Because Opendoor listed this home for $1,100,000 right after they bought it for $1,081,000 (and did no improvements), it must have meant that they thought they stole it. The market thought otherwise, and some might think they were lucky to get what they did.
Friday afternoon open house? A week before Christmas?
One couple said that the video tour was so informative that they drove from downtown San Diego to take a look. He said, “I wish more realtors would do those!”
Check out Michele’s new one-story listing at 392 Vista Del Indio in Fallbrook!
3 br/2.5 ba, 1,918sf
1.05-acre lot
YB: 1985
LP = $799,000
Have you always wanted a single-story house with a three-car garage on a private, secluded ONE-ACRE lot at the end of the road in the heart of Fallbrook? This is it! New carpet and paint, refinished pool/spa plus central A/C installed recently. The floor plan is wide open and leads out to the large beautiful deck that offers a stunning view of the park-like backyard. The yard maintenance is manageable too, with a fenced-off portion of the back of the lot that slopes down to a seasonal creek – wow! A great value for those who want space and privacy.
Open house 12-3pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 17-19.
In San Diego County, the excessive frenzy conditions have been driven by newcomers who don’t have a house here yet, and who figure that they just have to pay what it takes to get one.
It is those buyers that out-bid the locals. As those numbers dwindle, the frenzy will subside:
News reports, anecdotes, and preliminary research have speculated about whether there has been an exodus from California during the COVID-19 pandemic. The implications of population changes, such as federal representation and federal funding allocations, are significant.
This policy brief uses the University of California Consumer Credit Panel (UC-CCP), a dataset containing residential locations for all Californians with credit history, to track domestic residential moves into and out of California at a quarterly frequency through the end of September 2021. This brief updates our spring 2021 analysis that used data through December 2020.
A reader on Twitter wondered how rising rates will affect the 2022 frenzy.
Here’s what is expected today:
Under Chair Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve is poised this week to execute a sharp turn toward tighter interest-rate policies with inflation accelerating and unemployment falling faster than expected.
The Fed today will likely announce that it will reduce its monthly bond purchases at twice the rate that Powell had outlined just six weeks ago. Those bond purchases are intended to lower longer-term rates, so winding them down more quickly — likely by early spring — will lessen some of the economic aid the Fed supplied after the pandemic erupted last year.
Fed officials are also expected to forecast that they will raise their benchmark short-term rate, which has been pegged near zero since March 2020, two or three times next year. Rate hikes would, in turn, increase a wide range of borrowing costs, including for mortgages, credit cards and some business loans. Just three months ago, the Fed had penciled in barely one rate increase in 2022.
Let’s note where the mortgage rates are today:
Some of the Fed hike might already be priced in, but these rates are still very attractive. I think that any rate starting with a 3 will be attractive to buyers.
But let’s consider the history. Any time rates threaten to go up, or actually do start to rise, it causes buyers to hurry up and find a house – just to be able to lock in a lower rate. It means that we could be heading for the Ultra-Peak Frenzy, where rising rates actually create MORE frenzy!
Buyers who think sellers should lower their price to compensate for higher rates will be in for a long wait. Sellers won’t believe it, and unless they are desperate (which very few are), they will blame the market/rates/agent before considering a lower price. Many will try over and over again, and it might take them 2-3 selling seasons before they succumb.
Would rising rates cause more sellers to hurry up? Doubtful, but I hope so! It would be great just to get back to normal inventory (which is about double where it has been during the last half of 2021).
HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who joined us in giving back this year through Mama’s Pies! Our team raised over $2,300, which allows Mama’s Kitchen to prepare, make, and deliver over 900 meals to those in need in San Diego!
I hope this email finds you and your loved ones well and that everyone was able to enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank you for your patience as we finalized our calculations to the Mama’s Pies Thanksgiving Bake Sale numbers, and to just say THANK YOU for all your support!
Here’s a breakdown of the impact that each of you made in raising funds for our critically ill neighbors:
# of pies sold: 2,925
# of Holiday Feasts donated: 1,005
General donations: $26,572
Sponsorship: $29,000
Total Raised: $169,247
This has been our most successful Mama’s Pies yet! CONGRATULATIONS for making this happen!
We sold out of pies before sales ended which is remarkable considering the amount of pies we sold, which is also a record-breaking number! Thank you all for your time and dedication to our community members.
Congratulations to the top ten Teams and Individual Sellers!
Individuals:
Kelly Sherlock (Mama’s Kitchen Director of Administration and Finance)
Adam Ritch (General Manager, WorldMark Mission Valley Resort)
Scott Walls (Mama’s Kitchen Board President)
KariLorraine Scott
Cheli Mohamed
Patricia Pasquill
Andrew Rosenberg
Leo Meltvedt/Chiropractic Life Center
Michelle and Lisa Burkart
Steve Carnes
Teams
True Chiropractic
Jack in the Box
Neda Nourani and Associates at Compass
Qualcomm Black Inclusion Group
The Kube Team/Fairway Mortgage
ScrippsAssists at Scripps Research
Candis Kolb and Associates at Compass
Klinge Realty Group
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health at UC San Diego
Team SAIC
Our top three individual and team sellers will receive a small token of our appreciation.
Geez, Jim, you sure are optimistic about 2022 sales and pricing. How come?
I mentioned a couple of sales in last week’s video, and here is other evidence:
When this house in Carmel Valley hit the open market, there was a model-match with pool located a block away that had just listed for $1,899,000. This house listed for $1,995,000 and was at the end of the culdesac so it had the big pie-shaped lot:
We offered $2,150,000 with 30% down payment, 21-day escrow and waived the appraisal – and lost. They received 14 offers, and they only countered the ‘serious’ ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The last two sales of this model were $2,700,000 and $2,760,000 in July, and all three were listed by the same agent (one was her own house). So her list price of $3,198,000 on Thanksgiving weekend seems a bit aggressive, but it looked nice:
Showing appointments were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday…..but they took an offer on Saturday, and cancelled the Sunday showings!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offered $1,050,000 and 21-day escrow for this fixer on a canyon in Clairemont that listed for $995,000. We got boxed out on this one too – no counter-offer or bidding war. They accepted $1,100,000:
The biggest reason why the frenzy should continue in 2022 is because those who have lost out on properties in 2021 will be even more determined next year – and be your competition.
Word on the street is that Lennar may attempt to sell their new San Marcos homes by utilizing the auction format. They don’t have anything on their website yet, and it may be a bit clumsy to roll out so we may not hear much about it until they complete a few.
They have 700+ people on their interest list, and they have grouped them into sets of 25. Why discriminate? Let all 700+ people have a crack at buying every house!
Hopefully the selling of homes by auctions will become more popular in 2022!
Buyers will be scouring the market early, in hopes of getting a fast start in January.
But we only have 43% of the active listings today that we had last year at this time, which means the sellers who list their home for sale over the next 30-45 days will have the market to themselves.
The craziest year on record is wrapping up – how does 2021 compare?
San Diego County Detached-Home Listings & Sales, Annual
Year
# of Listings
# of Sales
Median Sales Price
Listings/Sales
2013
33,948
25,495
$455,000
1.33
2014
35,254
22,896
$495,000
1.54
2015
33,376
24,951
$525,000
1.42
2016
35,869
25,295
$556,000
1.42
2017
33,537
25,038
$600,000
1.34
2018
35,658
22,525
$636,000
1.58
2019
33,307
23,214
$648,000
1.43
2020
29,492
23,882
$715,000
1.23
2021 YTD
27,699
23,705
$840,950
1.17
The median sales price is 18% higher YoY, and in spite of having about 20% fewer listings than normal, sales have held up – because virtually everything is selling!
NSDCC Detached-Home Listings & Sales, Annual
Year
# of Listings
# of Sales
Median Sales Price
Listings/Sales
2013
4,911
3,287
$950,000
1.49
2014
4,794
2,899
$1,020,000
1.65
2015
5,066
3,096
$1,090,000
1.64
2016
5,178
3,107
$1,160,000
1.67
2017
4,637
3,082
$1,225,000
1.50
2018
4,840
2,799
$1,325,000
1.73
2019
4,741
2,827
$1,327,500
1.68
2020
4,494
3,184
$1,481,250
1.41
2021 YTD
3,533
3,062
$1,899,000
1.15
The NSDCC median sales price increased by 28% YoY, and in spite of having about 27% fewer listings than normal, sales will probably get close to the 2013 total!
The record for most NSDCC sales was 3,929 in 2003, back when the median sales price was $732,500.
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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'Hara
June 12, 2025
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A+ thank you
Lisa Tuomi
June 11, 2025
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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 Meyer
March 28, 2025
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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 Quejada
March 27, 2025
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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 F
March 27, 2025
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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!
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William Sams
March 25, 2025
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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 Hernandez
December 29, 2024
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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 Sahagun
November 11, 2024
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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 PASHA
July 23, 2024
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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!