I've been a big fan of mini-splits for air-conditioning small spaces for a while now. While the interior units can be fairly ugly, there are alternatives -- ceiling cassettes, and in the case of at least one manufacturer, units that look a little like a picture that hangs on the wall, complete with the ability to provide your own artwork that can be slid into the frame. They are extremely quiet (both the interior and exterior units) and seem to sip electricity as well. So, all good!

Well, until it isn't! I purchased a unit online about 5 years ago for a small rental property. The equipment was purchased online and installed by a licensed HVAC professional. Per the manufacturer's warranty, as long as the system is installed by a licensed HVAC professional the warranty is valid. The warranty is 5 years from date of install, and the compressor is warranted for another 2 years (or 10 years from date of install if installed by a factory-trained technician). Note that some factory warranties on these systems specifically exclude systems purchased online.

After about 5 years of very light use, the system quit functioning and displayed an error code. The manufacturer has multiple websites, and it took me awhile to find the website that had authorized factory technicians available in my area. To get to this point, I had multiple chat sessions with reps from the factory, who eventually would tell me that they couldn't assist me, as their group only handled window/wall AC units (this was after telling them that it was a mini-split, along with the model #'s and serial #'s of the units) -- so a very frustrating experience. Likewise, after re-registering my system, the webpage asked if I needed service. Clicking on the "Yes" button provided a multitude of products that they manufacture, with the exception of mini splits, which seem to not be on their radar whatsoever, in spite of them being a major brand/manufacturer of this type of product. Again, more frustration. 

So, the "factory-trained" technician came out that afternoon. Nice guy, but clearly, he had never worked on this model of system, continually calling it an "older system" (it was 5 years old). He pulled on the cover of the interior unit so hard that I was sure that he would break some of the brittle plastic components (and as it turned out -- he did break a few pieces, and just stuffed them back inside of the non-working unit, hoping that I wouldn't notice. He did offer to sell me a new system, of course!). 

Eventually, I was able to procure an appointment with another "factory-trained" technician, but he was about 3 weeks out. I procured a small space heater for my Tenant in the interim, but this was the only factory-trained technician available at all, so we waited. When the day arrived, they did some troubleshooting on the system, which resulted in the diagnosis of a malfunctioning printed circuit board (basically the CPU for the system). I was expecting it to be fairly expensive ($300-$500) but less expensive than a new system -- and of course they would have to replace the damaged plastic components/gears damaged by the previous technician. The service call was $285, but at least I had an answer -- well, kind of. Apparently, they don't manufacture that printed circuit board any longer, and it's not available. So much for a 10-year warranty if one can't get parts!

In the interim, I continued a dialogue with the manufacturer, who eventually indicated that my case had been sent to the "Presidential Liaison Group" (sounds impressive!) and that I should hear from them within 5-7 days. 2 weeks later I let them know that I still hadn't heard from the President's people, but after that prodding I heard from them shortly thereafter. Of course, I had to resubmit all of the info that I had submitted prior (receipts, model #'s, serial #'s, etc.). But all good, as I was now in the capable hands of the President's own personal customer service team! This turned out to be the equivalent of the world's slowest chat session. They would ask for something, or ask a question, and I would respond immediately. Several days later, that would ask for something else, and I would respond. Rinse and repeat for a couple of weeks. Eventually they told me that I would be getting a store credit for essentially the amount that I had originally spent on their system -- fair enough, except their online store doesn't sell mini-splits (of course!). But I could use a through-the-wall AC unit for another rental, so all was not lost.

The next thing that I had to provide to receive the credit was the model # and serial # stickers from the units, cut in half (or at least photos of them cut in half). They were in difficult to reach places, and it required a hairdryer or heat gun to soften them enough to remove without damaging. So, I had to wait until the units were de-installed to provide the stickers. Once that information was provided, I was promptly informed that "I noticed that there's an issue to raise or clarify with another department before we process your Reward request. We will let you know once we get a response from them. Thank you." And so, the waiting begins!

I contacted the de-facto leading manufacturer of mini-splits and was directed to a local gold-plated distributor/technician. If a system was provided/installed by their gold-plated personnel, I would receive a 12-year warranty on the system (nice) but the cost to provide/install was $5,700. To purchase just the system online, is $1,370 including shipping/sales tax (although I'm told that, for some reason, the distribution warehouses from which the HVAC techs have to purchase these systems, charge the HVAC techs more for the systems than the online prices -- so no deals for them). So, I could purchase 3 of these systems online, and still pay someone $1,590 to install the first one and would arrive at the same price (and have 2 spares, regardless of the length of the warranty). Note that the installation time to swap out an old system for a new system is about 3.5 hours -- at least that's what it took the HVAC tech to swap out the old system and replace it with another of the top 3 brands -- so $1,590 is probably a little on the high side for installation as well. I understand that one is paying for overhead, tools, trucks, insurance, experience, etc. but in this instance, I felt that the premium was just too high. 

So, the moral of the story is that mini-splits are still a quiet and efficient solution for may applications, but that getting them repaired may be problematic as repair knowledge and parts availability could be an issue. One HVAC tech told me that it's not uncommon to be on the phone with tech-support for 2-3 hours (waiting for a call to be answered) and customers don't want to pay for that wait time, which is understandable. Like window and/or wall air conditioners, they may simply be throwaway systems once they begin malfunctioning. Hopefully once these units become more easily repairable, and/or the supply chain for parts becomes more reliable, these systems will be a fantastic alternative to traditional HVAC systems. But for the moment, leaving a Tenant boiling in the heat or freezing during the winter for several weeks while waiting on a technician and/or parts isn't realistic -- it may be best to just replace with a new system. 

Oh - and I still haven't heard back from the President's folks on the status of my "Reward"!

As someone who tries to stay civically engaged, I occasionally speak at City Council meetings, Planning Commission meetings, and Design Review Committee meetings, whether it's regarding an agendized item or during the Public Comments period where one can speak on any non-agendized topic (within reason, I suppose) for up to 3 minutes. Prior to speaking one generally completes a speaker card, indicating one's position on a particular agenda item, your name, address, phone, and email address. Likewise, your name is called at the appropriate time to approach the podium to speak, and the chair or Mayor will generally ask you to state your name just prior to speaking. All standard fare. Likewise, when submitting written comments, I've always included my name as well. 

Recently, I noticed that written comments were being submitted to the City without a name attached. I asked the City Clerk about this, and apparently the Brown Act doesn't require that one identify themselves to attend a public meeting. A quick online search confirmed that information, but it's a little less clear on whether or not speakers need to identify themselves (and likewise whether or not written comments need to include the identity of the speaker). There is apparently case law that implies that a speaker doesn't need to identify themselves and likewise wouldn't need to include identifying information in written comments, and the City Clerk indicated that other City Clerks with whom she communicates have also noticed a trend in people not identifying themselves in written comments to their respective cities.

While it may be the law, and increasingly a common practice, I think it's a further erosion of our civility as a society. I also think that if one is trying to influence public policy by persuasively speaking or writing to the makers of public policy (Commissioners, Council Members, Committee Members, etc.) then at the very least one should identify themselves, if only voluntarily, to the policy makers and the public audience. It's simply too easy to be a keyboard warrior and to express opinions and/or mis-statements of facts without any accountability -- and that's not healthy for our community.

I don't have any affiliation with this app, but I've been using it for about a year, and it's got a lot of different applications, at least one of which is real estate related.

There are few things worse than showing condos to prospective buyers on a hot day, when in a condo complex whose addressing/numbering scheme was devised by a mad person (which seems to be most of them!). It's a lot of walking back/forth and trying to figure out a method to their madness -- and most listings don't have a good description of how to actually locate the condo within the complex once you're parked at guest parking. Some have a map at the entrance to the community, but it is generally oriented 90 degrees from how the community is actually laid out, furthering the confusion. 

Here's where this simple, but ingenious, app saves the day. The creators of the app have divided the entire world into 10'X10' squares, and each square has a unique 3-word identifier. If the listing agent uses the app, they can post the 3 words closest to the front door of the condo making it incredibly easy to find, assuming that you are using the app as well. You can even direct your favorite GPS app to give you directions directly to the 10'X10' square (it simply converts it to latitude and longitude for the directions app). Or, prior to leaving one's office to show a condo, you can locate it on a map that includes unit addresses, and then determine the 3-word identifier by comparing it with the map within the app (What3Words is the name of the app -- available for iOS or Android, or at view at www.What3Words.com). When showing the property, fire up the app and it will take you directly to your desired location.

Need to find someone at the beach, Disneyland, mall, camping, or other event spread out over a large area? Simply let them know your 3-word location, and if they also have the app (best to coordinate in advance) you can easily find one another. Give it a try - it's a great concept!

As Realtors are not authorized to provide tax advice, I'll preface my comments with the recommendation that you consult with your tax professional to discuss possible tax strategies.

Also, I didn't take the following path myself -- but in hindsight, I should have!

I got to thinking the other day, for anyone fortunate enough to be pushing up against the potential capital gains cap on the sale of their primary residence ($250K for single individuals, or $500K for married couples) and who are also over 55 years of age -- there's a possible tax avoidance strategy that you may want to consider. And if the two lines cross (age and capital gain maximum) then you can maximize the impact.

When you reach 56 years of age (i.e. are over the age of 55), you are allowed to sell your home and purchase another, within California, and maintain your current property tax base (Prop 19 -- essentially replaces Prop 60 and Prop 90). Likewise, if you're married, and have lived in your home for 2 of the past 5 years, you can take up to $500K in capital gains free of capital gains tax (regardless of age). I've always considered these items separately but hadn't really thought of utilizing them at the same time.

For example, if one paid $500K for their home a number of years ago, and it's worth $1,000,000 when they turn 56 years of age, they could sell it for $1M, and then purchase a replacement property within California, also for $1M (just to keep the example simple). So, what has been accomplished, other than one having to make a lateral move? Two things:

a) the property tax on your new house will be about the same as with the old house -- about $6,000/year (vs $11K/year or thereabouts which would be the approximate standard rate for a new home purchase of $1M)

b) your basis in the new house would be $1,000,000. So, if you were to sell the new house a few years later for another gain -- let's say it sells for $1,100,000 -- you would have no capital gains tax to pay (and for a married couple that number could be as high as $1,500,000). If you had remained in your old house and sold it for $1,100,00 you would have a potential taxable capital gain of $100K. and if you waited until the former house was worth $1,500,000 you would be looking at a potential taxable capital gain of $500K -- that's real money ($100K assuming a 20% capital gains rate, and ordinary California income tax on top of that!). 

Note that the examples above are simplified, and don't consider capital improvements, cost of sale, and pre-sale improvements, all of which can be utilized to increase one's basis - but the concept is the same.

Just a thought for those over 55 (or nearing that age)!

Home stagers, Realtors, and the media have made it abundantly clear that one should properly stage a home, either with one's own items/furnishings and/or items brought in from the outside to make the space "pop" such that prospective buyers couldn't imagine themselves not living there!

But what about the spaces that the general public doesn't always get to see first-hand, but that their home inspector checks out? I think it's equally important (if not more so) to make sure that these areas are in good shape, as they indicate to your prospective buyers how well your home has been maintained. Here are a few examples:

- If your home has a crawl space or basement area, make sure that it is free from debris. Contractors are not always the best about cleaning up after themselves, often leaving behind old galvanized pipes, scraps of new pipes being installed and/or of the old pipes being discarded. Wood scraps under the house are also not a good sign, as termite inspectors will call them out as cellulose debris, or "Section 2" items -- items that may lead to termite issues in the future (what termite doesn't want to chomp on some loose wood in a protected environment!).

- In crawl spaces, also make sure that there is no moisture on the ground from leaking pipes (either drain or supply lines), a shower stall, or from a leaking AC condensation pump. If wet after a rain, check around the foundation, and make certain that downspouts are functioning properly and draining away from the house/foundation. 

- In both the crawl space and the attic, make certain that all electrical junction boxes have covers. It is very common for inspectors to call this item out, and it's a simple and inexpensive fix. Not having them is an indicator to a buyer that the seller hasn't paid attention to these types of details. Also, there shouldn't be any electrical or low-voltage (TV cable/phone) laying in the dirt -- all wires should be properly affixed to the floor joists or ceiling joists/rafters if in the attic.

- Likewise, in both the attic and the crawl space, check that any visible flexible ducting is not touching the ground (if underneath) and that there are no visible holes/tears in the ducting insulation. If so, have repaired/replaced by a skilled HVAC professional. If it appears to be older, asbestos-covered ductwork, then best to leave to a licensed professional. It's about $1,000 to have the asbestos covered ducts removed from a typical 1950s/1960s tract home, but of course you'll have to have new ducts installed as well.

- Check that bathroom and kitchen vent hood ductwork (generally in the attic, except in the case of downdraft stoves, which may be in the crawl space area) are in good condition, and that they properly exit through the roof (and are flashed properly on the roof so that they don't leak) and don't simply terminate in the attic. While you're on the roof, with a spray can, paint all of the pipes that protrude through the roof the same color as the roof -- makes a subtle yet noticeable difference when driving up to the house. 

- Look under all of the sinks for leaks, and/or any flexible, accordian-style flex drains (usually in bathrooms). While convenient, they tend to trap debris and inspectors will always call them out. If the cabinet floor of any of the sinks is decayed or bowed (common, as there may have been small leaks over the years) consider having a handyman remove/replace the bottom of the cabinet. 

- The water heater should be properly strapped (top 1/3 and bottom 1/3, with the bottom 1/3 being at least 4" above the controls). There should also be a copper pipe attached to the temperature/pressure relief valve (TPR) that terminates within 6" of the floor. And with all gas appliances, there should be a "T" (sediment trap) in the gas line near the appliance, where any small particles can be trapped. While not critical, inspectors will call the item out, although most buyers aren't too concerned with sediment traps. Wipe the water heater down, and remove all cobwebs, debris, etc.

- Check the furnace area for cobwebs and dust as well, and clean in/around the areas as necessary, assuming that it's accessible. Also replace the air filter (or clean the filter if it is a reusable filter) as this is an often neglected area in many homes. Check that the thermostat works well for both heating and cooling, and that the condensation pump, if any, is operational -- put a little bleach and/or vinegar in the pump reservoir to discourage algae which can clog the float switch. Inspectors also don't like to see gas flex lines passing through the furnace case (they tend to have sharp edges and there is concern that during an earthquake, the flex line could get sawn through by the furnace case). If necessary, installation of a small length of iron gas pipe through the furnace wall is an inexpensive fix.

- Visually inspect all rodent screens and/or bird blocks (under eaves) to confirm that they are not missing, torn, or otherwise broken, which could allow for rodents to enter the structure. Replace or repair as necessary. 

- If your home has a brick chimney, there's a good chance that it is missing its chimney cap (generally stainless steel or plain steel). Inspectors will always note a missing chimney cap. Not only will it arrest sparks (for wood-burning fireplaces), but it will also just-as-importantly reduce the amount of moisture entering your chimney, which tends to deteriorate the interior surfaces of the brick/masonry. While the chimney sweep is up there, have them seal any cracks in the cap of the chimney as well. 

- Make certain that there is a working, 10-year sealed-battery type (or hardwired with battery backup) smoke detector in each bedroom, and in the hallway outside of each bedroom. For the hallway, you can also use a sealed combination type smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector instead. If not a combination type, then you'll also need a carbon monoxide detector in the hall outside of each sleeping area. For multi-story homes, you'll need a sealed-type smoke detector on each floor of the home, as well as a carbon monoxide detector. If there are no bedrooms on the lower floor of a multi-story home, then I generally suggest placing them near the base of the stairwell leading up to sleeping areas (in addition to the units placed in the hallway(s) outside of bedrooms). If you have a basement or crawl space, it doesn't hurt to place them there as well, especially if your furnace and/or gas-water heater are installed in those areas.

These are just a few examples of areas that can be "staged" at a relatively low cost -- while they won't make any difference in the beautiful photos of your home that result from careful home staging, they'll make a huge difference in keeping the buyer in love with your home, after they've made their offer and are conducting their due diligence! If I'm fortunate enough to be your Realtor when you sell your home, we'll discuss these items and many more to make your home a great deal for prospective buyers!

At the start of the pandemic, the creation of the Paseo in Old Towne Orange was absolutely the right move by the Orange City Council to assist the hard-hit restaurant industry. Outdoor dining was their lifeline.

Now that indoor dining restrictions have eased, it's time to return the Old Towne Orange Plaza back to its former configuration. Glassell St needs to be re-opened as the major thoroughfare it was intended to be. Residents in surrounding historic neighborhoods never signed up for all of the increased bus, truck, and vehicle traffic through their once quiet neighborhoods. The desire of a few folks to eat outside on occasion shouldn't trump the rights of the homeowners and renters living in the adjacent neighborhoods. There are currently outdoor dining standards in place, which could be modified to accommodate additional outdoor dining on the sidewalks, or even to some degree in the parking spots outside of the restaurants, which has been done throughout the country (while keeping the streets open). I was recently in Boston on a couple of separate occasions, and in Boston's historic North End, they have a very vibrant restaurant community -- with a lot more vehicle traffic than we get in Old Towne -- and their streets are wide open. Likewise, in the historic city of Winchester, MA they had the same configuration. And let's not even consider making it year 'round -- we need the parking in Old Towne, and few people want to drink or dine outside when it's too hot or too cold.

Here are all of the restaurants (nothing official -- just off of the top of my head) that had outdoor dining available prior to the pandemic:

So for me, the argument of lack of outdoor dining doesn't fly. Likewise, the position that it's somehow "safer" to have Glassell closed off also doesn't make any sense. All of the outdoor dining noted above is either on private patios owned by the restaurants (or their landlords) or is on the sidewalks -- and to my knowledge, the City of Orange hasn't had issues with cars driving up on the sidewalks (or private patios) and injuring diners. I don't believe that the public's occasional right to dine/walk in the middle of the street trumps the surrounding residents' rights to the quiet enjoyment of their homes (whether owned or rented). And the public (aka the taxpayer) owns the street and the parking spaces -- giving them away to private businesses for the generation of profit to private businesses doesn't make sense for either the taxpayers or the businesses who don't benefit from the closure of Glassell -- whether in the Plaza District or elsewhere throughout the City of Orange. ​

View of North Glassell on December 23, 2021 at about 2PM. I parked at the parking structure and walked in the rain to The Plaza to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. While the rain was definitely a factor, this is not the definition of a vibrant downtown -- especially two days before Christmas. I'm relieved that Glassell is going to be opened back up within the next couple of weeks!

I often have to send large numbers of postcards, either for business or for an non-profit with which I'm involved. The mailing lists come from a variety of sources, and several or more are often combined, depending upon the application. So it's not uncommon to have duplicates. And of course duplicates are a waste of money as well!

Some of the mail houses that I've used will scan for duplicates, and some will normalize the addresses, but some don't, so it's always best to be prepared to clean your own list prior to utilizing. It's a fairly simple process to scan for duplicates using Excel or Google Sheets, but the problem arises when the addresses aren't uniform -- There's 125 North Main St, 125 N. Main St, 125 n Main Street, etc -- and most spreadsheets can't discern the difference. I looked on online for an Excel solution, and there are a few, but they appear to be fairly complex (and involve APIs, fairly complicated macros, etc.). So after a little trial/error I came up with a brute force method for Excel/Google Sheets that seems to work well. I've included cells to adjust directions (North, South, East, West, No., etc.) and the most common street suffixes (Street, Lane, Drive, Avenue, Circle, etc). We don't have any Northwest/Northeast/Southwest/Southeast etc addresses in the area, but they could be added (North West is a little more problematic, but could still be addressed with a little more fiddling around, I suppose).

With this spreadsheet, simply cut/paste your addresses into the appropriate place (you may need to add a few columns to the left to accommodate all of your address fields, but make sure to copy/paste the street address portion into the column noted in blue). Once you've pasted in your addresses, then copy/paste the example rows to match the number of rows you've added. Copy from the "Results" column and "Paste as Values" into your addresses column and you should be all set. Once the addresses have been normalized, you can sort them and have Excel/Google Sheets highlight and/or delete the duplicates.

​Hope this helps! Let me know if any questions or feedback. Thanks.

Due to a few folks not being about to get out of their garages during last season's wildfires in California (because the power was out), SB 969 was recently passed that requires any/all new garage door openers and/or garage doors serviced by an opener to be replaced with an opener that has battery backup capability. While it's unfortunate that several people lost their lives, it's also true that the majority of garage door openers are already equipped with an emergency release handle (that's generally bright red) such that you can disconnect the door from the opener and manually open it from the inside. From what I've read, not enough people are aware of the presence of the manual disconnect and/or how to use it, so now everyone else is being forced to upgrade their garage door openers, at a significant cost, to battery backup type units.

For a Quick Overview of How to Manually Disconnect Your Garage Door Handle - Click Here

I can see requiring homes that are in a wildfire-prone area to be subject to this requirement, and/or making it an option for elderly, other-abled, or small-of-stature folks who don't feel comfortable with their ability to manually raise the door -- buy everyone in California? Seems like overreach to me.

How about a simple battery pack to convert your existing door? From what I've read, the batteries require DC-powered openers and of course most installed openers are AC powered. So that option is out -- at least for the moment.

I've also read that battery packs will last, on average, about 3 years. So now homeowners will have to remember to swap out their battery pack every 3 years or so, at a cost of $20 to $40 (not to mention filling up landfills with a new source of e-waste). And if you forget to replace your battery pack? Well, there's always that emergency release cord with the bright red handle!!

When I was in high school, and throughout the first 3 years of college (during summers, and winter break) I worked for a roofing company. The crew that I was on installed mostly large hot-asphalt roofs (aka hot-tar) which included tearing off the old roof and installing a new roof to replace it. As hot-asphalt can't be applied when it's wet out, when it rained we would stock under-construction houses with drywall, install insulation, stock shingles on roofs, and install composition shingles -- not any fun, but it kept us busy.  We couldn't run asphalt in the rain as the asphalt was about 650 degrees (Farenheit) in the kettle -- (that big, black, noisy, loud, hot piece of machinery you see on the ground that has a pipe up to the roof) -- as it would vaporize and boil when the slightest bit of moisture touched it -- 650 degrees is just slightly more than 3X the temperature of boiling water - so it's hot!.

There was no OSHA at the time (or if there was, we were so far off of the beaten path in a small town in Oregon that my employer wasn't concerned with it) - so few, if any, safety measures were in place. We often worked with no shirts on, no protective gear other than gloves and boots, and never any safety harnesses -- not a big deal on hot-asphalt roofs, as they're generally fairly flat, but on the steeped pitched roofs of the old Victorian homes on which we worked, safety harnesses would have been a good idea! I worked on a small pitched roof on the side of a grain elevator once - about 7-8 stories up (see photo below), and the guy with whom I was working, a very experienced roofer, scrambled after a piece of equipment that started to slide and he almost went with it -- not very smart and could have cost him his life -- no harnesses that day either. When I was about 17 years old, I once packed a 30-ft ladder on my shoulder, up the side of that same grain elevator, via a built-in vertical ladder embedded in the side of the building. Again, no safety equipment -- lucky I'm still alive!

In any event, what prompted this post was an email that I received from a group in Massachusetts that is working to educate the roofing public regarding the dangers of older roofing materials that may have contained asbestos, and could be a contributing factor to a roofer contracting mesothelioma. I don't know anything about this organization or the information above/beyond what is contained on this website (link below), but if you know a roofer that might be affected/afflicted, they may want to avail themselves of this information:

- Click Here for Additional Information from the Mesothelioma Home Group

- Click Here for Additional Information Regarding Occupational Exposure to Asbestos - The Lanier Law Firm

Update: June, 2024 - I had a doctor's appointment for an item that is a common affliction for men of my age, and one of the questions that the doctor asked me prior to my exam was "Have you ever been exposed to toxic chemicals" to which I responded "Not that I can recall" and his follow up question (without knowing anything about me) was "How about any exposure to roofing materials?". Bingo! Both installing new roofs and tearing off old roofs, the latter which undoubtedly contained asbestos. Something to watch for the any future issues, unfortunately.

​It seems that whenever one reads a news article or scans a headline regarding U.S. Military Veterans, a common theme is that "Americans love Veterans!" -- which seems to be mostly true except, apparently, when it comes to selling them their home!

While most enlisted military personnel don't make a lot of money, VA benefits are often touted as an offset -- "Buy a house with 0% down!". Of course that's not entirely true -- closing costs (approximately 1.5% - 2% of the purchase price) and the 2.15% - 3.30% VA Funding Fee can result in a need to have anywhere from approximately 2% of the purchase price (if the fees are rolled into the loan) to 4.15% of the purchase price - in Southern California, on a $700K home that's anywhere from $14K to $29K -- out of reach for many young Veterans -- which is why VA loans/deals are so rare. That, and the large quantities of cash that more affluent buyers are often able to bring to the table so their deal looks "better" -- so sadly, the Veterans that we as Americans love are rarely given an opportunity to participate, even if they can afford the monthly payments. I've had a bank (house in foreclosure) accept a Veteran's offer (when there were other higher offers), accepted an offer -- on behalf of my seller client -- on a short sale for a Veteran, and assisted a Veteran buyer who had a larger down payment from the sale of another house purchase a home. All went very smoothly, closed on time, and without any drama.

Sellers, Veterans are simply asking for a chance at purchasing your beautiful home. When it closes, the net to you is the same as an all-cash offer at the same purchase price - and it gives a young Veteran and his or her family an opportunity to begin building their own memories.

​So if you're selling your home, and you receive an offer from a Veteran, with our without a large down payment, please consider it -- show them that Americans do truly love their Veterans -- and not just when we need them!

​Richard was a neighborhood fixture, for as far back as anyone can recall. He was a tireless worker for his entire life, often scouring the neighborhood for cans/bottles or anything of any value (metal, paper, cardboard, and cans/bottles as noted) long before the sun came up. Before he broke one of his hips, he could often be seen on one of his many bicycles, with the front basket full of treasures, and later on, in his brown Dodge 4X4 pickup (and prior to that, his old blue pickup), loading/unloading his lawn mower, picking up items to recycle, or making his rounds to pick up items, drop-off items, or to spend a few minutes at the Senior Center.
 
But one of Richard’s most endearing qualities was his ability to converse, on just about any subject. He loved to be stopped by people while on his daily routes, to stop, chat, and pass the time. When Richard first started mowing my lawn many years ago, my office was in my small basement/root-cellar. It has a small window, and when the lawn was being mowed, you couldn’t hear yourself think down there, with all of the racket coming through the window. So I would stop, grab Richard a bottle of cold water, and we would chat for awhile. As the years passed (and my office was no longer in the basement) we would sit on the front porch and discuss the world’s problems for an hour or so, often joined by a neighbor or two -- it gave Richard a little reprieve and was always an interesting time. We didn’t always agree on everything -- Richard would often complain about the “new world” and he wasn’t having any of it! No cellphone (he had a rotary dial phone/landline for quite awhile -- he finally upgraded to an old push-button landline phone), no computer, no internet, no TV after digital signals became the norm. I think he would have been quite content if the world had just stopped in time in the 1950s. And of course we discussed/argued about politics and religion, often simply agreeing to disagree, ha ha!
 
To my knowledge, Richard lived in Minnesota as a small boy, and learned about collecting “stuff” from a guy who drove a horse-drawn cart through the neighborhood selling used wares. At some point they moved to Salem, Oregon, and eventually settled in Orange. Richard’s brother would become disabled at a young age, and Richard tended to him until his brother died in his early 40’s. Likewise, as his mother and father got older, he took care of them in the family home as well until they passed. He had a sister that died in a car accident years ago, and has two other sisters who still live in Southern California.
 
It seemed like everyone in the neighborhood knew Richard -- many would stop, or wave when passing his house. All were kind of keeping an eye on him, I suppose, especially as he got older. Some would bring food, or a cold drink. Or on occasion would help him up if he fell down in the yard and couldn’t get back up again on his own. Richard was fiercely independent and proud of his accomplishments, and often just wanted to be left alone, not wanting to accept any form of help or assistance. He was a master of stretching a dollar -- and should have written a book on his methods and thought processes when it came to getting the most from nothing (or next-to-nothing). Note that I didn't use Richard's last name here intentionally -- as he was a very private person, I figured he would have preferred to remain anonymous in the search engines of the internet.
 
Rest in peace, Richard.

30 years ago, my wife and I purchased a townhouse as our first home together. The mortgage that we took out at the time was a 30-year adjustable, at about 9.5% (I can't recall the actual interest rate at the time - but that's pretty close).

While it was tempting over the years to refinance for a variety of reasons -- we didn't. The interest rate slowly declined until it actually hit a floor of 5.125% a few years ago when interest rates were in the low 3% range. But by that time the payments were mostly principal reduction, so refinancing didn't make much sense. 

And now, here we are, 30 years later, with one payment left! Never thought I would see the day!

UPDATE - Just received a letter from Wells Fargo regarding my last payment. As a reward for making all of my payments on time for the past 30 years, I'm now required to send my last payment in via wire transfer or cashier's check (requiring an unnecessary trip to the bank). Thanks Wells Fargo -- for (making me) go the extra mile!

As both of my adult sons live out of state, my wife and I spend a fair amount of time traveling back/forth to visit. Within the past few years wifi has been available on most flights, so I can continue to work as necessary while traversing the country (one son lives on the East coast, and the other in MI, so the flights tend to be on the longer side).

We all know that airline seats are close together -- just a fact of modern day life. I generally use an iPad with a small Logitech keyboard when traveling - fits perfectly on an airline tray, and gives me just enough room to type/text. But then, WHAM! With no warning, the person in front of you slams their seat back to give them an extra inch or two of angle in which to recline. That generally sends my iPad crashing into my chest (fortunately, it hasn't snapped in half yet!). Now it is impossible to type on the keyboard, unless I hold the device at an angle, resting against my chest, with my elbows splayed out. A laptop, even a small one, would be impossible on which to type (I think even the Microsoft Surface Pro, or the new Go, would still have these same issues).

Can we make it a thing, that before you recline your seat, you politely turn to the person behind you and give them a little warning? A little courtesy goes a long way! And in the interest of full disclosure, I haven't reclined my own seat back (in the interest of the person sitting behind me) in many years.

Chapman University has again announced plans for a proposed expansion, three years after shelving plans to try and add an additional 3,500 students. This time around it's 1,800 students.

In the interim, Chapman did support the local party ordinance, which has quieted things down considerably. They also invested heavily in additional housing for students, with the acquisition of an apartment building in Anaheim, and the build-out-in-progress of the Villa Park Orchards packing house property, which will add approximately 400 beds. The Anaheim site will provide an additional 900 beds or thereabouts in the Fall of 2018 when the current leases run out and the property can be configured for students (I'm not sure that I would want to live that far from campus if I was a Chapman student, but that's a discussion for another day). Chapman will also be adding some additional parking to Panther Village on West Chapman, that will allow them to house an additional 100 students.

Prior to the housing (in progress) noted above, Chapman housed approximately 38% of its students (compared to 90%+ achieved by some 97+ other well-known colleges and universities - click here for a list from U.S. News and World Report). With the new dorms, they should be able to house approximately 50% of their students. While an improvement, it's still not enough.

Back to the proposed expansion. Chapman hasn't completed the housing in progress that will add approximately 1,400 beds, and now they want to add 1,800 more students -- we'll be 400 beds behind from where we started -- how does that make any sense?!

As one of my neighbors stated very simply during Chapman's scoping session a few years ago, 1,800 students is 600 3-bedroom houses. So if we get back 467 houses (1,400/3) when the new dorms are ready, and then add another 1,800 students (600 3-bedroom houses) then we're not only back where we started, but are 153 houses worse off!

I've stated before, I'm not opposed to having Chapman University in Old Towne Orange -- I'm just opposed to them getting any larger. We all know about the crazy person with too many cats. Most people are OK with a couple of cats, or maybe even 3 cats. When someone has 20 cats, they've probably crossed the "just- the-right-number-of-cats" line. I think Chapman is at that 2-or-3 cat happy-medium point in their existence right now, but are quickly approaching the "crazy cat person" level. Enough is enough!

Above are non-owner-occupied sales (based on tax mailing addresses) from 2008 - 2018 - approximately 550 properties (of a total of 1,818 sales) - Source: Chicago Title and CRMLS

For every escrow there is a timeline of events that is spelled out very specifically in the contract between buyers and sellers. The only "float" in the schedule (unless agreed to by both buyer and seller) is that if a contractual deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, then it rolls over to the next business day. Generally days from acceptance of a contract are measured in calendar days, with the exception of the initial deposit from the buyer, which is due in 3 business days from acceptance.

While easy enough to count out manually on a calendar, it's easy to make a mistake and/or forget about holidays (or can be time-consuming if you're trying to consider "what/if" strategies during the formation of the contract). So I created a spreadsheet to map it out very quickly (it's also very easy to then export the data to my calendar). Items in blue - days from acceptance and/or days prior to close of escrow - can be modified. - For most escrows, only the acceptance date and length of escrow need be input as the other dates remain relative to those two anchor dates.

                 If you would like to view/download a copy, please click on the button below

There are new laws regarding residential pools for 2018 -- they currently don't apply unless you're pulling permits to have your pool remodeled (or installing a new pool), but like many laws could migrate to being the norm. And if you have small children, grandchildren, or guests with small children, it might be a good idea to consider some of the following items (including a secondary drain, to avoid suction-related incidents):

Here is the text of the new law (CA SB-442).

Section 115922 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

115922. (a) Except as provided in Section 115925, when a building permit is issued for the construction of a
new swimming pool or spa or the remodeling of an existing swimming pool or spa at a private single-family
home, the respective swimming pool or spa shall be equipped with at least two of the following seven drowning prevention safety features:

(1) An enclosure that meets the requirements of Section 115923 and isolates the swimming pool or spa from
the private single-family home.

(2) Removable mesh fencing that meets American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Specifications
F2286 standards in conjunction with a gate that is self-closing and self-latching and can accommodate a key
lockable device.

(3) An approved safety pool cover, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 115921.

(4) Exit alarms on the private single-family home’s doors that provide direct access to the swimming pool or
spa. The exit alarm may cause either an alarm noise or a verbal warning, such as a repeating notification that “the door to the pool is open.”

(5) A self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the
floor on the private single-family home’s doors providing direct access to the swimming pool or spa.

(6) An alarm that, when placed in a swimming pool or spa, will sound upon detection of accidental or
unauthorized entrance into the water. The alarm shall meet and be independently certified to the ASTM
Standard F2208 “Standard Safety Specification for Residential Pool Alarms,” which includes surface motion,
pressure, sonar, laser, and infrared type alarms. A swimming protection alarm feature designed for individual
use, including an alarm attached to a child that sounds when the child exceeds a certain distance or becomes submerged in water, is not a qualifying drowning prevention safety feature.

(7) Other means of protection, if the degree of protection afforded is equal to or greater than that afforded by any of the features set forth above and has been independently verified by an approved testing laboratory as meeting standards for those features established by the ASTM or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

(b) Before the issuance of a final approval for the completion of permitted construction or remodeling work,
the local building code official shall inspect the drowning safety prevention features required by this section
and, if no violations are found, shall give final approval.

I read an article on LinkedIn the other day posted by a fellow Realtor regarding couples purchasing a house prior to getting married, and the issues that can arise from a transaction of that sort. Which got me to thinking...

Over the years, I've often told my sons (although applies equally to daughters as well) that marriage is a financial contract. While few (especially young people) enter a marriage with that thought in mind, I think that they would be better served if they did. Oddly enough, marriage is one of those contracts with little upfront fine print, yet there's a lot of moving parts that can go wrong -- which is where a contract, and the discussions and negotiation that ensue prior to entering the contract -- could be very beneficial!

One of those elements is as simple as a disparity in income - one person's standard of living is generally going to go up, and the other person's will go down. What about your bride-to-be/groom-to-be/partner-to-be's credit score? That could be an issue if you're trying to purchase a home in Southern California's competitive housing marketing. How about credit card debt, car loans, student loan debt, and overall debt load as one enters into matrimony? Any investments or assets in the mix? (if there are assets available, both parties might want to avail themselves of this quick read, written by a friend of mine, Larry Hennessey - Look Forward; Plan, Save, and Reward Yourself - Investing is not Rocket Science!  Free to my blog readers). Again, all not very romantic, but certainly important to have out on the table prior to hitching one's financial wagon to another person's, prior to tying the knot. After all, once you say "I do", you've handed over the keys to your financial world to another person, and vice-versa.

The reality is that such a contract exists -- a prenuptial contract or agreement -- but just the name has a negative connotation. We've all read about the prenuptial agreements of the rich and famous, who seem to need them on a frequent basis to protect their ample assets. But doesn't a prenuptial agreement throw a wet blanket on the whole discussion of marriage? After all, don't people marry for love? Maybe we just need to change the name to something simpler and without the baggage of the term "prenuptial agreement" -- maybe "marriage guidelines" or something not quite as sinister as the dreaded "prenuptial agreement"!

By comparison, a typical real estate contract in California is, in a fairly small font, 15 to 27 pages in length (plus or minus -- it depends on the disclosures included with the original Agreement) and that doesn't include the pages of disclosures, addendums, clarifications, escrow instructions, etc. Loan documents add another impressive stack of paperwork that must be read, digested, and agreed to, before title to a house can change hands. The good news is that should something not seem right during the due diligence process (analogous to the engagement period for folks getting married), then the agreement can be consulted to determine the available remedies. Occasionally, the remedy isn't sufficient for one party or the other, and the contract is dissolved -- much better to happen during the escrow/due-diligence/engagement period than after the deal is closed ("I do"). It's often said that purchasing a home is the biggest financial transaction of one's life. I would counter that marriage is the biggest financial transaction of one's life -- the paperwork required? A single page marriage license -- no fine print, no clarifications, no disclosures. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as the rate of divorce implies -- a lot!

In the interest of full disclosure, I've been happily married for 30 years of this writing and do not have a pre-marriage agreement.

Years ago I worked for a small company that had secured IBM as an account, and we were the (much-too-small) sole source provider of services for them. They would often present us with intractable demands -- "we need a firm price to completely wire this entire military base with fiber-optics and a structured cabling system -- it's spread out in 150 buildings over a 250 acre area. We'll need the quote by tomorrow -- oh, and we have no building plans, but here's a quick sketch on the back of an envelope". That's where I became acquainted with the concept of "Fast, Cheap, or Accurate - Pick Any Two" because that was really the choice!

Fast forward to today, and it's not uncommon for people to either request via email, phone, or social media for referrals for tradespeople (plumbers, electricians, handyman, etc.) that "do good work and are reasonably priced" (oh, and they usually need them right away!).

I always think that when hiring any kind of professional, whether it be a tradesperson, Realtor, auto mechanic, or surgeon, for example that one has to consider a variety of factors. How long did that person have to attend schooling, and/or how many years of successful experience do they have in that profession? Likewise, what is their investment (or their company's investment) in tools, machinery, physical space, vehicles, and insurance, and the investment in time to learn how to use the proper tools and machinery (where applicable)? Do they have to spend time to shop for and deliver parts for your project? No one wants to overpay for services, but likewise, there is a fair price to be paid for services to compensate that person or company for their investment in the above, and their expertise -- after all, that's what this person does to earn a living for them and/or their family. Paying a fair price also incents the vendor to do their best work, and to return if something wasn't done properly or to your satisfaction.

I've also never been a stickler, at least on small home repair jobs, to get firm estimates up front (of course for larger projects, that's a must). The tradesperson has to bake into the price their time for stopping by to provide an estimate, not knowing if they will get the work -- hardly worth the time, effort, and gas to earn $100. If you have a referral from a reliable source, then simply hire the person to get the work done. If you must have an estimate, take a few photos, and text/email the photos and a detailed scope of work to the vendor. In many cases they can generally provide a fairly accurate estimate this way, and will be appreciative of the fact that you didn't consume a large block of their time in doing so.

Like any human interaction, be good to them and they'll be good to you (in most cases!).

One of the unique tools that most Realtors utilize is an electronic lockbox in which to store keys for listed properties. Each Realtor can access the lockbox utilizing a specialized device, or as many do, with an app on their cell phone. It's a very convenient and efficient system. When an agent accesses the lockbox, the listing agent is (nearly) immediately notified of who accessed the lockbox, and the exact date and time -- great for security and follow up.

There's an additional layer of security that one can add with these lockboxes, in the form of a secondary code that must be input, along with the use of an electronic Realtor lockbox key as noted above. While most agents have good intentions, and try to arrive on time for a scheduled appointment, there are often circumstances that are out of their control that cause them to be late, or early, to a scheduled showing. It is not unheard of for clients to call a few minutes prior to their meeting to say "I'm running 30 minutes late -- see you in a bit" -- all well and good, but if you're viewing 5 or 6 houses, the whole schedule is now out of sync. Likewise, buyers will spend less time at a house than anticipated (or want to skip it all together) or will spend more time at a property than allocated. In all cases, it will modify the schedule of showings. Most homeowners are very understanding, but of course, some are not! But the worst is when an agent shows up unannounced..."we were just driving through the neighborhood and saw your sign" -- they knock once, hit the lockbox, and let themself (and their client) in -- and you're in the shower! That's where that secondary code noted earlier (Call Before Showing or CBS code) comes in handy -- no unexpected showings!

The downside of the CBS code is that once an agent has it, they now have unlimited access, as the code is not easily changed. And they might circle back with another client, or to take a 2nd look -- again, unannounced. That's where my new lockbox comes in handy.

With my new electronic lockbox, I can provide a code to an agent (or a tradesperson -- painter, plumber, electrician, for example) that is good for one opening of the lockbox, or that is good for a time/date range, and then expires. Note that the Realtor electronic lockboxes can only be used by Realtors -- they won't work for tradespeople, as most tradespeople don't possess lockbox keys. Up until now, I generally used combination lockboxes for tradespeople, but the combinations aren't often changed, and once they have the combination they have unlimited access as well -- the majority are honest and I've not had any problems, but it is a weakness from a security perspective - this eliminates that weakness. Like the Realtor electronic lockboxes, I'm also provided a record of who accessed the lockbox (although it's not instantaneous unless the person opening the lockbox uses an app, which would be unusual) and I can generate codes on the fly, and text to either agents or trades personnel (even the homeowner if they've inadvertently locked themselves out!).

So all in all a good find! I'm also considering purchasing the deadbolt model for my own home.

The City of Orange recently released a draft copy of the revised design standards for the Old Towne Orange historic district. The current design standards document was published in 1999 and so a new version is welcome and long overdue! Click the photo to the left to view the draft.

You'll see in the draft references to elements such as solar panels, vinyl windows (not appropriate), vinyl fencing (not appropriate), modifications to non-historic (aka "non-contributing") structures, garage doors, satellite dishes, in-fill projects and the like.

Please review -- if you see something you don't feel is correct, or this is missing, please let the City know! They are currently soliciting input prior to submitting the final version for City Council approval. Comments and/or suggestions can be left here, and they will be passed along to the City, or you can email the City directly:

Ani Mnatsakanyan (Ma Not Su Kon Yen)
City of Orange - Associate Historic Planner
[email protected]
(714) 744-7223

I've used spreadsheets most of my adult life, as many business people do.

At the office where I worked at my first job out of college, there was one lone PC in the accounting office, and it had available a spreadsheet for use on it (either Lotus 123 or Visicalc, I can't recall which). Unfortunately, at the time, I didn't know how to use a spreadsheet, or really what one was for that matter. I had taken a couple of years of computer programming in college, and simply wrote whatever programs that I needed -- this was in the early MS-DOS days and there weren't a lot of "canned"/pre-written applications available yet. Most of my experience with computers at that point was with shared access on a mainframe. But I did write, on the company PC, a fairly complex pricing/configuration program for the telecommunications systems that I was selling at the time -- but it would have been much simpler/easier if I would have taught myself how to use that spreadsheet program that was available!

Fast forward a couple of years and I was selling larger telecommunications systems for a national company from our regional offices in Irvine. By that time I had a PC (a "luggable" -- the most portable available at that time -- about the same size/weight as a portable sewing machine -- laughable by today's standards) and was using a simple database app to keep my clients/prospects organized. At some point, the company decided that they wanted to put all of the region's salespeople's prospects/clients on a company-owned database. The goal was to not only help determine the true size of our local market, but also to more scientifically parse the area into equitable territories for each individual sales rep.

It was the division of the territories element that most intrigued me (and also prompted me to start figuring out how spreadsheets worked). While the company's lone PC was crunching all of the data supplied by the sales people for the region (a process that took about a week -- they locked the PC in a storage closet while it was grinding away so that no one would unplug it or turn it off!) my sales manager had one of the reps take the data from our little sub-region and manipulate it, via spreadsheet, such that he could compare it with what was coming out of the corporate PC when it finished its calculations (the sales manager was in the dark as well with regard to how to use a spreadsheet). At that point, I felt completely helpless as I didn't possess the tools/knowledge to assist in shaping my own destiny via being able to analyze/manipulate the data myself -- it was in the hands of another salesperson, who stood to benefit from having a more valuable territory, at my expense. So I immediately dove into learning how to use a spreadsheet so that I would never find myself in that situation again!

While the overall functionality of spreadsheets hasn't changed much over the years, there are a few things that evolved along the way. Early spreadsheets had no way to compress data into a single sheet, or multiple sheets the width of a page (portrait or landscape) so it wasn't uncommon to see pages taped together to provide the "big picture". Lotus 123 was the dominant spreadsheet for businesses for many years, and eventually introduced a WYSIWYG ("whizzywig - what you see is what you get") plug-in that allowed more complex formatting. At that time, PC mouses didn't exist, or weren't in wide use, so Lotus utilized "slash" commands, initiated by the "/" key. For those with good keyboard skills, one could fly through a spreadsheet without your hands ever leaving the keyboard. When Microsoft's Excel became the dominant spreadsheet, utilizing a mouse, it slowed things way down for the keyboarder crowd, myself included. And while now available on touch-screens (ipads/tablets/laptops, etc.) it is even a much slower process than a mouse to use a spreadsheet on a tablet device without a mouse -- maybe time to bring back the "/" commands?

But aside from a brief history of spreadsheets, I would encourage anyone that doesn't know at least the basics of how to use a spreadsheet to learn -- it is a skill that will benefit you throughout your entire life. Even if only to learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide (although there are literally hundreds of additional functions available -- text/string functions, accounting functions, math functions, logic functions, time/date functions, statistical functions, pivot tables, etc.). Spreadsheets can be used to plan a budget, to plan for your retirement, to calculate a mortgage, car, or student loan payment, to keep track of your assets and valuables, as a database of friends/family/business contacts (a spreadsheet is essentially a flat file database -- and can be integrated/extracted from most database type applications). I've been asked "Why take time to learn how to use a spreadsheet -- I can always go online and find a calculator app for what I need to know" -- and in some cases, that is correct. But like any "canned" calculator, there is usually very little opportunity to customize to your specific needs -- a spreadsheet is a blank slate, and you can customize to any degree necessary. And you might even begin with a "canned" template that is close to what you need, but that you can then customize.

And cost not need be a concern. There are many free spreadsheet apps available, both online and for handheld devices -- Google Sheets, Zoho Sheet, and WPS for example, and Excel and Numbers for handheld devices. One feature/calculation that I use frequently is goal-seeking, or backing into a desired number by changing another number -- for example, if a person's monthly payment can't exceed a certain amount, including principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees (if applicable) then a precise combination of price and down payment can be easily obtained. Not all spreadsheets support goal-seeking (Google Sheets, for example) but Excel, WPS, and IBM Symphony do, for example.

So open up a blank spreadsheet, grab a book, ask a spreadsheet-literate friend for help, or load up a YouTube video, and begin learning. And if you have kids, encourage your kids to learn as well -- it's a skill that will become invaluable for the rest of their lives, beginning in high-school, college, or trade-school (I can't help but think that college-level linear algebra would have been a lot easier if spreadsheets were available back then!). Start today -- you'll be glad that you took the time -- and your kids will, too!

​ 

I'm not sure if it's the combination of watering restrictions during the recent drought and the subsequent record rains that we've had, but it seems that more and more people in Old Towne Orange are neglecting their lawns and parkways.

I understand that there are elderly and disabled folks, who through no fault of their own can't maintain (nor afford to pay others to maintain) their yards and parkways -- so they get a pass. What is troublesome are homes that have changed hands within the past few years that are either owner-occupied, or that are owned by out-of-the-area investors, where the lawns/parkways get little to no attention. Even a dirt parkway is better than a parkway covered with the tall weeds of neglect.

Pro-tip: Landlords, if your tenants ask that you knock $75/month off of the rent and they'll maintain the yard -- guess what --- they won't (in many cases). Chapman University parents who own houses in the neighborhood -- if your son or daughter tell you that they'll take care of the yard -- they won't (again, in most cases). If you can afford to send your child to Chapman, and purchase a house for them while they attend school, then I suspect that you can afford to hire a lawn maintenance service to help keep our neighborhood looking sharp. Likewise, if you are an investor who recently purchased a property as an investment to rent to either traditional tenants or Chapman University students, please have your yard/parkway professionally maintained such that we can maintain our beautiful little oasis here in Southern California! A little bit of effort makes a big difference!

I've been reading a lot lately about student loan debt. What continues to amaze me is how little thought appears to enter the process prior to the loans being procured. Certainly if a student wants to learn for learning's sake, and has the means to pursue that goal, then pursue it they should. For those students with more limited means, perhaps a more pragmatic approach is warranted. In other words, what is the cost/benefit of going to a particular school and/or of obtaining a specific degree? Does it make financial sense? If not, perhaps a degree with more earning potential (or a less-expensive school, or both) would be a better alternative.

In all fairness, prior to heading off to college many years ago, I didn't give this much thought (Ok - none) and my parents weren't in a position to assist me with this analysis, so expecting that of a college bound student today (or their parents) is perhaps a little disingenuous. But I think that the stakes are higher today -- college is more expensive, and the job market is a little more tenuous.

So I prepared a little calculator -- very simplistic -- but maybe at least one young college or trade-school person or their parents will benefit from it. If nothing else, to start the conversation about the overall cost, and the long term impact of taking out those easy-to-get student loans.

Items in BLUE can be changed (the others can as well, but it will disrupt the automatic calculations) -- the remaining items will calculate automatically (Note: the calculator below functions on PCs but the plug-in does not work on mobile devices, unfortunately - but you can download onto your tablet by clicking on the button below):

I've written before about the home inspection process, and several items that home inspectors routinely call out. But this post is more focused on the actual negotiation process once a home inspection has taken place. Of course one's perspective is going to be different, depending upon whether you are the buyer or the seller, but hopefully there is something to be gained by looking at the situation from the other party's point of view as well.

So an offer has been accepted, and escrow is open -- it's all downhill from here -- right? Not! There is still at least major negotiation with which to contend -- repairs!

I'm of the opinion, whether you're a buyer or a seller, that clearly visible defects in a property should be accounted for in one's original offer. For example, if the driveway or pool is completely cracked, crumbling, and clearly on its last legs, or the roof is clearly shot, then that should be taken into consideration when making or accepting an offer. From a buyer's perspective, to ask for a major credit for these kinds of items, while allowed per the Agreement, seems a little disingenuous.

On the other hand, if the furnace or AC unit is faulty, or if the roof has issues that are not visible from the ground -- or other problems are uncovered during the inspection which wouldn't be obvious when briefly viewing the home -- the a buyer is justified in asking for the items to be repaired, or a credit issued via a formal "Request for Repairs".

That's where the fun begins! When representing buyers, I recommend focusing on the larger reasonable items, and not worrying so much about the minor items, especially if a home is generally well maintained. I also recommend submitting as much detail as possible when requesting a credit -- line item pricing for labor and materials for each item. Prices are easily obtained from online sources such as Home Depot or Lowes, and after seeing the same repairs many times, it's fairly simple to estimate labor costs. For more specific costs, one can obtain a quote from an electrician, plumber, roofer, or chimney sweep, for example. Once all of the facts are collected, the request for repairs can be presented to the seller.

When representing a seller, I also like to collect as much detail as possible regarding repair items. While the buyer's estimates are a good start, it also makes sense to compare their estimated costs to your own estimates, just as a check an balance. I'm not a big fan of blanket requests for credit - "credit of $3,500 for items mentioned" -- how did they arrive at that number? One other pet peeve are requests that simply list the page number and paragraph number of each item that they want repaired/replaced/credit. It's very time consuming to have to continually reference the inspection report for each item (and these requests tend to have a longer list of items). It's much simpler for all parties if the items are just written down in plain English (i.e. "hall bathroom vanity faucet leaks" or "GFCI outlets to be installed in kitchen, baths, and laundry room" - easy peasy - vs. "page 7, #1.2, page 11, #7.8, 7.9 and 7.11")

Of course a buyer will work to obtain the largest credit and/or have as many items as possible addressed -- completely understandable. Likewise, a seller will either want to minimize the number of items addressed, and/or reduce the credit to a small a number as possible -- also completely understandable. In practice, and in any negotiation, both sides want to feel as though they've "won", or at least feel as though they've been treated fairly. And of course this negotiation comes on the heels of the original price/terms negotiation, where in the current market it is not uncommon for one of the parties (usually the buyer) to feel a little beat up. That's where a little common sense comes into play. If either the buyer and the seller adopt a "take it or leave it" position, a deal can rapidly fall apart. The seller loses the sale, and the buyer loses the house, their home inspection fee, and possibly an appraisal fee. With a little give-and-take this can almost always be avoided. If the buyer is willing to accept a little less, and if the seller can give at least a little, it shows good faith and is usually the last hurdle (other than the loan!) to successfully getting the transaction closed, and all parties walking away feeling good about the deal!