New Homebuyer Webinars Help Renters Own Their First Homes
by Lisa Lee
Renters, as you write that rent check to your landlord each month, do you wish it were going into an account with your name on it instead? Wannabe homebuyers have an easy way to learn the ins and outs of owning a home, thanks to Prudential Locations, who unveiled a new webinar series this month.
“Many people mistakenly think they can’t afford to own a home,” says Carl Worthy, REALTOR who leads the new Homebuyer Webinars. “But with today’s low interest rates and loan programs, it is possible to comfortably afford a home.”
Worthy would know. He’s been active in Hawaii real estate for 40 years and over the years has educated hundreds of buyers, sellers and real estate agents. His passion for putting people into their first homes inspired Prudential Locations’ Homebuyer Seminars.
“Our Homebuyer Seminars have been very popular and tend to fill up quickly. We wanted to increase their convenience and accessibility, especially for people who can’t make the evenings or Saturdays when our seminars are scheduled. So, we took them online. With our new webinar format, people can participate from anywhere they have a computer, tablet or smart-phone,” says Linh DePledge, Prudential Locations’ Vice President of Marketing.
The webinars explain what it takes to own a home, walk you through a step-by-step process and provide tools to assess your own situation.
“When looking to buy a home, many people focus on the list price,” explains Worthy, “however, it is more important to understand what your monthly payment will be. A lot of renters today wonder if they can afford to own a home. The most important question to ask is: What can I afford to pay each month? Today’s low interest rates[notdef]mean that monthly payments are 20 percent less than they were a few years ago — and affordable monthly payments are the key to ownership.”
It is clear that Worthy loves what he does. With his contagious enthusiasm and engaging style, it is no surprise that his seminars and webinars are popular.
“Carl encourages people to ask questions along the way.
As a result, each webinar is dynamic and personalized. We’ve had questions that range from dealing with student loans, to saving for a down payment, calculating the tax benefits of home ownership, and competing with multiple offers,” says DePledge.
“Most people don’t realize what they don’t know when it comes to buying a property. Our goal is that at the end of the webinar, people will walk away with newfound knowledge about the homeownership process — how interest rates and loans work, and how they can move forward and comfortably afford to own their home.”
At the very least, webinar attendees can enjoy a cup of coffee on Prudential Locations. They send each webinar participant a $5 e-gift certificate to a gourmet coffee shop to say thank you.
Homebuyer Webinars
FREE, CONVENIENT, MOBILE-FRIENDLY
Next on Tuesday, July 29 at 5:30 p.m.
PrudentialLocations.com/webinar.aspx (808) 377-4890
