The Carlsbad Music Festival kicks of the summer with its third annual free Village Music Walk, featuring dozens of musicians performing over 60 sets during a 6 hour celebration of adventurous music.
An extension of the August Carlsbad Music Festival, the Village Music Walk is an all- ages, free of charge, community event that features a wide array of music performed in outdoor and indoor spaces throughout the historic Village of Carlsbad. The unique performance venues range from public parks and art galleries, to local music stores and even a 19th century chapel.
Drawing annual crowds of over 4000 community members and cultural tourists, the Village Music Walk runs from 4-10pm with 20-minute sets starting every half hour. With multiple performance options to choose from at any time, attendees of the Village Walk are invited to create their own concert journey through the Village.
The San Diego International Beer Festival had over 10,000 people last year, and two of their sessions are already sold out this year:
June 19-21.
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar 92014. With more than 400 beers from around the world to choose from, beer aficionados will enjoy hard-to-find specialty craft brews alongside favorites from the local brewing scene. Specialty vendors will be selling a variety of accessories and gifts for the beer lover. With a stage featuring everything from home brewing advice to educational demos to food pairings presented by Venissimo Cheese and The Lost Abbey, you won’t want to miss out.
For those who are concerned about another bubble, here is evidence that indicates we’re in a position to handle it better. Leverage is down, which should mean less government intervention next time (?):
Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Michelle Meyer offered some color on this in a recent note to clients.
She discussed the ratio of the total level of mortgage debt to the overall market value of real estate. This adjusts the amount of leverage and debt in the housing market by the total size of the market. Meyer observes that there’s been a huge drop in this measure since the Great Recession:
“[The ratio] shows that 44% of real estate wealth is made up of mortgage debt. This is nearly back to the pre-bubble crisis and compares to a peak of 63% in 2Q09 (Chart 7). A lower aggregate loan-to-value ratio suggests the real estate market should be more susceptible to shocks in the future.”
Meyer then considers some of the causes of the drop in mortgage debt. Debt dropped as a result of the unwinding of the housing bubble:
“Much of the decline in mortgage debt owes to foreclosures which resulted in the liquidation of delinquent debt. However, it also is a function of lower loan sizes given larger down payments and the drop in home prices.”
Liquidation of delinquent debt sounds bad, and it’s certainly unpleasant for people losing their homes. Nevertheless, it’s reflective of a system clearing out an ugly past.
Typically the inventory count peaks in August – we should see gradual build up until then. This week, the Under-$800,000 Market jumped up to its highest number of active listings all year!
Click on the link below for the complete NSDCC active-inventory data:
Our market has been on an extended run for years, who’s left? Move-up buyers are prime candidates, as are the out-of-towners coming from more expensive areas (a great reason to hire the agent who does video tours to make it easy for them to preview!).
Consider these broadsides to get the flavor of the report:
>> “The real estate industry is saddled with a large number of part-time, untrained, unethical and/or incompetent agents. This knowledge gap threatens the credibility of the industry.” Ouch!
>> Low entry requirements for agents are a key problem. While other professionals often must undergo extensive education and training for thousands of hours or multiple years, realty agents need only complete 70 hours on average to qualify for licenses to sell homes, with the lowest state requirement for licensing at just 13 hours. Cosmetologists, by contrast, average 372 hours of training, according to the report.
>> Professional, hard-working agents across the country “increasingly understand that the ‘not-so-good’ agents are bringing the entire industry down.” Yet there “are no meaningful educational initiatives on the table to raise the national bar … .”
>> The commissions that realty brokers and agents charge are under attack and highly vulnerable to reductions because of pressure from cost-sensitive consumers. While typical commission rates in this country are around 6 percent, fees in other developed countries are significantly lower. In the United Kingdom, they average 1 to 2 percent; in Australia, 2 to 3 percent; Belgium, 3 percent; Germany, 3 to 6 percent.
>> In response to consumer demand for lower fees, “a growing new generation of brokers and agents [is] exploring … new business models and pricing models that will most likely become commonplace in the next 5 to 10 years.” The reference here is to technology-driven discount brokers who are making inroads in many markets. Baby boomers looking to downsize and millennials seeking first homes are especially interested in shaving fees to save money.
>> Realty brokerages face their own challenges, such as compliance with aggressively enforced federal regulatory policies. Among the most prominent, according to the report: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s anti-kickback and referral-fee rules governing brokers’ financial arrangements with title companies, lenders and others. Though “most brokerage companies are either ignorant of the fact or believe they are in compliance,” says the report, “most are likely in violation already.”
The real estate machine thrives on new, inexperienced, and lazy agents. They need them and their lousy commission splits – and dues – to survive. Why then, is N.A.R. releasing this report, especially when there won’t be any meaningful response?
Is it to ensure that agents know they should be polishing up their resumes as we wait for Zillow to clean our clock? Seems like it!
Tori Prince of Transformed to Sell stopped by to give us some tips on staging a smaller house in Carlsbad. She can give a basic consultation for $250 up to a full transformation of a luxury home. Her quote to furnish this 1,800sf two-story house was $2,600 to $2,900 for a 60-day period:
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 Mary
Heather Quejada
March 27, 2025
Trustindex 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 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
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.
Emily Hernandez
December 29, 2024
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.
Jesus Adrian Sahagun
November 11, 2024
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.
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!
Anu Koberg
July 13, 2024
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.
Bjorn Isachsen
July 10, 2024
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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...
Chris Shea
June 21, 2024
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.
