Here’s an Oceanside bungalow for the history books, a new REO coming to market soon, the best health food in Leucadia, full service in La Costa Oaks, a peek at the new football field at Carlsbad HS, and another car for around town:
The Fiorano on the test track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_L_Z16MyRY
Jim Klinge
Klinge Realty Group
Are you looking for an experienced agent to help you buy or sell a home?
Contact Jim the Realtor!
CA DRE #01527365, CA DRE #00873197
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We sold a home with Jim and Donna and from beginning to end they were consummate professionals. Their initial walk through the property resulted in a list of items to be repaired or updated. They supplied a list of vendors and job quotes to do the repairs and updates. We originally wanted to sell ‘as is’ and just get it over with. They gave us a selling price for ‘as is’ and options for doing a few updates/repairs to doing it all with the selling price for each option. We agreed to do all they suggested and we sold for the exact price they predicted. For every dollar spent we got back more than $2 back in the selling price. And they got that price in a rising interest rate environment! Donna and Jim are extremely detailed and guide you through ever aspect of the sale. There were no surprises thanks to their guidance. We couldn’t be more pleased with their representation. Thank you Donna and Jim, Jerry and MaryTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We have known Jim & Donna Klinge for over a dozen years, having met them in Carlsbad where our children went to the same school. As long time North County residents, it was a no- brainer for us to have the Klinges be our eyes and ears for San Diego real estate in general and North County in particular. As my military career caused our family to move all over the country and overseas to Asia, Europe and the Pacific, we trusted Jim and Donna to help keep our house in Carlsbad rented with reliable and respectful tenants for over 10 years. Naturally, when the time came to sell our beloved Carlsbad home to pursue a rural lifestyle in retirement out of California, we could think of no better team to represent us than Jim and Donna. They immediately went to work to update our house built in 2004 to current-day standards and trends — in 2 short months they transformed it into a literal modern-day masterpiece. We trusted their judgement implicitly and followed 100% of their recommended changes. When our house finally came on the market, there was a blizzard of serious interest, we had multiple offers by the third day and it sold in just 5 days after a frenzied bidding war for 20% above our asking price! The investment we made in upgrades recommended by Jim and Donna yielded a 4-fold return, in the process setting a new high water mark for a house sold in our community. In our view, there are no better real estate professionals in all of San Diego than Jim and Donna Klinge. Buying or selling, you must run and beg Jim and Donna Klinge to represent you! Our family will never forget Jim, Donna, and their whole team at Compass — we are forever grateful to them.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. WeI had the pleasure of working with Klinge Realty Group to sell our home in Carmel Valley, and I cannot recommend them highly enough! Jim and Donna demonstrated exceptional professionalism, offering expert guidance on market conditions and pricing strategy, which resulted in a quick and successful sale. Communication was prompt and we were well-informed throughout the entire process. For anyone looking for a dedicated and knowledgeable real estate team, look no further! ---Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Donna and Jim Klinge of Klinge Realty Group have our highest possible recommendation. From Donna and Jim’s first visit to our house through closing their advice and counsel was candid and honest in all dealings. They kept us fully informed throughout the process. The house sold less than three days after listing with a two-week closing. My wife and I have sold several houses during our lives. This was by far the best experience. Klinge Reality is a premium service realtor. You can’t make a better choice for someone to sell your home fast and for top dollar.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Donna and Jim provided exceptional support and professionalism throughout the entire process. We couldn't have been happier with their efforts. They made our house shine, and thanks to their expertise, it sold above the listing price in the very first weekend! Truly a fantastic experience from start to finish.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This year has been difficult on our family, mainly due to having to sell our home. Thankfully we knew God had a plan for us and working with the Klinge team was a key part of it. It was an obvious decision to work with them again after such an amazing experience when purchasing the same home we needed to sell. The challenge was, how will we do this in so little time with so much going on? Jim and Donna held our hand every step of the way. Whenever an unexpected issue arose they found and provided a solution. Never once did we feel pressured to make a decision and the Klinges were always reassuring after providing the information that the decision was ours to make. Despite the curve balls, they never panicked and exemplified the “can do” attitude, making us feel optimistic and taken care of. Their expertise and professionalism was superb. But of all the reasons to work with the Klinges, the most impactful and valuable is their compassion and genuine care for their clients. We pray that we can one day purchase our forever home and you better believe that Jim and Donna will be representing us - as long as they will have us of course. Thank you again Klinge team! Your execution, experience, and care are unmatched.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jim and Donna were fantastic! Jim understanding my needs, recommending potential places, pointing out the pros and cons of each property was invaluable. Then when the offer was accepted Donna’s organized guidance through the inspections, paperwork etc made the whole process seem effortless. So grateful that I had them on my side!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We first found Jim through his blog at bubbleinfo.com, which really showcased his knowledge of SoCal real estate. Since then we've done three transactions with Jim and Donna, and they are an incredible full service agency, with Jim's deep market insight and Donna's deft contract and project management. We trust them implicitly in their analysis and strategy, which is based on years of experience. They're always available and on top of things, and we strongly recommend them to anyone.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Good The Klinge Realty Group operates like a finely tuned machine, with a very personal touch. We contacted them on a Sunday and they were talking to us about our family and our needs on our living room couch the following day. They carefully listened to us and worked with us to identify the best and quickest path to listing within 2 weeks to take advantage of the low inventory conditions in our South Carlsbad neighborhood. They knew our tract specifically and had many previous sales there over the years - they came prepared with a thorough analysis of comparative sales and recommended a pricing strategy that they felt confident would yield offers the first weekend on the market. The Great Over the next two weeks Donna coordinated a range of vendors who she knew from experience could get the preparation to list work we needed done on time and with high quality. Our light tune-up involved excellent experiences with their stagers, landscapers, contractors, electricians, and plumbers. Throughout this period Donna's daily communication was clear, concise, and responsive. Any time we had questions Donna picked up the phone or texted immediately - but almost always, she answered our questions before we even knew we had them. The Outstanding We had a tricky situation with a shared fence that could have delayed our escrow. Donna used superb mediation skills to negotiate the terms of replacement and was personally on site with the fence contractor to make sure everything went smoothly. The fence looks great and escrow closed on time. The Truly Exceptional Our house came on the market on a Wednesday and between then and Monday morning Jim was personally at all three open houses. He was in constant communication explaining potential buyer reaction and strength. As he predicted offers began to come in on Saturday and each one was incrementally higher than the last. At the end we had 5 offers, 4 of which were over list, and the final accepted offer was $100,000 over list. In addition to being over list it included rent back terms that met our needs. The Recommendation For all of these reasons we would strongly recommend The Klinge Team to anyone wanting to sell in North County Coastal San Diego. I had been reading Jim's bubbleinfo.com blog for 15 years and knew when the time came to sell that he would be our first call. Jim Klinge is not your standard realtor. He is keenly aware of market conditions and sales strategies. And, works his tail off - though not as hard as Donna . At this point he's gone from realtor to friend and I plan to have him over to grill and chill at our new place to talk real estate, but also just about life and raising kids in San Diego. He's more interested in relationships than his sales numbers - and that's why his sales numbers are so high. We have already recommended the Klinge's to some close friends and another successful sale is on deck right around the corner...Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We recently had the pleasure of working with Jim and Donna from Klinge Realty Group to sell our house, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the experience. From the initial meeting, they listened attentively to our needs and provided invaluable guidance on specific improvements to get our home market ready. Their responsiveness throughout the entire process was truly impressive. Anytime we had questions or concerns, they were quick to address them, ensuring we felt comfortable and informed every step of the way. What stood out the most was their team and extensive network of tradespeople, which made addressing any necessary repairs or updates seamless and stress-free. Thanks to their expertise and dedication, our house sold quickly and at a great price. We highly recommend Jim and Donna to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. They are a fantastic team who truly care about their clients and deliver exceptional results.Load more
I think I like the off the wall vids of Jim just networking around town better than the ones that actually have info in them.
It’s gotta be like a double kick in the nuts to all the other realtors spewing the “buy now or be priced out forever” mantra. When not only is Jim gaining new customers while telling the truth, he’s also gaining new customers buy posting vids that don’t even have anything to do with buying a house in them.
Leucadia is a cooooool place.
JtR
Any rhyme or reason as to how the banks divy up the REO listings to agents?
I prefer Top Gear. 🙂
“heading for Fairbanks Ranch”
You need to be in the truck anytime you are going to the ranch. Its a tradition.
I have always loved that house on La Costa. I used to live really close to there and always admired it. I have about 10 years before I could afford it. 🙁 I did not like the fact that it was the close proximity to La Costa though. I really liked the style and the office out back since I work from home a lot.
I can’t believe it was foreclosed on. For me that is a good sign that maybe some sanity is starting to creep in. I think the coast prices need to drop so the slightly more inland homes will also drop. I am looking in Carlsbad area basically somewhere west of Bressi but prices for decent houses are still too high. I moved here in 2005 and I have been renting just waiting for blood on the streets. Prices are getting better but I know many people that are hurting and are upside down. I guess I will keep renting forever since I want to stay in San Diego. It is getting really frustrating being in my position. I was responsible and did not buy into the bubble mania. I saw it early on and the great coverage by OCRenter and other bloggers confirmed my suspicion.
I make a pretty good income (far above average) and I don’t see how all these people are buying these 700,000 homes even now. Are they just totally forgoing any disposable income? Or perhaps they are more well off than I would guess. Or maybe some kind of inheritance? I would prefer to have financial safety then blow all my income on my primary residence.
The frustrating thing about renting is that is it hard to find a decent rental house. If you want to be a few miles from the beach (I surf) want a garage and want something that looks fairly nice you don’t have many options in North County.
If anyone can give some tips on finding nice rentals I would really appreciate it. I already monitor Craig’s list so I was looking for a supplement to that.
waiting_for_ever_to_buy,
Welcome to the “bitter renter” club. Eventually something has got to give. We can’t all be deadbeats.
Here’s a quick easy way to search craigslist for a place to rent. It also shows fsbo’s and enterprising realtor house listings looking to get some exposure outside of the mls.
http://www.housingmaps.com/
* The cheapest rentals are from long time owners that just put a sign in the window and start digging through applications looking for the best one. So it also helps to drive around the area/areas you want to live.
“Waiting For Ever”–As Jim has pointed out many times, today’s down payments are high, some all cash. If someone had owned in SD since even the late 1990’s, assuming they didn’t use their home as an ATM, they have significant equity to use for a down payment–that helps!
shadash: thanks for the link. I think I had seen that before a few years ago. I will take a look again. I may just have to drive around as well. Good advice. Gracias.
here are a few local property management companies that have rentals. shadash is right about get the best rentals from long time owners though. I looked for a long time from Oceanside to Solana Beach for an oceanfront long time rental and they are few and far between – at any price.
http://www.cpmteam.com
http://www.propadvantage.com
http://www.ranchandsea.com
From the Central Coast: There was an Open House just down the block from where I was renting so I walked over yesterday to see what it was listed for.
I had seen the home back in 2006. I loved yesterday that the RE agent told me as soon as I walked in that it was already in escrow. We then chatted about the local real estate market. From my Excel RE spreadsheet:
LP: 2-5/2006: $749K, $729K, then $719K
SP: 5/26/2006: $705K
Listed last week: $509K (-28% Decrease)
Already in escrow (Multiple Offers)
She said the owner had a lot of equity going in and has already found another house as he had a new job offer. He’s a banker, understands the RE situation and decided on the $509K list price.
What I found surprising was the fact she said that even though there were multiple offers, not one prospective buyer was open to paying the full list price.
The highest selling price I’ve found in this subdivision I’m currently renting in was just down the street from this Open House. In 2006, it was gutted on the inside and totally upgraded (all wood floors and tile and very upscale kitchen). It was listed for $750K and sold within the first two days for $740K back in April, 2006. That was the height of the RE bubble here, and prices have been falling ever since.
Back in 1998–when these homes were first built–they sold for about $197K. This very upgraded 4/3 home with a really sweet landscaped back yard (with rock wall) will probably close for less than $500K. *Sigh* I’ll have to wait about three more weeks to know the sold price, but I’m guessing it will be $490K or less. Yep, curiosity is killing me…
The coffee at Leucadia Donut Shoppe is a deal breaker. If they served even a half decent cup of coffee they would be the topps baby. I mean it too. Yes!
waiting_for_ever_to_buy,
FWIW I found my place on CL. Not sure where you want to live, but you can find a rental house here in Del Mar (heights) in the low $2k range and still be about a half mile to some pretty good surfing (just be careful not to ding your board walking down the cliff if you’re as clumsy as I am). It’s also a really easy commute to most places, especially if you’re in North County.
There are also people renting out their homes who, for whatever reason, don’t seem to list them online anywhere. It may be worth a quick drive around the places you’d like to live, as you mentioned, cel phone in hand. Another option is talking to a Realtor who deals with rentals. I was working with one, and even though I didn’t end up scoring my rental through her, she was very helpful. One last word of advice, well priced rentals disappear in a day or two.
Be glad you live in SD and not LA. If you want to feel better about the situation down here, check out some of the listings in the nicer LA cities. Holy hell.
Genius:
I am basically looking to be south of Oceanside and North of La Jolla. The “wifey” does not like Del Mar Heights. She says it feels like she is living in a college dorm area. I guess it is too crowded there. I may have to try to make her see it in a different light because I agree there are some nice rentals in that area and you are close to some good waves in Del Mar and Torrey. I actually surf that area all the time.
osidebuyer: Thanks for the links.
waiting_for_ever_to_buy, I can relate. I’ve been looking to buy for about a year and a half now. I’ve had 3 deals fall through, and just lost another one last night. We were in the counter offer stage and an investor came in at the last minute with all cash. My nerves just can’t take this game any more. I think renting along the coast is the way to go.
Did you guys/gals see this one? 1400 sqft house in an area with the worst encinitas elementary school listed at 485K…sold for 625K!
forgot link:
http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-090070705-157_Beechtree_Dr_Encinitas_CA_92024
Jinx – My wife and I went and looked at the house when it first came on the market. IT was a REO and way underpriced. I can tell you what they paid for – THE LAND!!!!
It is easily the largest yard I have personally ever seen in Encinitas. You could easily rip that house down and build three more just like it on the land.
Main drawback was that the backyard backs up to the bluff overlooking the McDonald’s and Henrys on Encinitas Blvd.
Anyway, I suspect whoever bought it has lots of cash to invest into it. The house was a definite fixer upper.
RE: Beechtree
The property line ended right where the trees were. The second half of the yard (the big grassy area behind the trees) is actually owned by the shopping center! The owner tore down his back fence so it looked like that land was his.