step in the process. When we doubted we would find the right house, Joan carefully selected properties that would keep us encouraged and engaged. When we worried that both sales would fail to close in time, she provided sound and expert counsel and kept us optimistic. And she never failed to apply good humor, savvy business instincts and significant insight to the enormous challenge of finding a new home. Thanks to Joan, we were able to find our new house and complete the purchase -- with perfect timing, in a perfect location, and for a perfect property for our family. It is not an exaggeration to say that I cannot envision having successfully navigated this transition and this transaction without Joan’s guidance and skill. I wholeheartedly recommend her as someone whose natural ability moves her beyond the ordinary definition of ‘realtor’; she was a trusted and true partner throughout.
SW, JW
04/14/2012
We have just had the pleasure of working with Joan Goldman to sell our existing home and buy a new home. Joan gave us great direction to stage our home – excellent professional advice, plus a huge amount of motivation to get the job done in a short time. The literature /web presence she created was first class, including outstanding photography. She even provided some useful props to enhance the appeal of the home. We sold in under 3 weeks, and got a healthy price for the property, in spite of the slow market. During the buying process, Joan again showed excellent understanding of our needs. She has demonstrated vision, creativity, tenacity, patience and support, especially when things were not going 100% smoothly with the purchase. She also has a good network of home fixing experts to call on when needed. At all times Joan has demonstrated total integrity. Home buying & selling is a stressful and fatiguing process, so we consider ourselves fortunate to find someone as enthusiastic and professional as Joan – I’d strongly recommend her services to anyone considering buying or selling a home.
EE
03/19/2012
Working with Joan was a dream comes true. My family and I feel very fortunate to have found her. Before Joan came along, we attempted to do it all on our own. It became too frustrating and time consuming, so we chose to go with an agent that was referred to us. Months went by with nothing to show but time and money wasted, and the agent’s excuses of why this and why that. Our next and final step was finding Joan. She swooped in to manage a situation that was very lengthy, daunting and stressful, and it took her less than two weeks to get it done. It was done with ease and a smile. Joan cares for her clients and does everything within her power to make sure they walk away feeling good and comfortable. I don’t think anyone could have done it better….I truly believe that.
GB, GM
12/13/2011
Dear Joan: We would like to thank you for all your hard work in our behalf. We really like our new house and we are certain settlement would not have happened without your expert help and guidance. Being new to Baltimore, you educated us about our geographic choices. We found your suggestions invaluable as we narrowed down what area we wanted to buy in. It didn’t take you long to understand what our must-haves were and then you began to suggest certain listings to focus on. Your patience as we looked at numerous listings was remarkable. When we made an offer on the first house, you know, the one with the seller who wasn’t serious, we began to understand how good your communication skills are. You kept us and the listing agent fully informed at every step of the negotiations. When you called the day ‘our house’ came on the market and told us about it, you were willing to rearrange your schedule to see it that day – typical of your do it now attitude. Since it was a foreclosure, there was an added layer of complexity that you handled perfectly. Your honesty, advice, and attention to detail were always outstanding. You worked tirelessly in our behalf throughout the holidays to make our settlement happen in six weeks (a small miracle). We were not first time homebuyers and we knew what to expect from our agent and you exceeded all expectations! Plus, it was great to work with such a nice person. We can’t thank you enough for your help.
DK, LK
11/04/2011
I would recommend Joan to anyone who wants to buy or sell a home. Someone at my credit union recommended her to me and boy was I thankful they did. Joan is the type of agent that works and I mean works for you 24/7. Once you meet with her she becomes very dedicated in finding you a home or is intent on selling for you. You want to see houses at 10 am she is there, 5 pm she will be there. Joan will always put you first no matter what you need. She will handle all the paperwork and closing arrangements. So all you need to do is pack. Joan is now my friend and I know if I ever need anything when it comes to real estate all I need to do is call her. I am so glad someone recommended me to her and I know when I recommend her to you, you will also be glad I did. A very dedicated client, DK
RH, JH
10/31/2011
Joan Goldman was a pleasure to work with. Not only did she sell our house extremely quickly based upon her connections, but she put up with a long home purchasing cycle on our end, never pushing us to make a rash decision. She stuck with us, had great follow through, and really understood what our needs were. I’d highly recommend Joan Goldman if you need to sell your house or buy a new home.
TG
10/18/2011
Joan was an excellent realtor. I would definitely recommend her to my friends. She was especially helpful in teaching me about Baltimore since I was moving from out of state. She is extremely knowledgeable about the city, the suburbs, and all of their various neighborhoods. I would definitely recommend her for someone unfamiliar with the area. Joan is friendly and professional. She responded immediately to any phone calls. She even called me just to touch base when we hadn't spoken for a few days. She was also able to recommend a loan officer, home insurance company, and title company to assist me with my purchase, and they were all wonderful - efficient, knowledgeable, and friendly. Joan really goes beyond the typical realtor. She found me a home inspector, termite inspector, and contractors, and scheduled the appointments for me. She also met the contractors at the home for me when I was out of state. I have bought 3 houses and sold 2, and have never yet come across a realtor that was so helpful and good at her job.
ML, TL
08/02/2010
I read an article in the newspaper recently that discussed what to look for when choosing a realtor to sell your home. The article's primary suggestion was to hire someone who believes that NOW is a good time to buy, regardless of the market; realtors who cannot convince prospective buyers that now is a good time to buy--and that your house is the one they should buy--will be unsuccessful. We put our home up for sale in the middle of a rapidly declining market and my wife and I were very apprehensive about the situation, but Joan looked carefully at our home, our neighborhood, and other important factors, and helped us believe that she COULD convince someone to buy our house. The fact that we sold our house in a short time when many houses were on the market for months on end is evidence that she was right. Reading that article in the newspaper reaffirmed what I already knew: Joan Goldman was the right person for the job.
SG, AB
07/23/2010
Because of job circumstances, we started looking for a house almost a year before we actually moved to town. During this time, Joan made sure we knew she was available to us but didn't pressure us in any way. When we finally began to look more seriously at specific properties, she made us feel like we were her only clients. She has hustle! Joan also really knows the city, which was invaluable to us as out-of-towners. By the end of a few hours with her, we had a great sense of which neighborhoods were for us. The house we finally purchased wasn't even on the market! We had seen it when it had been on the market two years before, but it hadn't sold. Joan found the owner and negotiated the deal - even though he was out of the country! Finally, Joan is just a really great person, and she really cared that we ended up in exactly the house we wanted.
SS
03/19/2010
My buying experience with Joan has been superb. I didn't have a firm concept of what I wanted, combined with the housing down turn; and it was difficult to decide on a house. Joan was very patient and guided me through the decision process. After a contract was accepted, Joan was very prompt with all the paper work and explained the whole process clearly. A number of complications during the contract process came up. We also had a major snow storm that caused further damage after the initial repairs were performed. Joan handled everything professionally and made sure the necessary repairs were performed. Now I'm in a great house. I highly recommend Joan.
LP, JP
08/28/2009
We never would have found such a great house if it weren't for Joan. The first day we met her, she was able to get a great sense of who we were and what we were looking for. Moving here from out of state, we had no idea what the neighborhoods were like, no clue where to even start looking. Joan, after only a couple of hours of driving around with us, was somehow able to match our personalities with the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood. We're so happy here, and it's all thanks to Joan.
SO
06/19/2009
I sold my condo in June of 2009, and would recommend my realtor, Joan Goldman, to absolutely anyone. I credit Joan’s eye for detail and staging abilities for helping my condo sell in less than 48 hours. Prior to putting it on the market, Joan spent a long time ensuring each room looked its best. I found Joan to be just as helpful when it came to finding a new home to purchase. I hadn’t yet decided what neighborhood I wanted to be in, and Joan tirelessly showed me home after home in numerous neighborhoods. She was knowledgeable about the entire process, and there were no surprises when it came time to go to settlement. She walked me through the process step by step, and I had complete confidence in her. Joan’s patience, professionalism, and obvious enjoyment of her job made her an absolute pleasure to work with. I know that when the time comes to sell my current home, a call to Joan is the first call I’ll be making.
PD, DS
09/05/2008
"I had the wonderful experience of working with Joan Goldman last year as my realtor when purchasing a home in Mt Washington. I have bought and sold eight different residences in my adulthood, with at least as many realtors and this transaction was the smoothest, least painful experience to date. Buying or selling a home is a complicated procedure these days - each time I go through this process there are more and more legal requirements and regulations involved - and Joan guided me through them all quite effortlessly. Her knowledge of the area is also extensive and really facilitated the decision-making process for us. And, Joan is a pleasure to spend time with - -as anyone who has purchased a home knows only too well, it helps to like your realtor. Two thumbs up (from my partner and I) for Joan Goldman as the #1 Mt Washington Realtor!"
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If your idea of Baltimore is what you've seen from "The Wire", then please let me show you what Charm City is all about.