Housing Expo Geared Towards Prospective Homebuyers

Prospective homebuyers could learn tips to help them purchase their piece of the American Dream at a on Saturday sponsored by Arundel Community Development Services Inc. (ACDS) and the Anne Arundel Association of Realtors.

Government and nonprofit housing agencies, lenders and realtors will be available to meet with attendees and provide them with information about their programs and services.

The expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at , 10 Davis Court.

ACDS, the nonprofit established by the county to create and retain affordable housing opportunities, has held the expo consecutively for the past three years, Executive Director Kathleen Koch said. Officials decided to hold it annually based on an increase in attendees, but Koch said she didn’t have numbers indicating how much attendance had increased.

ACDS also will offer information about its services, including property rehabilitation, homebuyer assistance and the Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Program, and hold classes to help homebuyers repair their credit, buy their first home or learn about short sales.

“It’s an opportunity for people who didn’t think they could buy a house or afford one,” Koch said. “Part of our mission is to help people buy homes and stay in their homes and help them learn in a relaxed atmosphere.”

And with so much about the process seeming intimidating to newcomers, especially in a faltering economy, the housing expo can be a great way to get started, Koch said.

“We always say, we’re the place to start. It’s always your largest purchase,” she said of buying a home. “Unless you’re Donald Trump, that is.”

For details on the expo, visit acdsinfo.org.