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.

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.

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.

In the course of conducting home inspections, whether it's for a buyer or seller, it is not uncommon to come across flexible dryer vents made of plastic.  These vents are popular, inexpensive, and sold at most hardware stores -- so they are everywhere!

Unfortunately, they can also be highly flammable! As dryer lint is also highly flammable, and somewhere in your dryer there is a flame (or element) generating heat, you may want to think about swapping your current plastic flex hose for an aluminum flex hose or rigid pipe system.

Here's an eye-opening video on YouTube as to what can happen if you have a spark catch hold in your plastic flex hose:

Click Here for YouTube Video

So, after 16 years, finally bought a new (well, almost new) car.  What amazes me is that with the proliferation of cellphones, and the push to have all communications be "hands-free" it only seems logical that the car manufacturers would build-in a place on the dash to hold your cellphone.  Unfortunately, not the case.  

In my last car, which pre-dated the smartphone, I could understand why no place to put the phone - we all clipped them to our belts back then as they were primarily useful for making or taking phone calls.  But now they tend to also act and both entertainment and navigational devices when driving, so it would seem natural to have a place to stick one where it could be easily viewed - a universal attachment point with different heads to accommodate different sizes and styles of phones that charged it while it sat in its cradle.  But I haven't seen anything like that from the car manufacturers yet.

In my last car, I had a gadget that slipped into the CD player, and anchored itself there, making the phone display very accessible -- worked great, although it blocked the volume control to a degree, but not the end of the world.  I liked it so much I bought one for each of my sons, and after much initial ridicule, they now seem to use them fairly frequently (one of my son's girlfriend refers to it as a "dad-gadget" -- so I got one for her, too -- and she seems to use it all of the time now as well).  It does preclude you from using the CD player, but as that's nearly an extinct technology, it's not a big deal.  Over time, it does mess up the rubber dust seal in the CD player, but my car was old, so it didn't bother me.

In my new car, the "dad-gadget" would block the volume control entirely, and I didn't want to damage the CD slot, so I'm trying the type that attaches to the heating/AC vents.  I've always been worried that the small plastic vanes would easily break, but this one seems to be doing the trick.  It uses a magnetic attachment point (vs mechanically gripping the phone like my old model) so not much stress on the vent when detaching the phone.  It's great for navigation (much better/easier/more convenient than the onboard navigation in the new car) and makes hands-free calling much easier.

If you don't already have a "dad-gadget" for your car, I would highly recommend it!  I purchased all of mine (for me and as gifts) on Amazon.com

I'm not a car guy -- generally I drive them until they catch on fire, or thereabouts.  My trusty 2001 Mitsubishi Montero served my family well for almost 16 years - at least one long road trip, and lots of trips camping, to the mountains, and showing homes to prospective clients.  It was a little long in the tooth in some respects, but was well maintained, always clean, and had a fantastic air conditioner (actually two of them, one in the front an one in the back -- I'm a big AC fan!).  About 4 years ago I had an engine overhaul (top half anyway -- down to the pistons) to cure a rather bad oil leak. Many items were replaced at that time, to the tune of about $4,500 (alternator, starter, water pump, new valves, hoses, radiator, etc).  I got my $$ out of it over the past few years, so I'm not complaining.

Then, about 2 weeks ago, very unceremoniously, I was at a stop light and as I started to proceed - "clunk". The transmission quit working just like that -- ouch.  As they didn't make a lot of these, finding a rebuilt transmission was iffy at best.  I found one in Ohio, but it was about $4,000, plus about $1,000 to install and probably another $1,000 in rental cars, only to wind up with a car with 195,000 miles on it that may or may not last much longer. 

On to the next one -- I don't think I'll keep the new one quite as long this time, ha ha!

Updating and maintaining any website requires not only new and pertinent content, but also engaging and relevant photos. Like many others, if I needed a photo specific for a particular topic I would simply search the internet until I found something that worked for the page or blog post and post it in the appropriate place -- but wait, not so fast!

A couple of months ago I received a sternly worded email from a large online photo broker, informing me that one of the photos that I had in use on my website was a copyrighted photo, and that they would be following up to collect on that.  Of course I immediately removed the photo, and searched the internet to see if others had received similar letters.  It turns out that many people and companies receive these same notes -- some pay and some fight/negotiate to try and get the price down (in my case, the photo in question was listed on their website at about $1,100 - one thousand one hundred dollars - which seemed a little excessive, given that similar photos were available online for about $25.00).  

The premise to fighting the offered fine is that you should pay no more than "market price" for the photo and that they will have to pay their in-house attorneys to also negotiate on their end, and that eventually you'll wear them down.

Their offer for the photo, in a subsequent email, was $250 for the photo, and that I would also get a small discount on their annual subscription service for unlimited use of their photos. So now the "fine" had become a thinly disguised marketing outreach for a service that was priced well above similiar online services.  I politely declined their offer but did pay their fine -- both to get it out of my in-box and to acknowledge that I had unknowingly used their photo without their permission.

Lesson learned -- and of course they are in business to make money. Likewise, their freelance photographers have to get paid for their expertise, the hours they spend upgrading their skills, and the constant upgrades to equipment and software -- none of which is inexpensive.
​
So of course I've since been through my website with a fine-tooth comb to make sure that I don't have any copyrighted photos in use, and I'm shopping for a photo subscription service that is priced a little more in line with my budget.  Note that if your website or blog is a not-for-profit site, they are much more lenient with regard to the use of copyrighted photos (they generally just want you to give photo credit to their company / their photographer -- which is more than fair).

Awhile back, I had my good friend Ty Fitzsimmons (www.TysWoodWorking.com) build me a temporary stand-up desk as I have a bad back and wanted to see if standing while working was a better option for me (and as we've all read, "sitting is the new smoking", so didn't want that hanging over my head!).  For whatever reason, it didn't work out for me and I quickly abandoned that solution.

Over time, I began alternating between sitting at my desk where my laptop is located, to standing up next to an old chest of drawers upon which my iPad sat (the chest of drawers was apparently in the house when the folks from whom we bought the house purchased the house in 1936 - so it's old!).  It was a good compromise except that the chest of drawers was a little too low and so my neck/back would become strained. Eventually, I found an oversized shoe box that elevated my iPad to just the right level, but it seemed like a temporary solution at best.  So I contacted Mr. Fitzsimmons again, and he built me a snazzy mini-desk that fits just perfectly! I'm thinking of drilling a hole in the back of the drawer as well such that I can put a small power strip inside and utilize it to charge my phone and my iPad -- and all of the cords will be out of sight.

Now my back feels better and I have a great place to hide not only my phone, but keys, business cards, glasses, and other odds/ends, too.

I've always been comfortable around technology (having sold enterprise-wide software applications for Fortune 500 companies for many years) so when new hardware and software becomes available that appears that it might make the real estate sales process easier and/or more efficient, I'm all in (assuming that it makes sense, of course)!  Smartphones, tablets, and faster cell/wi-fi have escalated the possibilities to a new level, regardless of your business -- the new world is all about being mobile, and being able to be responsive to clients, no matter where you are.

A couple of years ago, the ability to sign documents digitally became more common, and the software evolved to allow documents to be easily moved from person to person without the need to print, sign or complete, scan, and email or fax back -- saves time, paper, and is convenient so it speeds up the process. All good so far!  Then the software utilized for real estate contracts (ZipForms by ZipLogix) migrated to the iPad and other tablets so the process could be replicated from out in the field -- great concept, but poorly executed, unfortunately.  

Standard contracts and documents that originate on the mobile device can be easily prepared for electronic signature and distributed to the appropriate people.  But if a person or entity (escrow, for example) emails a document that needs to be e-signed by a client, the software has no way of importing the document into the application.  Oddly enough, the desktop version of the software has that capability -- so if I'm in my office I can easily save the file in DropBox, import the document, set it up for electronic signatures, and send it on its way.  But if I'm in the field, it becomes a cumbersome work-around process (but can be done).  If the developers would simply build a link in the iPad software to access DropBox (sort of the de facto cloud-based file manager) then it would be the perfect solution.  The work-around involves remotely controlling my laptop (assuming that it's on or hasn't gone to sleep), importing the document into the desktop version of the software, and then switching back to the iPad app to set up the document for electronic signatures.  I've tried, unsuccessfully, a couple of iPad file manager apps that theoretically allow one to upload files from DropBox into iPad websites, but the contract software appears to be too "locked down" to allow it to function with these apps (iUpload and iCab).

To complicate matters, some companies (lenders and escrow companies in particular) are beginning to utilize encrypted email systems.  So each email they send requires a login/password to the app to retrieve the email and/or attachment (oh joy!).  If the email is in a PDF format, then it's usually not a problem (unless it's in the ever-annoying legal size - a blog for another day) -- but if in another format, EML, for example, then it must be opened in a 2nd app (Klammer).  To compound the issue, many companies that send a lot of documents utilize high-speed scanners that push the documents out to their email system rotated 90 deg off of the standard portrait mode.  So potentially a document must be opened from within a secure email environment (yet another login/password combo), downloaded to a 2nd app just to open it, and then re-opened from within a 3rd app (GoodReader) to rotate the document so it can be easily read and/or acted upon -- all of which is very time consuming.  And if the document needs to be signed, then it has to be saved to DropBox, and the remote control process noted in the paragraph above paragraph has to be invoked.  And then back to the iPad software to set the document up for electronic signature.

So the next time that you receive a document for electronic signature, know that it may have traveled through a few processes before it got to you -- but it sure is "convenient", ha ha!

Our neighborhood gets it share of door-to-door solicitors, as I'm sure does yours.  After 20 years of answering the door, I'm at the point where I'm firm but polite -- "no sale here!" (save for the occasional girl scout cookies or wrapping paper from one of the neighborhood kids).

But the other day the doorbell rang, I answered the door, and then found myself doing something that I've regretted ever since.  

The man at the door was an older gentleman, polite, had a clipboard of some sort, and he could see that I was ready for battle.  We got right to the point.  He wanted me to sign a petition to get an initiative on the ballot requiring any state bond expenditure over $2B to go to the voters first -- he used the example of the bullet train, of which I'm not a big fan.  Sounded legit enough (although I got to thinking later -- wasn't the bullet train on the ballot and voters approved it? Hmm).  in any event, after asking him a few more questions, I signed the petition on his very official looking forms and he went on his merry way.

Later, I got to thinking -- couldn't I have "signed" that petition online?  If the guy was legit, no problem -- but if not, he now has my name, address, and signature (which is easily scanned) and could later be used for nefarious purposes.  Probably the easiest identity theft job ever!

Hopefully, it won't come to that.

Now I'm even more jaded when it comes to those door-to-door sales folks. The next one doesn't stand a chance-- unless they're selling Girl Scout cookies, of course! Then it's me that doesn't stand a chance!  :-)

The photos above are of an old house in the small, historic town where I grew up (Astoria, OR).  It was right around the corner from the grade school, so I would pass it often.  It has been owned for many, many years by a prominent, but somewhat reclusive family -- although has been mostly vacant since about 1990.  The harsh weather in the region and neglect have taken their toll. The good news is that it was recently purchased by the owners of a local lumber yard, and hopefully the restoration will begin.  The house is 4,600+ sq. ft. (if one is to believe the news reports) and sits on a large lot with a view of the river.  Click here for the recent news article regarding the property.

And a blog chronicling the restoration process (click here).

Ancestors of the same family also built another prominent house in town, which has been restored and is now a museum -- photo below.  There are better photos of this property online -- I chose the photo below as it has people on the front porch, which gives you a feel for the scale of this property.  Look at the height of the front door compared to those folks -- this place is massive!  For additional photos online, click here.

11/13/2019 - I thought I'd update this post a little, as power outages (due to power company utility shut-offs as a pre-emptive measure to mitigate forest fires has been in the news of late in California).

As noted in my original post it's a good idea to consider a generator that will run on propane or natural gas. There are few inverter type generators that come from the factory able to run off of propane, but Champion has a model that came out a couple of years ago that might be a good fit for many households. It's a 3400 watt dual-fuel (gas or propane) model, so will run quite a lot in the average household, including possibly a small window air conditioner. Of course the trade-off, being a larger unit, is that it will use more fuel and is heavier than the 2000 watt models mentioned below. But it does have wheels, and electric start, which are advantageous. The cost is a little over $1,000 -  I've posted a photo of this model below. 

Another option is to purchase a gas-only model (Honda, Yamaha, Champion, Ryobi, etc) and convert it to tri-fuel (gas, propane, or natural gas). The kits cost about $200 and you'll need to be reasonably mechanical (or know someone who is) to install the kit. Here is a link to a supplier that I've successfully used: www.MotorSnorkel.com - the benefit to this type of kit is that you can use 20 lb propane bottles (high pressure LNG like that used with your BBQ) or attach directly to your home's natural gas line (low-pressure natural gas). You'll want to have a licensed plumber install an attachment point for natural gas use, or you may be able to use the attachment point for your existing BBQ if it currently operates off of your home's natural gas supply. Note that with low-pressure natural gas you'll get slightly less performance from the generator, but you'll have virtually unlimited runtime as you won't run out of fuel, assuming that natural gas is still flowing to your home.

Another item I mentioned in my prior post was a transfer switch. I think as most transfer switches are sold in areas with inclement weather, the majority seem to be designed for interior installation, while many main electrical panels in California are on the exterior of the house. I opted for a transfer switch that is rated for exterior use (it sits next to the main electrical panel) and is a 4-circuit model. There are models with many more circuits, but as noted prior, are mostly for interior installation. As my generator is small (2000W) it works perfectly to power the refrigerator, a few lights, the TV, and a few electrical outlets to charge the phone, power the internet router/modem etc. I've posted below a photo of the 6-circuit model of the transfer switch that I use -- similar profile but only 4-circuits and no power meters (the connection on the bottom of the box will be different as well, but should be compatible with the Champion generator noted above).

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4/7/2015

My sympathies are with the survivors of the recent Nepal earthquake -- very devastating and it seems like we haven't heard the worst of it yet.  But could we be next?

As we've all been told for many years, L.A. and Orange County is due for a massive quake at some point in the not-too-distant future, with all of the accompanying devastation and chaos. 

One of the things that struck me during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy was that the lack of electricity was a game-changer.  We've become so dependent upon electricity that it is more than just an inconvenience.  Which got me to thinking about the importance of having a generator during a natural disaster.  But it's a tough investment to swallow here in California, as it is something that we may never use if the "big one" doesn't hit in our lifetime.  On the other hand, if it does, then no generator can be too large or be too reliable!  Of course if one is an avid camper, RV'er, tailgater, or is a contractor, then a generator is second nature and you can get some additional utility out of it above and beyond disaster preparedness.

The other issue during a natural disaster is that fuel for both cars and generators is often in short supply (recall the long lines of people waiting for gas at the gas stations during Hurricane Sandy) -- if there's no electricity, then generally there isn't any electricity available to pump gas either.  Storing fuel in quantities large enough to feed a generator for a few days seems dangerous, not to mention that fuel goes stale after a few months and must be rotated, replacing soon-to-be-stale gas with fresh fuel -- a lot of work. 

If you can't/don't want to make the investment in a generator, a reasonable alternative is an AC-DC converter. Small models plug into the convenience outlet of your car, and larger models clamp directly onto the car battery.  A quick online search indicates you can pick up a 900 watt model for about $85 and a 2,300 watt model for about $250 (both were at Lowe's).  Either should give you enough juice to run a small refrigerator, a few light bulbs (the low-power consumption bulbs only use about 14 watts/bulb so are very efficient), charge your cellphone, and maybe run a small TV.  The bonus is your car already has an engine and battery, and usually has gas in it, so there's no additional maintenance or cost!

If you do elect to purchase a generator, after trying a few out, here are my recommendations:

• Purchase one light enough to move easily -- most 2,000 watt generators are 50 lbs or less.  Above that and they begin to get heavier.
• Consider an inverter-type generator -- they run quieter, use less fuel (very important when fuel is scarce) and won't fry your important electronics
• If you use gasoline in the generator, use a fuel stabilizer such as Stabil in both the fuel tank and any stored gasoline -- it will reduce water in the fuel and lengthen the life of the gas
• After each use, drain the gas tank and the carburetor to avoid gumming up the fuel system -- very important to insure that it starts when you need it most!
• Consider a propane conversion kit (or purchase a pre-converted model) -- they run cleaner, fuel is easier to store, and doesn't need to be rotated (20 lb BBQ type propane tanks) -- and no need to clean out the fuel tank/carburetor after each use.
• Share the cost with a neighbor -- a slightly larger model will allow both households to maintain some level of normalcy during a power outage
• Make sure that you have a few heavy duty, long extension cords to run from the generator to the house
• If you have a refrigerator that is too heavy to move to gain access to the power cord, you may want to consider having an electrician install a transfer switch, which allows the generator to back-feed into a few circuits in your house, while isolating them from the main panel (you don't want to shock any power company personnel who may be working on the lines)

Just some thoughts -- and make sure that you have a few days of food and water tucked away as well.