Obscene profits have been made over the last few years by flipping properties like this:
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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
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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
greedy
Im all for making a buck but cmon man. I guess there just throwing it out there hoping someone will bite. maybe they think euphoria will cause someone to overpay. what I find interesting is the appraisal part of it.
I don’t like the slick grey floor tile they used everywhere and I’ll take JtR’s word on the cheapness of the materials, but it’s a good look. It’s clean, stylistically consistent, inoffensive, and contemporary without being hyper-trendy. Whoever is responsible has a good eye.
I’m a charter member of the Travertine Haters Club, so it’s actually a relief to not see travertine tile or big slabs of busy natural stone everywhere. Looking at that stuff is exhausting. (Too much mixed-color glass tile is also a problem, admittedly. This kitchen has just enough of the stuff to be striking without annoying.)
What are the countertops made of? Amy’s description of the style is spot on, nicely done Amy.
the more I look at those glass counter tiles, the more I agree with Jim that it’ll be quite dated in another 10 years.
granite and travertine are here to stay, provided not over done and the pattern not over the top. but I think these are in line with wood floor, nicely done, it is a style that should last.
people should not mistake the lack of inventory and multiple offers for the return of the bubble. it is simply reality at the bottom.
Bought my first property 30 years ago. When has CA real estate not been defined by absurd greed?
“granite and travertine are here to stay, provided not over done and the pattern not over the top.”
I like the white-cabinets-black-granite-countertop look, and I think white marble just about always looks elegant, but individual buyers are going to see stone patterns totally differently from the original homeowner. Who knows what the design world has in store for us? It’s fair to assume that they are planning something that will make your current kitchen look tacky and dated, no matter what you choose today. I’ve already read a home magazine article where a homeowner ordered a kitchen with dark cabinets and dark cabinets and then renovated 8 years later in favor of white cabinets and white marble. It’s very difficult to try to free your mind from the hypnotic effect of the kitchen and bath magazines and figure out what you like, not just what is new and shiny.
I think synthetic counters have a lot going for them. We’ve lived nearly five years in a rental house with old-fashioned faux marble bathroom vanities, and I am really impressed with it as a material. It’s been trouble free and with very few seams in the installation, we’ve had no water issues. I haven’t lived with quartz (it’s nearly all crushed natural stone, stuck together with resin), but everything I’ve heard about its resistance to heat and staining makes me very excited about it as a material. The quartz patterns are less interesting than say, marble, but white marble is so much more of a maintenance responsibility that (for me at least) the peace of mind would be totally worth it. (I have a couple of school-age kids who love mixing up lemonade and other juice based drinks in the kitchen–totally incompatible with marble’s sensitivity to acid exposure.)
Sorry! The repentant remodeler originally put in “dark cabinets and dark granite countertops” and then found it was much too dark.
I do have some concerns about the small glass tiles. Namely, do they accumulate crud in the grout lines? Does it still look fresh and nice in 5 year, or does the grout go dark and ugly?
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-inventory-20120610,0,730173,full.story
Like I said a few days ago, this is happening all over the country and it is not for lack of inventory, but rather a concerted effort.
“I like the white-cabinets-black-granite-countertop look, and I think white marble just about always looks elegant, but individual buyers are going to see stone patterns totally differently from the original homeowner. Who knows what the design world has in store for us?”
Some of the floor layouts of some of the McMansions, with wasted space galore, would indicate that these monstrosities didn’t come from the design world, but from some aspergery engineer.
Also, I’d disagree with the black/white endorsement in the kitchen. I think it makes a kitchen look tacky. Contrasts in home design should meld seamlessly, not highlight each other due to their relatively extreme contrasts, which you typically see in the homes of rap artists with new money.
Also, I wouldn’t endorse “faux marble,” since I had a bathroom with real marble countertops, and see no comparison to it’s aesthetic value. It just looks like “I can’t afford marble, but I wish I could” and that isn’t a design choice I would wish to convey. I believe, if you can’t afford marble, then use something else.
Faux marble… I would rather real white square tiles.
The only thing faux that makes any sense is faux wood flooring, because it actually can be more durable and it can be very passable.
Boy, do I hope you’re right.
I’m sure others here can relate to this; and I’ll inject perhaps a little too much honesty in this:
I am naturally risk averse. I’d prefer a monthly payment that is <20% of my take home (wouldn't everyone?). More realistically, it's more like close to 40% when we close. So, yeah, I'm freaked out.
I bought my first house right before the bubble. Unfortunately, I under-bought per bad advice; when I needed to upgrade after the first baby in 2003-4, I found that I was "priced out" of most places. The world had changed overnight. I sold and waited for the bubble to pop. I scrimped and saved, and moved more than I would have liked… I climbed the work ladder enough to fear losing my job during the downturn. Now, it has been 3 punishing years without a raise. Here's to hoping that things turn around.
I vowed I would not underbuy this time. On top of that, rates have in the meanwhile gotten ridiculously low. What would have been unimaginable pre 2008 has now become more of a "moderate stretch". 2 things have to go right for this to work:
1. Wage inflation needs to happen. I'm hoping that the past 3 years will be made up in future at some point. Who knows? Will I make the same for the rest of my life and therefore be "house poor" forever? I need a crystal ball. Either way, I need a tax shelter. Renting is still cheaper because rentals are crappy. I have started to see life in the rental market as well, and it aint pretty.
2. Prices need to actually go up for me. If they don't and I'm forced to move… yeah, i need my money back.
Waiting sucks.
I was still hoping that I'd be a millionaire before I was 40. At this point, I'd settle for not being broke.
Chuck
“Faux marble… I would rather real white square tiles.”
“Faux marble” sounds really tacky and I didn’t expect to like it, but it’s easy to clean and we haven’t managed to stain it yet. For a family with kids, it’s fantastic. The main objection to “real white square tiles” is that you can’t just quickly wipe it up with a single swipe–there are all those grout lines.
“Also, I’d disagree with the black/white endorsement in the kitchen. I think it makes a kitchen look tacky.”
It can be done very subtly. Look, for example, at the kitchen from the movie As Good As It Gets (I haven’t seen the film, but the kitchen was apparently influential, design-wise):
http://kitchenlab-chicago.com/blog/?p=482
That kitchen is primarily white and very traditional, with shiny white subway tile (I think), and the black countertops are pretty darn understated with all that white–they practically disappear. I think a wood floor or stainless appliances can also help bridge the color contrast between the white and the black.
Also, bear in mind that a checkerboard black-and-white floor (while high contrast) is very, very traditional–not nouveau riche at all.
I guess what all of this disagreement over taste goes to show is that it is very tricky choosing finishes for your future buyer. Personally, a lot of houses I’ve seen over the past few years make me think, “What bad thing did I do to be sentenced to this beige hell?”
In escrow today…whats your take?
The bubbleinfo karma runs deep!
Amy, I’ll agree that kitchen isn’t so bad. The lines of the old-timey country motif softens up the color contrasts, and the dark brown floor also mitigates the stark contrast. Good design, to me, is all about contrasts in color, fit, and form.
In any case, one day we’ll get together over lunch and discuss how to properly mesh black and white tile, a red brick fireplace, and avocado green shag carpet. And we’ll laugh and laugh. : )
Chuck, folks in OC do have it tougher than SD. One of the primary reasons we moved down here. We also did our share of moving. We were just doing paperwork on our latest refi, boy was the list of prior residences in the last ten years a mile long!
At least you guys are in escrow, you’ll be able to enjoy interest rates in the 3’s!!!! Was talking to someone in the baking industry just the other day who recalled folks crying when their CD matured, because they had to give up their 16% rate for a new CD at just 11%.
“In any case, one day we’ll get together over lunch and discuss how to properly mesh black and white tile, a red brick fireplace, and avocado green shag carpet. And we’ll laugh and laugh. : )”
Oh dear. Do we really have to keep the avocado green carpet?
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Chuck, Thank you for sharing your experience with us. One of our friends bought a good size house in a good school district / pricey area about 10 years ago. They have raised 2 fabulous kids who are now almost out of the house. Their plan will probably be to downsize to a condo and use their accumulated equity to supplement their nest-egg. Not that I usually advocate using a house as a savings vehicle, but perhaps this will be an option for you in the future given the desire to buy a home?
Well,
My kids won’t be moving out for a while. Had my third 18 months ago. Wife still dreams about 4th. Yeah, right.
Then my wife’s parent’s might be moving in within the next 3 or 5 years.
I need a big house… whether I can afford it or not? Crossing fingers and toes.
Thankfully, lender only asked for 3 years. It was already long. I have bounced all over the southland trying to get the leg up. Is that how everyone spends their 30’s?
In the end, even with stretching, the house still has some not-so-perfect attributes (vis-a-vis near a busier road with some noise). I’m chalking it up to living in a city, at least that’s what I tell myself when I lay awake in bed dreading that 30 year fixed.
Chuck
This reno took a lot of time and fair amount of cash. They dropped some money in the master bath. I can’t imagine why they needed plans drawn.
Anyway, it has a nice look with above average design and a nice lot.
The wall color is a little too beige and not enough gray. It lacks a few details: At 1:00, you can see they should have added another wall cabinet and replaced that stark white outlet on the peninusula with a stainless cover for instance.