There were 3+ months between their purchase and first listing, plus they aren’t trying gouge the next buyers like many flippers – something must have happened:
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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
Was going thru some old bookmarks and came back to your site. Man, I cant believe how much things have changed, commentwise!
Back in late 08, early 09, this site was absolutely infected with people, nearly all of which were giddy with anticipation of the ALT A tsunami, or other such nonsense which was going to drive prices back to the stone age. They were staring at bottom prices right in the face and they still were convinced that massive price reductions were on the way…
Back in those days, as things started to slowly improve, I started becoming less bearish. I would occasionally point that out, saying this or that “could” be a sign of a bottom, wondering if others saw it too.
Yet whenever I did, the vast majority of commenters would fly into near-apoplectic fits of rage – how dare I challenge their predetermined view of reality that waterfront views will sell for pennies on the dollar! I must be some sort of “pumper” or “shill” to even challenge the mantra that prices were NOWHERE NEAR THE BOTTOM!!!!
Every post – 30-50, even 100 comments, nearly all of them negative. It really was a cesspool of lagging pessimism back in those days. They even attacked you Jim, for simply calling it as you saw it. Talk about shooting the messenger!!!
Any idea what happened to all those people? Did they ever wake up and realize they were staring at the bottom? Or did they just fade away over time, delusional to the end?
I put my foot down.
Actually, I see that you enacted comment moderation, so I guess thats the answer. They are still out there, 36 months post bottom, still delusional…amazing.
Its interesting, I wanted lower prices too, but once we had them, I was more interested in actually taking advangage of them vs sitting on the sidelines forever. Apparently that is not the norm for the blogosphere LOL!
Good for you – glad you got in!
Others did as well. Ocrenter was one of the first, buying in 2008, CA renter and Rich Toscano have bought houses too. They were among the most vocal yet rational folks, and you are probably right that there are others that haven’t bought – and may never unless the market cooperates with their visions.
The amount of the government intervention was unexpected, enabling many to dodge the foreclosure bullet and instead live for free for months years. The relationship between banks and government…well, how do I say it? It is not free enterprise, that’s for sure.
I think some of the more brutal comments were people looking to disrupt my business, so factor that in too.
This site’s always been about info., and just like in the real world, many will always be late to catch on to the significance of that info. Point is, JTR shares the info. he sees. It’s up to buyers & sellers to decide if we want to buy or sell and for how much.
We, as just one example, chose to sell in ’05, and buy in summer of ’08. Who cares but us? I regularly return to read jtr – because he’s a caring & sharing Pro in a sector overloaded with short-sighted baffoons. He tells us all what he thinks is fun, relevant (& sometimes even criminal). And, perhaps best – until things get out of hand he seems to have no need to step on opinions.
CA renter bought? Wow, I remember her being respectful, yet very very bearish – like near delusional bearish IMO. Still that could have just been her talking points, and she really was in tune with reality.
Speaking of which, what about TJ& The bear? Did he ever buy?
Doug S. said…
“overloaded with short-sighted baffoons.”
You can say that again. Back in 06, I was a newbie, knew next to nothing about RE other than it was unaffordable.
Many of the commenters assured me, often with a shocking degree of certainty that if we “wait” we will be “rewarded”. As the years went by, I was horrified that some of the people I was relying on had been renters for 15-20 years, all the while waiting and hypothecating about some imminent doom.
Had I known that from the beginning, obviously, I wouldnt have listened to them. Still, thats the problem with the blogoshere. In real life you can quickly tell if people are delusional. On the blogosphere, they could be citing this and that metric about why doom is imminent, all the while living in their parents basement as they have continuously since 1994.
I’m old, 53, and own my home. But I needed to get my kids their first homes so I started in ’06 reading Bill for macro and Jim for micro data and information. We bought the first home in Sept of ’10 (OC), the second in Feb of ’11 (west side LA), and the last in June ’11 (TO). I’m an engineer and always felt very confident in Bill’s data and Jim’s street sense, so I was comfortable both holding off and then buying when we did, but yeah I breathed easier when Bill called the bottom in Feb of ’12.
I only wish one of my kids’ career paths after college took them to SD so I could’ve worked with Big Jim, the best damn realtor on the planet.
Hyakutake, I was one of the bears, in the same foreclosed bathtub as OCRenter, CA Renter and Rich Toscano. I bought in January 2010, a regular sale, but I stood firm on a low-ball, knowing there would be plenty of chances to swing my bat. Ended up getting a house in RSF at 18% off LP of a regular sale. The only wrench in it all was expecting to remodel in the first year, and now it’s been three years. Maybe this year…haha!