Another reason Carmel Valley has been so hot is because of the competition nearby.
Fairbanks Ranch is the neighbor to the north of Carmel Valley’s 92130 zip code, before you get to Rancho Santa Fe. While CV has newer tract houses on smaller lots, in Fairbanks Ranch almost all of the lots are over an acre, and have custom-built estate homes. Here’s an example:
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. Jim & Donna Klinge helped us sell our home of 30 years in Ocean Hills. We were very happy with their service and would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking for an Honest, Knowledgeable, Skilled, Informed Efficient realty team. Both Jim & Donna were so helpful in different ways and complemented each others skills. Please refer to a more detailed review that we wrote on YELP. Thank You Both for all your help!!!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A+ thank youTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Many years ago, we purchased a home in Carlsbad, using a realtor that was recommended to us - Jim Klinge. Fast forward to 2025, we recently had the privilege of selling 2 homes in Carlsbad, CA and didn't hesitate to reach out to Jim and Donna Klinge of Klinge Realty Group to guide us through the sales. The transactions were very different, each with its own unique situation, opportunities and challenges. From start to finish, Donna and Jim helped navigate the pre-sale preparation, the listing, showing of the house, buyer negotiations, the final close and all of the paperwork and decisions in between. What stands out with both transactions is the professionalism of Jim and Donna (and their team), wonderful communication (timely, relevant, concise), their deep understanding of market dynamics (setting realistic expectations), their access to top-notch contractors, and last, their ability to guide us across the finish line successfully. We wouldn't hesitate to use Jim and Donna in the future and highly recommend them for anyone looking to buy or sell a property in North San Diego County.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!Load more
From the LA Times (online) 11/4: “Fed to Buy $600 Billion in T-bonds to Prod Economic Growth – Fed Policymakers Aim to Drive Down Long-Term Interest Rates to Spur More Home Refinancing and Consumer and Business Spending and Encourage Companies to Begin Hiring”
Full article: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fed-stimulus-20101104,0,3699860.story?page=1
QCOM just popped after a strong earnings report. As long as I can remember, housing in this area has been impacted by stock option money. If the stock market keeps rumbling higher that may have some positive effect on the housing markets close in to job centers such as SV.
pemeliza – stocks are a very dangerous game right now. Public companies have been staging an unprecedented buy-back of their own stocks in order to keep share prices up. That is a very, very bad sign that there is significant weakness in the market and lack of demand. Retail investors (that would be you and me) have been leaving the financial markets in droves since April when it became apparent that the whole shebang is a computer rigged facade.
The market is very shaky and only fools and professionals are in it anymore.
Art, I bought the market in march of ’09 for the first time since 2000. I didn’t buy much but I have been sitting on most of it selling a bit here are there into the rallies. I will likely be completely out of the market again by the end of the year.
Also, I don’t think you can fully explain this rally since ’09 by saying that companies are buying their stocks back. For example I held some shares of IBM since year 2000 and finally sold at the end of 2009 at a break even price. Since I sold, the stock has been on a tear and hitting new highs. The weak dollar is definitely helping certain stocks and I don’t see the dollar getting stronger anytime soon.
Anyway, QCOM at 50 is much better for the local housing market than QCOM at 30. That is the only point I was trying to make.
Fairbanks – The beauty of Fairbanks is its combination of excellent SW ‘ranch’ location and its infrastructure. The mature trees, extra-wide streets, large lots, and significant volume of estate homes will keep this community in demand for ever.
If you want to follow the ‘worst house – best neighborhood’ methodology, this is the north county neighborhood I would pick.
Now that a lot of the homes are beginning to show their age, and are in ‘need’ of remodeling, this could be a GREAT opportunity to get into the neighborhood. The constant remodeling is a sign of its intrinsic value.
I have significant trouble finding another neighborhood in the area with as much value (albeit expensive value) as Fairbanks.
In summary, a good acre lot with an updated renovated home for under $2.5mm ($400/sf or so) will be a great purchase.
ps: at the peak, these homes were in the $600/sf+ range.
The ceilings are too low? Has the average American grown that much taller since the 80s? The master bedroom is too small? It has a walk in closet to hold everything but the bed, which obviously fits just fine. Why do you need a larger bedroom? The family room is too small? How big is a family these days? How large a kitchen do you need to store and prepare food?
The fact that this structure is FO in less than 30 years says everything you need to know about the insanity of the housing market and how ridiculous buyers’ “needs” and expectations are. It was three times the size any family could possibly need when it was built and now it can only be made usable by extensive renovation? What a sad waste of money and resources.
Lol Bluezette,
I share your sentiment BUT, though Jim didn’t say so, I believe the point was that a lot of that space (too damn much imo) is wasted by that compartmentalized design. The term functional obsolescence is derogatory but I personally wouldn’t design 7500 square feet the way that house was designed either.
Maybe the architect did remodeling on the side and was planning for the future. Or maybe the original owners wanted it all tight like that. It does seem like a waste to get it in fashion but it is what it is.