Now is the time to buy a new home

LAREDO, TEXAS (KGNS) – Being a first time home buyer can be exciting, but before you go house hunting there are some things you need to know.

A lot of Laredoans are now armed with that knowledge, thanks a free course designed to help first-timers navigate the process.

Some of the new homes may soon be occupied by first-time home buyers. They may even have attended the free class offered by Neighbor Works Laredo. The group is dedicated to helping families become homeowners.

Its something everybody dreams of to have their own house, said Rosa Lopez.

Rosa Lopez like a lot of people, dreams of owning her own home. Shes lived in Laredo all her life and Tuesday, spent part of her day learning what it will take to make that dream come true.

Its a way to start a life with the family. I learned that the interest to buy a house is going down and it the best to buy according to my income, said Lopez.

Buying a home is a big decision and that is why doing your research is important.

Christina Sandoval is a homeownership counselor with neighbor works Laredo. She helps families navigate the home buying process.

What we do is we want to educate people about buying a home. We look at everyone who is in the home buying process from realtors, to lenders, we cover a lot of topics, said Sandoval.

Lopez says attending the course has changed the way she looks at owning a home.

I learned a lot of things. How to go step by step. How to budget my money and where to go first. I was looking at houses first, but now I have to look at my budget and income

Neighbor Works Laredo holds this course once a month and usually cost about a $100.

Tuesdays course was free and the group plans on holding another free course next Tuesday.

Live from the Mines Road area.

Neighbor Works is a non-profit group that offers help with foreclosures.

They also help help people having a hard time making their mortgage payments see if they qualify for a loan modification.