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Homebuyer U
By Times staff "Dream of Home Ownership," a free home-buying seminar, is being offered by the Tampa Bay Community Development Corp. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, Feb. 9 and March 16, at Ross Norton Community Center, 1426 S Greenwood Ave., Clearwater. The daylong seminar covers topics such as how to choose a real estate agent, home inspections and appraisals, loan applications, contracts and other documents and filing for homestead exemption. Call (727) 442-7075 to register. The Tampa Bay Community Development Corp. is approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and is a Fannie Mae approved Homebuyer Education Provider; the seminars are approved by lenders and assistance programs in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. The Community Service Foundation offers "Family Budgeting," free three-part money management classes for people who want to buy a house but are having trouble coming up with a down payment. Classes show how to develop a budget and how to save, plus they provide a basic understanding of credit reports. Sequential classes begin from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 22, and continue Feb. 5 and Feb. 26 at the Sunshine Center, 330 Fifth St. N, St. Petersburg. Classes also held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, beginning Wed., and continuing Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 at Foundation Village Neighborhood Family Center, 918 Woodlawn St., Clearwater. Participants must attend complete three-part class series to receive certificate. Call (727) 461-0618 for reservations. Community Homebuyers and Credit Rebuilding Workshop, designed for first-time home buyers, is presented in Spanish by Consumer Credit Counseling Service. The Spanish language workshop is held in one session, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Greater Tampa Association of Realtors, 2918 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. Workshop provides information on down payment and closing-cost assistance programs to those with low to moderate incomes. Participants attending session receive certification; call (813) 289-8923, ext. 127. Learn how to save money on capital gains taxes with a free one-hour seminar on "Like/Kind Exchanges," presented by Century 21 Sunshine Realty, Real Estate Exchange Services Inc. and Mercantile Bank at 10 a.m. Wed. at Century 21 Sunshine Realty, 129 Second St. N, St. Petersburg (park in BayWalk garage next to realty office). The seminar covers selling property that is not a primary residence and using a 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange process, also known as a "Starker Trust," to take advantage of tax savings. Call (727) 824-7200 to reserve. Free Home Buyer Seminar for the first-time home purchaser is presented by the Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services Inc. from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (lunch provided) Feb. 2 at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 1500 N Pennsylvania Ave., Clearwater. Those who complete the seminar will receive a certificate that could provide access to special mortgage loan products and subsidies. Prospective homeowners can also attend a one-hour orientation overview of the home buying process offered on selected Thursday evenings, presented by the Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services Inc. Call (727) 442-4155 for registration or information. Those who find that buying a home can be a complicated and confusing process may attend the free seminar "Insider Home-buying Strategies," the first in a series of monthly seminars presented by Keller Williams Landmark Realty of St. Petersburg, 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at Gladden Park Recreation Center, 3901 30th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Learn how to combine logic and emotion to make a better home purchase, how to determine homeowners' layout and furnishing needs, how lenders determine what kind of loan will be offered by evaluating the borrower's credit, and how to better determine your creditworthiness, among other topics discussed. Handouts and notebook provided; to reserve, call: (727) 422-7169 or (727) 894-1600, ext. 122, during business hours. The Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Florida Suncoast Inc. sponsors free "New Homebuyers" two-part educational seminars from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 21 and Feb. 28 at Largo Library, 351 East Bay Drive, Largo. Topics include the advantages of home ownership, budgeting for a home, credit reports, home inspections, the closing process, home ownership responsibilities and affordable housing options. Attendance at both class sessions required for certificate. For reservations and information, call (727) 587-6715, ext. 2507. Free "New Homebuyers" two-part educational seminars sponsored by the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Florida and the Florida Suncoast Inc. offered from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays Feb. 12 and Feb. 19 at Hicks Road Baptist Church, 12219 Hicks Road, Hudson, and March 5 and March 12 at American Legion Hall, 37745 Church Ave., Dade City. Topics include the advantages of home ownership, budgeting, whether to buy or build a home, credit reports, home inspections, the Pasco County Affordable programs and the closing process. Attendance at both class sessions required for certificate. For reservations and information, call (727) 845-5654 or toll-free 1-800-720-9537. First Worldwide Mortgage Corp. offers free seminars on how to avoid common home-buying pitfalls from 10 a.m. to noon on selected Saturdays at 6450 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. Call (727) 398-7781 for information. The Pinellas Housing Agency can tell first-time home buyers in the Clearwater, Largo and Dunedin areas whether they qualify for down payment assistance programs. Call (727) 467-9494. - Send items to Homes, Peggy Anders, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. The deadline is two weeks before publication.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
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