The second house shown here went pending today.
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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
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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 āas isā and just get it over with. They gave us a selling price for āas isā 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 couldnāt 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 ā 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 ā 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 Jimās 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 canāt 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 ācan doā 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 Donnaās 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
Not only 24 offers on that Olivenhain house but they only countered the 5 offers that were $1.1M or better.
Thanks anon, if that closes at $1.2 million, it’ll be within 16% of it’s peak price in 12/2005. The pool had been installed prior to last sale too.
For buyers who been long-time lookers, I don’t know how you can watch these happen straight-through for the last 18 months and not have concerns.
It’s having to beat out the stiff competition for the quality homes that is worrisome. I’m fine with you waiting as long as you want, but notice how many people are in the same hunt with you.
This house wasn’t spectacular, and they had 24 OFFERS, with FIVE over $1.1 million on a $999,000 LP.
When you have the shot, you better take it.
Doubt it reaches $1.15M and the prior owner did some pretty major remodelling on it before losing it. Loss will be closer to 25% when all is said and done.
OK, no problem.
1-2 years ago buyers were thinking they’d wait until they could get 50% off. In this case, you would have had to fight it out with 23 others to get 20% to 25% off.
If you want to buy, adjusting your expectations with reality is required. Be nimble.
Want more measure on the demand? Tack this on too, from an agent in response to hearing the price he needed to hit, to have a shot at the Roach Motel:
That’s too rich for my investor’s blood. They have a substantial margin they need to meet after rehab. They do put out a good product though. I’ve written 20 offers and have only closed two with them.
well, 50% off is possible, as long as you are looking at O-side or Esc. hey, if you are looking in the IE one can probably track down 65% off deals.
probably closer to 40-45% in SEH, 35% in 4S and east Carlsbad.
the coast, yeah, 20-25% will be it.
I say buy a little inland but make sure you are in a good school district and the gap will close and it’ll be a much better investment.
“If you want to buy, adjusting your expectations with reality is required. Be nimble.” (JtR)
Oh Jim, I wish I had read your advice before last Wednesday night. The home that got away had 12 of my top 10 needs/wants. It was perfect for me.
I saw it a year ago (out-of-state) but it wasn’t for sale, and then it magically appeared on the MLS 10 days ago. I didn’t offer full price, (we countered back and forth) and then someone one else did. I will deeply regret losing this house. I naively thought there weren’t many looking as it was September. I’m still in mourning two days later…
Think you’re jumping the gun there Jim…
Da .GOV pump is losing its prime:
Mean household debt/GDP from 1965-1985 = 43% to 49%
Mean household debt/GDP in 1998 = 65%
Mean household debt/GDP in 2009 = 97.3%
Mean household debt/GDP April 2010 = 92.7%
If one assumes that the mean ratio falls back only to the 1998 level (65%), in this deflationary spiral then household debt would have to be reduced by $4 trillion (out of a total $13 trillion), which constitutes 40% of CURRENT consumer expenditures -AND- Consumer spending accounts for 70% of GDP.
Welcome to the next leg down…
Smart money is gonna stay liquid now, of course there’s always some dumb money to be found š
Long time lookers, go ahead and wait on the sidelines forever. š People who think like me will get rich off your rent as we profit from housing prices rebounding! Good to see activity in the top tiers as well as the bottom. Sooooo glad I did not sell!
Thanks Joe Cool. We’ve been talking about you.
I wanted to increase the blog’s internet presence after hearing stories from people like CA renter about out-of-towners buying houses here without proper education.
So we’ve embarked on a SEO campaign to hopefully inch up the google rankings.
But I knew I’d have to endure more guys like you who insist on rolling out the old stats while IGNORING THE FACTS PRESENTED HERE.
How can you see, with your own two eyes, a million-dollar house get 24 offers, and say:
Welcome to the next leg downā¦
@ Joe Cool,
Deflationary spiral, dream on. The government dropping a trillion dollars into the economy combined with low interest rates is a one way path to inflation. There is no avoiding it, it has gotten too far. Got of think of debt/GDP in terms of future dollar values not today’s.
Smart money is diversified. That’s why I have liquid cash and real estate. Maybe you just don’t have enough saved to do the smart thing.
I sold my Manhattan home in Sept. 2005 (knew it was time to get out) and I’m renting an apt. on the 21st floor of a luxury building with a view of lower Manhattan and NY Harbour, cost? $2,500 a month short electricity and garage ($150 a month)
How much would digs like this cost me if I was to buy? $1.4 mil+
I thought about buying a second home in No. SD back in 2003 (I grew up there, but have been running a NYC biz since 1995), but I didn’t want to compete with liar loans when I had ca$h…I know, car-razy me š
I took that ca$h and plowed it into physical gold & silver, another mistake! lol
Yep, I should have taken that $1.2 mil I got from my NY condo & bought another piece of RE, not put it into a brokerage acct. and T-Bills!
What was I thinking!?!
š
Seems like history just repeats its self on our coastal homes. People just like it here.
Yep, in 4-5 years I might revisit the area when I’m done with my business, I’d like to come home…
But I’m not holding a depreciating asset until then, not while I can put my capital in something that won’t be so volatile.
With that said, I really appreciate Jim’s video and commentary, it let’s us know first-hand where things are in the No. SD real estate market š
Perhaps someday soon I’ll be needing his expertise…
You bring your arrogant, pompous attitude in here, focused on one thing – disrupting the facts being presented and showing everyone what a big shot you are.
There are people who desire transparency in real estate; they want to know what’s really going on. They come here to see it.
But you insist on carpet-bombing their experience with your vague macro theories, declare how superior you are to everyone here, and make it wrong to even think about buying real estate.
There isn’t anybody here who gives a hoot about you and all your money. You can take your sideshow and smiley faces down the road and be somebody else’s troll.
Wasn’t the last asking price on that Lone Jack house $1.1M while it was a short sale? How come none of those 24 buyers decided to act then? Or was the bank not accepting offers at that price?
Probably both.
Unreal still…I guess reality isn’t really “reality” right now…
I wouldn’t rule out deflation. Low rates are a symptom not a cause. I’ll leave it at that.
To further prove Jim’s point, here’s one in Bressi that surprised me:
http://www.sdlookup.com/MLS-100034367-2565_Dogwood_Rd_Carlsbad_CA_92009
JTR, re: #18 all I can say is WTF??? nothing in here is worth $1mm much less that house…was it furnished, with $250k of cash????
All the hubbub about McMansions being out of vogue. Not so much.
I could be wrong but it seems like the low end is really soft right now, REO offers falling out left and right but maybe we just have a run a flakely buyers, who knows. The good houses on the upper end are going quick with lots of cash being flashed around. Does seem to be a distinct difference between these demographics at the moment. The biggie will be what happens with interest rates, they jumped up the last few days.
For buyers who been long-time lookers, I donāt know how you can watch these happen straight-through for the last 18 months and not have concerns.
Itās having to beat out the stiff competition for the quality homes that is worrisome. Iām fine with you waiting as long as you want, but notice how many people are in the same hunt with you.
Jim the Realtor | September 10th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
You’re right, Jim, it’s not easy sitting on the sidelines, especially when safe, liquid cash is earning ~1% or less…which is exactly why I think we’re seeing all this action. Lots of investors are out there just trying to do something — anything — with their money to earn a return. IMHO, that’s what happened with the roach motel, and I think it’s what’s happening on the high end as well. Not that they’re necessarily going to flip those high end homes, but that they just can’t stand being in cash any longer and just want to get on with life.
I talk to a few larger-scale investors and many of them have serious fears about inflation. Lots of worries about inflation, as a matter of fact. I’m a contrarian, but acknowledge that there is a lot of risk with what we’re doing as well. I don’t think houses are selling because the economy is getting better; I think those with money are worried about losing it via inflation.
The only thing that can save us long-time bears is higher interest rates. If we don’t get that, it will remain ugly for us. š
@ JimG
It might just have been my specific area, or my even complex, but the low tier (small condos in a good neighborhood) seem to be recovering.
In late 2009 some short sales were listed contingent for more than a year and a half. Sometimes they would pop out of contingent to active, then immediately back to contingent again. New short sales sometimes tried to price under the lowest contingent unit. Short sales were not closing. This really hurt people trying to list regular sales to have short sales priced at the bottom never close.
Now short sales/REO condos are taking less than a month to two months to go from active to sold. The prices have gone up considerably as well. I have heard from friends that now units in my complex get sold, then for rent signs popping up immediately. I have also seen some comps sell, then sell again a couple month later for a 10-30K more.
I have been watching every lising/comp relevant to myself since 2008. I’ve been also trying to understand the big picture of the CA market. I bought in 2007. I was from out-of-state, but had always heard about how CA RE was high compared to the rest of the country. I bought relatively young, but could afford it comfortably. I admit I did not understand the whole CA RE picture when I bought. The only thing I saw I could do now is make an informed decision on whether to sell or rent for some years as RE recovers to regain some equity I lost.
@12
I wonder how you knew to get out at the exact peak of the US RE market, and knew you didn’t want to compete with ‘liar loans’. You happen to be a liar loan peddler for your hot-shot NY business?
While some people got in over their heads with ‘liar-loans’, many sat down with a calculator and figured out the exact costs of buying versus their income. When I bought I qualified for loans 100K more than the purchase price I sought and bought. I stood firm on the price I knew I could afford, and got a fixed rate conventional loan. Don’t assume all people who bought at the peak could only afford liar-loans. Most just needed someplace to live.
“The only thing that can save us long-time bears is higher interest rates. If we donāt get that, it will remain ugly for us.”
We won’t get that anytime soon (imho), but there are more things coming into play for us. In the mean time just relax, enjoy the cheap rent and mobility, and watch people get their panties in a bunch over petty nonsense. The past few years have been good for comedy if nothing else.
RE #19: “There’s money in the banana stand…”
I’m assuming you were alluding to AD. If not, apologies all around.
People just like it here.
Yeah, so far SD really is different.
The only thing that can save us long-time bears is higher interest rates.
PMs, CA Renter, PMs!!!
SoCal condo owner-There was actual deflation in 2009. Inflation is highly unlikely any time soon. Now, that doesn’t mean that the economy will be great-right now our economy resembles highly the “lost generation” of Japan from 1990 on. (Same exact problems too-inflated housing prices followed by a crash that was attempted to be covered up artifically.) They’ve had deflation for two decades now.
“When you have the shot, you better take it.”
We did, and we did. We have not been disappointed.
JTR, had I met you 2 years ago you would have been my realtor. If we need to buy or sell in the future you will be called.
Geotpf,
There is a big difference between Japan’s crisis and that of the US. Their monetary supply remained relatively flat when compared to the US. The US government responded to the recession by drastically increasing our monetary supply. We are in uncharted territory. The best we can do is hope for the best, and expect the worst wheither it be deflation or inflation. Neither possible outcome seems pleasing.
“wheither it be deflation or inflation. Neither possible outcome seems pleasing.”
I’ll take a little inflation over deflation any day.
And I’ll gladly take deflation over inflation any day. š
I know that Olivenhain house. I would have expected a higher price than that. The area, lot, and house itself are pretty decent. I think the newer homes just to the right (when facing them from the street) sold in the $1.7 range during the peak and are a bit smaller.
As for the original intent of JtR’s post… it seems like one post says the upper end (which nothing in this video even remotely approaches) is caving in, and then another like this points out that it’s alive and well. I think some of you are making too much out of too few data points.