A blog reader (who had a realtor before discovering us) wanted an opinion about this house. It has the plastic plumbing, which is a $5,000 to $10,000 repair:
25 Comments
Jim Klinge
Klinge Realty Group
Are you looking for an experienced agent to help you buy or sell a home?
Contact Jim the Realtor!
- 682 S. Coast Hwy 101, Suite #110
Encinitas, CA 92024 - (858) 997-3801 call or text
- klingerealty@gmail.com
CA DRE #01527365, CA DRE #00873197
View More Interest Rates
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
I personally would pass. My wife and I actually looked at the 2 bank owned on that street that Jim talked about and decided we didn’t want to buy it for our investment. Reason being was that the constant noise from the freeway just made it unbearable.
Also, my wife commented on how it looked like a sketchy neighbourhood. We’re very picky.
Off-topic, but another example of the extent of short-sale corruption. This from the confidential remarks of a local listing:
“No NOD yet. Slr is lic RE broker. Only ofr accepted will be from buyer willing to rent house thru the entire SS process which shall be extended as long as possible. Could be a yr or more. No offer submitted until NOD recorded. Rent $2800/unf $3000/furn”
This is a tough call because it depends on the buyers lifestyle etc.
Basic Question: Is this house worth 550K? No.
How about move further inland? Get a better house and no marine layer.
Also, if this hood didn’t improve during the last 10 year boom then it certainly isnt going to improve over the next 10-20 years.
The traffic noise would be an instant deal breaker for me. Even if the buyer could overlook that today, consider the increase in freeway noise in the next 5 years or so.
Certainly the buyer found the right Realtor in Jim. My advice would be to keep searching and be confident in JtR’s ability to find a better home. Good luck to the buyer…
I agree, it depends on what they want to do. If they are looking to flip it, I’d definitely pass. If they want to live there some unknown amount of time, it’s harder to say. LM comments about the neighborhood over the last 10 years are right on, IMHO. Must add that the doughnut shop in the 1st minute of video used to be really good–I would drive from Carlsbad to go there; but have given up doughnuts so I don’t know if it’s still as good.
More off-topic:
Something tells me the “rent” will not be applied toward the purchase price, nor towards Mr. Lic RE Broker’s mortgage.
Is this a reportable offense? ‘Cause it sure smells like one…
This one looks like a good deal.
http://www.redfin.com/CA/Encinitas/924-Springwood-Ln-92024/home/4173185
It’s just rundown….but I don’t think it’s a “bad” neighborhood. Plus, El Nopalito is right there and it’s some of the best Mexican food around. And they have the market too with the fresh chips, salsas and everything else.
It depends on what their living situation is, but I agree….that price seems reasonable.
Over three years!!!
http://www.ocala.com/article/20110621/APN/1106210532
Jim – You have said in two minutes (in your video) what would take most people 6 months to figure out and that’s the kind of honesty people should expect from a Realtor!
I agree that El Nopalito is great. $550K is the going rate for low end homes in that area, but I just don’t think I could bring myself to spend that much for something that is just ok. If you like the neighborhood, the house suits your needs and you plan on staying there awhile it’s not bad.
Pemeliza, It looks good…..but too good to be true.
Look at what it backs up to: Diegueno middle school and their track. It also looks like the house has the original everything.
Complete, unobstructed views from the neighbors into your bedroom. Speaking of kegs on the balconies, you could toss the football around from balcony to balcony.
You really can’t get in for under $700K west of the 5. The house has a decent interior, kind of ugly outside, needs some work on the wood.
But, not a bad move for a young family. Eventually it will appreciate and hopefully you can leverage into west of 5.
As for Barrio there it has a good vibe. And, you get Nopalito roasted salsa for a $1 less than you do at Seaside Market.
For me I’d pass and try to save up more money for a better location. If that was a frat house then that would actually be deal killer for me.
#3 Amazing…just amazing. That house must have one #@ll of a view. I’m a potential buyer and I’m going to make a handshake deal (accept his promise) that he will sell his house only to me if I “rent” it from him for hopefully (from his perspective) one year. 12 months times 3000 ( I just loooove his furniture!) equals 36 thousand dollars. Just 5 percent of 720,000 right? Ah the beauty of financial engineering!
Amazing…just amazing.
Not a bad piece of property now, but after the 5 gets widened 6 lanes in each direction over the next 25 years it may not be so great.
http://www.keepsandiegomoving.com/Documents/I5-Corridor/KSDM_I-5_Map_JAN10.pdf
So it depends on the buyers needs and wants are, as every buying decision is personal. If you can handle the noise and just want the location and will be out in 5-10 years, go for it!
I should add that you can get in just under $700K west of the 5 if you’re willing to be basically on the 5.
If the buyer has kids (or plans on having them) they might not be happy with the elementary school (Ocean Knoll) for that area. I know 3 families that have children there and all have transferred to another school because they weren’t happy with it. For me, the freeway noise would kill the deal.
Just a side note…I really don’t get the “west of the 5” mentality. Naturally there are nice neighborhoods west of the 5, but having lived at the beach for several years (and I still do -not in sd)…..the Marine Layer/June Gloom, May Grey, it was a killer to me….And it is more than June and May. I can’t count the number of miles I put on my car to drive out to Mission Trails on the weekends to get away from the 60 degree foggy weather. Sometimes there would be a 20 degree difference. Couple times it was mid 60s at the beach and high 80’s in Mission Trails.
However in my experience it seems that places like Ocean Beach don’t get as much marine layer and North County does??? Wonder if there is a science behind this? And the old saying goes Coronado is ALWAYS sunny when the rest of SD will be socked in. I have observed that several times as well.
Jinx #19 – Can you provide more details about why they did not like the school?
Every new house up here in Canada is built with “plastic” pipes because they are better than copper. It’s not like we don’t have enough copper in Canada, or the money to buy it. It’s just the the modern non-copper options are superior…
Plus we don’t have to worry about our formerly high flying Ameri-mex neighbours coming up here are ripping our pipes out to resell the copper for beer money.
@wassup,
In this case, I believe Jim is referring to early-generation plastic plumbing which to my understanding has not stood the test of time.
@wassup – It’s called polybutylene piping. Pretty sure you guys don’t “all” have that in canada or you’d be suing the manufacturer “all” at once. Google it.
@wassup
Canadian racism is just as ugly as American racism.