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.
How many car spaces in the basement?
One payday like that and you done LOL, nothing but umbrella drinks while sitting on the beach.
JtR, was this a total remodel or did the guy who nabbed the short sale in 2010 just live in it and then sell it this year? If a remodel did he go all the way down to the studs? Wish I could see the “before and after” photos and of yeah, get the address…
I surmise that this was hardly a traditional flip.
From $11M in ’09 to $2.4M “short sale” in 2010 to $13M in 2015…?
This had to have been a golden handshake, a family go-ahead, or some other relationship-based transaction, aided by the bank.
I’m not suggesting some Dominelli-era chicanery. It’s just that I can’t rationally imagine an owner leaving a conservative $3M on the table because he couldn’t make the payment. Someone would have thrown him/her a line for a piece of the action. There has to be something more here.
N.B.: While I’m unsophisticated on the real estate front, I have never failed to be entertained by the hubris of San Diego’s ruling class, variously including Hortons and Hedgecocks, Copley’s and Jacobs.
The short sale seller was Maureen O’Connor, who had her hands full with gambling debts and felony embezzling charges.
Ah, of course. L’il Mo.
Still, care to make odds that the short sale buyer received some sort of roller derby whip-in to the deal?
Yes, an insider deal.
It was listed in 2009 for $7,499,000 but didn’t sell.
In 2010 it was listed for $2,900,000, lowered to $2,490,000 and then marked pending – all on the same day! It closed 4 months later for $2,400,000.
“I’m not suggesting some Dominelli-era chicanery…”
I resist the temptation of believing a community is made up of exploiters, suckers, and the mugs, but then the lights go out at Lehman Brothers, and it makes the rationalizing difficult. I always feel the same way you do, though. Since my mentality isn’t about reeming my community, or someone else’s, for raw personal gain, I find it hard to believe it’s that simple when it seems to be occurring.