Is your house underwater? Are you in pre-foreclosure? Do you have a NOD or notice of default filed? Is the notice that came form the bank an actual notice of default or just a warning? These are some of the many questions that you may have. If you are felling overwhelmed ask for help. Open those notices ignoring them will not make them go away. Call the help lines that come with your notices, they can help. Call us it’s what we are here for we can help.

What kind of modification can I expect?

Many more lenders are now offering modifications to homeowners in distress. Usually the bank will offer to lower you payment by temporarily lowering your interest rate and extending the loan period to 40 years. These are often more of a temporary solution as the banks seldom offer principal reductions and therefore you still have little promise of future equity. Depending on your goals and situation this may be a good option for you. Need help? Go to www.NACA.com or call 888-302-6222.

What is a “Short Sale”?

A short sale is when the borrower/owner sells a property to a third party during a pre-foreclosure process. It is called a short sale because the owner will sell the property “short” of the balance owed to the lender or the bank.

Can the bank come after my other assets or attach my wages?

California law or SB 458 ensures that once a lender has agreed to accept a short sale payment on a property, all lien holders — those in first position and in junior positions — will consider the outstanding balance as paid in full and the homeowner will not be held responsible for any additional payments on the property. www.car.org/newsstand/newsreleases/2011newsreleases/sb458/

What about income tax and the IRS?

Act now! If you are a homeowner whose mortgage debt is partly or entirely forgiven during tax years 2007 through 2012, you may be able to claim special tax relief and exclude the debt forgiven from your income. There is no guaranty that this will be extended. For more info visit: www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=179414,00.html

What about scams?

Be cautious of scams. Never pay an upfront fee these are illegal. Do not sign your deed over to anyone or make a payment to anyone other than your mortgage servicer without seeking your servicer’s approval directly.

If you have tried to modify your loan and have been unsuccessful and are thinking of walking away from your house, it’s time to get the facts, we may be able to help you. Even if you have stopped making mortgage payments and have gotten a notice of default, it is not too late. We can give you a comparison

on your options to a Foreclosure. Get an action plan.

Loan modification, Short Sale or Strategic Default Which one is right for you?

Call today and speak with an experienced Short Sale agent to discuss and compare your options. Take control of your situation and start the New Year fresh. Remember to always seek legal and tax advice before making any decisions and if you have any questions or need more information please call, and let me help you make the decision that is best for YOU and your family and not the bank.

Patrick McCarran can be reached at (899) 899-5536. www.PatrickMcCarran.com. Prudential California Realty is an independently owned and operated member of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. is a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

WHAT: President Bill Clinton will endorse four Northern California Democrat Congressional candidates at a UC Davis rally hosted by the Davis College Democrats on Tuesday. The candidates, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Congressman John Garamendi (CA-03), Ami Bera (CA-07), and Jose Hernandez (CA-10), are all in races identified by both the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) as competitive. Millions of dollars in Super PAC advertising have flooded the Sacramento media market to defeat the four candidates.

“Middle class Americans need champions in Congress who will fight for good American jobs, and who will put people before politics. I’m proud to endorse four people who will do just that: John Garamendi, Jerry McNerney, Ami Bera, and Jose Hernandez. They’ve got fresh ideas to help restore the economy for middle class families, and they know Congress is a place for service, not personal gain,” said President Clinton.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 9

Doors open at 10 am

Program starts at 10:30 am

WHERE: Southwest Corner of UC Davis Quad

West Quad Ave. and Peter J. Shields Ave.

University of California – Davis

WHO: President Bill Clinton

Congressman Jerry McNerney, DCCC Frontline Member

ABOUT: Congressman Jerry McNerney was first inspired to run for office by his son, Michael, who volunteered for the armed services after 9/11.  As the the Ranking Member of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, he has championed veterans’ issues, bringing back a brand new veterans’ medical facility that is creating 900 local jobs.  He authored the bill to help veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries and has fought tirelessly to create local jobs, prevent American jobs from being sent overseas, and to restore fiscal responsibility to our government while protecting Medicare and Social Security.

The Davis College Democrats are a student organization at UC Davis dedicated to promoting the values of the Democratic Party, providing information to the UC Davis community regarding local, state and national political events, and encouraging political participation within the student body.

TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PUBLIC:

Please plan to arrive on foot or by bike or public transportation.  More information on public transit options (Unitrans, Yolobus, Capitol Corridor) is available at http://unitrans.ucdavis.edu/.

For attendees who drive, carpooling is encouraged and parking ($7) is likely to be available at the following facilities: South Entry Parking Structure, Lot 1, West Entry Parking Structure, and Lot 25. See http://taps.ucdavis.edu/parking/info/maps.cfm  for specific locations and directions to these lots.

Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to visit the Sacramento area tomorrow to show support for Jerry McNerney and several other Democratic Congressional candidates.

President Clinton might be interested to learn that McNerney staunchly opposes, and even ridicules, one of his signature issues: trade agreements that create American jobs.

In his recent book, Back to Work: Why We Need Smart Government for a Strong Economy, Clinton argued that Congress should “[p]ass the pending trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama” in order to boost the U.S. economy. As Clinton noted, “We don’t have a trade deficit in goods and services with the countries with which we have trade agreements” — a central argument for their passage.

But McNerney voted “no” on each of those trade agreements, despite the significant benefits they promised for local farmers and port workers. In fact, he’s voted against every trade agreement that Congress has considered since his election.

President Clinton might also be interested to learn that McNerney in 2006 signed a pledge, known as the “New American Compact,” in which he vowed to oppose “the roguery of Free Trade.” That’s right: McNerney signed a pledge to oppose the “roguery” of trade agreements supported by local farmers, ranchers and port workers.

President Clinton surely would be interested to learn that the text of McNerney’s radical pledge alleges that free trade is “breeding terrorism.”

These are the same trade agreements that the Obama administration estimated would create up to 280,000 American jobs and generate $12 billion in new exports. The same agreements that eliminated foreign tariffs on local products including dairy, cherries, asparagus and wine. The same agreements that, like Ricky himself, have earned the unequivocal support of the California Farm Bureau Federation.

The 9th District simply cannot afford a Congressman who has pledged to vote against its farmers, ranchers and port workers.

Dave Roberts who served as the first Editor of the Herald has written an analysis on Proposition 30 on the November ballot. To read his column on the Cal Watchdog website, click here.

By Allen Payton, Publisher

D’Juan “De’shawn” Woolridge from his campaign’s Facebook page.

A success story on the Los Medanos College (LMC) website about current candidate for the Contra Costa Community College Board of Trustees, D’Juan “De’shawn” Woolridge has been removed.

The discovery of the story, made by this writer on Saturday, October 6, 2012, while doing an online research about the candidates for Ward V, which includes most of Antioch, resulted in the removal of it by new LMC President Bob Kratochvil, today.

An email to Kratochvil, college district Chancellor Helen Benjamin and all five trustees asking them if they were aware of the story that showed a photo of Woolridge with another person, and mentioned he “ is currently running for public office,” and what they planned to do about it, received two responses. The first was from Trustee John Marquez, who represents Ward I, covering West County.

Marquez stated in an email, “I don’t see any implied endorsement or promotion of De’shawn Woolridge by LMC over the other candidates for Ward V. I just see this as an expression of pride by LMC of the successes of its alumni. I was not aware of this write-up. And, I’m not concerned about it since the other candidates have not raised any concern. If they do, I might personally ‘consider’ removal until after the election.”

He also wrote in the same email, “I read the biography of De’shawn referenced by you, and concluded that the story did not

D’Juan “De’shawn” Woolridge that appeared with his Alumni Success Story on the LMC website, until its removal on Monday, October 8, 2012.

mention anything about his current candidacy for College Board Ward V. While I have not endorsed De’shawn, I have known him for many years and knew he has always had  political aspirations. As I read the biography, I noticed all the excellent steps taken by De’shawn and staff at LMC to see his goals achieved. By the way, his hair is not as long as shown on the photo, which implies the biography was written sometime ago. LMC should be proud of the ‘success stories’ of all its Alumni. Further reading of the LMC website reveals the successes of other alumni such as Dave Tollefson, football player during the Super Bowl XLVI, and Wade Harper, candidate for Mayor of Antioch, among others.”

“Just to be fair about the political process, I will ask for consideration of a policy change by the Board at our meeting in November,” Marquez added.

New LMC President Bob Kratochvil had a different response.

“The story about Mr. Woolridge that is on our website is among several ‘stories of success’ regarding students and programs at Los Medanos College, a series that has been in place for quite some time.  It is my understanding that the article about Mr. Woolridge has been on the web page for more than a year, apparently written initially upon his graduation from LMC (approximately Spring/Summer 2011) and coinciding his candidacy for a council seat in the City of Pittsburg.  Subsequently, information in the article was updated after he graduated from University of the Pacific,” Kratochvil wrote in an email.

“I acknowledge that, since Mr. Woolridge is a candidate for a seat on the Contra Costa Community College Governing Board, such a story should be pulled from our website until after the November election so there is no inadvertent perception of endorsement.  We will do so immediately at the start of business on Monday morning. Thank you very much for bringing this matter to our attention,” he added.

When asked about the website story, Woolridge stated “The article has been up there for awhile. It was up there before the election and written two years ago.”

However, the story has been updated in the past few months, because it included two new facts about Woolridge: “De’shawn has completed his bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of the Pacific…and is currently running for public office.” He graduated in May, 2012 and filed for office by August 16.

Woolridge spoke with LMC Marketing Director Barbara Cella regarding the website story. “She contacted me and asked me if I had graduated and I said ‘Yes’,” he stated.

Cella was unavailable for comment when contacted Monday morning.

“The fact that it doesn’t even say ‘the governing board,’ I don’t have a problem with it being on the website, since it was written two years ago. It’s not really highlighted for a campaign,” Woolridge added.

Regarding removal of the article, he said “I don’t really have a problem with it being removed. I’m not going to sit there and have a heart attack. I would hope it goes back up after all the work I’ve done at LMC. It’s an honor to have the article.”

In a review of the list of Alumni Success Stories on Monday morning, October 8, 2012, the articles on both Woolridge and Harper, who is currently running for Mayor of Antioch, had been removed from the LMC website.

Officials turn the dirt to officially break ground at the ceremony for the planned Hillcrest eBART station and Highway 4 widening project on Friday, October 5, 2012.

Next Phase from Lone Tree/A Street interchange, east

Federal, state, regional and local officials joined BART, Caltrans, and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) Friday, Oct. 5, to celebrate the next phase of the State Route 4 Widening Project and “eBART,” BART’s new rail service to eastern Contra Costa County.

The ceremonial event marked the ground-breaking for the eBART Antioch Station Facilities at Hillcrest Avenue, which Mayor Jim Davis labeled the “Hallelujah Station” to laughter and applause from those in attendance, as well as the next phase of Highway 4 (SR-4 for State Route 4) widening, from the Lone Tree/A Street interchange, east.

It includes station parking and project maintenance facilities. Diesel multiple-unit (DMU) trains are high-speed, high-capacity trains that will transport passengers from the Antioch Station at Hillcrest Avenue and State Route 4 to a transfer station 400 feet east of the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART Station, where passengers can transfer to a BART train.

Emceed by Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Randy Iwasaki, the event included speeches from officials who represent Antioch and East County on the various transportation boards.

“I am so pleased to see the many years of cooperative work on this highway and transit project coming together for this event,” said BART Director Joel Keller.  “A groundbreaking in Antioch fulfills some of my dreams as mayor, and will bring satisfaction to East County residents who have been paying BART taxes for so many years. Also, BART’s 25 percent local hire goal for this contract will create opportunities for the East County folks to work locally.”

eBART is in construction now at the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART Station, where work on the transfer platform is underway.  At the same time, state crews are widening SR-4. In total, five construction projects will widen SR-4, its interchanges, and local roadways from west of Loveridge Road to the State Route 160 interchange. The SR-4 project will also provide the widened median and the structures for the eBART project.  The total cost to widen SR-4 is estimated at $554 million, including $72.2 million from voter approved Proposition 1B.

BART Director and former Antioch Mayor Joel Keller with Antioch officials, Councilwoman Mary Rocha, Mayor Jim Davis, former Councilwoman Martha Parsons, Councilman Gary Agopian and Mayor Pro Tem Wade Harper with the new I Love State Route 4 sign.

“Every investment in infrastructure is an investment in California’s future,” said Caltrans Region 4 Director Bijan Sartipi.  “Thanks to the people of California for their desire towards reducing congestion and improving safety, Proposition 1B is providing a real boost to transportation.”

The SR-4 widening and BART project represent a combined investment of more than $1 billion to address one of the most congested corridors in the Bay Area.  eBART, which will start service after completion of the highway widening, is funded from Contra Costa’s 2004 transportation sales tax Measure J, Proposition 1B, and other local and regional sources.

“Not only will the eBART project create hundreds of construction jobs, we expect this extension will add around 50 permanent positions as well,” BART General Manager Grace Crunican said.  “eBART will be a triple win for East Contra Costa County residents.  This project will boost the economy, relieve congestion and help make the air cleaner by taking thousands of cars off the road each day.”
For a fact sheet and more information about the project, visit the East Contra Costa Extension project page.

Publisher Allen Payton contributed to this article

Guests dance to the sounds of the California Cowboys at the 2012 Roddy Ranch Roundup on Saturday, September 29.

By Allen Payton, Publisher

Almost 300 people attended the 2012 Roddy Ranch Roundup fundraiser benefiting the Delta Advocacy Foundation at

Guests enjoy the steak dinner at the Roddy Ranch Roundup.

the home of Jack and Donna Roddy on Saturday night, September 29.

The crowd enjoyed a barbeque steak dinner served by Boy Scouts Troop 451 and the local 4-H club, as well as silent andlive auctions and dancing to the music of the California Cowboys band. Jack Roddy joined in and sang a few tunes, as did former 49er Safety Jeff Severson, who has his own band in Southern California. (www.SingingSafety.com) and a local rancher Kati Myers.

Funds from the bi-annual event in the horse arena at the Roddys benefit local needs in Antioch and East County. Foundation President Scott Bergerhouse said the organization has raised and distributed $285,000 since its formation in the 1990’s.

Former 49er Safety Jeff Severson plays guitar as Jack Roddy sings with the California Cowboys at Delta Advocacy Foundation’s 2012 Roddy Ranch Roundup on Saturday, September 29.

The Delta Advocacy Board of Directors

Ladies enjoy line dancing to the sounds of the California Cowboys.

Kati Myers belts out a tune with the California Cowboys.