Can You Afford to Buy a Home?

Before potential homeowners even begin the  process, they must answer a fundamental question: Can they afford to buy a home? 

On Saturday, Century 21 Alliance will host an info session for people with questions about financing.

"We're bringing in our in-house mortgage company, First American Mortgage, and we're giving consumers a chance to come in, sit down, and talk with a loan officer about the process they must undergo," Realtor Christopher Mayer said. 

Mayer co-manages the and . On Main Street a sidewalk sign advertised the April 28 event from 10 a.m. to noon at 630 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill.

Century 21 wants to host free sessions like this once a quarter. At the first one, the loan officer will discuss the financing process, the quality of credit needed and information about down payments.

The session, Mayer said, is geared to anyone looking for a new home, but will be most helpful to people just starting out.

"It's good for people interested in buying over the next year or two years. A lot of what goes into that is credit. If you have bad credit now, you should start building credit," he said.

Century 21 has held a Main Street office for the last seven years—three at its current location. Before that, they were in Roxborough on Ridge Avenue. The Saturday session is open to anyone, and real estate agents will be on hand if anyone wants to talk specifics about housing in Roxborough-Manayunk, Plymouth-Whitemarsh or other areas.

"It's a great opportunity to purchase right now. Despite what the news says, the rates are as low as they're ever going to be," he said.

Visit their websites for more information on their Manayunk or Lafayette Hill offices.