Home Stretch Ð Learn before you buy

First-time homebuyer classes (Home Stretch) will be held in

St. Cloud from 6Ð9 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 13, 20, and 27, at the AmericInn (off of Highway 75). Participants must complete all three evenings in order to receive a certificate. We are also holding a one-day, all-day class from

8 a.m.Ð5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22.

Pre-purchase counseling is also available by appointment. This is a free service to anyone who wants to talk with a certified homeownership counselor about their personal situation pertaining to buying a home.

You have the opportunity to free yourself from some of the complications and stress in buying a home by participating in a Home Stretch Workshop offered by Central Minnesota Housing Partnership.

By participating in this class, you will learn about qualifying for a mortgage and financing a home, budget and credit issues, real estate, the closing process, basic home maintenance and affordable mortgage products that may be available to first-time homebuyers.

Central Minnesota Housing Partnership, a non-profit organization providing affordable housing services to the central region of Minnesota, coordinates the Home Stretch workshop. Community lenders, realtors and other housing professionals volunteer their time to bring first-time homebuyers the most important and current information about the home buying process.

“It’s a great time to be a first-time homebuyer,” said Stacy Esboldt, Program Coordinator for CMHP. “There are so many opportunities out there for homebuyers at the moment and Home Stretch will provide the needed information a first-time homebuyer should know before beginning the process.”

Some affordable mortgage products, first-time homebuyer products and government loans may require a buyer to receive a Home Stretch certificate.

“Home Stretch is the best “first-step” in the homebuying process,” said Esboldt. “Buying a home is usually the largest investment an individual/family will make in their lifetime. I find it to be very necessary to take advantage of the market and slow things down a bit by learning more about this investment.”

There is a $25 fee per household to participate in Home Stretch and registration is required. To register for either the St. Cloud evening classes or the all-day, one-day class, or if you have any questions about the Home Stretch Program, please call Stacy Esboldt at Central Minnesota Housing Partnership at (320) 259-0393.