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.
I like the use of the word Odyssey to describe Carson Palmer’s Del Mar home sale. I am not sure that he ever really lived in the home because it was put up for sale shortly after construction around 2015 for $25 million. I would estimate that the house cost around $11 million to build – $4.4 million for the land and $6.5 million for total construction costs ($1K/sq ft). I would estimate the yearly carrying cost at around 7% (5% lost income on principal, 1% property tax, 1% maintenance costs) or about $800K per year. Over 5 years, that’s around $4 million. So, Palmer’s total investment was around $15 million. He may have net around $3 million (maybe less). Not a great investment, IMHO.
I think the primary mistake was the initial asking price. Palmer should have asked for Jim’s advice on pricing back in 2015. If he had sold the house for $18 million in 2015, he would have returned a healthy profit of about $7 million.
Most sellers have gotten bailed out by the length of this bull market. How many do you see that are priced higher today than they were 1-2 years ago? I’d say it’s 20%.
Ego is not your amigo.
Here’s a good example.
The list price was $1,200,000 a year ago.
It sold today for $1,550,000 – check the property history:
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1651-Caudor-St_Encinitas_CA_92024_M21067-23080