Rick and Nancy give us a tour of their recently-installed solar panels.
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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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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
loved it. Thanks JtR.
Good video Jim. Vista could be the ideal micro climate for solar production, sunnier than the coast, cooler than inland valleys. So are we looking at roughly a 20k system here? Just guessing at $200 mo. for 8 years break even on install. Looks like a great house to spend the Memorial Day weekend! Happy Holiday all!
Yes, up front it was $30,000, but after rebates and fed tax credit it’s down to $19,000.
An interesting dilemma on when to buy solar:
1. Now, when there are more rebates/credits, or
2. Later, when costs drop some more?
Great post. Thanks JtR. Good weekend everyone.
great post. about time to invest heavily in solar and get rid of our oil addiction…
I like the battery-free approach. Those things are environmentally hostile enough as it is. Just like the Toyota Prius! 🙂
Cool!
We have that second type of solar he mentioned, for the pool. It does a great job of heating the pool and sometimes we have to turn it off during the summer because it gets too warm and we’re by the coast where it’s cooler.
Once it gets to a 5 year investment I think it’ll really kick in to gear.
To answer JtR’s question. One other issue is as price goes down, the technology will probably get better as well.
Very interesting. Thanks to your homeowners for discussing it all so forthrightly. Eight and a half years payback seems like quite a reasonable payback period.
Instead of calling it a tax credit from the IRS, I’d call it money from your neighbors.
Agreed Otto – What did we all learn on this blog about housing prices when the $10k credit existed then ended. Home prices were up because of it.
With a 30% credit, contractors can push the price higher since only 2/3 of it passes to the consumer. Remove Shadash’s contribution (i.e. tax credit) and they’d have to fight harder to narrow margins and bring costs down on both panels and labor.
Lastly, the industry has been touting ‘parity’ with grid pricing as being right around the corner since the 1970’s….it will never happen until they can have a breakthrough in the efficiency of conversion in the PV panels.
$20k / 8 years / 12 months = $208 dollars a month in electricity? and that’s only 85% of his usage? is that right?
The typical sales pitch is “Solar will be competitive in five years” — but they’ve been saying that for 40 years.
Very nice video. Been considering it, but I am of the mind to just let the prices drop. Early adopters always pay more.
I didn’t get how much electricity was being produced daily…and how many hours of sunlight were on his roof to produce that baseline. Is there an estimate of how many sunny days per year in his calculations of yearly electricity production?
Otto Maddox,
It’s money from your neighbor only when your taxes paid for the year dip below $0.
Otherwise, it’s money from your pocket, that the government is confiscating and fixing up perfectly good roads.
Buy solar panels when you can pick them up off the shelf in aisle 3 at Lowes. Right now the breakeven point is very doubtful even considering the enormous subsidies offered.
Subsidies = $$$ = Energy. Taking energy from one set of electricity ratepayers to make another set feel good about themselves because they have solar panels doesn’t solve anybody’s energy problems.
Hi all– I am the Solar Power designer/sales person for this system. If anyone has any direct questions, please feel free to call me at 858-863-3781.
There are some great comments on here. A couple of quick responses —
With regard to technology getting better, solar PV is a very mature technology. The first panel was made over 50 years ago and is still working.
Payback is 6-9 years on average if you have high bills, a good roof for solar, and an honest contractor– and this is for something you have to buy ANYWAY. Why not pay yourself instead of enriching the utility co.? What’s the payback on renting your energy?
With regard to the comment about raising margins with the advent of the 30% tax credit– that simply didn’t happen; in fact prices went down the following year if you look at the price per watt history the last three years.
Regarding subsidies, everyone who pays baseline rates gets subsidized power; so that means we ALL get subsidized power. The difference is that coal based power pollutes the air, whereas solar power helps keep the air cleaner. So it isn’t just about one person feeling good about his or herself; it is about one person helping everyone breathe better air, which saves all of society money in the long run.
Even if you could pick up panels at Lowe’s for cheap, there is a lot more to a solar system than that. The panels don’t work by themselves, and the rest of the system is very important and far more complicated than you would think. (That’s like saying if you could buy wood for cheap at Lowes, it would be easy to build a house!)
Thanks for the amazing video and the great comments. Thank you Rick and Nancy for being awesome customers!! Wende Pfahler, Real Goods Solar, wende.pfahler@realgoods.com
I think I’m going to wait until the solar panels are as thin as plastic newspaper bags.