Melisa Klem, Realtor - Maryland Homes and Horse Properties

06/22/2026

UNDER CONTRACT

3346 Kump Station Rd | Taneytown | 3 bed/2.5 bath | 3 acres | 2348 sq. ft.

Offered at $749,900

https://www.melisaklem.com/listing/mdcr2034298-3346-kump-station-rd-taneytown-md-21787/

TURNKEY FARMETTE! Are you looking for barns, a massive workshop, a chicken coop AND a stunning home? Your homestead is ready! Set on three acres of pristine, professionally landscaped grounds, this exceptional property offers a rare blend of scenic beauty and functional versatility. Surrounded by mature trees and picturesque views, the estate is thoughtfully equipped for both leisure and lifestyle pursuits, featuring a MASSIVE TWO STORY WORKSHOP, two pastures, two paddocks, and TWO BARNS WITH FIVE STALLS TOTAL, ideal for equestrian enthusiasts or hobbyists alike. The split-level home showcases a classic brick and vinyl exterior and welcomes you into a bright, open interior with a traditional yet flowing layout. The inviting living room is highlighted by plush carpeting and a wood-burning fireplace, creating a warm and comfortable gathering space. The kitchen is tastefully updated with modern flooring, granite countertops, sleek appliances, ample cabinetry, and a center island with breakfast bar seating, seamlessly connecting to the breakfast area with direct access to the expansive deck, perfect for enjoying the surrounding landscape. Designed for both everyday living and entertaining, the formal dining room features ceramic tile flooring, crown molding, and access to the porch. A private office just off the dining room, complete with its own entrance, provides flexibility for remote work or a home-based business. The upper level hosts the serene primary suite, offering plush carpeting, a ceiling fan, abundant natural light, double-door closets, and a spa-like en-suite bath with a jetted soaking tub. Two additional bedrooms and a well-appointed hall bath complete the sleeping quarters. The first lower level presents an ideal setting for a media room or lounge, enhanced by brick accents, updated flooring, a powder room, and walkout access to a private patio. The second lower level expands the living space further with a versatile recreation or game area, generous storage, and a sizable laundry room. The massive two story workshop is climate-controlled and perfect for your hobbies, storage, cars, or even a small business! Conveniently located with access to major commuter routes, including MD-140, I-795, and MD-194, this remarkable property delivers a unique opportunity to enjoy peaceful, expansive living without sacrificing accessibility.



Melisa Klem, Associate Broker
The Homestead Team of Northrop Realty
Cell: (301) 602-8117
Office: (410) 531-0321
[email protected]
https://www.MelisaKlem.com

06/22/2026

SOLD! (Seller Representation)

8221 Meadowood Drive | Hanover | 3 bed/2 ba | 2541 sq. ft. | 3 acres

Settled at $885,000

Congratulations to my Sellers on the sale of their family farm. Some listings are simply homes that we sell as agents. This one though really pulled on my heartstrings given it's history and charm, but even more so the beautiful renovations that my clients had done the last few years. It's a special place and I knew needed buyers who also truly appreciated that.

Some sales are also fast, smooth, and closed with out any bumps along the way. This sale though hit more than a few bumps and highlights what patience, strategy, and communication between all parties can really accomplish.

Did we have a complicated zoning case with a due diligence period? YES. The buyer's agent came to me and asked if a particular use was allowed and I immediately suggested she contact the county and a wonderful land use consultant that had worked on another listing of mine. He knew exactly how to get the Zoning Board's approval for the buyer's use and it gave the my clients confidence knowing that someone highly experienced in this was working on the approval. Who you hire as a realtor and as a land use consultant matters....and especially for land use questions. The use was approved after several months!

Did we also have a contingency on sale? YES. And we had to overcome some difficulties on that contingency and be creative with extensions.

Did the timeline for selling the buyer's home then run out though? Yep. Thankfully the buyers were willing to get creative with their financing and we allowed for some additional time and were able to close successfully at a very strong price point.

My clients were extremely patient and trusted me throughout the process. There were many phone calls, text messages, emails, strategy sessions, and collaborative discussions. The result? They achieved a fantastic price for their home with minimal repairs and are so excited for their future and the future stewardship of this property. We truly found the absolute perfect buyers for it who love its charm, history, barns, and location and immediately saw the value in all of it.

It will now be home to a small farmer's market, a really cool agricultural summer program for children, and will continue to celebrate the history of the farm in a way that benefits the community.

I wish I was going to live in this neighborhood now!

06/11/2026

Farm List Prices - How Do You Decide Where to Start?

I am often asked to provide farm valuations as part of the interview process when someone is considering the sale of their land or farm. The first thing I usually say is that pricing these types of properties takes some detailed analysis as it's not quite the same as pricing a townhome where 12 other similar homes sold last month in the same community. Pricing those types of homes rarely takes much time. Farms are very nuanced though and have elements that can effect pricing greatly even between two farms in the same town or on the same street.

So what do I look at when pricing a farm property?

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Don't Trust Zillow. Zestimates are notoriously inaccurate for farms.

Here's what to consider instead!

1. Location: this matters immensely. An experienced agent will look within a few miles of your farm and for very large farms within the same county. If you are considering selling a farm in Montgomery County, don't look at farm sales in Frederick County or vice versa. The location matters to the buyers and it especially will matter to a farm appraiser. Location drives market value.

2. Acreage: this is huge for buyers. Anyone considering a farm for crop production, horses, cattle, sheep, or even the desire for privacy will not be expecting to pay the same for 10 acres as 40 acres. The price per acre does exist on a somewhat sliding scale though. A 200 acre farm may yield a slightly lower price per acre than a 10 acre farm. It's important to also note that flat, tillable land is more productive and more valuable than hilly, forested land.

3. Subdivision: know the rules! Can your farm be subdivided? Does it have an easement on it? This can change the pricing dramatically and also changes your ideal buyer. Even if you don't want to sell to a developer, this does impact market value and buyers will ask and consider this. Can someone build a second home on it? Does it offer the opportunity for a conservation easement in the future - which can sometimes come with significant sum of preservation dollars. Educated buyers will expect the pricing to reflect the reality of the property's future use.

4. Outbuildings: how many, what kind, and how old? Indoor arenas today cost at least $300,000 to build and that's conservative and without grading, electrical, and footing. A 5 stall barn can start at $75,000 easily. Do you have buildings that offer stalls, hay storage, riding space, a workshop, or even entertainment space? These all matter and sometimes one farm has entirely different outbuildings than another. I always assign a depreciated value to the existing outbuildings. They often don't command the same value as a new build on an appraisal but they do carry value for the buyer because it's always cheaper to buy a farm with a barn in place that's functional and safe than it does to build from scratch.

5. The Home: you need a place to sleep too! So many times, the buyers I work with mention the house last when we are looking for farm properties. That doesn't mean it doesn't matter. It's absolutely important and often we can discern the value of the home on one acre by looking at similar residential comps. Is it updated? Is the basement finished? How old are the mechanicals and has the roof been replaced recently? What do we know about the age and function of the well and septic? These all play a factor.

Often times, I will present a list of comparable sales to a client and they are other homes with acreage. Usually though, we make adjustments based on what we see in your farm specifically. Each farm is different, and it's through this combination of a comparable sales approach (looking at past sales) and a cost approach (the cost to rebuild that's then depreciated based on age), we can arrive at a valuation that is defensible and makes sense.

Have questions? Reach out! I'm always here to answer questions about the listing process and especially to explain how the market would value your farm.

05/21/2026

05/15/2026

SOLD!!

A massive congratulations to my client, Ruth, on the sale of her beloved farm. Home to many incredible dressage horses for so many years, the most perfect buyers arrived at my open house and fell in love with it for their jumpers. I couldn’t be more thrilled for everyone as the farm will remain an equestrian property and the home of many talented sport horses!

Settlement was a bit bittersweet as the baton was passed from one horse person to another and in the happiest way.

📍 1955 Valhalla Drive | Finksburg, MD

25 ACRE DREAM FARM WITH AN INDOOR

An exceptional opportunity for equestrian professionals and enthusiasts — this fully equipped horse property offers top-tier amenities in a tranquil, secluded setting.

🏇 10 stalls with attached individual runs (expandable to 13+)
🐴 Indoor Arena with LED lights, Mirrors, and Custom Footing
🔥 Heated lounge + tack room with lockers and kitchenette
🗄 Feed room with cabinetry + abundant storage
🏞 Large 20 x 60 meter sand outdoor arena
🏡 5 Bed/ 3.5 Bath Custom Home
🚿 Hot & cold wash stall plus powder room and barn laundry
🌳 Gorgeous fenced pastures (wood & vinyl combo)
⚡ Separate electric, well, and septic for barn

The main residence complements the facility with a custom built 5 bed/3.2 bath home. Vaulted wood ceilings, wood-burning fireplace, chef’s kitchen, and spacious living areas overlook the pastures for an ideal blend of comfort and utility. Possible in-law suite in the basement as there is a partial bath that can easily be converted.

Melisa Klem, Associate Broker
The Homestead Team of Northrop Realty
(C) 301-602-8117
(O) 410-531-0321
[email protected]

05/06/2026

UNDER CONTRACT

Congratulations to my buyers on securing this STUNNING home in My Lady's Manor in Monkton! When they first contacted me, they were interviewing agents to help them find the perfect home for their horticulture business and I think we found an absolute gem!

🏡 16104 Carroll Road | Monkton | 4 bed 2 bath | 2 acres

Offered at $859,000

You've just found your dream home, welcome to 16104 Carroll Road, My Lady's Manor-Monkton. This stunning multi-level domicile is a blend of modern luxury and classic charm. Situated on a landscape of rolling green hills, the home offers an expansive layout designed for both high-end entertaining and quiet comfortable living. In the heart of the home, you'll find a chef's kitchen with a grand center island, wet bar and stainless appliances, and dining area with tray ceiling, elaborate moldings and a bay window. Rich hardwoods span across most of the main level and upper levels. A formal living room with vaulted ceilings, French style doors opening to the deck, and generous natural light is situated just off the kitchen. The large family room is casual and cozy with a gas fireplace. Another bedroom, full bath, office space and laundry with utility room can be found just below main level area. The upper level provides 3 spacious bedrooms and a jack and jill bathroom with 2 shower spaces --1 walk in and the other is a tub/shower. This could be re-imagined yielding a primary bath and hall bath. The primary bedroom has a large walk- in closet and 2 additional closet spaces. The 2- level attached garage with upper storage opens to the interior with a mud room and coat cubbies. This space also opens to the deck, patio and vinyl fenced in dog run. The sunny deck area overlooks a lovely horse farm next door where you can enjoy the vistas in the hot tub, under the gazebo, or by the running Koi pond. Looking for some exercise? Hop into the heated lap pool- which is under roof for anytime relaxation (controls are located in the garage). Looking for a hobby? The detached garage with a private drive, on wall pellet stove heat, window unit and ceiling fan cool, and machine vacuum system is quite a hobby area! There is also detailed train garden for folks of all ages. The lot is fenced and offers a greenhouse, sunny gardening area and lots of bird watching opportunities; and the generous dog run in enclosed with a vinyl fence. This home isn't just a place to live; it's a retreat to thrive! Please note the documents for recent updates, there are far too many to list - these are a few: updated kitchen and baths; underground 320 gallon propane tank; 18kw whole house generator; whole house duct cleaning; stainless flu liner with concrete crown and new flu on oil burner chimney; gas fireplace insert with stainless steel liner; vinyl fence; refinished hardwoods in kitchen, dining and foyer; new hot tub cover; smoke detectors. Recently serviced items include- oil furnace, water conditioning system, hot water heater, water filter, gas fireplace, generator, HVAC, and water samples of the hot tub and swim spa are analyzed monthly. The oil bill of $136 a month includes the service plans for the furnace and air conditioner.

Melisa Klem, Associate Broker
The Homestead Team of Northrop Realty
(C) 301-602-8117
(O) 410-531-0321
[email protected]
www.MelisaKlem.com

04/27/2026

Zoning Questions

If you are looking for a specialty property or farm for a particular use such as a wedding venue or winery, often times there are zoning and land use questions to consider. Does the zone that the property sits in allow for the use you plan? Does the zone require that you seek a special exception or conditional use permit? What is the timeline for the application to be considered and does it require a hearing? Is there a public comment period and how must the hearing be advertised and what signage is necessary?

These are all very common questions, and questions that a reasonably educated realtor should be able to help you answer in a proactive way. A proactive way for me means I call the appropriate person at the county, ask for their full name and title, take notes on what their guidance is and email that directly to my clients with their contact info. In other words, here is the answer according to this person at this contact number and I copy the county person in my email and ask them to confirm our conversation for my clients and offer any additional guidance needed.

Why? I want to take the leg work and guess work out of the process as I know my clients are very busy. I also want my clients to be able to directly verify or ask any clarifying questions that are helpful to them in the decision-making.

Each county is different and while you can research the regulations, that can also take some time. Each county usually has a GIS interactive mapping tool to help you identify the zone for a property you are considering. I always share that with my clients as well. Information is power in my opinion and everyone should have all the tools needed to make informed decisions.

Today, I spoke with Howard, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore Counties for my farm clients.

Photo is of a property in Anne Arundel that I helped my buyers purchase two years ago where they are building a state of the art equestrian facility. I sold their land complete with grading permit as they found their dream farm while waiting on permits to build on land we had found them the year prior.

04/26/2026

Are you considering purchasing a farm and have a home to sell? Are you worried about how to do this? I hear this question frequently and there are so many solid options to navigate through this process.

1. Purchase before you sell: if you can qualify for the farm loan and sell your home after the fact, you can still apply the equity from your current home to the down payment. Ask me how!

2. Prepare to list your current home and make a contingent offer. We will photograph your home, develop marketing materials, and then list your home immediately upon an accepted contingent offer. This may make your offer a bit less competitive than a non-contingent offer but there are ways that we can make other terms strong (not just price!) and this is still vastly superior to a contingent offer where you need days/weeks to prepare your home for sale before it can even be listed.

3. List your home for sale and search for a farm to purchase at the same time. If we know there are several options that could work for you on the market at any given time, this may be the way to go and we can negotiate your timeline for closing on your current home to ideally match with your purchase. This is risky if there is nothing that seems to be a fit though and especially if you live in a neighborhood where homes sell very quickly unless you have a temporary living situation available.

4. You sell your home and move temporarily until we find the perfect farm. This separates the two transactions and is sometimes ideal if you are moving farther away or to a new area where you want to have time to make your decision. The downside is it can mean moving twice and possibly paying for some storage.

As always, if you have questions please ask me. I'm here to help!

Photo below is of a beautiful farm I sold last year so my clients could upsize to a stunning facility in VA!

04/17/2026

UNDER CONTRACT: Seller Representation

This farm is absolutely stunning in so many ways and it's taken some time to find the absolute perfect buyer. Sometimes though, the perfect buyer arrives at an open house, walks the property with me, appreciates everything the farm has to offer, and makes an offer that is thoughtful and a dream is realized.

📍 1955 Valhalla Drive | Finksburg, MD

25 ACRE DREAM FARM WITH AN INDOOR PRICED UNDER $2M!!

An exceptional opportunity for equestrian professionals and enthusiasts — this fully equipped horse property offers top-tier amenities in a tranquil, secluded setting.

🏇 10 stalls with attached individual runs (expandable to 13+)
🐴 Indoor Arena with LED lights, Mirrors, and Custom Footing
🔥 Heated lounge + tack room with lockers and kitchenette
🗄 Feed room with cabinetry + abundant storage
🏞 Large 20 x 60 meter sand outdoor arena
🏡 5 Bed/ 3.5 Bath Custom Home
🚿 Hot & cold wash stall plus powder room and barn laundry
🌳 Gorgeous fenced pastures (wood & vinyl combo)
⚡ Separate electric, well, and septic for barn

The main residence complements the facility with a custom built 5 bed/3.2 bath home. Vaulted wood ceilings, wood-burning fireplace, chef’s kitchen, and spacious living areas overlook the pastures for an ideal blend of comfort and utility. Possible in-law suite in the basement as there is a partial bath that can easily be converted.

Offered at $1,500,000

Melisa Klem, Associate Broker
The Homestead Team of Northrop Realty
(C) 301-602-8117
(O) 410-531-0321
[email protected]

04/15/2026

Farms Currently Under Contract

While some agents say they can sell a farm or understand the value of acreage, it's not always that simple.

Selling a farm is understanding the value of land, the nuances of easements, the agricultural transfer tax, accurate valuations of outbuildings, the cost of your arena footing, the valuation of a field of corn that the farmer just planted, and the work it will take to pack and move a farm start to finish. It's knowing which properties are comparable and which a farm appraiser won't consider and why. It's knowing which lenders to call for large acreage, and who actually offers competitive terms and good communication. It's knowing what to do if the well or septic inspection fails, how to work with existing farm tenants or staff, and what messaging to give farm clients or customers to manage expectations and ease concerns.

This experience comes from years of working with local farm owners, assisting clients in purchasing and selling farms, and through years of owning a farm personally.

This is not a list to brag, but rather to show that expertise matters and can be demonstrated. When purchasing or selling perhaps one of your largest financial assets, trust someone who can point to results.

180 Acres in Woodbine with a 16,000 square foot home and numerous outbuildings as well as two guest cottages. Offered at $3.9M

30 Acre farm in Damascus with Two Barns, Indoor Arena, Outdoor Arena, Custom 4 Bed/3 Bath Home, And Pool. Offered at $2M

4 Acre Farmette in Hanover with Updated Historic Colonial, Barn, Chicken Coop, and Fantastic Location. Offered at $885,000

18 Acres in Beltsville ready to be built with convenient access to DC and Baltimore. Offered at $6M

Curious about selling your farm or acreage? Reach out. It's always confidential.

Melisa Klem, Associate Broker
The Homestead Team of Northrop Realty
(C) 301-602-8117 (call/text)
(O) 410-340-6776
[email protected]