14 Comments

Jim Klinge
Klinge Realty Group
Are you looking for an experienced agent to help you buy or sell a home?
Contact Jim the Realtor!
- 682 S. Coast Hwy 101, Suite #110
Encinitas, CA 92024 - (858) 997-3801 call or text
- klingerealty@gmail.com
CA DRE #01527365, CA DRE #00873197
View More Interest Rates
Jerry MeyerMarch 28, 2025Trustindex 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 Mary Heather QuejadaMarch 27, 2025Trustindex 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. Lou FMarch 27, 2025Trustindex 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! --- William SamsMarch 25, 2025Trustindex 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. Emily HernandezDecember 29, 2024Trustindex 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. Jesus Adrian SahagunNovember 11, 2024Trustindex 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. SABIHA PASHAJuly 23, 2024Trustindex 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! Anu KobergJuly 13, 2024Trustindex 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. Bjorn IsachsenJuly 10, 2024Trustindex 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... Chris SheaJune 21, 2024Trustindex 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
Does anyone here remember a time when a family of five could live very comfortably in 1600 square feet?
I live in a house that’s about 1800 sq ft. Now, I live alone (prices out here in Riverside are low enough that I was able to buy a house bigger than I initially intended to-I only paid $150k back in May), but it could easily handle a family of five. It’s a four bedroom, two full bath house with a large family room and seperate living room. Now, the kitchen could be bigger, it doesn’t have a seperate dining room, and the laundry is in the garage, but even adding those, you would only be up to 2500 sq ft or so at the most. I don’t understand the need for more than that. Now, if you can afford it, why not (again, out here in the sticks one can now get a lot of house for your money), but one could certainly be comfortable with something smaller than your typical 4000 sq ft McMansion.
“I don’t understand the need for more than that.”
For most families, I totally agree. However for me, I’ve got two kids in very small rooms. If I do move, it would be nice to have either bigger rooms or a dedicated play room. We also have numerous relatives coming from out of town several times a year that would really appreciate something more than a blow up bed on the floor or a kids bed to sleep in. Guest room would be great.
Entertaining is difficult in a small house that also has a smallish back yard.
But the kicker is I run a business from home, requiring one full room for an office. My wife also works in a non-related business full-time from home, requiring a separate working space that remains quiet as she’s frequently on conference calls.
Add it all up and you get a need for 5 or 6 bedrooms! And those usually come in 3500 to 4000 square foot packages.
When I grew up there was no working from home, out of town guests were few and far between and our rooms were much larger and able to accommodate toys, desks, etc. better.
I’m not saying everyone needs this – in fact, I get puzzled why people want these huge houses if they are gone all day at work.
We’re in 750 sqaure feet and plan to stay here for as long as possible (three adults living here now, we plan on having a couple kids)
Of course, our market is not comparable in any way to the game you folks are playing – I’ve got about $40,000 left on our $70,000 mortgage after four years.
Location, location, location, eh?
Creepy bobble-heads
how refreshing to see quiet neighborhoods with decent size lots and common sense size homes. NICE!
Does anyone here remember a time when a family of five could live very comfortably in 1600 square feet?
We can still live comfortably with 1600 sqft. But times have changed — we can live much more comfortably with a much larger house.
It’s like having a 140GB disk drive instead of an 18 Gigger 😉
Robo-I didn’t mention how large the family room is. It’s 30′ x 15’9″ with a bumpout to the backyard sliding door. That’s a large room-large enough for, say, a TV watching area with two couches, a seperate area with a desk with a computer, and a dining room table. Plus, there’s a living room, so you could entertain adult guests there while the kids play in the family room.
Now, if you need a dedicated office or guest room, that’s different-although you might be able to combine those two. A family of four (instead of five) allows the fourth bedroom to be used as a guest room or office.
The house I grew up in (also in Riverside) was about the same size as the one I live in now, but it was a five bedroom with a smaller family room. Two kids in a five bedroom house allowed there to be a den/computer room (Commodore 64 then) and a guest room, with seperate living and family rooms (eat in in kitchen, no formal dining), in less than 1800 sq ft.
I still don’t see the need for a house twice that size. Now, if you can afford it, more power to you. But 1800 sq ft isn’t cramped for a family of four or five, if the layout is right.
I’m also assuming one story houses here. Two stories require more square footage, to take in account for the stairs and a first floor powder room.
“Two stories require more square footage, to take in account for the stairs and a first floor powder room.”
When my house was appraised several years ago, the square footage used by the inside staircase was not considered livable space. I’m not sure if this exclusion is normal or I just had an eccentric appraisor.
Robo – you may want to reconsider making the relatives TOO comfortable. They might decide to stay and enjoy your hospitality for longer and longer periods of time 🙂
I grew up in a family of 6, and ended up moving to a 3500 sq ft. house and I can definitely see the appeal.
We had a room for the ping pong table and a separate play room with the computer, foosball table and a small TV. All of the bedrooms were large enough to play in individually. A huge living room to accommodate our family comfortably, and when our relatives showed up (4-5 people in the family) it was still comfortable. We were able to entertain large groups of people, frequently my house was the place where all my friends hung out.
I guess my point is that 2500 sq ft is a pretty comfortable size, for even a family of 4-5 but 3500-4000 is a good size as well. Especially since it seems like many of these houses are situated on smaller lots, so the extra inside space likely comes in handy.
Creepy doll-head..
I went to the same high shool as the chicken. Didn’t know him. Same high school as Ted Williams.My moms sister knew him.
Let here if for Hoover. Now one of the worse high schools in San Diego.
Bunk beds – rack’em and stack’em.
Even our family pets fit in the room with my brother and I. The cat on the top bunk, the dog on the bottom.
Does every kid need their own room with attached bath these days?
GameAgent-I’m pretty sure the square footage for the staircase(s) is counted in the legal description at least, so if a house says it has 1800 sq ft but is two stories, the staircase takes up as much as 150 sq ft, with a livable space of 1650 sq ft. A smart appraiser would take into account this and discount accordingly, but the listing or tax rolls will still say 1800 sq ft.