Big Bike Weekend in Redding, CA, now in its 10th year caters to motorcycle enthusiasts and their families. Highlights include the police escorted green light "Remembrance Ride", entertainment from HiRise FMX, police motor competition and more.

Prizes will be awarded for participation in guided rides, Saturday and Sunday poker runs, bike games and bike show (14 classes for motorcycles, scooters, specialty bikes). Check out the latest motorcycles & scooters, shop for your motorcycle needs at one of the on-site vendors and enjoy food and music.

Whether you ride a scooter, sport bike, V-twin or a trike, come enjoy the rides! Basic registration is $25 and includes t-shirt, pin, all rides/poker runs/bike games and bike show. Green Light Remembrance Ride limited to 500 bikes.

Visit Big Bike Weekend at the Redding Convention Center just off of Highway 44 as you enter downtown Redding...a fun family event for all.

See you there!

Ron

Earlier today this appeared on www.redding.com.   and kind of says it all:

Redding will suspend the lowered utility late fees approved earlier this year so the city may avoid laying off up to seven police officers in its latest round of general fund budget cutting.

This evening's 3-2 vote to take back the late fee discount came as the council voted to lop nearly $3.8 million, or 5.5 percent, from the city's general fund.

Vice Mayor Patrick Jones and Councilwoman Missy McArthur voted against giving up the utility late fee discount to spare police officer jobs.

The council voted unanimously on the rest of the cuts, which include up to 21 layoffs and closing Fire Station 3 on Westside Road near Buenaventura Boulevard and Highway 273.

City Manager Kurt Starman told the council, however, that the city and the firefighters union are discussing using six firefighters from Station 3 as "floaters" rather than laying them off. These "floaters" would fill in for firefighters who would otherwise work overtime. Fire Station 3 would still close if the city kept those six firefighters on its payroll, Starman said.

Other cuts approved this evening include suspending the city's $279,000 contribution to Turtle Bay Exploration Park starting in mid-2010.

Turtle Bay officials have said they support the city's decision to suspend its funding. But the organization wants to work with the city to come up with other funding sources for the park outside the general fund, 60 percent of which is devoted to police and fire.

Those funding sources could include redevelopment dollars, federal Community Development Block Grants that could help subsidize some events or allow schools to visit the museum at a lowered cost, Starman said.

The city's utilities could also team up with Turtle Bay on education campaigns, he said.

Steve Gaston, who chairs the Turtle Bay board, said the park needs to show municipal support when it applies for private grants.

Council members were subdued as they rapidly voted on this latest round of budget cuts, the fourth exceeding $1 million in the past 12 months.

Nearly a dozen speakers had excoriated the council for cutting public safety.

"If Redding is not a safe place to live, it really won't matter how many Sundial Bridges, river walks and Stillwater bridges we have," said Connie Spooner. "A 10 percent cut to the city manager's office will not have same ramifications to the community as a 10 percent cut to public safety."

Council member Dick Dickerson proposed that the city suspend the lowered REU late fees until city general fund revenues return to 2006 levels.

The $700,000 savings from reversing the late fee discount could preserve the crime statistician, four community service officers, two investigators and school resource officer on the chopping block, Dickerson said.

The council in June had lowered utility late fees in an effort to cut the number of REU customers disconnected for nonpayment.

A council majority in June was willing to follow a committee's recommendation to lower late fees from $36 to $25, or by 30 percent, at an estimated cost of $619,000 to the general fund. Staff had urged the council not to lower the fees.

Mayor Rick Bosetti and council member Mary Stegall supported Dickerson's idea.

Jones and McArthur -- the only council members who had supported ending the city's controversial abatement policy against REU customers who have been disconnected for nonpayment -- opposed it, also with no discussion.

 RON LARGENT

 Candidate for Assessors Office in Shasta County, CA in 2010

After many years of dealing with both City and County government both on real estate matters and on other matters of great importance to the general public, I have decided to run for a Shasta County elected office...that of County Assessor in 2010..

One of the concerns of all of us is the subject of taxes, and the threat to raise taxes to an unacceptable level. My commitment is that we must strive diligently to lower taxes, and this will be at the foundation of my campaign.

In that we will not officially file with the county to run for this position until February 15, 2010, I am interested, in the meantime, in talking with citizens that share my viewpoint and concerns. Please e-mail me at   ronlargent@shasta.com or call me at 530-248-5601. I would be privileged to talk with you about how we, together, can work to keep taxes in a fair and equitable position with all of the citizenry

What is News?

I am aksed from time to time "Why should I buy a Roni Deutch Tax Center franchise....very simple...read on. Here are the 18 reasons why you can succeed in business:

for additional info e-mail me at  ronlargent@yahoo.com    or go to my site    www.ronlargent.com     or   call me at 530-248-5601.

We are going to be very aggressive to "get the word out", for this is a GREAT FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY!

1. Be your own boss
2. Unlimited growth potential
3. Recession Resistant Business
4. Tax requirements are becoming more difficult
5. National name recognition
6. Fast growing franchise (#68 in the nation)
7. “Ground floor” opportunity...a new franchise
8. Protected areas-territories of business
9. Great locations nationwide to choose from
10. All year around business services available
11. Over 100 offices in the first year
12. Competitively priced
13. Great corporate support
14. State of the Art Tech support
15. Very affordable...Low Cost Investment
16. Total and very complete Training Program
17. A complete marketing and operations program
    
18. Start Up and Site Selection assistance
    

This article appeared in the Record Searchlight today and tells a lot about our Tourism Industry.

Tourism business navigating choppy waters

By David Benda (Contact)
Thursday, May 7, 2009

With the worst recession in memory as a backdrop, the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association gets to the point with the title of its annual Tourism Summit:

"Think You Are on the Titanic? Well - You Are Not Alone, We Are All in the Same Boat!"

Tuesday's event at Win-River Casino in Redding is billed as a way to get tips on navigating difficult waters.

"People want to travel, but they are not going to go off to Tahiti or some other fancy island. They will stay closer to home, so how can we grab those folks?" said Karen Whitaker, director of tourism for the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association.

Coinciding with National Tourism Week, Tuesday's summit is for tourism-based businesses, business chambers, nonprofit organizations like museums, and city and county government officials.

The keynote speaker will be Berkeley Young, president of travel consulting firm Young Strategies Inc. Young will talk about travel trends and how the industry is changing.

One thing is certain: businesses and communities dependant upon tourism can no longer rely on traditional marketing strategies, Whitaker said.

As an example, the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association started using Twitter, an online service that allows the organization to post quick takes about events in the north state.

The association's visitors center can be found in the Shasta Outlets in Anderson, but the group promotes an eight-county area, including Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity.

Initially, Whitaker's group posted on Twitter about once a week. These days, it's common for the Shasta County Wonderland Association to "tweet" two to three times a day.

"We have over 100 followers. ... We'll talk a little bit about the weather, and talk about upcoming events - like right now it's rafting season," Whitaker said. "One person came to see us because of what they saw on our Twitter account."

A busy summer can pay huge dividends to the Shasta Cascade region.

The California Travel and Tourism Commission estimates that tourism generates $1.15 billion annually to the eight-county Shasta Cascade region, Whitaker said. The industry creates about 17,000 jobs each year, and generates a combined $17.8 million in tax receipts for local communities in the region.

Arguably the biggest tourism-based economic driver in the Shasta Cascade region is Lake Shasta. The U.S. Forest Service estimates about 3 million people visit the man-made reservoir each summer.

With spring rains bringing the lake level up - on Thursday, it was 53 feet below the rim, about 9 feet higher than a year ago - marina operators are hopeful. The lake is roughly 30 feet higher than it was in mid-March.

Gasoline prices are another reason lake businesses are upbeat. A gallon of gas on the lake this week hovered around $3.50, about $2 cheaper than its peak last summer, and unchanged from March.

For lake visitors, that means it would take $700 to fill up a 200-gallon houseboat at $3.50 a gallon, compared to $1,100 at $5.50 a gallon.

"The phone is starting to ring more with the warm weather and higher water level, so we are optimistic," Dede Miller, office manager at Shasta Marina Resort, said Thursday.

As an incentive to boost business, Shasta Marina is offering a $400 gas credit to houseboaters.

What's more, Shasta Marina started a Facebook page in November to keep customers and others updated. The page has about 500 friends, Miller said.

"It's been really great," she said. "We have a lot of repeat customers who are getting very excited about the lake level coming up."

Meanwhile, summer (June to September) hotel revenue in Redding increased 1 percent last summer over 2007, going from $15.97 million to $16.13 million.

Last summer's wildfires helped fill hotel rooms in Redding, but it didn't generate a surplus of income.

"We take a hit because federal firefighters don't pay transient occupancy tax (TOT)," said Bob Warren, Redding's chief tourism officer. "So when they take a room, we don't have the opportunity to rent to a tourist."

The city's TOT is 10 percent, which is tacked on to a customer's bill.

Given the economy, Warren would be pleased if hotels this summer break even with 2007.

"If we can get somewhere like last year, we will get some success," Warren said.

Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or at dbenda@redding.com.

Real Estate in Redding, Ca      www.ronlargent.com     ronlargent@kw.com

Thursday night we were privileged to hear Gianna Jessen speak at the CareNet Pregnancy Banquet....what a great job she did. Here is a little bit on "who she is....:

Gas Stations for Sale in California...

Our network has just expanded, and we now have stations available for sale from Bakersfield in the Central Valley up to the Oregon border. We have just added a very profitable station in Orland and a good store and gas operation in Red Bluff.

In addition, we will be listing three stations in the San Francisco Bay area....all doing very well.

We also have added two financial "guru's" for additional resources when it comes to financing. Even though SBA will no longer loan on just the business, and is continuing to loan on the land....we have money resources for the right buyer.

Consider being in business for yourself with a money making gas station and convenience store.

www.ronlargent.com

ronlargent@yahoo.com

New America Lacking Time-Tested Ideals

"If you don't know where you're going, any road will lead you there." For the Republican Party that African proverb seems incredibly apropos. In another step away from its conservative roots, Republican members of the House unveiled The National Council for a New America in hopes of recasting the Party's ailing identity. The effort only underscores the Republicans' present identity crisis, as the GOP leadership kicked off the campaign devoid of the values that once caused voters to identify with the party.

The group's priorities, which were unveiled at a pizza parlor press conference, include the economy, health care, education, energy, and national security. Notice anything conspicuously absent? Former Gov. Jeb Bush explained the values void by saying it was time for the GOP to give up its "nostalgia" for Reagan-era ideas and look forward to new "relevant" ideas. (Yes, because that worked so well for Republicans in 2006 and 2008!) Bush ignored the fact that abandoning the array of principles that Reagan espoused is exactly what got the GOP into this mess. No one is suggesting that we try living in the past, but President Reagan's principles are the ones that guided our nation from its very inception. Turning away from those fundamental truths would be a death knell for the GOP as little would be left to distinguish the Republicans from the Democrats.

Too many Republicans leaders are running scared on the claims of the Left and the media that social conservatism is a dead-end for the GOP. If that were the case, why are pro-family leaders like Mike Huckabee creating such excitement in the conservative base? The Republican establishment doesn't draw a crowd. Governor Sarah Palin does. Also, take a look at the recent Pew Research poll, which showed overall support for abortion in America has dropped eight percentage points in the last year and support for it among moderate and liberal Republicans has dropped a whopping 24%. Based on that, how can the GOP suggest that life is a losing issue? If there were a road sign for the GOP on this new journey, it would read: Welcome to the wilderness. You're going to be there for awhile.

Market Outlook

05/04/2009

Positive economic data is helping push stocks higher this morning. Bonds have not suffered to badly as a result and are fairly close to where they closed on Friday. Construction spending rose in March as more industrial and government projects got underway. We can expect this metric to continue to rise as government infrastructure projects that were part of the most recent stimulus bill get going.

Pending Home Sales also far exceeded expectations causing more speculation that the 4 year housing decline may be coming to an end.

Price Trend: Neutral

Price Volatility: Moderate

Rates for Conforming 30 Year Fixed are 4.375% - 5.00%, FHA 30 Year Conforming is running 4.50% - 5.25% and USDA 30 Year Fixed is running 4.625% - 5.75%.  Make it a great week!

Redding Real Estate Just Went Up in Value.....because Trader Joe's is now in Redding, CA

OK...so this might be a stretch, but in a conversation earlier today, it actually came up...for the Opening of Trader Joe's in Redding last Friday was definetly a shot in the arm for the business environment.

A huge crowd turned out at 9 AM on a cloudy and cold day...but it was a warm welcome for all. With the typical leis for all that entered, as well as delicious "sample" waffles, what more could us TJ  cult members want.

Just today as I dropped in to pick up some salad, cereals, and my favorite triple ginger cookies, I thought how nice it is to do my daily shopping here at TJ's without the long drive to Chico or Sacramento.

So, yes, real estate in Redding is now more valuable, for TJ's is within a short drive from all of Redding and Shasta County.

www.ronlargent.com

ronlargent@yahoo.com

Just reduced the price to $1,800,000 on Gas 4 Less in downtown Redding. This is a great station and family matters are forcing a sale. This best location station at the intersection of Pine Street, the main north south street through Redding and Shasta Street, which is the on-ramp street to eastbound Highway 44....does about 80,000 gallons a month with $65,000 in inside sales. Good access from two main streets, and a good building for sales. Pumps are new and EVR requirements have been met.

Liquor license goes with the business, and owner will carry with a good down payment.

e-mail for details and photos and financials.              ronlargent@shasta.com

www.ronlargent.com

I just got back from a week with Carrie...what a great time, as we celebrated 4 weeks before baby #4 comes, still unknown as to the gender and name.

Starting with my flight from San Jose, where I traveled to to stay at the Holiday Inn on their park and fly program on April 17t...and ending today with my return to San Jose on Frontier Airlines via Denver...it was a great week.

One of the highlights of the trip was helping William on his first bike ride without training wheels. It took him about 5 minutes to get the idea...then he was off and riding, and by the time I left, he had it down cold, including starting, turning, braking, and then catching himself when he stopped.

I had time with Caroline and had an opportunity to go with her to her violin lesson as well as to her string orchestra. She is doing so well in music; has a lot of natural talent; and is so bright. Sarah also had her piano lesson, and she is also such a natural. Her claim to fame is quicly becoming her ability to cook. She enjoys it and is really good at it.

Spencer is thoroughly enjoying his international trips, and is looking to apply for a special position within Delta called a "duty pilot". This would be in addition to his flying and he is so well qualified...stay tuned for the results of his interviews.

Now that I am back in San Jose, I am off to a Keller Williams Commercial meeting here in Fremeon. Should be interesting....

this is the latest...

Ron

In the next few months, I am going to be doing a number of very interesting things, from the 1st Annual Good News Rescue Mission Dinner Auction on April 24th to my Portland trip next weekend to represent Roni Deutch Tax Centers at the Franchise Show to the following week when i go to Reno to be part of the Roni Deutch Annual Meeting...to going back to be with Carrie and family for the Baptism of the new baby, still un-named....and then with my trip to London to see the Trooping of the Colour...then to an exciting and busy summer in Redding leading up to my trip to India in October...a lot will be happening.

To this end, I am going to start writing almost a daily, or probably weekly, log...of my life and what is happening.... This category, "My Latest Blog", will be a running account of what I am doing. Whoever is interested can read this on my website...   www.ronlargent.com   then click on my blog and go to the category "My Latest Blog". Other matters of interest will be located under other topics...but this is one way of keeping track of things in some form of order....kind of a daily or weekly diary.

Happy reading.

Ron 

• Government Insured Loan – US Department of Agriculture
• 100% FINANCING!!!
• NO MORTGAGE INSURANCE!
• Finance Repairs For Property Into The Loan
• 30 Year Fixed Loan
• 2/1 Buy-Down is available
• Low Rates – Comparable To FHA & Conventional Rates
• Unlimited Seller Concessions!
• Property Eligibility Requirements Do Apply

Call us today to learn more.  Refer your clients to the best team in the area, for the best available! 

ronlargent@kw.com

ronlargent.com

 One of the great programs for residents in the north state that need some help in coming up with a down payment, is the Down Payment Assistance Program, referred to as DAP. It is available in Redding, Shasta Lake City, and Shasta County, when money is available. Currently, Redding and Shasta Lake City have funds...but this can change at any time in that funds are being allocated to applicants already in the pipeline.

It is an excellent program, and if you are interested, please e-mail me or give me a call.

It is being prepared for presentation now and should be out this week....and one characteristic is that there will be a program to have funding available for repairs that can be done after the close of escrow but would be in the total funding. This is a big step for the "fixer -upper DAP" buyers.

Thanks,
Ron

ronlargent@kw.com     www.ronlargent.com    530-248-5601

Lake College in Redding has done a great job helping many....thanks for being part of our community...and here is to hope the new Technology Institute can carry on as Lake has...

Denver firm takes over Redding's troubled Lake College

By Scott Mobley (Contact)
Saturday, April 4, 2009

The college closed Friday and promptly reopened as the Institute of Technology. Students arrived on the Redcliff Drive campus Friday morning to find a large banner announcing the school's new name covering the Lake College logo on the white, two-story building.

Lake College students were told Friday they will be able to complete their certificate programs at the Institute of Technology through a "teach out" program under an agreement approved by the federal Department of Education and the national Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT).

The Institute of Technology has its headquarters campus in Clovis with branches in Modesto and Roseville. The school seeks federal permission to open a branch in Redding at the former Lake College campus.

Jim Haga, CEO of Brightstar Education Group, the firm that owns the Institute of Technology, said there are "big plans" to expand program offerings in Redding once branch approval is granted.

Brightstar will first swap out all of Lake College's computers for new machines. Soon, crews will start remodeling the Redcliff Drive building to create 5,000 square feet more of classroom space inside, said Haga, a former Kaplan Higher Education executive.

The firm intends to hire more instructors and staff as it boosts enrollment from the current 140 students to about 250 students over the next year, he said.

Brightstar hopes eventually to add associate degree programs in criminal justice, accounting and human resources at its Redding branch. The firm also plans technician certificates in pharmacy and heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC).

The Institute of Technology has gotten state Board of Vocational Nursing permission to offer a licensed vocational nursing program at the Redding location, once the branch is approved, Haga said. Brightstar would pay for students to take their nursing boards, he said.

Richard Schofield, who was vice president at Lake College and will continue in a similar capacity at the Institute of Technology, called the Brightstar takeover a "step in the right direction."

"For a long time we had limited resources," Schofield said. "This will allow us to offer a much higher quality of education."

Lake College students are relieved they're going to be able to finish the programs they started, said Kathi Daily, student services adviser. She described the change in the college as "exactly what Redding needs."

Nursing student Rick Ortega said he initially had questions about the teach-out agreement forms students received Friday. Students have been asked to sign and return these forms within 10 days.

Ortega said he was suspicious after a long silence from campus administrators about what was happening with the college. Instructors had gone weeks without pay during the transition and no adequate explanation was given, Ortega noted.

But Ortega said he's confident the teach-out agreement with the Institute of Technology is legitimate after further conversations Friday with administrators, who were finally free to talk openly since the federal Department of Education had approved the takeover.

"It looks like maybe things really worked out," Ortega said. "Hopefully it will turn out to be a big success. I feel extremely good about it, but I'm still really upset the transparency wasn't there, especially since no sale went through."

Haga confirmed Brightstar never actually bought Lake College, although the firm tried to strike a deal with owners Jim Koenig and Gary Armitage.

Koenig, a Redding real estate investor, and Armitage, a former Santa Rosa-based financial planner, are named in multiple lawsuits claiming investor fraud. The two men also face possible indictment by the state Attorney General's Office for an alleged Ponzi scheme involving $250 million and some 2,000 mostly elderly investors.

The Redcliff Drive building was headquarters for Koenig's firm, Asset Real Estate Investment Co. (AREI), until it moved in late 2006 to a new building less than a mile away on Hemsted Drive.

Koenig owned the Red- cliff building until February, when it transferred to Lakeside Mortgage Fund LLC through a trustees deed foreclosure, according to Shasta County Assessor records.

Lakeside has been another Koenig-related corporation, and Koenig at one point earlier this decade briefly took over the firm. But Koenig has no current control of the Redcliff Drive building, Haga said.

Brightstar will lease the building from Lakeside and remodel it with that firm's permission, he said. There are no plans for Brightstar to own its Redding campus.

Brightstar made the first overture to Koenig and Armitage to buy the Lake College business, which was struggling financially. The Institute of Technology had three central valley campuses and a fourth made sense from an operations standpoint, Haga said.

Haga declined to comment on his negotiations with Koenig and Armitage or describe the deal with the federal government in detail.

"Lake closed and we partnered with the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a teach-out of their students at our expense," Haga said in an e-mail.

The Institute of Technology will keep "the majority" of Lake College instructors through the teach-out period, he said.

Lake had laid off at least three employees in a restructuring before the takeover. Those employees could apply to work at the Institute of Technology, Haga said.

But any outstanding payment obligations of Lake to its employees stay with Lake College, he said.

"Whatever happened, happened in the past," Haga said. "Lake College is closed."

Jennifer Bare, a Clinical Medical Assisting and Medical Office Administration and Billing instructor, has filed a wage claim against Lake College with the state Department of Industrial Relations for $4,137.86 in back pay owed since early January, records show.

Bare was the only Lake College employee to file a wage claim as of Thursday, said Erika Monterroza, public information officer with the state Department of Industrial Relations.

Martha West, a University of California at Davis law professor, said the Institute of Technology teach-out agreement with the federal government sounds like it's designed to protect tuition-paying students but not necessarily school employees.

"These people are just left high and dry," West said of instructors. "They have to get in line with the other creditors."

Brightstar Education Group, founded in 2004, plans to expand in California and other states with a $50 million capital investment from parent company Arlington Capital Partners, a private equity firm, according to the firm's Web site.

The three Institute of Technology campuses are ACCSCT-accredited and offer medical, business, technical, culinary and other vocational programs.

Lake College was also ACCSCT-accredited.

Reporter Scott Mobley can be reached at 225-8220 or at smobley@redding.com.

This was in the Record Searchlight today....thanks, Scott.

www.ronlargent.com

www.ronlargent@kw.com

This just came to me from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA.org)....and is worth reading if you are concerned about taxes and what is happening in California....

As a Spending Limit, Prop. 1A Does Not Cut It

Fix 5 or What? Our Choice.

I seldom question Silas Lyon’s editorials, but this time I do. It has to do with his editorial on a recent Sunday concerning the issue surrounding the upcoming political decision to “Fix 5” (Interstate 5), or as it is now called, SCRIP (Shasta County Regional Improvement Program). The column did not fully explain the full impact of this proposed “fee” on the average citizen of our area. I appreciate the point that we should prepare now for future traffic; that our area will continue to grow; and that I5 will continue, as now, to be the major transportation artery through Redding and Shasta County. Where I differ greatly with the Regional Transportation Agency, headed up by a CALTRANS employee, which is the major government agency behind this proposal, is that this is an “unfair tax”, call it what you want. Technically, this “Fix 5” fee, which is what this project was initially called until it became too politically sensitive, could be called an “impact fee”, but in reality it is a charge, or tax, that will be passed on to every property owner in the County, whether you live in Redding, Anderson, Burney, or the unincorporated areas of the County.  We will all be taxed, if you will, even rental apartment dwellers, to help “Fix 5”.

The “unfair aspect” of this tax has a number of arguments: (1) I5 is not used only by Shasta County residents. In fact, depending on which study you read, as much as 65% of both north and southbound I5 traffic comes from outside our county. Just look at the trucks, from Wal-Mart to UPS to JB Hunt that travel from Sacramento and the Bay Area into Oregon and other points north and east; (2) The tax will be imposed on all new homes and new commercial buildings disproportionally. Homes will have one fee, depending on what area they are in, and a commercial building will a have a different fee schedule, depending on the nature of the business. Restaurant property, for example, will be taxed differently than office buildings.  This “tax” is not equally fair to all property owners; (3) The tax is not imposed equally on users. A resident that lives in West Redding that works downtown that uses Highway 44 to get to the Mall may not even use I5 during a normal week. Yet a resident that lives in Cottonwood and works in Redding uses I5 daily. Both will be taxed the same. The only tax that is equally imposed on the use of all roads is the gas tax, and this tax is currently in place. And, (4) the gas tax can be used to “Fix 5”. Gas taxes were imposed for various purposes at the state and national level, including the maintenance of the Interstate road system, and for 50 plus years the tax has worked, through good and bad economic times, and it will continue to work, If you drive, you pay. If you use public transportation, it pays and you pay in the cost of the ticket. All users of our transportation systems are treated fairly, whether you like the cost of riding BART or not. We pay enough in gas taxes now, but this is still fairer than the proposed “Fix 5 Tax”. There are already fees in place to pay our fair share of highway maintenance. We do not need more taxes. End of story.

In summary, there are still many, many unanswered questions that need to be asked by our elected officials and Council persons. On April 28, 2009, at 4 PM, at the Redding City Hall Chambers, this tax will be challenged, If you want to be heard to help regulate new and increased “taxes”, here is your chance. See you there.

Ron Largent

www.ronlargent.com

ronlargent@kw.com

Truck Village Self Storage in Mt. Shasta. CA offered at $650,000.

This is a sale that has to happen...owner is out of country and said..."drop the price and sell it".

This is a good commercial property....and can be a great investment. Consider it. $650,000!

Property Description:
This 171 unit makes money. Great mix of unit sizes, along with two houses, one of which could be the owners chalet viewing Mt. Shasta. Mgr's office has small apartment attached. Six buildings, auto -RV parking areas, security gate, intercom and alarm systems. Lots of upside on this opportunity, and priced to sell, 2006 NOI of $121k could be increased with prof. mgmt. Both good condition houses could be year around or vacation rentals. Property has excellent financial history with a 2004 NOI of $134k. Facility also rented U-Hauls, which may be added now. This is a "sleeper" with lots of creative income possibilities. Photo album and financials available with listing ageent.

Location Description:
This is located between Mt. Shasta City and Weed in far Northern California, just south of the Oregon border on Interstate 5. The facility, with the 2 homes, are at the foot of Mt. Shasta, with majestic views of the Mountain. Mt. Shasta is 220 miles north of Sacramento on I5. Located on Truck Village Drive, the facility is ideally placed for maximum exposure to I5 and to the area.

www.ronlargent.com     ronlargent@kw.com

 GAS STATIONS FOR SALE IN CALIFORNIA

Thanks to the expansion of Keller Williams Realty to now have a Commercial Division within the Keller Williams Realty firm, ww now have KW Commercial. As such, we now have Commercial Agents in almost all of the Keller Williams Realty offices nationwide. To this end, we are now able to assist clients in their search for commercial properties throughout California, and even the nation. In California, we now have gas stations for sale that we are working on in the following cities from the southern part of the Central Valley up to the Oregon border. Stations are now available in"

Bakersfield, Fresno, Merced, Stockton, Modesto, Tracy, Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Red Bluff, and Redding.

Branded include Shell, Chevron, 76, Texaco, and Valero, and the unbranded stations range from smaller stations listed at $800,000 up to the larger over $2,000,000.

For information, details, financials, photos, etc    e-mail    ronlargent@kw.com

www.gasstations4sale.net       www.ronlargent.com

As a member of Shasta Voices, a numbe of folks have asked...what is it? So, here is the info:

“Shasta VOICES” is an independent private non-profit membership organization composed of informed citizens in Shasta County, California, working to create a thriving, vibrant, sustainable community that will improve everyone’s quality of life, making it a place where people want to live and work, now and in the future. We are not a political action committee, and do not support or endorse candidates.

Our expanded mission is to advocate for a balanced approach to issues affecting economic opportunity in both the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Shasta County. These include:
 
               • Job Growth
               • Fiscal Responsibility in Government 
               • Infrastructure 
               • Economic Vitality 
               • Affordable Housing 
               • Sensible Land Planning 
               • Future Development

Our organization will provide factual information aimed toward encouraging the creation of quality jobs while protecting the local and regional environment.

Let us represent you. While “Shasta VOICES” stands ready to lead, we don’t pretend to have all the answers. That’s why we are seeking your opinions and ideas about the central questions of sustainability and financial well-being.

We intend to amplify “a majority of voices” for a healthy community. We are here to assist businesses and individuals who themselves don’t find it convenient to take on causes that might seem politically incorrect.

Commercial real estate -  commercial property for sale. 

Price just reduced on 150 unit self storage/mini storage complex in Redding, CA. Great location and close in to downtown Redding on Interstate 5. A good money maker and for sale at new price of $650,000.

Ideal location for self storage for sale in Mt. Shasta, CA. Excelling condition and like new, with plans for expansion. Projected monthly income of $6,000 a month, with a lot of upside and growth opportunity. Listed at $595,000.

E-mail for call for details, photos, financials, etc.

ronlargent@kw.com     www.ronlargent.com      www.gasstations4sale.net

I wrote this in response to today's article on Self Storage....and thought it might be of interest to others.

David…interesting article…both agree and disagree with your approach.

(1)     Current situation is lower occupancy for some, but higher for others.

(2)     Bottom line for their being, and staying, in business, is not even mentioned, and this is the most important fact. What occupancy do they need to break even?

(3)     In California, and in the nation in general, self storage facilities are still one of the most attractive investments for income producing property investors. I currently have 6 buyers looking for facilities. The problem is, they are so profitable that sellers do not want to sell, and almost all that are on the market are on due to a family situation, retirement, or the seller buying a larger facility.

(4)     Compared with other income producing properties, they are one of the best returns in the current market. Most well managed facilities will turn a profit at about the 60% occupancy rate, depending on the size of the entire facility. With self storage, your expenses are much more fixed and not nearly as variable as with other income producing properties.

(5)     Having sold over a dozen self storage over the past few years, I am very familiar with the product and the industry. At a recent self storage trade show in Las Vegas, in their various seminars, the emphasis was on “improving the facility” for this will increase the occupancy and bottom line. In other words, competition is forcing the facilities to be better maintained, better security systems, better managed (now they have some of the most hi-tech accounting systems, allowing for instant analysis of your current income and expenses with every check in and out), and better marketed. To this end, and in this area, if you just look at the advertising, both in signage and on the internet…then look at who is filled, etc….this point is illustrated. There are a number of examples locally of each of these factors.

(6)     I am very familiar with the Tarmac Road and Aspin Road properties….and they are making money. In fact, many of the local facilities, as was mentioned in your article, serve as storage space for businesses. For example, medical records, title company records, and almost all of the legal offices records must be stored. In Redding, we have two companies that are active in this, and the other users use the self storage facilities. All of the items in (5) above come into play. Because of the increasing volume of records, more and more businesses are using the self storage facilities. This aspect of self storage is where the growth is, and will be in the future.

All said, and why would you not expect anything else from me, I would have started your article with a positive “Self Storage Facilities Adapting to the Recession” and then I would have given Fierro more coverage, for they are not only successful but are impressively expanding, and less to Owens, for I can tell you that they are still making good money. Not that they are lower in their occupancy, which, again, may be tied in to #5 above….but it shows that with some bad can come along a lot of good.

Thanks, and feel free to call if you have questions about the industry. I have a nice older facility that is severly suffering from #5 above listed at $650,000 and then 2 in Mt Shasta….one that is a great facility at $595,000, that will sell quickly….and then a dump at a million….that has not and will not sell….but is generating $4000 a month and breaking even at 40% occupancy.

Take care, and keep writing….

Our own Foothill High School in Palo Cedro is off to the Nationals...this was in the local paper, the Record Searchlight today...read on, please...

Science bowl competitors work on team chemistry

By Rob Rogers (Contact)
Friday, March 20, 2009

PALO CEDRO - The Foothill High School students traveling to Washington, D.C., for the National Science Bowl have one goal.

"Do better than Chico did last year," said senior Nick Rossow.

The same Foothill team competing this year lost in regional competition to the Chico High School team last year. The Foothill students watched Chico's progress at the nationals last year, where they finished second to last, the Foothill team said.

They all hope to do better than that when they compete at the nation's capital next month.

Foothill beat 10 schools and 24 teams to win the Regional Science Bowl in Redding on March 7 and will travel next to Washington, D.C., on April 30 to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl.

They'll compete against 66 other teams; the top 16 finishers will win $1,000 each, to be given to their high schools' science departments.

Foothill's win at regionals was hard fought.

"We answered ... roughly 125 questions," said Zane Silver, a senior.

The competition is set up like a game show. Two teams sit across from each other at a table and are given questions by a moderator. Questions cover everything from physics to chemistry to trigonometry. Team members quickly work out the solution, and the first to ring the buzzer with the correct answer wins the round.

Looking back, the members of the team admitted they may have gone into the competition a little overconfident.

"We went in totally unprepared last year and came out third," Rossow said. "We went into this year pretty cocky."

"Maybe a little too cocky," said teammate Nick Cerami, a senior.

They lost one of their first rounds during the morning competition but still had a good enough record to advance to the afternoon playoffs. There, they narrowly beat the Chico High School team in the semifinals - a match that went into triple overtime.

Then they moved on to face Shasta High for the championship.

"That team had already lost one round in playoffs and had to beat us twice to win the title," said Matt Fowler, the team's coach and a science teacher at Foothill.

As the finals began, Shasta High won the first round, making it anyone's game.

"The final round was a nail-biter, with our team winning the title by just one question," Fowler said.

The five team members, Rossow, Cerami, Silver, Brett Hodge and Coulter Knapp - the team's lone junior - plan to continue studying science after high school, each hoping to make a career of it. Most of them hope to become engineers.

"I think everyone here plans on pursuing science of some kind," Silver said.

Rob Rogers can be reached at 225-8217 or at rrogers@redding.com.

Grand jury:

Redding should add more red lightcameras...

.a good reason to live in Redding, CA

By Ryan Sabalow
Originally published 11:59 a.m., March 19, 2009
Updated 11:59 a.m., March 19, 2009

In spite of national reports casting doubt about the effectiveness of red-light cameras, the Shasta County Grand Jury recommends that the city of Redding add them to intersections “at every opportunity.”

In its latest report released today, the grand jury touted the use of the cameras as a “phenomenal law enforcement tool” that reduced collisions by 48 percent in the first half of 2008 at the intersections at which they were installed.

Wrecks citywide were down by 21 percent over the same period, the jurors wrote.

“Redding Police Department traffic experts postulate that a primary cause of the dramatic improvements of traffic safety is the presence of red light cameras,” the jurors wrote.

In spite of concerns to the contrary, there’s also been no evidence the cameras increased rear-end collisions at camera-equipped intersections, the jurors wrote.

But the jurors also noted that the cameras didn’t seem to reduce collisions citywide during 2007, the camera’s first year of operation.

The jury also found that costs to taxpayers are negligible, but the cameras so far have generated no revenue for the city.

Taxpayers pay less than $30,000 each year to pay for part-time officers who review the cameras’ videos and photos, shot when a motorist triggers the camera’s in-ground motion sensors.

The $325 fine generated each time a motorist is caught running a light pays for the rest of the program.

In 2007 and 2008, all of the $116,000 the city collected in fines went to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Redflex Traffic Systems, the company that operates and installs the cameras, the jury found.

Under the city’s contract with Redflex, the company will pay Redflex up to $200,516 in fees before the city can collect any cash.

In recent months, the cameras have drawn national attention as studies have cast doubt on the cameras’ effectiveness while the companies that operate them rake in cash.

Although national studies show fewer T-bone crashes at lights with cameras and fewer drivers running red lights, the number of rear-end crashes increased.

Meanwhile, companies like Redflex expect increased revenue for years to come, while cities around the nation install them them to bolster their revenue streams.

Redflex alone saw after-tax profits of $10.6 million in fiscal year 2008, up from $7.3 million the year before.

Aaron Quinn, spokesman for the Wisconsin-based National Motorists Association, said that there are cheaper safety alternatives to red-light cameras, including lengthening yellow-light times.

“We say, the red-light camera wouldn’t have stopped anyone from getting hit,” Quinn told The Associated Press. “Once (a city) sees one city getting it miles away, and that first city makes a bunch of money, they want to do it, too. It’s like a virus.”

Reporter Ryan Sabalow can be reached at 225-8344 or rsabalow@redding.com...the Redding Record Searchlight

Gas Stations for sale are now available from Bakersfield to the Oregon border. Various prices from $600,000 to $4 million; brands, such as Shell, Chevron, 76, ARCO, and Valero....plus unbranded.

E-mail for a list of available gas stations-C stores.....and for details, prices, locations, and photos.

ronlargent@kw.com              www.ronlargent.com         www.gasstations4sale.net

For those of you that think Redding is dry...read on...

 Redding's sewer system swamped by Monday's rain

By Scott Mobley (Contact)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Jenny Creek in west Redding overflows its banks after torrential rains Monday while a recently-replaced sewer line snakes along the bank, above the powerful current. The old sewer line would have been submerged, risking a potential major spill. Courtesy of Dennis McBride, City of Redding Wastewater Utility Manager

Torrential rains in west Redding early Monday afternoon swamped the city's sewer system, causing two manholes to gush wastewater.

Untreated discharge from the sewer system violates the city's permit with the Regional Water Quality Control Board. But it's unlikely the board will hit the city with a fine, said Jim Pedri, who manages the agency's Redding office.

"We look at rainfall before determining whether it was a violation or an act of God," Pedri said of the spill.

Rain falling at nearly 2 inches an hour on parts of the west side boosted wastewater flows to five times normal, said Dennis McBride, utility manager for the city.

But the city had enough capacity in its two treatment plants to contain all that extra liquid.

That wasn't the case in early 2006, when the Clear Creek treatment plant overflowed after three weeks of heavy rain, allowing partially treated wastewater to flow into the Sacramento River.

Wastewater is not raw sewage but the medium through which it flows to the treatment plant. Though wastewater is contaminated by its contact with sewage, it's not as foul.

Monday's wastewater problems were localized to the west side. Manholes on Willis Street and Eureka Way and at Tehama and Orange streets overflowed for roughly four hours between 1 and 5 p.m.

"Those were long overflows and everything washed away," Pedri said. "I'm not sure there was anything they (the city) could have done to disinfect it, like we normally require."

The rains also inundated sewer lift stations at Mary Street and North Market Street. Overwhelmed mains had started dumping their excess into nearby emergency ponds.

City crews pounced on those ponds before they could overflow and potentially earn the city a fine down the road. Workers pumped wastewater from lift station storage tanks into 3,200-gallon tanker trucks.

The trucks hauled that wastewater across town to a lift station near Churn Creek Road, where the rains were not quite as overwhelming, McBride said.

City-hired crews last summer finished ripping out an old steel sewer line running half-mile down Jenny Creek on the west side and replacing it with a ductile iron pipe less prone to cracking and leaks.

The old line would have been submerged Monday under the foaming creek, swollen to several times its normal size, McBride said.

"We could have had a major spill there," McBride said.

However, the city still may face fines for a pair of overflows on the old Jenny Creek line during downpours in October 2007.

Reporter Scott Mobley can be reached at 225-8220 or at smobley@redding.com.

This is the latest on the Fix 5 solution...from a reporters point of view. Bottom line...it is a tax and is it needed. Let's be real, folks. Good job reporting...now the citizens that will be paying the tax can complain.

Shasta County supervisors question I-5 plan

By Kimberly Ross (Contact)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly
• News alerts
• Subscribe to the paper
• Submit a news tip

More Local News

• North State Briefs: March 18, 2009
• Redding man in critical condition after stabbing
• Tehama County urged to form puppy mill task force

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

Shasta County supervisors posed plenty of questions and some skepticism Tuesday for a revised plan to create hefty development fees for improving the north state's stretch of Interstate 5.

At a public workshop, the board of supervisors heard a presentation on the Fix 5 project, now called the Shasta County Regional Improvement Program. If adopted by the county and its three cities, the plan would charge $1,697 for building each equivalent of a single-family home.

Shasta County Regional Transportation Planning Agency Executive Director Dan Little said I-5 use in 2005 was at 68 percent of its capacity. In 2015, it will hit 90 percent of capacity, and it will be at 114 percent in 2030. That means what is now a 50-minute drive across Shasta and Tehama counties would grow to 2 hours and 20 minutes in 2030.

"If this were a capacity issue like a sewer, a water line or a storm drain, we probably wouldn't be talking about it this late in the game," Little said.

Supervisor Leonard Moty said that he sees the need for I-5 improvements. But he wonders whether a local transportation or gas tax could be raised instead to better charge all motorists regularly using I-5.

"I am somewhat concerned that we're ... putting this onto a particular group, and not on everyone who drives," he said.

Little said that the development fee would make up just 5 percent of I-5's mainline improvement costs from Cottonwood Creek to Mountain Gate. The rest of the $232 million cost over about 20 years will come from state and federal money, which is provided by taxpayers.

Supervisor David Kehoe shared a similar concern for burdening future local development exclusively, and asked whether a toll road or use of hotel taxes had been considered.

A sales tax is an option, but a toll road would be legally barred because the interstate already exists. Diverting transient occupancy taxes could be a viable solution, but would likely be considered too unrelated and create opposition with a new group.

Moty also questioned whether the interstate needs to be widened across two counties when transportation officials agree I-5 is used much more for short, local trips.

"If what we really need are eight lanes between Cypress (Avenue) and Highway 44, that's a big difference," he said.

Little said it's difficult to convince two-thirds of voters to tax themselves, as required by law. Residents who live in the area already reject the idea that they should pay for future residents' use of I-5, he said.

Supervisor Les Baugh wasn't concerned that the plan is likely to fuel a legal challenge from opponents, but he did want to know who would pay for defending it.

Willdan Financial Services Project Manager Jeff Kay, who co-presented the project Tuesday, said the Regional Transportation Planning Agency would, using reserve funds for planning and programming.

The RTPA is funded with taxpayer dollars primarily though federal and state funds and special grants, Little said after the meeting. He added that doing nothing also exposes the RTPA to lawsuits for not mitigating impacts on I-5, as Chico and Fresno have for highways in their areas.

"If we don't do it this way, we'll end up in court through other ways," he said.

The workshop's single public commenter, Shasta Voices Executive Director Mary Machado, criticized the plan and said that if the government needs more cash to fix I-5, it needs only to increase the state's gas tax.

"We have a mechanism in place already, and that is the gas tax (collected) at the pump," Machado said.

That method would more fairly raise money from all I-5 users, she said.

Machado said the new proposal is just as legally questionable as its predecessor, faulting it for being based on the old version's 2006 study.

Contrary to Machado's claim, Little said, "we did not revise the program because we felt it was illegal ... We simply amended it because we felt it was better (revised)."

Kay added that the nexus study needs to be updated, and will be, but there's no reason to think its long-term growth projections will be much different.

"I would argue that it isn't necessary to blow up all of the assumptions and start over again," he said.

I had the occassion to drive by the new Trader Joe's on Hilltop early Monday....and there they were...lined up for job apps. So finally it looks as if the famous TJ's will be in Redding. If you haven't shopped at TJ's, and you like unusual foods and a great variety, you will love the place. These stores are just fun to go into...if only for an energy bar. In Redding, we are going to be very fortunate to have both TJ's and Orchard Nutrition, which is also a great store, and is locally owned. Here is what David Benda of the Record Searchlight said about the "job opportunities"

Updated: Early morning throng converges on Trader Joe's for applications

By David Benda (Contact)
Originally published 03:51 p.m., March 9, 2009
Updated 03:51 p.m., March 9, 2009

Photo by Andreas Fuhrmann / Record Searchlight

Jon Newland, 17, of Redding, fills out an application at Trader Joe's in Redding on Monday morning. People started arriving at 5 a.m., roughly four hours before the store was to hand out applications.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly
• News alerts
• Subscribe to the paper
• Submit a news tip

More Latest Local News

• Police investigate alleged stabbing
• Minor quake shakes Shasta County
• UPDATED: Woman dies after accident in south Redding

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

Hoping to land a job at the new Trader Joe’s in Redding, job-seekers started arriving at 5 a.m. today — four hours before the specialty grocer was scheduled to start handing out applications.

By 8 a.m., dozens were lined up in front of the Browning Street store, which will open May 1, and the parking lot in the Kohl’s center was starting to fill up.

“I want to have a job that is more of a future,” said 22-year-old Redding resident Jared King, as he sat in his car in the chilly pre-dawn air.

King, who works for a care home in the area, was filling out an application as he spoke. He said he got the application during a recent visit to the Trader Joe’s in Chico.

Company spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said approximately 1,200 applications had been handed out as of 3 p.m. today. People can pick up applications through Friday. Trader Joe's expects to have everybody hired by the end of this month, Mochizuki said.

Gaylynn Robinson, 51, has been out of work since March of last year, when she quit her accounting job in Oregon to move to Shasta County. Robinson said she and her husband returned to Shasta County to be closer to family.

Despite her qualifications, Robinson said it’s been difficult landing work, adding that she’s either over-qualified or under-qualified. Robinson’s unemployment will run out in May.

“Maybe I can get an accounting job or even a cashier,” said Robinson, who lives in Anderson.

Although getting a job at Trader Joe’s isn’t a first-come, first-served prospect, most in line today said they got up early to show the company they have the initiative.

“Maybe they will hire the guy who was here at 5 a.m., as opposed to the guy who got here at noon,” Daniel Peyton, 22, said.

Peyton works part-time at Round Table Pizza in Redding.

“That’s why I’m here. I’m getting less than 10 hours a week,” the Redding resident said of his pizza job. “My goal is to have a job with more hours than I’m getting.”

Word that the niche grocer would be taking applications has been circulating for weeks. Many job-seekers came to the Redding store last Monday, only be told Trader Joe’s wouldn’t start taking applications until today.

Finally TJ's is here!

Thanks for reading......    www.ronlargent.com     ronlargent@kw.com

Some north state companies are still hiring, from the Record Searchlight....a bit of Good News!

By David Benda (Contact)
Thursday, March 5, 2009

Cathy Atkinson of Redding, a nurse with Medical Home Care Professionals, works with Dalton Petrie, 5, of Redding at Petrie's family's home. The company is one of 16 that will be at a job fair Tuesday at the Smart Resource Business Center in downtown Redding. Andreas Fuhrmann/Record Searchlight

With the economy in reverse, Smart Business Resource Center officials expect a near-record turnout for their 2009 Spring Hiring Fair.

Tuesday's event will feature at least 16 employers. Companies have to be hiring to participate.

As of Thursday, Smart Center Supervisor Karen Lee estimated 500 job-seekers had registered for the free fair. Would-be employees can sign up the day of the event, too.

The record was 800 "about three years ago," Lee said.

"We are encouraging people to pre-register with the big turnout we are expecting," Lee said.

And showing up early won't increase your chances at landing a job. Employers will not conduct interviews or hire on Tuesday, Lee said.

"If they want more time with employers, the best chance to do that is after we have been open for an hour or two," Lee said.

Shasta County's unemployment rate in January was 15.2 percent - a 16-year high.

But there are companies who need help - whether it's full- or part-time, or seasonal work.

Sixteen employers had registered for the fair as of Thursday. Companies have until Monday to sign up.

Among the businesses scheduled to attend is Medical Home Care Professionals, which provides in-home care and staffing for hospitals. The Redding firm has 15 full- and part-time openings.

Elaine Flores, director of operations for Medical Home Care Professionals, said the company especially needs nurses because of an increased demand for care of developmentally disabled children.

"We take care of children with high-skilled nursing needs in their home," Flores said.

Other positions Medical Home Care Professionals is looking to fill include personal care attendants.

But Medical Home Care Professionals isn't immune from the economic downturn.

The firm had about had 25 openings at last year's job fair, Flores said. Medical Home Care Professionals has 169 employees, down from 185 in June, Flores said.

"We have to compete with facilities that pay a little more, so we have turnover of employees who leave us for a facility for higher pay and benefits," Flores said.

Reporter David Benda can be reached at 225-8219 or dbenda@redding.com.

As a result of the Keller Williams Realty now expanding to include a commercial division in each market center, KW Commercial is on it's way to being one of the largest commercial real estate networks in the World. To this end, the Largent Commercial Group has expanded to a larger geographical area and added two valuable associates to our staff. We will now be able to serve all looking to buy a gas station-convenience store from Bakersfield, CA north to the Oregon border...the entire Central Valley of California. Through a network of commercial brokers, we will be able to serve our clients better with a better choice of stations to choose from.

To see a complete listing of gas stations-convenience stores in the California Valley, e-mail us at   ronlargent@kw.com, or call 530-248-5601.

History

Send this page to a friend

In 1865 William Booth, a young minister, left the "Methodist New Connexion" in order to begin a mission in the poverty-ridden London East End. With his wife, Catherine, he "reached for the worst," rather than cultivate the comfortable middle class.

In 1878, by a fortunate inspiration, the name was changed from the "Christian Mission," to "The Salvation Army." Immediately, the movement captured the public imagination. Incorporating paramilitary ranks and uniforms, the movement spread throughout the British Isles. In 1880 the first missionary, George Scott
Railton, was sent to New York. With the aid of seven untutored "lassies," The Salvation Army was soon on its way along the East Coast.

Work in the West Begins
Meanwhile, conditions around San Francisco's Barbary Coast begged for a religious revival. Some sincere Christians, feeling that Booth's organization was needed, asked for officers to be sent there to form their group into the first corps in the West. Aided by reinforcements from England and new converts, Major Alfred Wells and Captain Henry Stillwell founded the vibrant, innovative Army that is today's Western Territory. In ten years there were 67 corps, or churches, spreading north to Seattle, south to San Diego, and east to Montana and Utah.

The West now encompasses the 13 western states as well as the Marshall Islands, Guam and Micronesia. Led by its Territorial Commander, Commissioner Philip Swyers, the territory enters the new millennium with more than 300 corps community centers and numerous social service units.

The basic social services developed by William Booth have remained an outward visible expression of the Army's strong religious principles. In addition, new programs that address contemporary needs have been established. Among these are disaster relief services, day care centers, summer camps, holiday assistance, services for senior citizens, hospitals and medical facilities, shelters for battered wives and children, family and career counseling, vocational training, correctional services, and drug rehabilitation.

Today, The Salvation Army ministers in more than 100 countries worldwide, and the Gospel is preached by its officers in 114 languages.

Foreclosed Homes from $110,000 in All Areas.

Depending on your price range, we have over 100 bank owned properties in Redding, Shasta, and Tehama Counties.

e-mail for details, photos, copy of listings, area, questions, etc. All of the following are current as of Feb 4, 2009, and may or may not be available after this date. Call Ron Largent at 530-248-5601 or e-mail to   ronlargent@kw.com for the current status. All contact with and visits to the subject properties should be made through Ron Largent at Keller Williams Realty

FEATURED FORECLOSURES (Bank Owned, REO's, and REPO's)

1685 CANTER CT, REDDING, CA 96002
 

550 Castenda, Redding, CA 96003
 

1412 Denton WAY, Redding, Ca 96002
 

2391 Nebula ST, Redding, Ca 96002
 

At the age of five, Dale Gonyea got up very early one morning and, without a single lesson, spontaneously began playing the piano. His parents were astonished because they did not have a piano. They decided he needed therapy or music lessons. Therapy was expensive. They bought a piano and a career was born.

At ten, Dale saw the movie West Side Story and was furious he hadn't written it. He is a University of Michigan music graduate who now uses the piano as the springboard for his unique humor. It has brought him worldwide acclaim. Named "Classic Comedian of the Year" by a Manhattan radio station, Gonyea is also an Emmy winner, a Clio nominee, and his song-spoof, "I Need Your Help, Barry Manilow" was Grammy-nominated for Comedy Record of the Year. His song, "Has Anybody Seen My Heart?" was featured in the HBO Movie The Girl Gets Moe starring Tony Danza.

He has also written numerous songs for Disney, including the Sport Goofy anthem, "You Can Always Be Number One" and the Genie's song, "Nothing in the World Quite like a Friend" for The Return of Jafar, the sequel to Aladdin. Aside from national jingles, his songs have been performed by Rosie O'Donnell, Kaye Ballard, Ray Stevens, among others and his Cher parody was featured in the hit show Catskills on Broadway.

The Los Angeles Times proclaimed him "heir to the piano-comedy throne" during the run of his solo theater piece, A Twelve O'clock Guy in a Nine O'clock Town. During his subsequent theater piece, An American in Pasadena, thousands were inspired to pull up stakes and move to Pasadena.

Television appearances include Evening at the Improv, HBO Young Comedians, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, Paramount Comedy Theater, and as a special musical reporter on Entertainment Tonight.

Among the highlights of his career, he spent an amazing year living in England, performing and writing for a satirical British television show entitled, "etc".

He shared the bill with Dick Shawn at the Pasadena Playhouse and has opened for Crystal Gayle, Glen Campbell, and Andy Williams among others. Recently, he has been touring the U.S. with Broadway on Ice starring Dorothy Hamill. Live appearances have ranged from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas to Trump Castle in Atlantic City to Town Hall in Manhattan.

In his spare time, he ponders life's weightier issues, such as "What makes the sky blue?" "Where does infinity end?" and "What did Ernest Hemingway?"

This was in the Record Searchlight, www.redding.com and too good to miss....Hooray for Redding Police.

Robbery suspect quickly caught

By Dylan Darling (Contact)
Saturday, January 31, 2009

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly
• News alerts
• Subscribe to the paper
• Submit a news tip

More Local News

• Photo: Street makeover
• Redding council will decide whether to retain police building architects
• Former Haven CEO must stand trial

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

A bank robbery suspect apparently took a wrong turn and then got caught in traffic before being caught by police Friday afternoon near a freeway interchange.

Police identified the man as Robert Todd Bruce, 48, of Reno, who was booked into Shasta County jail on suspicion of armed robbery.

A second person in the getaway car, Joseph Anthony Tagliamonti, 46, of Phoenix, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and four counts of forgery, Redding police Sgt. Dean Stainberg said.

The robbery occurred just before 2:30 p.m. at the North Valley Bank branch on East Cypress Avenue in Redding. The suspects' car was spotted going west on East Cypress Avenue by a Redding police investigator and officers stopped the car within about 10 minutes of the robbery.

All northbound lanes of Interstate 5 were blocked temporarily when the suspects' car was stopped near Highway 44.

Duane Langshaw, who was riding his motorbike on Wall Street, was a witness to the getaway. He saw a man sprinting from the bank with a blue bag wearing an auburn wig and a green hat.

"He came running with a hat and a wig on," Langshaw said.

He said the man got into a green car with Nevada plates parked on Wall Street and sped away, but, surprisingly, turned east onto East Cypress Avenue - away from the freeway.

The lone gunman who held up the bank was described as about 6 feet tall, 160 pounds, with shaggy dark hair, dark glasses and a hat.

"He approached a teller, displayed a handgun and demanded money," said Sgt. Koby Heston of the Redding Police Department.

Heston said the teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash and the robber escaped eastbound on East Cypress Avenue in a green car.

But he must have changed direction. Minutes later, the police investigator spotted him near the freeway entrance.

Police arrested the suspect and a passenger in the car after patrol cars pulled them over. The suspect did not resist arrest, and witnesses from the bank were brought to identify the man on the freeway.

"We recovered the handgun and the money," Heston said.

Police later said the firearm was a pellet gun. They also found the suspect's disguise and a demand note.

Sande Blalock, North Valley Bank's marketing director, said she didn't have any details on the robbery but said the bank's employees responded as they were trained to do.

The branch was closed Friday afternoon while police conducted their investigation, she said. Blalock expected the branch to reopen today.

Just Listed...FORECLOSURE...4 Bedroom, 2 Bath, 1722 sq ft, great area in Enterprise. Open this WEEKEND and offered at unbelievable $225,000....and sold for over $300k 2 years ago. Such a deal...Woodhaven Subdivison just off of Victor and Hartnell and near the Enterprise Community Park.

530-248-5601    ronlargent@kw.com     www.ronlargent.com

Kay Bee 76 Gas Station and Market

Location: Palo Cedro, CA, 165 miles north of Sacramento

Offered at:     $1,350,000      

 Hotels and Motels for Sale in the North State

There are many hotels-motels in the North State, and Redding is one of the best locations along I5. Here is a good value in good condition in a good location. 

Property Description:
The America' s Best Value Inn has 69 units. The hotel was built approximately 1970 on an approximate 1.75-acre city lot. It is a 3-story quality wood frame building with stucco/wood exterior and a recent metal roof. Hotel received many upgrades in 2004 and 2005. Hotel converted to America' s Best Value Inn May 2005.

Location Description:
The hotel is in Shasta County, Redding, California, is located at the north end of the central valley, just a short two-hour drive
north of Sacramento on I-5. The Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay is a beautiful, unique pedestrian bridge that crosses the Sacramento River and connects the Nationally-designated trail system in Redding, California, with the Turtle Bay Exploration Park and McConnell Arboretum.
Redding (pop. 104,295) is the county seat of Shasta County located on the Sacramento River and on Interstate 5 south of Shasta Lake. It is the state's largest city north of Sacramento, as well as the northernmost designated metropolitan area and city with over 100,000 people in California. It is the largest city in the Sacramento Valley.

e-mail for details: ronlargent@kw.com                      www.ronlargent.com

www.norcalmotelsforsale.com       or call: Manjit Kaur at 530-339-5354

This came to me from my friend Bud Hancock, and he got it from Rick Warren's e-mail newsletter, which is, if you do not get it, very good.

Enjoy this from Rick:

Life Balance…..and it might start with your eating!

Now that the holidays are over, and it’s a time for New Year resolutions, it’s not uncommon for one to hear another say, “I’m going to lose 10 lbs this year”. In fact, many of us often actually try to make some changes in how we eat, and this usually lasts until we go out for a nice “night out” that includes dinner from one of our better restaurants. In reality, our good intentions to eat well often extend to other aspects of our business and life, so resolutions may not be all that bad.

In fact, with the typical busy schedules of realtors, an orderly life that is balanced between work, family, recreation, and especially good and healthy eating is a daily challenge. Many of us will “grab a fast food meal” as we go to appointments, and might even eat it in the car. Or we will miss a meal completely and get a “coke” or “Pepsi” to hold us over. Then, when we get home, which may vary from 6 to 9 PM, we leisurely eat a full meal and then “plop down” and watch Miami CSI or the latest version of an evening soap. So much for exercise and balance this day, you might think but never say. And so it goes.

As agents progress through the various stages of success they are then reminded by other successful agents that the secret to their success is the “buzz term” these days, life balance. Not long ago I attended a seminar on this subject, and sure enough, it made sense, for over the many years that I have been in business, I had given little thought or time to putting my life both in balance, and in perspective. I often thought “the busier I am the more successful I am”, and many others that I knew and associated with felt the same way. The harder you work the more successful you will be, and on and on….kind of the key to the road to success.

In January 2004, my thinking started to change, when I was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 64. Shocked? Yes. Depressed? No. Challenged? Yes. Within days I started receiving well wishes from both close friends and others that were barely acquaintances, and with many of the thoughts, concerns, and prayers came suggestions for eating and even a lifestyle change. All of a sudden life balance started to make more sense. I started thinking more about the time I spent with my family; time I spent away from my loved ones “working”; and time, or lack of time, that I spent doing things that merely made me busy but had little real effect on my life as a whole. And, I started thinking about my whole body, what I put into it, and what I could do to start the process to either slow down the cancer or get rid of it as soon as possible. In preparation for surgery, I started one of the most disciplined eating patterns that I had ever followed. I started a daily workout that exceeded previous attempts to get “in shape” even though I had always been quite active in sports and physical conditioning activities. I started following the advice of others that had gone through similar trials, and I came home in the evenings and “relaxed” and actually forgot about the business of that day. And, I noticed quite a difference, for as the surgery drew nearer I actually felt better physically than I had for years.

Now, after a successful surgery, a serious toxic reaction to preventative chemo that put me back into intensive care, and a year of total recovery, I am back “in the saddle”, so to speak, but one major change, life balance. And I start my “balance program” with a very nutritious heavy protein breakfast, carefully watch my low calorie diet during the day, and enjoy the dinner meal that usually includes fish, and other low calorie and “healthy foods”, and I have never felt better with a lot of energy keeping me going my typical 17 hour day. And, I think constantly about all of my daily life, not just what I eat, and ask “is it in balance?” Eating right, along with all of life balance, starts with commitment, which each of us can make, and maybe today is the right time for you to make this commitment to yourself….for 2009 may be a year for you to say, “the best is yet to come”. I hope it will be for you, for it will be for me.

Training…from cradle to grave!

“If only they were trained, they could be real good agents”. How many times have your heard this exclamation, either from managers, brokers, or other agents? And, it is probably a true statement, for with the increasing number of licensees in the state, with the good market conditions, very few agents are being given the time, nor, in many instances, are interested, in really going through the training necessary to be what many consider “a good agent”.

In a recent week, I had four contracts or escrows brought to my attention by our agents that all involved other agents not being trained in the day to day procedures and process that is the reality of our business. The intentions of all were certainly good, but what these agents needed to learn to pass the state exam, or even learned after getting in the business, did not really apply to any of these instances. There was, however, one common issue to all four transactions, disclosure, and this aspect of our business is commonly discussed, but not fully trained and understood by new agents, and even some experienced agents. And, in some cases, not all brokers will subscribe to a regular training and teaching time, for it is not “their thing”. This is understandable, but not acceptable, at least to me.

Depending on how you view the business, and the various “paperwork” requirements, California, and the DRE, is either a good place to be in real estate or not such a good place. And yes, we do have more “paperwork” than many states, but we also do more business than about 48 other states. And, we do need to have good guidelines and procedures. We also need to be kept very current in all of the rulings and legal interpretations that come our way, for these, for the most part, are designed to protect our buyers and sellers, as well as us. One way to protect all is full disclosure, and this is a subject that cannot be treated lightly, or trained with anything less than 100% participation and understanding on the part of all agents.  In fact, in California, this should be part of our “cradle to grave” training, for the laws and procedures are changing from year to year, and every agent should take advantage of the various classes and seminars available to be sure you are in “on the latest” when it comes to disclosure.

Another unique aspect of our business is our Purchase Contract. What use to be an informal 1 or 2 page document is now a 10 page legally binding contract. Agents may not read each paragraph word for word, but they should know the meaning and essence of every paragraph. And, this will only happen if there is training, and again, this is “cradle to grave” training, for regardless of where an agent is in terms of experience and time in the business, our contracts are frequently being changed, added to, or interpreted differently than previously, and we, as professionals, must be up on each change in the contract. This can be done by Association seminars, classroom instruction, or in the day to day training situation between manager and agent. But, it must be done, for this is a big and very important part of “being an agent”.

“I’m too old for training” is heard from time to time from the experienced and older agents, and nothing could be further from the truth. We never stop learning, and regardless of your office situation, training on the above, along with a number of other subjects, should be part of your monthly schedule. Take it upon yourself to take advantage of all of the training that is offered, for in our business, and like our business, it starts with the “cradle” and ends with the “grave”. See you at the next Board Training Seminar!

Why the North State?

For those of us that have been here in the North State for awhile, this question is asked frequently. The answer is not an easy one; there are so many variables that influence this question that one hardly knows where to begin.

In Shasta County, with Redding as the hub, our growth has been largely tied in with those folks described as “equity refugees”, or those buyers that were sellers in the Bay area that made a nice profit on their home there and reinvested in the Redding area without a mortgage payment. These new residents have become the “new spenders” that further the service industries that fill the Redding area, from restaurants to retail to the big box stores of Winco, Costco, and Best Buy. In fact, both WalMart and Lowe’s has realized this and both of these retail giants have new stores in their plans, with a WalMart just opening in Anderson along Interstate 5.

In Tehama County, centered around Red Bluff, much the same is happening, and again, the retail is expanding, with a new Home Depot and many new auto dealers, the big drug stores, and of course a new WalMart. Between Redding and Red Bluff, the “buzz in the real estate community” is the proposed Del Webb development, which is already changing the nature of rural Cottonwood, eventhough ground breaking for this exciting area-changing project  is a year off. And, with this planned growth, prices are starting to go up, with land prices jumping as much as 200% over the past 2 years.

In Butte County, with Chico as the focal point, it is almost a carbon copy of the other North State areas, with luxury homes now over a million dollars and retail following the new residents, with impressive developments all along the east side of what use to be rural Highway 99. Chico State University continues to draw students from all over the state, and nation, and with its reputation as still a small-town college, is setting itself apart from the big campuses as “the place to be”. An environmentally sensitive community, the civic, business, and government entities are working together to further the image of Chico as a community of higher education and a quality of life unheard of in much of the rest of California.

So where are we going, and will the folks in the next few years to come still be asking the question, why the North State? My answer is yes, for we do not see any end to the “migration” and the resulting growth. Yes, we do need more industry and jobs, but we are seeing an increase in the high tech, medical, and educational communities. There is “talk” of Shasta College becoming a 4 year college in the future, even with their expansion into a new campus in Tehama; Shasta Regional Medical Center, under new ownership is adding both departments and medical personnel; and the WalMart distribution center along I5 in Red Bluff is getting the attention of other retailers that need these kinds of facilities and cannot afford the higher prices as you go further south. And yes, the overall quality of life in this part of “the other California” is still very appealing to many throughout the metro areas to our south. With the technology now available to all, graphic artists can set up shop in Corning and do business in the Bay area, and sales reps can live in Paradise and cover the entire Northwest. And, for the recreation enthusiasts, living in Redding will enable you to be within 4 hours of more recreation than any other location in the US. Not bad for skiers, boaters, climbers, or even folks that like to attend the opera in San Francisco.

As far as real estate, and if you are in it for the long haul, unless the economy hits bottom, you should have a job in the North State. Be prepared to answer the question, why the North State? for it will continue to be asked, and the answers may be as hard to find as now, and that “mystery” will continue to befuddle many of us as folks continue to move north. As professionals, we must prepare ourselves as best we can to answer the question, so stay in touch with your local economic development groups; attend your Chamber of Commerce meetings; and become part of your community. You, as a real estate professional, are the first one that our newcomers will see, and that is their good fortune.

Listed at $325,000...all offers suggested. 

This is the 12 unit bank owned property in Redding...Gross of $61,200/year. Was in escrow, but just fell out so here is your chance.

www.ronlargengt.com     ronlargent@kw.com

Just Back on the Market...Such a Deal! Foreclosed Apartment Complex

 12 units for $499,900

This is clearly one of the best buys in the North State when it comes to smaller apartment complex's. 12 units in downtown Redding in great location close to everything. Bank owned, so we know it is priced to sell, and it was in escrow for 60 days before it fell out.

Fully Occupied with long term tenants; 5 1 Bedroom 1 bath units, 7 studio units. Good condition and well maintained, and they just do not make these kind of neat units any more, especially at this price.

Gross income of $61,200 a year. Redding electric, so limited utility bills, and all services.

e-mail for financials, more photos, etc.   ronlargent@kw.com      www.ronlargent.com

Redding Makes National News Headlines....and is this ever RIDICULOUS?

OK, so I am reading the USA Today while on vacation on Monday and there in bold California state news it is: "Redding: 85 year old disabled man is the target of Shasta County Environmental Health for Selling Fruitcakes to supplement his social security income". Using an obsolete law, our county "watchdogs" are at it again, spending taxpayers money and wasting a huge amount of time and energy to prevent an elderly, but creative, 85 year old senior citizen from doing something that hurts absolutely no one, namely selling homemade fruitcakes at Christmas to friends, neighbors, and even strangers, without a permit. So big deal. He has been doing this for a number of years and who is complaining? Who has gotten sick? Who is begrudging the "ol fella"  a few extra bucks. Well, guess who? It is our ever present not-enough-to-do county employees that, in fact, apparently do not have enough to do to protect our environmental health standards that they have to go out and find this guy. A number of things really bother me about this story, thus this blog.

1. How far do you take this "obsolete law?" Does this say that every "bake sale" conducted by children and youth groups, from the scouts to the local church, can no longer "sell their goods in front of WalMart?" If so, then consistency is demanded, so guess who will be doing this policing and who will pay for this use of county employee time? County employees paid by you and me.

2. How do you determine if the kitchen facility that our elderly gentleman is using to bake the fruitcake is not up to the "standards" required by the Health Department? As we all know, these standards are to a degree subjective, in that all of us have eaten in restaurants that are barely above "filthy and disgusting". When was the last time one of us went into a restaurant restroom that was repulsive, only to read the small scratched over sign "employees wash hands" (expected to do so in the grimy smelly sink)?

3. Not too many years ago, various Farmers Markets sold a whole assortment of various foods, both cooked and raw, and even non-organic that was grown with various fertilizers. In many areas, this has gone on for years, and in many areas still is going on. From breads and cakes to soups and even salads, visitors could go from booth to booth to both sample and buy "home cooked goodies"....all done without any kind of "permitting". Have we ever heard of a disease like Cholera or Hepatitus being contacted at a local Farmers Market? In fact, do you ever hear of someone getting "food poisoning" at a Market? We do hear this said of restaurants that are inspected by the County and "permitted", don't we?

4. Lastly, in the interest of time and space, what really makes this ridiculous is the time, energy, and expense that this kind of activity on the part of our rather highly paid County employees is costing us. Especially when this same department supposedly has such a heavy workload that they cannot get to "approving a septic system plan" for a new home for weeks; cannot do an inspection of a foul smelling and looking well water complaint fin Anderson for days; or cannot review the plans for a lot line adjustment for weeks. This is the department that frequently puts you into voice mail only to call back in 2 or 3 days. Where are their priorities might be a logical question. From this incident, it must be to chase down a handicapped 85 year old fella to check out his "fruitcake". Well, good luck at budget time, as the economy slows and job cutbacks will come.

Again, I ask, what is wrong with this picture? And, it is a shame that this is what gets national news, when we have so much going for us that is never noted, like the quality of life, the tourism, the natural beauty, and the great things that are happening by caring folks on a daily basis. And, I will be criticized by the County leadership that we must have laws, even if they are obsolete, for this brings order to our society. My answer to this is simple....we had plenty of laws to control big business and banking 2 years ago, and look where we are today. I rest my case, and have a good day.

RENT CONTROL...an interesting article.

New Yorkers eat your heart out when you are bragging about your rent controlled apartments, Fuggerei in Augsberg, Germany has you beat. Of course it takes a prayer (or 3 a day) to keep ones apartment for the annual $1.23 rent, but it well worth the price of admission.

The community was created as a penance by the top financial family in the world back in the 1500’s. All you need to still 500 years after the creation of the community to keep your apartment is pray for the Fugger family.

Mrs. Wunderle lives in the Fuggerei, a Roman Catholic housing settlement for the poor that Jakob Fugger “The Rich” built in this southern German city nearly 500 years ago. Praying for Mr. Fugger and his descendants to enter the Pearly Gates is a condition for living here, at an annual rent of 1 Rhein guilder, the same as in 1520. In today’s money, that’s 88 euro cents, or about $1.23.
Fuggerei is a Roman Catholic housing settlement in Augsburg, Germany, established in 1520 by Jakob Fugger “The Rich” to help the poor. The main gate, left, is locked each night and stragglers are fined for coming in late.Jakob the Rich was Wall Street long before it existed. He minted coins for the Vatican, bankrolled the Holy Roman Empire and helped steer Europe’s spice trade in the early 16th century to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful financiers in history. He left more than seven tons of gold to his successors — and a good deed.
Much of the Fugger business empire crumbled over the next 150 years, battered by wars and soured credits. But the walled Fuggerei, with its picturesque lanes and seven gates in the heart of this onetime European banking capital, still stands.
As in medieval times, the Fuggerei enclave is locked at night. Residents take turns manning the gatehouse to open up for late stragglers and fine them (between 50 cents and a euro, depending on the hour). via WSJ.com.

Will the lessons learned from the real estate slowdown spark genuine creativity in marketing and lending to push more sales?

What are the chances that the residential mortgages bought and sold in the secondary markets will revert to the conservative portfolio business that existed before the first securitizations in the early 1980s?

The real estate industry will recover, but it will be different.

Tom Kelly at Inman News has some thoughts on this....and what are yours?

From my viewpoint, I think we will continue to see a continuing interest on the part of lenders in making good loans, but they will be to those that are qualified, using some old measurements. Not too many years ago, the yardstick was that your mortgage payment should not exceed 25% of your gross income. If you made $1000 a month, your mortgage payment could not exceed $250, for example. Over the recentl years, this went to as high as 50% with some lenders...and this was the beginning of the end. Then, lenders started including the 2nd income in the family as a permanet source of income and that was considered in the payment amount. All was good and fine as long as that 2nd income was there. Things changed, though, when the 2nd earner had other things enter in, such a another child, unexpected illness, or college expenses that were not expected. All of a sudden, the 2 family income became 1, and a problem was on the horizon.

So, we will be back to good financing in the future, but for the next few years, the guidelines will be more conservative than in the past 5 years. Now is the time to refinance, if you can....for interest rates are at an all time low.

To discuss this further, give me a call or e-mail    ronlargent@kw.com    or     www.ronlargent.com

 REPOS....GOOD OR BAD?

Over the past few weeks, and now months, we have been getting calls from prospective buyers looking for the good buy on a bank owned property, commonly described as a REPO, short for repossesed home (repossed by the lender, or bank). Almost all of these calls want a "good buy. In reality, this is not always the case.

In an attempt to help buyers understand the REPO process, here is how it works. First, it starts with the owner of the home being unable to make the agreed upon mortgage payment. In some cases, this home owner will contact the lender and see what can be worked out. If the lender agrees, the owner may enter into a "short sale" agreement with the lender, whereby the seller tries to sell the home for less than what is owed, which is the "short" amount referred to. When a buyer comes along and offers to pay the "short sale" price, then this offer is presented to the lender for their approval. If they approve, we have a deal. If not, the home may continue in this short sale position until the loan gets so far behind that the lender determines that it is time to foreclose. This process may end up on the "courthouse steps", when the home could come up for auction for the amount of the loan. In many instances, the home will not sell for what is owed, thus the lender takes back the home.

The lender then has the home back and will usually contact a local real estate agent, or agents, and request a BPO, or Brokers Price Opinion. Good agents will do their homework and get info back to the lender as to what that agent recommends that the home will sell for. The lender will then list the home with an agent at a price that they think it will sell for. The home goes on the market and offers are solicited. As offers come in, and they may be lower than the listed price, this offer goes back to the lender for approval. This process of getting either lender feedback or an answer may take a day or 2, or a week or 2, or longer. Depending on the lender, their workload may be big or little, and this will usually influence the lenders response time. Eventually, the lender responds and this is conveyed to the buyer, or buyers, for often these properties will have a number of offers if it is priced right or a particularly good buy.

Once the lender gets the response back to the buyer, the buyer can act accordingly, and if they accept can open escrow. Again,  what is usually a relatively easy process can become quite an ordeal, depending on the lender and their workload. Patience is the key here, for what could be a 30 day escrow may end up being a 60 day closing. And, if there are any repairs allowed, for most of the REPOS are sold "as is", this can take additional time for permission has to be granted by the lender.

One characteristic of a REPO sale is that the lender is not subject to the required disclosures. Thus, if the buyer is concerned about the condition of the property, they should go through the normal home inspection process, which is usually about $300, and with the HVAC, roof inspections, and other evaluations could top out at about $500. This will have to be a buyers cost, for the lender is selling it "as is".

All said, the REPO process can result in a very good deal for the buyer. And, it can also result in a very trying and not always successful experience. Some can be problem deals from the beginning to the end. The key for buyers is to be understanding and patient, and realizing that the process can take some time and may call for the buyer to be flexible.  To just think that the lender is up against a wall is not always the case.

For more information on either Short Sales or Bank owned REPOS, call us at 530-248-5601, or e-mail us at    ronlargent@kw.com  or visit our site at www.ronlargent.com

Let’s face it, if you have been a real estate agent over the past decade you have spent money on newspaper advertising

But then came this thing called the internet. It had websites that actually conveyed what the house was like besides 4bdrm,2.5b,garage, well you get the idea. Now we could show them pictures in color and video, have room for actual paragraphs and real information.

But to hear those in the newsroom they are being robbed of their birthright. What they forget is that you as the advertisers bought products that essentially did not work. They were a tool to add to your sales presentation because the customer thought they did.

Now, the consumer does not look in the Sunday paper for homes to buy, they go to the internet. That also goes for much of the advertising that goes on.

Back when I worked for a newspaper I was told, the editorial department works to create material so that people will be buying the advertising we sell. Those who did the writing scoffed at it, but you know what, they were right.

Now this lesson has come home to roost. We love to read the newspaper but it was the advertising that paid the bills.

The real revelation of the Internet is not what it has done to newspaper readership – it has in fact expanded it – but how it has sapped newspapers’ economic lifeblood. The most serious erosion has occurred in classified advertising, which once made up more than 40 percent of a newspaper’s revenues and more than half its profits. Classified advertisers didn’t desert newspapers because they disliked our political coverage or our sports sections, but because they had alternatives. Craigslist and eBay and dozens of other low-cost and no-cost classified sites began gobbling newspapers’ market share a few years ago. What they didn’t wipe out, the tanking economy did. During the first half of 2008, print classified advertising nosedived more than 25 percent, as withering job, real-estate and auto listings erased $1.8 billion in revenue from newspaper companies’ books. Newspapers have been uniquely hurt – television never had classifieds to lose.  from Wired.com.

 

From Tom Royce in  www.realestatebloggers.com 

As of February 17th, 2009, television stations in the United States will only be airing digital television programming. This will provide television viewers with a higher quality of sound and picture, improving overall television experience. However, this will require those with analog televisions (televisions with a top antenna or “rabbit ears”) to purchase a digital converter box or purchase cable or satellite services.

At Shasta.com/Access now we offer satellite television through Dish Network. Not only will you get the highest quality picture and sound through Dish Network, you will be able to record and store up to 500 hours of both local and national television through their DVR feature. This feature also allows you to create parental controls, easily find your favorite programs, play games, and view and pay your bill.

Dish Network is competitively priced, with packages starting at $14.99 per month and available now at Shasta.com/Access now.

Here is some good information from the Roni Deutch Tax Centers. If you want to find out more about the Tax Centers and how you can open one in your area, please e-mail me or call 530-248-5601.

Here are the weather conditions for the next week....winter has arrived in Redding, CA    HOORAY!

Tonight
Dec 14

56°F

Cascade Needs Money.....Certainly Not Due to “A Cascade Christmas”

This past weekend I had the good fortune and great pleasure to attend the wonderful Christmas show at the Cascade, "A Cascade Christmas". Having been in the music field as an avocation for 50 years, I can report that this was one of the best "off Broadway" musicals I have ever seen. What James Santos and the Redding Dance Project does each Christmas is truly magnificent. This show could easily be a Branson headliner or a lead in for any of the Las Vegas shows. This musical dance program with gorgeous and appropriate costuming features talent that is not only professional in their performance but is so impressive in terms of how it is presented with "Broadway" quality sets and settings.

The dancers and singers, all of them local talent folks, work for months to make this one of the best shows in the entire North State, and it shows. From the opening City Scene with the women's cast performing over head kicks and ballet type moves to the full cast Carol of the Bells in full and elaborate costumes, the show moved through beautiful renditions of the familiar Christmas songs (The Christmas Song)to excellent solo and small group renditions of Santa music. With the children, many from local dance schools and dance programs, bringing a new and refreshing excitement to the overall program, this was just a delightful evening of wonderful entertainment. The final numbers feature the Dance of the Wooden Soldiers, and this is perfection at its best. The timing and precision needed in this very difficult presentation caused the full house audience to rise in applause in appreciation of what they had just seen. The final Nativity scene was, as always, very well done and a very fitting evening to this Christmas tradition.

If you did not have a chance to join the 9000 folks that were able to see the 2008 presentation, put it on your schedule for next year. James and the Project will be back and I'm sure it will be as good as this year. This is one Redding activity that one cannot miss. It is truly a wonderful show in the beautiful Cascade Theater setting, where there is not a bad seat. See you at the show

GANDHI’S FAMOUS LIST OF
SEVEN BLUNDERS OF THE WORLD
THAT LEAD TO VIOLENCE
__________________________

WEALTH WITHOUT WORK

SCIENCE WITHOUT HUMANITY

PLEASURE WITHOUT CONSCIENCE

WORSHIP WITHOUT SACRIFICE (OBEDIENCE)

KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT CHARACTER

POLITICS WITHOUT PRINCIPLE

COMMERCE WITHOUT MORALITY

Governing from the Muddle

The new President hasn't stepped foot into office, but that doesn't mean his party is reserving judgment. In yesterday's Politico, liberal Democrats openly complained that Obama's appointments are "too moderate." Others, especially Democrats from more conservative states, criticized the party's leadership as "too extreme." So which is it? Has Obama gone soft on his agenda or is he biding his time with the nation's goodwill? While we may hope he governs from the middle, word from his spokesperson, Stephanie Cutter, suggests otherwise. In an op-ed for U.S. News and World Report, columnist Deborah Kotz says Cutter confirmed that Barack Obama will keep his campaign promises on issues like abortion. The President-elect still favors the radical Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which will overturn parental involvement and conscience protection laws. After January 20, we can expect him to line the pockets of abortion providers like Planned Parenthood with our hard-earned tax dollars at home and abroad. There is nothing that suggests an Obama Administration will be middle-of-the-road on the life issue. For the latest on the cultural battle lines being drawn, stay tuned to FRC.

5 tips for a safe and happy holiday shopping season

Holiday shopping online is a great way to save time and sometimes money—as long as you take a few precautions to protect yourself from phishing scams and identity theft. Here are five tips for safer shopping on the Internet.

1.      Use an updated Web browser. Internet Explorer 7 contains many new features, such as the Phishing Filter, to help you avoid identity theft when you shop online.

2.      Make sure you’re on the Web site that you think you’re on. If you use Internet Explorer 7 or higher, you get an extra level of protection with Extended Validation (EV) SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificates. If your address bar turns green you’ll know that you’re not on a spoofed Web site.

3.      Visit trusted sites or use a third-party payment service. Many online shops and auction sites will let you pay with third-party payment services, like PayPal. That way you don't have to turn over your credit card information to an unknown person.

4.      Use strong passwords for online shopping retailers and keep your passwords secret.

5.      Buy only Genuine Microsoft software. Counterfeit software can corrupt your system, make you lose data, and can lead to identity theft. If Microsoft software is on your holiday gift list this season, you can help make sure you're buying the real thing by reading the Guide to Purchasing Genuine Microsoft software.

Just listed at $1,300,000 in south county near Balls Ferry. Older but stable, and 20 park owned units of the 26 space complex on 25 acres. Great upside and potential. Gross $12,000 per month. Call or e-mail for details

ronlargent@kw.com

www.ronlargent.com

Balls Ferry MHP, Redding, CA

0 Responses to “Ne

Mobile Home Parks For Sale in Redding and Northern California

We now have a number of Parks available in the North State.

Redding 33 space at $1,200,000 in a great location near Lake Shasta.

South Redding 16 space on 3.8 acres at $520,000 with lots of room to expand and upgrad. Ideal income-investment opportunity.

Anderson area 26 space Park on 25 acres with lots of potential. Gross of $12,000 month from Park owned mobiles and space rent. Offered at $1,250,000.

These are just 3 of many we have in the North State from Sacramento North, so call or e-mail

ronlargent@kw.com

www.ronlargent.com 

We just had Adam Christing at our Church Celebration Event and he was great. If you need a good, clean, funny, and audience interactive comedian-magician...this is your guy. Here is the story on him:

Adam Christing - Interactive Entertainer

Hailed as a “meeting planner’s dream”, Adam has become a favorite guest performer, emcee, and after-dinner entertainer for hundreds of the top companies and organizations in the world, including Toyota, Microsoft, Stanford University and scores of others.

Adam became a member of the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood at the age of 17. Since then he has been featured on more than 100 radio and TV shows, including Fox News, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, ABC World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News. He’s also been in national magazines and newspapers, including USA Today, FORTUNE, The Chicago Sun Times, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.

Adam has been ranked among the top 5 after-dinner speakers in America. Success magazine highlighted him as “one of the most successful young entrepreneurs in America. Business and media expert Michael Levine noted Adam’s truly unique mix of leadership, humor, and creative communication, calling him “one of the most engaging and entertaining presenters in America today.” Adam has a knack for “getting everybody laughing” together no matter how large or small the audience.

Adam is the author of Comedy Comes Clean: A Hilarious Collection of Jokes, Quotes and One-Liners published by Random House, Three Rivers Press. Adam earned a degree in public speaking from Biola University and has been named to Biola’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

Adam is the CEO of Creek Park Pictures, whose vision is “Engaging Ideas On Screen”.

Look for Adam’s first feature film Change Your Life! Adam is the co-writer and co-director of this hilarious “mockumentary” about the wacky world of multi-level marketing, starring Tony Plana of Ugly Betty fame. Adam’s movie will be released in 2008.

Adam is also the writer and director of A Mormon President: Joseph Smith and the Mormon Quest for the White House, a documentary that is currently in post-production.

Adam lives in Southern California with his wife and 4 children.

This was in the Record Searchlight and is a great article...Lest we Forget.

A dying tradition for veterans

7 in Shasta County remain who served during Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor

By Jim Schultz (Contact)
Saturday, December 6, 2008

Their ranks are thinning with each passing year. But survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are gathering at 9 a.m. Sunday outside the Shasta County Courthouse in Redding to remember the 67th anniversary of that “day of infamy."

“I figure if we get five, we will be lucky," said 86-year-old Mike Sotak of Happy Valley, who served on the USS Maryland at Pearl Harbor during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack.

Once 67 members strong, today Shasta County’s Pearl Harbor Survivors Chapter 28 has seven active members left. “It’s a time in history that’s passing very quickly," said Don Crandell of Redding, the chapter’s secretary and the son of a Pearl Harbor survivor.

It’s been estimated that 18,000 to 20,000 veterans survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. And although it’s not known how many of them are still alive, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association has a nationwide active membership of about 5,000, about 800 fewer than it had only a few years ago.

Crandell, whose father was captain of the USS Gamble at Pearl Harbor, was an eighthgrader living with his family in a beach house on Oahu when he saw the Japanese planes fly over on their way to attack Battleship Row 67 years ago Sunday.

Crandell, who’s 80 himself and attempted a few years ago to begin a local chapter of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors with little success, says that the days of the Pearl Harbor survivors chapter also may soon be numbered because of its declining membership.

“When it gets down to six we’re supposed to lose our charter," he said. Crandell, who helped to organize the ceremony, says it should be a simple and relatively short affair.

“I can’t imagine there are going to be many people there," because it falls on a Sunday morning, he said. The ceremony will feature a Veterans of Foreign Wars honor guard, a rifle salute, a bugler, and a few prayers and short speeches.

Then, of course, there will be those men who were present during a crucial turning point in world history.

The chapter’s president, Hank Reynolds of Red Bluff, who served on the USS Detroit, will miss Sunday’s ceremony because he is attending the national Pearl Harbor Survivors Association’s reunion in Fredericksburg, Texas.

But those local chapter members expected to attend are Sotak, Van Harrison of Redding, who served on the USS Tennessee; Melvin Fisher of Jones Valley, who served on the USS Whitney; Richard Lamb of Redding, who served on the USS Curtis; Robert McCullough of Red Bluff, who served on the USS Medusa; and Wayne Stamper of Redding, who served on the USS St. Louis. Crandell is the master of ceremonies.

Last night we got to see a great game of fast and exciting basketball....and I wanted to share the coverage story from the Record Searchlight with you, for it says it all. What a fun night of high school basketball. It doesn't get any better than what we saw on Friday night at the Harlan Carter HS Basketball Invitational.

Wolves beat Hornets, try for first Harlan Carter title since 1999

By John Ryan (Contact)
Saturday, December 6, 2008

The Wolves beat the Hornets at their own game.

In a frenetic-paced contest not for basketball purists, in a back-and-forth tilt stamped "instant classic" - the Shasta High School boys basketball team ignited at home with two minutes to play and burned rival Enterprise 56-54. The win puts the Wolves in the Harlan Carter Invitational championship against Pleasant Valley at 6:30 p.m. today.

They got there by outrunning the notoriously aggressive Enterprise defense, matching the Hornets' stamina and speed with a 12-man Shasta rotation.

And the final two minutes played out like a gem.

The Wolves outscored the Hornets 10-3 over the final 1:50 to fill a 51-46 deficit. Most of the 1:50 rolled off unabated as Enterprise ran out of timeouts with 80 seconds left and the Wolves sat on theirs.

"I thought we were where we needed to be," Shasta coach Bill Callaway said.

Besides, he didn't want to let the Hornets recompose.

"If we didn't break and get something we really got stagnant," Callaway said, praising Enterprise's half-court defense. "We didn't move very well on offense. Some of that's lack of practice time, but they just stuffed us in the half-court game so we didn't want to slow anything down."

Nick Preston owned five of Shasta's final 10 points and scored a game-high 11, counting a big 3-pointer to cut Enterprise's lead to 51-49 and a layup off a steal by Evan Taylor to extend Shasta's lead to 54-51.

The Wolves took the lead on Matt Wayda's go-ahead 3-pointer - his lone score of the game - to make it 52-51 Shasta with 56 seconds left. Enterprise set up the score when it flubbed an inbound pass.

Wayda's crowd-raising 3-pointer set off a chain of events in rapid fire.

Taylor snagged a loose ball and pitched it to Preston to put Shasta up three. Enterprise broke down the sideline and hit Nyjel Buchanan with a long pass. Buchanan dropped a game-tying 3.

Shasta came back up court and Tony Moore drove the lane for two with less than 20 seconds left.

Enterprise responded with a decent look by sophomore Cody Fisher in the corner that found iron.

Ball game.

"I think coming back against a little bit of a deficit is a big thing right there and maybe shows a little bit of what we're capable of doing," Callaway said.

And the two-platoon hockey shift gave the Hornets all they could handle. Shasta ran Enterprise to to the point where it would physically and mentaly lax, then Callaway sent in a new line of guys.

"We want to play like we did the last minute there," Callaway said. "With a sense of passion and urgency that everything is on the line. If we're going to play 12 guys lets get after it and make things happen."

Jovon Cunningham helped keep the Hornets in it early with his clutch 3-point shooting. Cunningham hit four-of-six downtown attempts in the second half.

"Usually I just slide to wherever the open lane is," Cunningham said. "You can feel it. It's all in the rhythm. I'd say after my third three I could feel it."

He scored 15 points, Buchanan added 15 and Anthony Williams scored 13. Shasta's Tony Moore scored 10. Brett LaHorgue added eight.

Reporter John Ryan can be reached at 225-8263 or at jryan@redding.com.

December 1, 2008

(Ventura, California) - Tens of millions of Americans have already suffered substantial financial losses in the wake of the sub-prime mortgage crisis and subsequent financial challenges. A new survey from The Barna Group shows that more than 150 million adults said they have been affected by the economic turbulence, and most of them expect it to take several years before the nation fully recovers. Americans are now passing on their financial pain to churches and other non-profit organizations by cutting back substantially on their giving during the fourth quarter of 2008. Those reductions - occurring during the most important quarter of the year for donor-driven organizations - will cripple thousands of smaller and less stable donor-supported organizations.

Many People Hit Hard

Two out of every three families - 68% - have been noticeably affected by the financial setbacks in America. Nearly one out of every four (22%) said they have been impacted in a "major way," almost four out of ten have been affected "only somewhat" and about one out of every twelve (8%) say they have not been affected too much.

Interestingly, the people least affected have been those under 30 years of age - perhaps because relatively few of them have substantial retirement funds - as well as Asian households and those who describe themselves as mostly conservative on social and political issues.

Overall, more than one-quarter of adults (28%) said they had lost at least 20% of the value of their retirement and 401K accounts. The same share of the public (28%) said they had lost 20% or more of the value of the stocks and bonds that they owned.

Born again adults were slightly less likely than were others to have sustained such substantial financial losses in recent months. While 30% of the born again public has lost 20% or more of its retirement portfolio value, the same was true for 37% of non-born again adults. Similarly, just 31% of the born again segment had lost 20% or more of the value of their stocks and bonds compared to 36% among the non-born again Christians.

No Quick Fix Expected

On average, Americans believe it will take about three years before the economy fully recovers. Only one out of four adults (24%) said the economy would completely recover within a year; 30% said it would take two or three years; and 32% said it would take more than three years. A small proportion (2%) said they do not believe the economy will ever completely recover.

The most pessimistic people are Asians, upscale adults, and sociopolitical liberals. The study also showed that people who voted for Barack Obama are significantly more likely to expect a prolonged period of recovery than are people who voted for John McCain.

Cutbacks in Church Giving

During the past three months, one of the ways that adults have adjusted to their financial hardships has been by reducing their charitable giving. In total, one out of every five households (20%) has decreased its giving to churches or other religious centers.

Church cutbacks have been most common among downscale households (30%) and those families which are struggling with "serious financial debt" (43%). Not surprisingly, 31% of those who have lost 20% or more of their retirement fund value have sliced their church donations, as have 29% of the people who have lost 20% or more of the value in their stock portfolio.

The degree of reduction in giving is significant for churches. Among people who have decreased giving to churches and religious centers, 19% dropped their giving by as much as 20%, 5% decreased their generosity by 21% to 49%, 17% reduced their giving by half, and 11% sliced their provision by more than half. In addition, 22% said they had stopped their giving altogether.

The most widespread reduction in amount of money given to religious centers was detected among people under 25 (47% who had been affected by the downturn reduced their gifts by more than half of what they usually gave); upscale households (48%); Hispanics (43%); non-born again Christians (40%); and sociopolitical moderates (39%).

How Churches Are Responding

The Barna study revealed that many churches have attempted to help their congregants understand and responsibly address the current financial challenges. Among those who attend a Christian church, the survey found that one-third (35%) said their church had offered a special talk about the financial situation and ways to respond to it. Such a presentation was more commonly cited by those who attend a Protestant church (38%) than by those who attend a Catholic church (27%).

A similar proportion (37%) said their church had offered specific opportunities for personal financial counseling. This response was more frequently cited by those who attend a Protestant church (39%) than by those who attend a Catholic church (28%).

Providing special prayer support for those who were struggling financially was noted by 73% of church-goers. Once again, this response was more likely to be identified by Protestants (78%) than by Catholics (64%).

About half of Christian church attenders (52%) said that their church had increased the amount of material assistance made available to congregants during the past three months, such as food, clothing and other basic needs. In this case, there was no difference in the responses of those attending a Catholic church and those going to a Protestant congregation.

Reductions in Giving to Non-Profits

The million-plus organizations recognized by the government as non-profit agencies have reason to worry about the economic climate, too. Nearly one-third of all adults (31%) said they have already reduced the amount of money they are donating to non-profit entities.

Cutbacks in gifts to non-profits are especially common among the one-quarter of the population who are immersed in "serious financial debt" (49%). It is also a common response among adults who are feeling "stressed out" (39%), African Americans (36%), downscale households (36%), and registered Democrats (36%)

Among those who are decreasing their giving to non-profits, 53% are simultaneously decreasing their generosity to churches or other religious centers, as well.

Other Responses to Financial Suffering

Americans have responded to the nation’s economic woes in other ways besides reducing their generosity. So far, 5% have moved to less expensive housing. This has been especially common among people with "serious financial debt" (14%), people under age 25 (13%), and downscale adults (11%).

Potentially Devastating Impacts

George Barna, whose company conducted the survey, commented that the economic woes hitting families will be felt in a major way by churches and non-profits by the end of the year. "Most non-profits and churches count on the fourth quarter of the year to produce at least one-third of their annual income. Deficit spending is common during the first three quarters, with the expectation that holiday giving will enable the organization to meet its budget projections. This year is likely to be very different. The giving patterns we’re witnessing suggest that churches, alone, will receive some $3 billion to $5 billion dollars less than expected during this fourth quarter. The average church can expect to see its revenues dip about 4% to 6% lower than would have been expected without the economic turmoil. We anticipate that other non-profit organizations will be hit even harder."

Barna encouraged church leaders to embrace a new mindset for their financial projections. "With a large share of congregants expecting the nation’s economic woes to drag on for several years, it would be wise for churches and non-profits to reconfigure their financial models and plan to spend more cautiously over the coming two or three quarters," he explained. "Even if a congregation continues to grow numerically, this is not a good time to use dated financial projections and models. People’s attitudes about generosity have been altered, as shown by their immediate donation behavior. We anticipate that a greater percentage of church-goers will decrease both their giving levels and frequency over the next year or so. This is a time for church leaders to demonstrate restraint and wisdom in their financial decisions."

What is a Loan Modification Program and Who Is at Risk?

This is the “question of the day” as many homeowners are faced with some very difficult decisions. As a result of a number of financial issues, including sub-prime loans some two to three years ago, some homeowners are now dealing with increased adjustable rate mortgage payments, or a loss of a job by one of the wage-earners, or a change in their personal circumstances that is causing an unexpected move out of their home. What was thought to be a “good deal” a short time ago is now turning into a “nightmare” for some, and they are earnestly seeking ways to resolve their immediate situation. One option is a loan modification program that has been on the national news just these past weeks.

What is a Loan Modification Program (LMP)? This is a program that is designed to change the mortgage payment and terms agreement that the homeowner entered into when they took out the loan. How can you change a note, a contract, and an agreement that was agreed upon and signed by all parties, one may ask?  Legally, the only way is to change the terms with all parties agreeing, and that is exactly what happens with a LMP.

What is the process? It starts with understanding how the original loan was made. In many cases in this area, a homeowner would go to a local lender, such as a bank, a mortgage broker, or a mortgage representative and get a loan. This loan application and approval was handled by the mortgage maker (bank, mortgage company, etc) and after the close of escrow, this loan was “sold” by this lender to a larger “investor”, such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or one of the many Wall Street money firms, such as Lehman Brothers. This parent group, if you will, then invested the money and all were happy. This process was fine as long as the value of the security (the home) would continue to keep or grow in value. What happened though, starting about four years ago, was that the housing industry on a nationwide scale, thanks to the unprecedented availability of money, starting building homes at an alarming rate, especially in the larger metro areas and suburbs around those areas. The result was a huge increase in the inventory of available homes, and then supply and demand set in. The supply grew faster than the demand, and prices started leveling and in some cases dropping and the result was the value of the home security was reduced. The investor got worried, and decided to sell the security, and this went on for awhile until the basic security dropped even lower in value, making the security harder to sell. Before long the investor had a bad investment. Our economy is based on moving dollars from one arena to another, and this process, in the housing industry, just stopped.

Compounding all of this was the adjustable rate mortgage, whereby mortgage payments start increasing after the first year of the loan. As the housing industry slowed down, so did all of the associated industries, such as lumber, flooring materials, plumbing, etc. With a slowdown, comes a loss of jobs, and the resulting income. Many two income earner families saw their incomes drop, but at the same time their mortgage payments were going up. Not a good situation. The immediate effect was that homeowners said, “we cannot afford this home, so let’s sell”. Due to the inventory and dropping prices, the homeowner is eventually faced with not making the payment and walks away from the home and all of the obligations that go with the home. The investor is left with an empty home that is losing value daily with no income at all coming from that investment. Not good.  The rest is history, as it becomes a downward spin for all involved.

Instead of addressing this situation some two years ago, many lenders, driven by greed and not fully appreciating the magnitude of what was actually happening, refused to negotiate with the homeowner in an effort to “save the deal”. The result was the highest percentage of mortgage foreclosures in our history, and it is still going on. And, here comes the federal government to the rescue, just way too late. The problem is now of huge proportions, for national housing investments have continued to plummet and many of the investor’s securities are almost worthless. After trying to bail out Wall Street, the government decided to try and help the homeowner, and brings up Loan Modification Programs. Again, too late to help such a huge problem, but at least an attempt. The problem is, how does the government decide who to help and how much help to provide, and this is where the federal program will bog down.

A few years ago, some foresighted financial folks saw what was happening and decided to address the issue head on, and we saw an increase in the number of debt resolution companies, initially directed toward credit card debt. Some decided, as the housing market declined, to address the mortgage loan issue, and that is where we are today. On Monday night, December 15, 2008, at 6:30 PM, at the Redding Main Library, we will be conducting a second Mortgage Loan Modification Seminar for all that are at risk or are thinking that they might be at risk in the near future. This is an information dissemination seminar and the various options will be explained by the Largent Team at Keller Williams Realty who will be joined by a national debt resolution firm that has a 97% success rate with loan modification programs. The process outlined above will be explained in more detail, questions will be answered, and hopefully options will be offered that can help homeowners as they deal with the possibility of “losing their homes”. Reservations can be made for the free seminar by calling 248-5699 (Kim).

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A national poll suggests that six in 10 Americans oppose using taxpayer money to help the ailing major U.S. auto companies.

Auto industry executives testify November 19 before Congress.

Sixty-one percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey out Wednesday are dead set against the federal government providing billions of dollars in assistance for the automakers, with 36 percent favoring such a bailout.

The poll, conducted Monday and Tuesday, also indicates that a majority of Americans, 53 percent, don't think government assistance for the automakers will help the U.S. economy.

"Only 15 percent say that they would be immediately affected if the auto companies went bankrupt," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said. "Seven in 10 say that a bailout would be unfair to American taxpayers."

In early November, polls indicated that nearly half the public supported federal assistance to the big automakers when this issue first came before Congress. Watch: CNN's Ali Velshi discusses the auto bailout »

But evidence in surveys from other organizations suggests that the poor performance by executives from GM, Ford and Chrysler at congressional hearings, and the admission that they had taken private jets to get there, resulted in a steep drop in support for government assistance to automakers.

The new CNN poll indicates that those wounds have yet to heal as the executives return to Capitol Hill for more hearings this week.

"This indicates that the upcoming do-over that the auto executives will get in another round of congressional hearings may be crucial to swaying the public and getting the assistance package passed through Congress," Holland said.

The companies presented plans to Congress Tuesday for how they would use federal loans to return to profitability. The Big Three CEOs and UAW President Ron Gettelfinger are to appear at Senate and House hearings Thursday and Friday seeking support for the loan package.

But aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he doesn't think he has enough votes to tap the $700 billion federal bailout fund to prop up the foundering Big Three.

Opposition to the bailout of the auto industry is widespread across the country, even the Midwest, where the domestic automakers have their headquarters and many of their assembly plants.

The poll indicates that most opposition to the bailout comes from the West, where opposition reaches 67 percent. Sixty-one percent of those polled in the Northeast, 64 percent in the South and 53 percent in the Midwest oppose using federal dollars to help the automakers.

The poll also suggests that a vast majority of Republicans, 70 percent, oppose the bailout, with 62 percent of independents and 55 percent of Democrats also opposed. iReport.com: Share your questions for auto CEOs

The auto companies say that if they don't receive government assistance, they could go into bankruptcy. If that happens, only 15 percent of those polled think they would be immediately affected, with another 19 percent saying they would feel the impact within a year or so.

Forty-three percent say they would eventually feel an effect from such a bankruptcy, and 24 percent say they will never feel the impact.

SAN MATEO - The Shasta Knights football team won a thrilling Bulldog Bowl today with a final score of 33-31 over the Monterey Peninsula Lobos.

As time was running out, Shasta's Zack Gibbins intercepted a Hail Mary pass to end the game.

Shasta's Blake Arrowsmith caught an 8-yard TD pass from Will Camy with 33.9 seconds left to put the Knights up 33-31. Brandon Boyd missed the PAT.

Shasta had the ball at 2nd-and-goal from Monterey's 8-yard line with 40.1 seconds left in the game.

Monterey Peninsula came back 31-27 with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter of the bowl game at the College of San Mateo campus. Lobos quarterback Brian Reader scored on a 1-yard QB sneak.

Shasta's Ryan Krueger scored on a 46-yard TD run with 5:45 left to play. Blake Arrowsmith missed the extra-point.

With 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Shasta safety Casey Robertson snuffed out a Monterey Peninsula drive by making a diving interception.

With :07 left in the third quarter, Shasta's Brandon Baldwin scored on a 29-yard TD run. Blake Arrowsmith's extra-point was good.

The Knights scored a touchdown with 4:41 left in the third quarter when Arrowsmith caught a 50-yard TD pass from Will Camy. The Knights went for two points and Camy hit Brandon Baldwin in the flat for the 2-point conversion.

The Lobos had gone up 24-6 with 5:23 left in the third quarter after a 31-yard field goal by Monterey's Chris Pinto.

Shasta got on the board after taking the opening drive of the second half in for a score. Ryan Krueger scored on a 2-yard TD run on a toss sweep left. Arrowsmith missed the extra-point attempt.

But the Lobos came back and scored on the kick return. Zachkary Heager scored on the 87-yard kickoff return for with 11:52 left in the third quarter

Monterey Peninsula scored its second touchdown with 29 seconds left in the second quarter. Lobos quarterback Brian Reader threw an 85-yard TD pass to Heager on a great out-and-up play.

Reader pump-faked an out route and Shasta corner Robert Lee bit. Heager then got behind the Knights secondary, got it at the 40 and ran it in.

Halftime statistics for Shasta: Brandon Baldwin has run 11 times for 60 yards. Will Camy is 8-of-10 passing for 50 yards. Blake Arrowsmith has six catches for 28 yards.

For Monterey Peninsula: Ian Hesse has 12 rushes for 66 yards and a score. Quarterback Reader is 10-of-19 for 160 yards and a touchdown pass.

Shasta wasn't able to do much offensively in the first half. Although midway through the second quarter, Shasta's Baldwin reeled off runs of 16 and 25 yards on back-to-back plays, putting the Knights on Monterey's 40-yard line. The Lobos called a timeout with 7:30 left in the second quarter.

Earlier, Monterey running back Hesse ran 31 yards off left tackle for a touchdown with 8 minutes left in the first quarter. Chris Pinto made the PAT kick.

The Knights will return home this evening, probably sometime after 9 p.m.

Is there any project that's generated so much anticipation while spurring more conspiracy theories than Trader Joe's?

There's enough material here for an Oliver Stone movie.

Of course, Trader Joe's doesn't help by being so reluctant to elaborate every time we report a delay for the Redding store's scheduled opening.

Trader Joe's will open Feb. 1. That was the word in August from the developer who's building the store near the corner of Hilltop Drive and Browning Street.

But a friend told me last week that she was told by a Trader Joe's employee in Chico that the Redding store won't open until at least the summer.

There's a problem with the parking, the TJ worker said.

Parking? The shopping center was OK'd by the Redding Planning Commission in January 2007. The use permit addressed parking.

For the record, this isn't the first time employees at other TJ stores have fanned flames of doubt.

Earlier this year, the buzz was employees were telling folks up here who made the pilgrimage south for their TJ fix that the Redding store was delayed because it was having trouble obtaining its wine and beer license. Never mind that Trader Joe's had already received approval from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department when this rumor started circulating.

Alas, neither Trader Joe's nor the developer returned my calls last week.

Competition is good

I've lived in Redding for nearly 20 years. Ever since I can remember, the beef has been that there are no decent sports bars in this town.

Now, in the span of two months, two new sports bars have opened here.

In September, Johnny's on California Street downtown was the first out of the gate.

On Wednesday, Bleachers Sports Bar & Grill opened across town on Hilltop Drive, two doors north of Subway. Owner Tyree Bolton started work on converting the former Chuck E Cheese's building into a sports bar more than a year ago.

Bleachers is open daily until midnight and serves lunch and dinner. In addition to some 30 televisions, the bar has video games and pool tables.

Let the games begin.

Zillow alert

The bane of some in the industry, Zillow.com last week released its home value report for the third quarter.

Values in Redding, which encompasses Anderson and Shasta Lake, declined 4.2 percent year-over-year to a Zillow Home Value index of $259,832. That's compared to a nationwide decline of 9.7 percent to a value of $202,966.

Nearly 65 percent of the homes in our area lost value over the past year. That's a veritable real estate boom compared to what's happening in Merced, where values fell 32 percent and 99 percent of all homes have depreciated over the past 12 months.

Coming back to Redding, homes in Shasta Lake have been hit hardest, according to Zillow. Values there dropped 6 percent from the second quarter to the third quarter, and 21 percent compared to a year ago.

Zillow has its detractors, including real estate agents and appraisers, but the site contends its methodology eliminates the bias present in median sale prices. That's because it looks at values for all homes in a region, not just the ones sold.

More Thai food

Racha Noodle is expanding across town.

The popular Thai restaurant in south Redding is opening a second location on Dana Drive.

They will call it 5 Thais Tasty Thai Food and it's in the Metro Anderson Tri Center inside the former The Cool Breeze Yogurt Cafe, which closed earlier this year after more than 15 years in business.

The 5 Thais of Racha Noodle won't give an opening date, only saying the new location is coming soon.

When John Nogle was laid off three months ago from his position at the Shasta County Opportunity Center, he knew it would be difficult to find another job.

In that respect, the Shasta Lake resident hasn't been disappointed.

"I'd tell people looking for a job to take whatever's out there - it's slim pickings," Nogle said one recent weekday morning at the Smart Business Resource Center in downtown Redding. "Even if it's a minimum-wage job, it's better than nothing."

Nogle's hardly alone.

Unemployment in Shasta County in October jumped to a 15-year high as continued declines in the construction sector helped spark the increase. Construction jobs in the county last month totaled 3,700, a 21 percent drop from the 4,700 who were employed in the trade in October 2007, the state reported Friday.

Shasta's jobless rate in October was 10 percent, up from 9.5 percent in September and 7 percent from a year ago. Last month's unemployment rate tied October 1994 and was the highest since October 1993, when it reached 10.7 percent.

In Shasta County, there were 8,900 unemployed in October, up from 8,300 in September, and nearly 3,000 more people without jobs in October 2007. The number of people applying for unemployment benefits in Shasta County last month was 2,469, up from 2,039 a year ago.

California's unemployment rate jumped to 8.2 percent in October, the highest rate in 14 years, just as a state fund that pays unemployment benefits was about to run out of money.

State officials are preparing to ask the federal government to step in with a loan on Dec. 1 so they can continue paying jobless benefits to California's now more than 1.5 million unemployed, nearly a third of whom have lost their jobs in the last year.

Shasta County saw year-over-year job gains in farming, manufacturing, local government, and educational and health services.

For Nogle, who's divorced with three school-aged children, job hunting has been mentally exhausting. But he doesn't have time to dwell on his bad luck.

Nogle's rent is $510 a month and he lives on $800 a month in unemployment benefits. He makes about two trips a week to the Smart Center, which has a database of job openings across the state and also helps job-seekers with resumes, cover letters and interview tips.

"It's been pretty hard. I will go to the Salvation Army to get canned goods and make sure we have food on the table," said Nogle, who made $9 an hour at the county before state budget cuts eliminated his job. "I want welfare to be the last resort."

Nogle's 13-year-old son helps out when he can by doing odd jobs like mowing neighbors' lawns.

"I won't let anything get me down - with kids you can't," Nogle said. "I told my oldest that just because you're down right now, doesn't mean it's the end of the world."

Nogle has applied for a temporary position at Sierra Pacific Industries in Anderson. He might find out Tuesday whether he gets the job.

For Sylvia Partridge, who quit her medical assistant job in Medford, Ore., and moved here to be closer to her family, finding job listings aren't difficult. But it's tough landing an interview when as many as 30 people apply for one job.

"It's very competitive," Partridge said while searching for work at the Smart Center.

Partridge applies for about two jobs a week. She's discovered that hourly wages in Shasta County are below what she made in Medford, Ore.

"I left making $13.41 (an hour) and most of the jobs I've applied for are 10 to 12 dollars an hour," said Partridge, who rents a home in Anderson.

Partridge's husband, who works in retail loss prevention, still lives in Medford. The couple's house is for sale but Partridge's husband won't move until she finds a job.

Meantime, she lives with her two children.

"I haven't applied for unemployment. I'm getting by, so it's OK," Partridge said. "I watch what I spend. There's no eating out; we do what we need to do."

Today is Friday, Nov. 21, the 326th day of 2008. There are 40 days left in the year.

On this day in:

1908

J.A. Johnson and father B. Johnson visited Redding on a trip from Olinda. The Johnsons owned a large tract of land near Olinda, which they were selling in small parcels for colonization purposes.

1958

Redding police received vandalism reports from three owners of airships parked at Benton Airpark. Nothing had been stolen, but a radio antenna on one was cut and door locks were sprung on all the planes.

1983

A battle cry had sounded against the north state's marijuana growers. One of the area's most notorious growers was "Dangerous Dan," who supposedly stood 6-foot-11 and weighed between 240 and 290 pounds. When authorities closed in on his camp, he got away, again.

1998

Country singer Merle Haggard played host and mentor to Palo Cedro Cub Scout Pack 85, Den 1, whose members wanted to spend the day fishing. Haggard gave the boys permission to fish on his Palo Cedro property, but they got more than fish. Haggard first gave the boys some lessons on the finer points of angling, then sent them out with personal fishing guide Mike Martin.

Without help, almost two-thirds of the state's native salmon, steelhead and trout could be gone within a century.

That includes seven fish swimming in north state waters, according to a report released this week by California Trout, a San Francisco-based fish and watershed advocacy group.

"They are all in serious danger of extinction," said Peter Moyle, a University of California at Davis ecology professor who wrote the 350-page report.

In danger of extinction in the north state are redband trout on the McCloud River; coho and spring chinook salmon on the Klamath River; and winter, spring and late-fall run chinook, as well as the Central Valley steelhead, on the Sacramento River.

They're endangered by the changes people have made to rivers and the land surrounding them, such as dams and logging, Moyle said.

"Every place has its own different reasons," he said, "but it all deals with how we treat the land and the water."

All of the fish facing possible extinction are indicator species that give warning of problems in the health of their streams, said Curtis Knight, Mount Shasta area manager for California Trout.

"These fish are telling us that something is wrong with those systems," Knight said.

In two of the past three years, he said, only about 50 fish of each species have made it back to the Shasta and Scott rivers, which feed into the Klamath River in Siskiyou County.

"These guys are hanging on by a thread," Knight said.

And there is precedent of extinction in the north state, with the bull trout - which was only found on the McCloud River - declared extinct in 1997.

But there are many habitat-restoration projects around the north state that are under way to help the ailing fish, Knight and Moyle said.

Those include the massive restoration of the Klamath River that would take place after the removal of four hydroelectric dams that block salmon from spawning habitat. Earlier this month, leaders from California and Oregon, the federal government and the dams' owner, Portland-based Pacific Power, announced an agreement in principle to remove the dams by 2020.

Along with restoration work, the California Trout report called for the state to hire more game wardens to enforce laws that protect watersheds and overhaul management of the state's hatcheries.

State scientists who study the north state fish deferred comment on the report to a spokeswoman in Sacramento - Jordan Traverson - who in turn released a typed statement from state Department of Fish and Game Director Donald Koch.

It read:

"We look forward to reading the 100-plus-page report 'SOS: California's Native Fish Crisis,' released by California Trout today. We thank California Trout for their dedication to California's native fish species. We appreciate their support and look forward to engaging them and other stakeholders in finding solutions to further our efforts to conserve the state's valuable fish and wildlife resources."

Redding will likely ask its eight employee unions to accept major concessions in order to avoid layoffs and program cuts as the city prepares to carve about $3 million from its general fund budget.

The City Council on Tuesday night discussed and endorsed more than a dozen guidelines for making those cuts. The council will consider specific cuts at a workshop tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 16.

Council members agreed that they will look first at cutting administration, positions in new development and other programs not required by state law.

The council unanimously supported the idea asking employees to pay their required contributions to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. The city has been paying the employee contribution to CalPERS since the 1980s.

CalPERS contributions are 9 percent of salary for police and firefighters and 7 percent for other employees. Citywide, the “employee pickup” to CalPERS will cost $6 million in fiscal 2009.

“It’s my understanding that if employees paid their PERs, we could get through this without laying anybody off,” Mayor Mary Stegall said.

Redding officials drawing up the city’s two-year budget in mid-2007 had assumed $25.8 million in sales tax revenue for this year. But only $20.4 million has wound up in the coffers, City Manager Kurt Starman said.

Building fees have also dropped from $4.1 million in 2006 to an estimated $2.2 million this year, Starman said.

Redding could get through fiscal 2009 and most of 2010 without going into the red if it made no cuts, Starman said. But he recommended preparing to cut the budget in order to keep the city’s 10-year financial plan in balance with an ample 5 percent cash cushion in its general fund for emergencies.

“We are in unprecedented times with this economy,” Starman said. “The best economist in the world is struggling to figure out what’s going on. It would be prudent to keep money in the bank.”

Starman proposed the guidelines for making the cuts and stressed there should be no sacred cows, including public safety. At the same time, Starman said the city should strive to protect its core services — “firemen in the hall and police officers on the beat.”

In related business Friday, the council unanimously voted to allow Starman and City Attorney Rick Duvernay to take pay cuts this year and give up their raises for next year or until the economy improves.

Starman and Duvernay — the city’s two highest-paid employees and the only workers directly hired by the council — gave up the 2 percent cost-of-living boost they had gotten in July.

Duvernay will forgo a 4 percent raise due in January. Starman will turn down a 3.5 percent raise coming in May.

Starman and Duvernay have volunteered to take the pay cuts in order to set an example for other workers. All told, the pay cuts and forfeited raises for Starman and Duvernay will save the city roughly $22,000 next year.

“I just want to applaud the city manager and the city attorney for taking these steps in these difficult times,” council member Patrick Jones said, noting that he has not accepted the city’s medical and dental benefits that come with being an elected official.

How it Works?

If you have had an unexpected life event that is, or has, caused you an unforeseen financial hardship, our loan modification programs may works to alleviate some of that financial strain.  Our team of financial strategists will work with you to build a full financial analysis.  We will analyze your homes current market/appraised, and your current financial situation, and determine whether or not our programs would be a good fit for your particular situation.  Once our specialist has determined that you are qualified, and you are comfortable with entering our program, we will work to negotiate the terms of your loan directly with your lender on your behalf.  Whether you are merely finding it difficult to meet your monthly obligations, or are in an adjustable rate loan and your payment is set to adjust, or already has adjusted, and the market value of your home has depreciated to the point that it is worth less than that of your principal, we have the skill, knowledge, expertise and contacts to allow you the greatest chance at achieving the result you desire.  Lenders are willing to work with us to analyze your current financial situation and make a decision on whether or not it is economically feasible to write down your principal balance and/or your interest rate/term thereby allowing you to stay in your home and avoid foreclosure.  “There was a time when lenders didn’t want to work with you if you couldn’t pay.  Now they want to avoid foreclosure, lawsuits or repossession almost as much as you do.”  With home prices on the decline, every foreclosure now results in an approximate loss of 44% of the original loan amount, up from 29% only a year ago, according to data from LPS Applied Analytics. ¹  The bottom line is, mortgagees have never been in a more favorable position to modify the terms of their loans with their lenders!  Now is the time to leverage our decades of experience, expertise, and contacts to help you keep your home and avoid foreclosure.

FAQ’s

Q. Are lenders and banks willing to go through this process?
A. Most homeowners don’t realize that lenders and banks DO NOT WANT TO FORECLOSE ON YOUR HOME. In the current market, they will lose money by taking your home and trying to sell it, so the majority of lenders are very open to the Loan Modification process.

So consistently tell our clients that Loan Modification is an emerging option to foreclosure that benefits homeowners and lenders alike.

Q. I've already talked with my lender and they just want all their money. Can you still help me?
A. Yes! Most of our clients have experienced this kind of inflexibility from their lenders before calling us. Over the years we have developed positive working relationships with key people in the loss mitigation dept at most banks. Our integrity and professionalism have earned us a reputation that allows us to be heard when no one else can get through the red tape. We will use our experience and connections to your advantage.

Q. What is foreclosure?
A. Home foreclosure is a process by which a lender regains a property which they have financed. Typically, this is because the borrower or homeowner is behind on house payments and is unable to catch up, often due to circumstances outside of his or her control. When the lender forecloses on the homeowner, the homeowner must move out of the house, therefore, losing all possession of the property and jeopardizing any possible equity that the homeowner may have in the home. There is a legal time frame, which varies from state to state, which determines how long the foreclosure process can take.

Q. When is the trustee's sale complete?
A. The sale is final upon the auctioneer saying "sold" and the sale is deemed perfected as of 8am on the day of sale provided the Trustee's Deed Upon Sale is recorded within 15 days of the actual sale date.

Q. How long do I have to act?
A. Time is of the essence when you are behind on house payments. Time is definitely not your friend in this situation. Each day that passes makes it that much harder to get a work out agreement with your lender that you can live with. The home foreclosure process can take anywhere from a few weeks to many months, depending on your state law and the method of foreclosure your lender chooses to use. We have encountered many homeowners who did not even know that they had already lost their home! Act NOW!

Q. How successful have you been in other cases?
A. 98% success rate, we are a Financial Solutions Company with decades of experience dedicated to helping you save your home and your credit. If we think your situation is beyond remedy, we will tell you right away. We know you’re used to getting your hopes up only to be let down later and want to be up-front and honest with you. If we accept your case, we will explore every possibility to save your home and your credit.

Q. How does the lender decide the maximum loan amount that I can afford?
A. The lender considers your debt-to-income ratio, which is a comparison of your gross (pre-tax) income to housing and non-housing debts. Non-housing expenses include such long-term debts as car or student loan payments, alimony, or child support. Typically, mortgage payments should be no more than 29% of gross income, while the mortgage payment, combined with non-housing expenses, should be no more than 41% of income. The lender also considers your cash available for a down payment and closing costs, credit history, and employment history when determining your maximum loan amount. 

Q. Do I have enough time to stop my foreclosure?
A. Up until the foreclosure sale occurs there is still hope. If a sale date for your house has been set you need to act fast. We have stopped sales set for the next day but this is very risky and some lenders will not agree to it. You’re best option is to take action immediately to stop foreclosure before it goes too far.

Q. Should I file for bankruptcy to save my house?
A. Maybe. The American Bar Association has reported that 96% of homeowners who declare bankruptcy end up losing their home to foreclosure anyway. Bankruptcy is very unlikely to help you save your home. If you declare bankruptcy you will likely end up with BOTH a bankruptcy and a foreclosure on your credit report. That being said, there certainly are times when bankruptcy is appropriate and we recommend you consult a reputable attorney should you think you need it.

Q. What can loss mitigation do for me?
A. The goal of loss mitigation is to work out an agreement between the homeowner and the lender that will provide you with terms you can manage. This allows the homeowner to stay in their home and protects their credit history.

Q. Several companies have contacted me recently offering to help, what's different about Startovertoday.com?
A. There are many predatory companies who are not what they appear to be. Beware of unscrupulous companies who are actually just interested in buying your house at big discount, attorneys who just want to take you into bankruptcy or companies that collect a consultation fee then do nothing for you. Our success rate speaks for itself.

Q. Can Startovertoday.com help me with my government backed (or insured) mortgage(S)?
A. Absolutely! Startovertoday.com is experienced in negotiating all kinds of government loans, including FHA or VA owned mortgages and Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac insured mortgages, as well as privately insured mortgages. We are highly proficient in all of the specific rules and regulations governing the acceptable short payoffs / loan modifications of these mortgages types.

Loan Mod Facts

 It is estimated that 1 out of every 33 homeowners will find themselves in foreclosure primarily over the next two years. In some states, the outlook is especially grim; for instance, nearly one in 11 homeowners in California and Nevada is projected to be in foreclosure and one in 18 Arizona homeowners may face the same circumstance over the next two years.  
It is calculated that approx. 26% of all home loans made in 2005-2006 were sub-prime

An estimated 43.5% of all homeowners will likely feel the ripple effects of foreclosures from subprime loans.

Affected homeowners are expected to lose an average of $8774 on property values

Approx. 36% of all borrowers who fall 30 days late on their mortgage will fall to 60 days late. (this is because it is so hard to catch up in today’s economy)

Approx. 61% of all borrowers who fall 60 days late on their mortgage will end up in foreclosure.

Most non-profit and government programs formed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure offer little more than temporary fixes to the problem aimed at postponing the problem more than fixing it.

These temporary fixes such as forbearance agreements and repayment structures are often misrepresented by Lenders as Loan Modifications. A true Loan Mod needs to supply a long term solution. These types of solutions usually require extensive negotiation.

Once you have accepted one of these short sighted solutions you are no longer eligible for a real Loan Modification for a minimum of one year.

Our Loan Modification Service only accepts offers that will provide a manageable long term solution to our clients’ home situation. 

Q. When is the trustee's sale complete?
A. The sale is final upon the auctioneer saying "sold" and the sale is deemed perfected as of 8am on the day of sale provided the Trustee's Deed Upon Sale is recorded within 15 days of the actual sale date.

Q. How long do I have to act?
A. Time is of the essence when you are behind on house payments. Time is definitely not your friend in this situation. Each day that passes makes it that much harder to get a work out agreement with your lender that you can live with. The home foreclosure process can take anywhere from a few weeks to many months, depending on your state law and the method of foreclosure your lender chooses to use. We have encountered many homeowners who did not even know that they had already lost their home! Act NOW!

Q. How successful have you been in other cases?
A. 98% success rate, we are a Financial Solutions Company with decades of experience dedicated to helping you save your home and your credit. If we think your situation is beyond remedy, we will tell you right away. We know you’re used to getting your hopes up only to be let down later and want to be up-front and honest with you. If we accept your case, we will explore every possibility to save your home and your credit.

Q. How does the lender decide the maximum loan amount that I can afford?
A. The lender considers your debt-to-income ratio, which is a comparison of your gross (pre-tax) income to housing and non-housing debts. Non-housing expenses include such long-term debts as car or student loan payments, alimony, or child support. Typically, mortgage payments should be no more than 29% of gross income, while the mortgage payment, combined with non-housing expenses, should be no more than 41% of income. The lender also considers your cash available for a down payment and closing costs, credit history, and employment history when determining your maximum loan amount. 

Q. Do I have enough time to stop my foreclosure?
A. Up until the foreclosure sale occurs there is still hope. If a sale date for your house has been set you need to act fast. We have stopped sales set for the next day but this is very risky and some lenders will not agree to it. You’re best option is to take action immediately to stop foreclosure before it goes too far.

FAQ’s

Q. Are lenders and banks willing to go through this process?
A. Most homeowners don’t realize that lenders and banks DO NOT WANT TO FORECLOSE ON YOUR HOME. In the current market, they will lose money by taking your home and trying to sell it, so the majority of lenders are very open to the Loan Modification process.

So consistently tell our clients that Loan Modification is an emerging option to foreclosure that benefits homeowners and lenders alike.

Q. I've already talked with my lender and they just want all their money. Can you still help me?
A. Yes! Most of our clients have experienced this kind of inflexibility from their lenders before calling us. Over the years we have developed positive working relationships with key people in the loss mitigation dept at most banks. Our integrity and professionalism have earned us a reputation that allows us to be heard when no one else can get through the red tape. We will use our experience and connections to your advantage.

Q. Should I file for bankruptcy to save my house?
A. Maybe. The American Bar Association has reported that 96% of homeowners who declare bankruptcy end up losing their home to foreclosure anyway. Bankruptcy is very unlikely to help you save your home. If you declare bankruptcy you will likely end up with BOTH a bankruptcy and a foreclosure on your credit report. That being said, there certainly are times when bankruptcy is appropriate and we recommend you consult a reputable attorney should you think you need it.

Q. What can loss mitigation do for me?
A. The goal of loss mitigation is to work out an agreement between the homeowner and the lender that will provide you with terms you can manage. This allows the homeowner to stay in their home and protects their credit history.

Q. Several companies have contacted me recently offering to help, what's different about Startovertoday.com?
A. There are many predatory companies who are not what they appear to be. Beware of unscrupulous companies who are actually just interested in buying your house at big discount, attorneys who just want to take you into bankruptcy or companies that collect a consultation fee then do nothing for you. Our success rate speaks for itself.

Q. Can Startovertoday.com help me with my government backed (or insured) mortgage(S)?
A. Absolutely! Startovertoday.com is experienced in negotiating all kinds of government loans, including FHA or VA owned mortgages and Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac insured mortgages, as well as privately insured mortgages. We are highly proficient in all of the specific rules and regulations governing the acceptable short payoffs / loan modifications of these mortgages types.

Loan Mod Facts

 It is estimated that 1 out of every 33 homeowners will find themselves in foreclosure primarily over the next two years. In some states, the outlook is especially grim; for instance, nearly one in 11 homeowners in California and Nevada is projected to be in foreclosure and one in 18 Arizona homeowners may face the same circumstance over the next two years.  
It is calculated that approx. 26% of all home loans made in 2005-2006 were sub-prime

An estimated 43.5% of all homeowners will likely feel the ripple effects of foreclosures from subprime loans.

Affected homeowners are expected to lose an average of $8774 on property values

Loan Modification Programs...Part 1. 

Approx. 36% of all borrowers who fall 30 days late on their mortgage will fall to 60 days late. (this is because it is so hard to catch up in today’s economy)

Approx. 61% of all borrowers who fall 60 days late on their mortgage will end up in foreclosure.

Most non-profit and government programs formed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure offer little more than temporary fixes to the problem aimed at postponing the problem more than fixing it.

These temporary fixes such as forbearance agreements and repayment structures are often misrepresented by Lenders as Loan Modifications. A true Loan Mod needs to supply a long term solution. These types of solutions usually require extensive negotiation.

Once you have accepted one of these short sighted solutions you are no longer eligible for a real Loan Modification for a minimum of one year.

Our Loan Modification Service only accepts offers that will provide a manageable long term solution to our clients’ home situation. 

This coming Thursday, November 20, 2008 at the Redding Main Library, we will be holding a seminar on Loan Modification Programs. The public is invited, especially those that think they may be at risk in terms of losing their home due to foreclosure. The following is a synopsis of what will be covered at the seminar.

• Loan Modification
  • Loan Modification - 99% of all "A" type lenders and 70% of sub-prime lenders (with high interest rates) will negotiate a loan modification where most of the delinquent payments and foreclosure fees are either wiped out or added onto the back end of the loan. Payments can remain approximately the same. In most cases the interest rate will be reduced permanently.
• Interest Rate / Payment Rate Reduction
  • With the increase of interest rates on home loans many homeowners with adjustable rate loans are faced with mortgage payments they can no longer afford.
    
    Our job is to convince the current lender that it is better to lower the homeowner's payment by lowering the interest rate or payment rate by creating a payment plan the borrower can afford, than to take the home with a foreclosure sale and lose money on the re-sale. Keep in mind lenders lose money on bank owned properties as it will sell for less than market value, and they must pay a commission to a Realtor; and closing cost plus the cost of holding the property while they wait for a sale in a market that is depreciating.
    
    We need to prove to the lender what the maximum payment is that borrower can afford by constructing a financial plan for the homeowner that the lender will approve.
    
    Also as the homeowner is often late with their payments and in foreclosure or soon to be in foreclosure, we need to ask the lender to forgive the delinquent payments or put them on the back of the loan.
    
    A rate reduction in most cases is the only possibility for a homeowner to retain their home
  • 
    Note: the success rate on a workout program without a rate reduction is 97%. Note: If we can prove you owe more that the value of the property and there is a second loan, we can convince that second lender to take a major reduction --of 50% to 80% -- off the balance of the loan.
• Principal Reduction
  • When a property is upside down and the homeowner is facing foreclosure, the homeowner has more leverage than they may realize against their lender. It is our job to force that leverage upon that lender. In doing so, we are successful in wiping out large portions of principle. Typically 50-80% on seconds.
    
    In today's market, we can also convince the lender of first lien holders to lower the principle amount to the present market value. (ex: a homeowner owes $600,000 on first but the appraised value is $500,000. We can convince the lender to lower the loan amount to $500,000.) That is a $100,000 reduction in principle for the client.

 For questions on this subject, or if you want input on your mortgage situation, plan on attending the seminar this Thursday at the Main Library in Redding at 7 PM.

Each year at Christmas.....Redding comes alive with great decorations, concerts, parades, and celebrations of all kinds. And, during this season of giving, hope, love, and joy, the Salvation Army brings out the Red Kettles. Thanks to wonderful people over the years, the Annual Bell Ringing has been a major source of funds to directly help the needy in Redding and Shasta County. All of what comes in at the bell ringing locations stays in this area....a classic example of Redding and Shasta County helping our own hurting and needy.

But, we cannot do it without many volunteers out there "manning the Kettles". We are now desparately looking for Kettle Bell Ringers. Just a couple of hours in a location near you can make a huge difference. All you have to do is call 222-2207.....and the Salvation Army will do the rest.

Here's to a great Christmas Season, and you can make a difference. Call to be a Bell Ringer today. 530-222-2207. 

1. Be Brave. Even in this economy, there are employers looking for the affordable, enthusiastic, and energetic help that teenagers provide, but you have to go out and ask for it. Don’t let yourself be discouraged by news of the economy, and don’t be afraid to apply for jobs.

2. Be Prepared. Bring a resume and a cover letter whenever you apply for a job. Teens are now competing for jobs with adults and having a well-written resume is essential. It shows that you are serious about the position, and that you are mature and responsible. If you need help writing a resume, Myfirstpaycheck.com provides a dynamic free resume for teens that is very helpful.

3. Be Polite. You are applying for a job; dress up, make eye contact, shake hands, and avoid using slang. First impressions matter - they are your chance to prove yourself - take advantage of the opportunity.

4. Be Persistent. Persistence pays off; send a thank you note to interviewers, follow-up if you do not hear about the job after a week, and keep applying.

5. Be Creative. Look for work in places other than the mall. The weak economy means that people are going to be looking to cut costs in areas such as lawn and child care. Get a few friends together and start a landscaping or a babysitting business.

What are you trying to accomplish with your Internet presence? Many would say that it is to showcase your services, expertise and listings. That’s correct, but it doesn’t go far enough, nor does it really address the importance of the Web to the average Realtor. So, what should we be trying to accomplish with our Web presence?

- We want to be considered the “go-to” expert on local area real estate.
- We want our Internet presence to start a process that eventually creates a phone or in-person relationship with a visitor who wants to buy or sell real estate.
- We want our site to help us in the generation of listings by impressing listing prospects.

When visitors first arrive at your site, they are rarely ready for the “go-to.” They want information about the area, real estate processes, and lots of listings to search (give them IDX). On these early visits, they do not want a phone call or e-mail unless they ask for it. You need to give them the information they want, and gradually build trust for a relationship.

So, what’s it going to take to get the first two goals realized? This is where the power of the blog comes in. What is so different about the weblog (blog) platform or structure that makes this possible?

The content is easily entered by the real estate agent without any HTML or special Web programming knowledge at all.

The setup and structure places the content properly, requiring no page design for each entry, article or “post” as they are called.

Search engines like regular fresh new content, which is the way blogs are posted. Search engines love the way blogs are structured and the way that they present fresh new content regularly.

Web visitors aren’t patient, and they are on a quest for information. So, several smaller posts about topics like “What’s a Title Binder” or “What’s Covered by Title Insurance” will be precisely on target for their search, and they’ll read it.

You can keep the information fresh when things change, so content is easy to keep updated.

The “Comments” function of a blog makes it easy for your site visitors to interact with you and other visitors.
The RSS feed function puts out an update of your content as you place it-a type of press release. The world is informed every time you post new content.

Visitors who like what you write can subscribe to your RSS feed and receive every new item as it is released. This keeps them around until they are actually ready to contact you in a more direct and personal way.

Blogs and add-ons for features are set up to automatically work with social networking like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The major difference with Internet marketing has to do with differences in the way Web consumers locate information and the ways in which they prefer to be contacted. Basically, they don’t want a phone call early in their real estate research process. They want to be anonymous, gathering information at their pace until they want to talk to a Realtor. Any effort to hold back information to force a phone or other direct contact is going to cost you prospects. Give them information they respect, and they’ll contact you.

The reason blogs work so well is that they pull the visitors into doing business with you instead of pushing them to contact you on your terms. They allow the prospect to learn about you, even the personality you show in your posts and content selection. They learn who you are and how much you know by keeping up with your content. They want to contact you at some point.

Blogs don’t change the basics. IDX should be in the site, and it’s just as easy to integrate into a blog as it is into any other site. IDX is what your visitors want when they first arrive in 90+% of cases. They may get there on a search for “YourTown real estate sold data,” but they will go from there to the listings search. They’ll also learn that you know what you’re talking about, becaus