Hat tip to BM for sending this along – for more on this story, go to the victim’s blog linked here.
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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. 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
Thank you for sharing our story.
The Zahari Family
http://www.mystolenhome.com
Banks are going to learn that there is no honor among thieves.
I thought that this is what title insurance is for!
Can the new ‘owners’ sue the title company to perform?
They should do a litigation check to see if there is a quiet title action pending and join it if one is pending. If not, they should file their own quiet title action and get the court to settle the issue.
“But title companies don’t really guarantee titles. They only pay up if you lose the home because of a title problem.”
So they don’t but they do? I’m confused.
Also, they don’t seem to explain how the scam worked. So someone “stole” the house and sold it to them, but how does a house get stolen in the first place? Lousy reporting.
Something similar happened here: http://www.sdlookup.com/Property-BB38B5D1-863_Van_Nuys_St_San_Diego_CA_92109
I feel for this family. They bought owner’s title insurance, so they have some financial protection if they can get the title insurer to honor the policy. It may take a long time to resolve, though–maybe years.
The family is under stress but it looks like they are making a martyrdom case out of it. They are getting their 15 minutes of fame by seeking publicity, but they really need a good lawyer to protect their interests. They talk about not being able to afford a lawyer, but they look pretty prosperous.
How it was done:
The scam artist filed a trustee’s deed, which made it look like she bought it at the court house steps for cash (they are mailed to the winners within 2 weeks after the trustee sale).
She made the sales price $200,000 on the trustee’s deed, waited her 90 days, and then sold it FHA to the Zaharis for $263,500.
It looked like a typical flip, and the scam artist walked with the $263,500 less costs.
Because it was a trustee’s deed, the title company must have assumed that it came from the first mortgage holder’s trustee – and that there were no other senior encumbrances (juniors are washed out). They then insured the resale to the Zaharis.
The scam artist must be looking for vacant houses.
The last experience I had with First American was all about the fight, even though their employee said that they made a mistake, and recommended that we file a claim. Once it got to the legal department, the lawyer made it clear to me on the phone that her only goal was to wear us out financially, and blame me for the omission of a critical road easement.
Title insurance is one of the biggest dirty secrets in real estate. Title rarely pays up on claims, instead they hire lots of attorney’s and wear down the injuried party, the one that paid them for insurance, can you believe it, it’s a giant scam. All those cute title rep street walkers, they don’t even know what they are supposedly selling is a joke, a lender requirement, insurance to protect the lender and the title company, not the buyer who paid for it, it’s a dirty business. By the way, what the hell does a title rep street walker do anyway?
What’s the point of title insurance if it only pays out *after* you lose a house? This is like offering passengers life insurance instead of life boats on the Titanic.
The funniest thing is you have to buy title insurance if you refinance. This makes absolutely no sense when you bought title insurance the first time around.
I wouldn’t have bought title insurance the first time either if it wasn’t required. What a joke.
YetAnotherMike,
What can they do? The bank and title insurance company are gonna try to save their own butts…not the Zaharis’. The real option right now is to get the public on your side and cause antipathy towards those businesses. Then reimbursing them for $30k + expenses will be a drop in the bucket compared to the business they could lose.
I would probably do the same thing, if I was screwed like that.