How bad was it back in the day? Will it ever get this bad again?
This was my first REO listing in 2008.
For comparison, the home next door sold for $482,000 about a year ago.
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
Karen PhillipsJune 13, 2025Trustindex 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!!! Jesse O'HaraJune 12, 2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A+ thank you Lisa TuomiJune 11, 2025Trustindex 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. 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 ‘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 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 — 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. 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 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. 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 “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. 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 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
This is what the real estate marketplace should look like. I know it seems cruel to say things like that but its truly what needs to happen again.
Banks are colludeing + choosing to not foreclose when “homeowners” stop paying their mortgage. By doing this housing maintains it’s current “value”. Sprinkle in high levels of inflation and like magic banks are bailed out on mortgages that “homeowners” can start making payments on again because they’re earning higher amounts of $$$.
In reality people aren’t making any more $$$. They’re just getting paid in larger amounts created by inflation. (10 years ago a burger cost $5, today a burger costs $15) you might be making more $$$ but everything costs more so nothing has changed in your buying power.
But banks now can close their books out without foreclosing.
Winners in an economy like this are those that purchased assets before inflation kicked in and those people that leveraged themselves to their eyeballs to “own” assets. Both groups need to sell assets to realize their gains. Or maybe we’ll all just become a nation of reverse mortgages + people never really own anything we just “rent” from the banks.
If we went back to this, the devastation it would create for the real estate industry and economy, especially now, would be catastrophic. This idea is not something we should ever publish, think about or put out into the world.
Prices sure do need to come back to reality to make housing more affordable but not to a point where the economy would be so vacant that only the richest of our society and institutional entities end up owning the bulk of the housing inventory.
My comment was directed at Shadash not the original post.
I sold 72 of these in 2009, and barely got by. I needed Donna + two full-time assistants to process the onerous paperwork for the banks.
But I honed my craft on how to handle a bidding war! We received 10-20 offers on most.
We can only kick the can into the future so many times. Eventually someone needs to pay the tab.
Personally in my lifetime I’ve seen 4 real estate downturns.
1st was late 70’s early 80s + building condos was what everyone was doing. Developers made lots of $$$ but once Volker came in and upped interest rates into the mid teens development immediately stopped. Many times you’d see cement slabs/basements poured but nothing else and sites completely abandoned.
2nd was the early 90’s this wasn’t really a downturn just a constant sideways slide with prices not really going up or down.
3rd was in the late 90’s early 2000’s after the Tech bubble burst there were properties all over that went down in price.
4th was in the Housing / Finance crash in the 2008-2009 timeframe where lehman brothers went belly up + the Banks were bailed out.
In each instance there were always buyers looking to purchase properties in the downturn.
Just like Jim is doing Realtors need to accept the current market reality + Sellers move forward as quickly as possible. The musical chair game is slowing down + getting ready to stop.
Between 1990 and 1994, the 30-yr fixed rate went from 10% to 7% which tempered the drop and made it more like a sideways slide.
The Fed did it right then. Man, have they screwed up since!
Marc said “ If we went back to this, the devastation it would create for the real estate industry and economy, especially now, would be catastrophic. This idea is not something we should ever publish, think about or put out into the world.”
The last sentence is the really disturbing one, Marc. We can’t “publish” or even “think about” letting prices, and the market, correct itself?
I can see his point about not wanting to have real estate dominated by the elite. We are pretty close to that already.
Maybe we have become so accustomed to the “elites,” banks, hedge funds, Wall Street, etc., being bailed out that we can’t even imagine a REAL correction where the chips just fall where they will, and should. But that is what we need, and at some point, that is what we will get.
“The last sentence is the really disturbing one, Marc. We can’t “publish” or even “think about” letting prices, and the market, correct itself?”
Welcome to cancel culture.
What Marc is trying to do is get an admin to ban the comments they dont like.
I knew several people that bought up their eyeballs in the early 2000s + lost them all. It will be interesting to see this one play out.
But that is what we need, and at some point, that is what we will get.
I’m not so sure about that. As much as I’d like to see it happen too, it seems a long ways off.