Festival Offers Information, Seminars for Homebuyers

Submitted by the DuPage Homeownership Center

Unprecedented opportunity in the home real estate market makes the present time the best in many years to buy a home, according to the DuPage Homeownership Center (DHOC). To help first time homebuyers learn more about how to qualify for a mortgage and purchase a home, the DHOC is hosting a free homebuyers festival.

“For first-time homebuyers, today’s real estate market offers unprecedented opportunities, but the roadmap to homeownership has changed,” said DHOC Director Debra Olson. “The DuPage Homeownership Center is proud to provide free guidance to the region’s future homeowners.”    

For 20 years, the not-for-profit (DHOC) has prepared low-to-moderate income, first-time homebuyers with pre-purchase counseling and financial literacy. According to federal guidelines, those who have not owned a home for at least three years qualify as first-time homebuyers. The DHOC helps those interested in buying a house make good decisions about lending and shopping for a home. More than 12,000 people have attended the Homebuyers Festival.  

The festival is also a cultural outreach event – promotions are being done through ethnic media outlets to improve our outreach to all peoples in DuPage County. Spanish, Polish, Burmese and other translation services will be available.  

“With immigrants from all over the globe coming to DuPage County, we don’t want to exclude anyone from the opportunity to buy a home,” said Olson. “This is a tremendous opportunity for individuals to learn about homeownership in a friendly, helpful environment.”

The Homebuyers Festival will hold hourly seminars on such topics as qualifying for the lowest interest rate mortgage; understanding and repairing your credit report; and how to purchase a short sale or foreclosed property. DuPage Habitat for Humanity will also be holding an information session on their homebuyer’s program, and the Illinois Housing Development Authority will be hosting two sessions on their Welcome Home Heroes Veterans program and their SMART Move program – both special financing programs. 

The free Homebuyers festival will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Illinois Institute of Technology Wheaton campus, located at 201 East Loop Road, Wheaton.   

For more information, contact the DuPage Homeownership Center at 630-260-2500 or visit www.dhoc.org.