Upfront with Karen Hubble Bisbee

Art, antiques, theater, music, travel, family, real estate. These are the passions, in no particular order, that inspire Karen Hubble Bisbee’s life in Baltimore, Md. Like a skilled antique hunter, Hubble Bisbee has an uncanny ability to find elusive, impossible-to-find properties for her luxury clients. This gift, along with a talent for “bridging seemingly impossible gaps,” has made the 36-year real estate veteran and third-generation real estate agent a force in the Coldwell Banker Previews International® program. Previews Inside Out recently checked in with the nationally ranked Previews specialist to get the inside scoop on luxury living in “Charm City.” Previews Inside OutWhat would people be surprised to find out about your job? Karen Hubble BisbeeI think people would be surprised at how much fun real estate is. I love going to work every single day. I have a dream practice in Baltimore, and I never take it for granted. Previews Inside OutWhat does luxury living mean to you? Karen Hubble BisbeeI often say, “I don't sell houses, I sell lifestyles.” Ultra luxury homes have values that are often determined not just by the sticks and bricks, but by that "something special" that only it can offer. Luxury living is a nest, where people can retreat and restore themselves, to pursue their passions and create memories with the people they love. Previews Inside OutWhat is your favorite style of architecture in Baltimore? Karen Hubble BisbeeI love the wonderful turn-of-the-century stone and shingle wrap-around porch Victorians. These homes are beautiful and tremendously inviting, but not overly grand. They are, in my eyes, the personification of American architecture. Previews Inside OutIf you could buy three Previews homes anywhere in the world, where would they be? Karen Hubble BisbeeTuscany… because it is the most beautiful place in the world! I would also buy a big, beautiful shingle-style home with gorgeous roses and hydrangeas on the ocean on the Cape. It would be the place where we could spend our summers and vacations with our daughter and our future grandchildren (not that I am planning for them or anything!). And finally, I would buy a home in Florida so that I could escape in the winter when the snow and ice is falling in Baltimore. Previews Inside OutWhat defines the Baltimore luxury lifestyle? Karen Hubble BisbeeThe Baltimore luxury lifestyle is often about an activity related to the property. For instance, Maryland horse country offers some of the most beautiful countryside in the U.S. We have some incredible equine estates here. And, of course, the Baltimore harbor is extremely beautiful, with a 4.5 mile Harbor Walk linking the various waterfront communities in our downtown, fabulous shopping, restaurants and pathways for running, walking and meeting your neighbors. Baltimore is known as a city of neighborhoods, each one with its own unique and wonderful character. We have everything here for the discerning buyer, from a simple but wonderful 18th century sea captain’s house in Fells Point in downtown Baltimore to a 100-acre horse farm in the Greenspring Valley, just 20 short minutes away from our city center. The Hubble Bisbee Team is led by Karen Hubble Bisbee and her mother, Nancy Hubble. They have over 80 years of combined experience, with nearly half a billion dollars in residential sales since January 1998. Click here to learn more about Karen Hubble Bisbee.