Those who are thinking about buying a home might want to make a trip to the Tacoma Dome near the end of the month.
Pierce County Community Services, Housing Programs, will have a booth at the third annual Home Buyers Fair, being held at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall on March 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Parking and admission are free. The Tacoma Pierce County Partners in Homeownership (TPCPH) is organizing the event and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, City of Tacoma, Tacoma Pierce County Association of Realtors, LoanTek, Columbia Bank, Bank of America and Washington Mutual are sponsors.
The Home Buyers Fair is an educational trade show featuring several Pierce County banks, insurance agents, title agents, escrow agents and home inspectors who are partnering together to educate homebuyers about the often complex process of home buying.
The TPCPH hopes this fair and other resources such as its Web site, speakers bureau and resource brochures will increase Pierce County homeownership by 1 percent by the end of the year.
Attendees will find over 75 booths and two stages that include presentations on topics such as Home Buying 101, Mortgage University, Buying a Rehab Home and Getting Rich in Real Estate.
Pierce County Community Services, Housing Programs booth will feature their first-time homebuyers programs that can assist Pierce Countys low-income population in becoming homeowners. LoanTek is offering a free calculator to the first 150 attendees.
Other prizes to be awarded throughout the show include Mariner tickets, Gameworks tokens and gift certificates from various organizations.
HOUSING STARTS, CONSTRUCTION WAY UP
American builders broke ground on single-family homes in February at the fastest pace since the late 1970s, and economists said the home-building sector that helped offset the broader economic slump is set to assist in the recovery.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday overall housing starts raced ahead by 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted 1.769 million annual rate last month, the fastest pace in more than three years.
Construction starts on single-family homes rose 7.4 percent to a 1.457 million pace, the strongest clip since December 1978.
