The last chart showed that the best stats for $-per-sf were in Vista zips 92083 and 92084, at $162/sf and $160/sf, respectively. Also noteworthy was that their April, 2009 sales were both at or above 2005’s numbers.
Are there good deals in Vista?
We’ve seen a few of the dumps, here’s a decent REO on the north side of town:
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. 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
Where’s the ice cream truck?
‘Elliot Eisenberg, senior economist with the National Association of Home Builders, says that after federal officials’ slow reaction to the initial problems of the housing markets, it’s especially important they be prepared to move quickly to address the next problem. The czar idea is being supported by Eisenberg having started in Tucson from Roger Yohem, vice president of the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association.
‘We have two immediate problems ahead of us,’ Eisenberg said. ‘First, we don’t have the infrastructure for the millions of loans that need to be reworked and second, loan default numbers will be going up rapidly in the next six to seven months. That’s why we have to act quickly.’
Not bad, not bad. You’ve definitely given me a different perspective on Vista… at least one part of it! 🙂
Couple get hefty prison sentences for mortgage fraud.
http://www.mercurynews.com/realestatenews/ci_12301341?nclick_check=1
By Pete Carey
Mercury News
Posted: 05/05/2009
Couple get hefty prison sentences for mortgage fraud.
In the heyday of the housing boom, Summit Mortgage One of Milpitas did a brisk business helping mostly Spanish-speaking clients obtain mortgages at low interest rates.
But complaints drew investigations and a criminal prosecution, and Monday the San Jose couple who ran Summit received hefty prison sentences.
They were convicted in October of running a scheme that involved lying to five banks about borrowers’ ability to repay $8 million in subprime loans, and lying to borrowers about the terms of the loans.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Vincent Chiarello sentenced Esperanza Valverde, 41, to 23 years and 8 months, and her husband, Herman Covarrubias, also 41, to 19 years and 8 months in prison. The couple was ordered to pay more than $900,000 in restitution to victims
Speaking of fraud and prison sentences… what’s up with she-who-shall-not-be-named? And did the unemployed crazy lady who was running the “Cocapelli Community Center” or whatever it was get foreclosed on? Enquiring minds want to know!
Nice house, especially the big windows in the entry, but I have one question about the design: Why do three of the four bedrooms have their own bath, and there is a fourth bath next to the fourth bedroom, but to get from the fourth bedroom to the fourth bath, you have to go into the hall? Why isn’t it directly connected like the other three bedrooms? You have the half bath downstairs for guests, so that ain’t it. Just an odd design choice.
Good looking house. If it was 2500 feet on a half acre I’d want to buy.
3800 is an awful lot of house for a family of 4.
I lived in Vista – twice. It does has some nice parts. You can certainly do get more for your money there.
The only 2500 sq ft houses anybody is building these days are crap like those silly zero lot line Manzanita Trail things that Jim looked at two days ago (and that cost more than this does). Used to be that 2500 sq ft was huge-now it’s a “starter house”. Yet as the houses have been getting larger, the lots have been getting smaller.
Jenae is broker of a discount real estate company in Mission Valley, and according to DRE records, has one agent working for her who has had his license less than a year. He knows how to pick a mentor.
The crack-a-pelli lady had her trustee sale postponed again today, now slated for June 2nd. I drive by her house every day – I should take a video!
Chrisg – you just need more kids!
I have four Padres tickets each for tomorrow (Wednesday) night, and Thursday’s day game. Peavy Wednesday, Chris Young Thursday.
If you can go, email me at jim@jimklinge.com
Astroglide, a well-known personal lubricant, is manufactured in Vista by BioFilms, Inc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vista,_California
From wiki:
Vista was listed as the seventh-best place in the United States for family life, based on factors such as jobs and business opportunities, education, climate, and cost-of-living in a 2008 review.
Vista houses both the courthouse and the jail for northern San Diego County.
Vista and nearby San Marcos had a large Japanese American community since the late 1800s. Older sections of Vista are predominantly Latino (Mexicans in particular). And there are several thousand American Jews now living in Vista, a small part of the community’s multiplicity of religions and cultures. Demographers[who?] stated Vista has a “minority-majority” population as Non-Hispanic whites are under half the city’s population.
Chrisg,
You know the rule — a family expands to fill all available space.
“If you buy it, they will come”
Nice house.Watch out for brush fires.Saw the arnold on news last night saying the ballot measures don’t pass he will have to close fire stations.What a scam.
Really, one stories have better comps? That’s an odd factoid. Where I live now, you can’t give ranch houses (a/k/a “Ramblers”) away fast enough.
One stories definitely have higher values. Last time we house-hunted there was up to a $100K premium on single stories house of the same square footage as a two story.
Thanks for the fairness of the video, Jim. I don’t live in Vista but have considered it several times…NE Vista in particular has some very nice homes.
I love this home and would actually consider it if I were in the market. Biggest drawback for me is that sideways garage that eats up the front yard and virtually destroys the look.
ah, thanks for the demographic tour of vista, Jim. I thought it was kinda odd that there’s a Japanese Buddhist Temple in a predominately hispanic city, now I know.
Vista E 92083 28, 11, 31 $326 $209 $162
Vista N 92084 35, 17, 35 $321 $200 $160
btw, Vista E and N are the only zips on your survey that flipped a complete 50% from peak!
Jim I really did enjoy living in Shadowridge in Vista. I have lived in many foreign countries and speak many languages. I love diversity.
I am not speaking from a statistical point of view or API scores(which aren’t that bad). Many people in my area ended up pulling their kids out of school or were VERY unhappy with the schools. It was a difficult environment. They either home schooled or did private school. I am not knocking the area. I am just passing on advice that someone may want to consider the school situation before they make a huge investment.
Vista S 44, 13, 17 $301 $238 $190
Vista E 28, 11, 31 $326 $209 $162
Vista N 35, 17, 35 $321 $200 $160
The last column represents the number of registered sex offenders in the area from the Megan’s Law website. IIt is always a good idea to run the property address and zip code to see if there are any sex offenders living in your ‘hood and possibly near any public areas/schools.
oops here is the last column:
(Vista S) 13
(Vista E) 62
(Vista N) 38
Vista! Its worth a look!
Anyone still investing in gold?
Longtime lurker and native Vistan. Felt like I needed to chime in here. Grew up around the corner from the “wreck room” Jim previewed a couple days ago. Actually had a friend that lived there before it became what it is today. Still an okay area, very modest homes but low crime. Just bought a place in Feb not too far from the one in this vid. Custom built 2200 sf mild fixer on half acre for 350k. Vista is a very diverse place: most of 92083 is Tijuana North, a good part of 92084 is like a lesser Rancho Santa Fe, and 92081 (Shadowridge) is the prototype for master planned communities. Vista’s always worth a look, but it’s real hit-or-miss.
Something else to note – Vista probably has the best weather in the county. The coast is fogged in, Escondido is too hot, but Vista is really nice.
I live in San Marcos, and when I drive to the beach in June, I can see the wall of fog just past College on the 78. Nothing but sunshine in Vista.
Why drive to the beach?
Vista has a lot of hidden gems. I’m currently renting in 92081 in a fabulous small gated community built in 2001/2002 (Vista Hidden Meadows). There has been a large number of short sales and REOs in the neighborhood, with current listings on 3600sq/ft homes in the low $500’s/high $400’s. Great deal IMO on plans very similar to the one Jim showed here on 1/2 acre lots with mountain views, etc. Couldn’t touch the value/price in Carlsbad/Encinitas. Always good to think ooutsite the box.
We’ve been renting in Vista South (Shadowridge) for a decade, and now bought here. I second the remark about the weather: Vista is right at the point where the wall of fog breaks up. To me, it’s a great climate. (We have also lived in C-bad, 3 miles from the beach (cold & foggy), as well as in Escondido (hellish heat.)
North Vista has some nice new homes at good prices, but I’m not sure about the schools. Also, there are some pretty rough spots, once you cross over the 78. Schools in Shawdowridge come with APIs of 7 – 9. An extra 200 Grand buys you a score of 10 in Carlsbad, but we felt 9 was close enough.
To us, Shadowridge feels comfy, once you get over the fact it’s a planned, tract home kind of thing. There are tons of parks and playgrounds. Real people. Non-pretentious.
Non-pretentious +2
Jim,
Who is the buyer for something like this? Seems too far to commute unless you’re working in Escondido.
Commuting is expected for most – sad but true. Some are willing to pay a premium to limit drive time. Average commute hours per year is between 100 – 200 hrs. Throw in drives to grocery, hardware, department stores and that is a alot of hours and inconvenience.
There is a large industrial complex that straddles north Carlsbad/south-east Vista (off of Melrose) with tons of high-tech, bio-tech, and manufacturing. This is where my company is located, and my commute is 6 minutes door to door without touching a freeway.