By CAROLYN SMITH

Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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As part of National Homeowner's Month, the Maine State Housing Authority, in conjunction with mortgage lenders and non-profit organization Maine Homeworks, is reminding first-time home buyers of free classes that can help explain the process of financing a home.

Debra King-Johnson, administrator of Maine Homeworks for the Housing Authority, said many first-time home buyers are unaware of the complexities of home buying and home ownership. Homeworks was created in 1999 to help consumers navigate through the lending process and now hosts more than 100 classes a year in Maine, King-Johnson said. Participation in a Homeworks class is also a prerequisite for state and federal housing grants, including Great Rates, a program for first-time home buyers.

But the course is useful for anyone who wants to be on top of the information curve while searching for a home, King-Johnson said.

"Knowledge is power," King-Johnson said. "The class gives people a real comfort level. They come through feeling much better about what they encounter."

The classes, which are offered in every county in Maine this month, are designed to give consumers from Kittery to Presque Isle the same information about buying a home, King-Johnson said.

Previous home-ownership courses were taught by "business people who were looking to cultivate a business relationship," she said. "They were informational but lacking the full picture."

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All classes require advance registration. Call the agency holding the class to register. For the latest schedule and information, visit hoMEworks at www.mainehomeworks.org For information on courses in York County call York County Community Action at 324-5762, in Cumberland County call People's Regional Opportunity Porgram at 842-2988 or Consumer Credit Counseling Services at 773-1411, in Oxford and Androscoggin counties call Community Concepts at 743-7716 and in Midcoast Maine call Coastal Enterprises at 882-7552. To top of story

Homeworks classes are taught by industry professionals in two five-hour segments over the course of one day. Sponsors and instructors for each course include mortgage lenders, inspectors, appraisers and real estate agents, King-Johnson said. Instructors also help facilitate question and answer sessions to make sure people grasp the plethora of topics covered during the day.

The classes are designed to explain "soup to nuts, application to close, things to think about as a homeowner," King-Johnson said.

Carmella Clement, a Homeworks board member and the director of education for Consumer Credit Counseling Services, said classes help consumers make responsible and educated decisions as they search for the perfect home.

Potential home buyers need to be educated about potential financial encumbrances as they search for a home, especially if they are considering purchasing a "fixer-upper" or a multi-family home, Clement said.

"They think about the mortgage payment. They don't really think about taxes going up, insurance, maintenance repairs and upkeep," Clement said. "Owning a home is more than just having a mortgage."

Consumers who are used to having a landlord might not realize the responsibilities that are married to home ownership, Clement said.

"We ask them, 'do you own a rake or a shovel?'" she said. "We list things you need to purchase and that are going to come up that you never even really thought about."

Portland resident Karla Olson attended a Homeworks class in March and said it has been crucial in her search for a home.

"They were very good at making the complicated subjects very easy to understand," Olson said. "It's really comprehensive."

Olson, who is looking for a home within a 45-mile radius of Portland, said she was surprised at how much she didn't know about the lending process.

"It's a scary thing and it's a big thing, so having that background and education really helps you," Olson said.

A schedule of Homeworks classes is available on the Web at www.mainehomeworks.org.

Carolyn Smith is a free-lance writer who lives in Portland.

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