There were 23 buyers who paid over the list price last month. There were 29 in the previous month, but because there were 20 fewer sales in December, the percentage looks much larger.
Cash buyers purchased 41 of the 107 sales, or 38%.
Fifteen of the sales were round-tripped (buyer and seller represented by the same agent). Thirteen of the sales had zero days on market. Of those, six were round-tripped.
With all the desperation among realtors due to the lower volume, you’d think the shenanigans would be rising faster, but those numbers are fairly normal. Last January, there were nine of the 105 sales that had zero days-on-market.
Our lousy pricing metrics stayed towards the higher end of the 10% range:
NSDCC Monthly Sales and Pricing
With the hot CPI report today, mortgage rates should be heading higher and take some of the buzz out of the marketplace. Get an FHA or VA mortgage and save 3/4%!
Are you searching for a sensational luxury home in Carlsbad’s premier gated community, Aviara Point? This exceptional contemporary estate features newer hardwood floors, high ceilings, solar with Tesla batteries, a dazzling white & stainless kitchen, four generously-sized bedrooms up, and a bedroom/full bath ensuite downstairs plus den with french doors that open onto the courtyard with fountain. The warm, comfy feeling is enriched by windows everywhere that bring in the sunshine plus ocean, lagoon, and golf views too! Some of the homes on the street are multi-level and have stairs everywhere – the only staircase here is between the 1st and 2nd floors. Last year, two Aviara Point homes closed for $4,000,000+ and another one down the hill sold for $3,850,000 on January 29th. This is a tremendous value for those who aspire to the heights – check it out!
We survived another vigorous bidding war among eight buyers to prevail in winning this gem in the country! The half-acre lot filled with citrus trees makes the imagination go wild with the possibilities here in Green Valley, where 31 homes have sold for $2,000,000 – $5,000,000 in the last two years!
City officials hosted a community meeting on Saturday for the public to weigh in on three design concepts for Robertson Ranch Park.
“A Walk Through 3 Parks” took place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Carlsbad Faraday Administration Center at 1635 Faraday Avenue, according to city officials.
Residents were encouraged to stop by for a “choose your own adventure” walk-through at three information stations focused on each of the park’s design concepts.
According to the city, residents had the opportunity to “meet and speak with the park design team, learn how they took inspiration from Carlsbad’s natural landscape to create designs that reflect the community’s priorities, ask questions, share ideas and let us know where we got it right and what you would like to change.”
The three potential design concepts for the park were agrarian tapestry, community quilt and rolling hills. All three design concepts come equipped with multi-use sports fields, restrooms, concession stands, pickleball courts, a buffer for nearby homes, a walking/jogging track and a 115-space parking lot.
Each concept will have slight differences in design related to the concept’s theme.
The park’s final design will be decided at two community meetings and through an online survey. Then, a final presentation will be scheduled for the City Council’s approval later in the year.
Depending on popular demand, the final design could be one of the three design concepts or a mesh of all three. The final design is not limited to the scope of one concept. “Based on other park planning processes, the final design usually ends up being a combination of the favorite elements of each design,” the city said.
This was the first meeting for the public to physically weigh in on the new design, with a virtual walkthrough meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. on Feb. 15. Register here to get the link.
The number of U.S. dollar millionaires has risen sharply since the beginning of the 21st century.
In 2000, there were 14.7 million millionaires worldwide, a fourfold increase in twenty years (300 percent). If we compare this figure with the fight against extreme poverty, the number of people below the global poverty line – which today stands at $2.15 a day – has declined at a much slower rate. At the turn of the century, there were 1.7 billion people living in extreme poverty, compared with around 700 million today, a drop of around 60 percent.
The United States is home to by far the largest contingent of dollar millionaires: 22.7 million in 2022, representing 6.7 percent of the country’s population. Next on this list is China with 6.2 million (0.4 percent of the population), while France completes the podium with 2.8 million (4.2 percent of the population).
Back in October, an oceanfront Del Mar house sold for a whopping $44.1 million, sending shockwaves through the quietly posh Southern California beach town and setting a new record for the most expensive San Diego County home ever sold. The out-of-left-field, off-market transaction came even as the San Diego real estate market has effectively stalled over the past year, with the deal pipeline choked by high interest rates, recession fears and low inventory. And the transfer also eclipsed Bill Gates’ recent $43 million purchase of an arguably more impressive house on the same strip of sand.
Property records indicate the $44 million house was purchased by a mysterious Delaware-based LLC, a common business tool used by the wealthy to cover their real estate tracks. But it’s certainly worth noting that the mysterious entity is managed by a longtime associate of Egon Durban—the high-flying, billionaire Silicon Valley dealmaker who has a known affinity for both record-breaking transactions and high-end real estate. Durban, the co-CEO of private equity giant Silver Lake, sports a personal net worth that tops $1.5 billion, according to Forbes.
Since the house was never on the market, photos are virtually nonexistent and details are few. But certainly the vast majority of its value lies in its oceanfront location—the property spans just over an acre of flat land, right on the sand—rather than the structures themselves. The main residence is unremarkable, large and well-maintained but visually dated. The property was built decades ago by prominent Hollywood real estate developer C.E. Toberman, founder of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Bowl, and remained in the extended Toberman family until Durban’s purchase.
In addition to the U-shaped main house, which is single-story and painted a deep navy blue, there are two ancillary buildings on the property. Each of those includes a two-car garage and additional living space, likely for guests or live-in staff. The oceanfront compound also boasts a full-size tennis court—a very rare thing on the shores of Del Mar—and a gated, blacktopped driveway with off-street parking for dozens of cars. There’s also an outdoor swimming pool, plus a sizable backyard with a grassy lawn and a wooden deck with stairs descending to the sandy beach. Altogether, the estate sports eight bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms.
Our Cedarcrest listing hit the open market on January 25th, and we recieved NINE offers! I gave all of them a chance to bid it up, and ten days later, our sellers had their net proceeds in their account!
They moved to Portugal, and yesterday they reported that the weather is similar to what it is in California, and his favorite cup of coffee only costs seventy cents!
You’ve saved and invested your whole adult life for this, and the time has come to quit working and start living. But where will you spend your retirement years?
If you decide the answer is abroad, you won’t be alone. Millions of Americans have done just that. Some experts estimate that as many as 12% of the nation’s 45 million or so retirees are living overseas.
There are a lot of incentives for such a move: a lower cost of living for a higher quality of life, for instance. New experiences in exotic settings. And there are any number of locales willing to up the ante to have you choose them as the golden isle for your golden years.
Editors know that there isn’t anything more eye-catching in real estate than talking about people losing their home. In California, lenders are required to offer every delinquent homeowner a loan modification before being able to foreclose, so those who want to keep their house will likely find a way to do it. Judging by the graph above, very few homeowners are giving it away!
Despite the declining rates and the robust economy that characterized the U.S. during the fourth quarter, the Federal Reserve’s pursuit of lower inflation has proven to be an obstacle for the American housing market.
The consequence of that pursuit, which pushed up borrowing costs on U.S. households, is a 16 percent year-over-year surge in mortgage delinquencies (60 days past due), according to TransUnion’s fourth-quarter Credit Industry Insights report, exposing the growing struggle of consumers in the face of evolving macroeconomic uncertainties.
TransUnion’s report, produced from billions of updates received each month from banks, credit unions, finance companies, auto dealers, mortgage companies, retailers, student loan providers and public records, found that a total of 1.3 percent of all consumer-level mortgages in the U.S. were in serious delinquency in the fourth quarter of last year.
With roughly 84 million mortgages active in the U.S., according to data from LendingTree, that would mean about 1,092,000 Americans are more than 60 days past due on their mortgages.
While that may seem alarming to some, it isn’t nearly as bad as what happened in the aftermath of the great financial crisis (GFC) in 2008, according to Michele Raneri, vice president and head of U.S. research and consulting at TransUnion.
“We’re still in a pretty good spot, especially when you’re looking at 60 days past due,” Raneri told Newsweek during an interview on Wednesday. “So it has inched up a little bit, but it’s still not come back to what would be considered pre-GFC or probably even pre-pandemic.”
Asked whether or not the slight uptick is of concern, Raneri said, “I don’t think so. Of course, people in the industry are watching it to see if it’s becoming a bigger problem, but I don’t think that it’s something that is an indication of a bigger problem.”
She continued that the delinquency issue is not a “systemic” problem reflective of the GFC, partly due to stricter lending standards, and that back in 2008, people had “so little equity in their homes.”
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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
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
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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
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
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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.
