Are you interested in buying a home but feel that you need some education about the process? Michigan State University Extension offers two free Pre-purchase Education courses in January. The sessions are on January 16 & 23 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Learning Resource Center. Pre-register by calling (734) 997-1678.

Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley is currently seeking families to partner with for their 0% interest home-ownership program. You may qualify if you are a U.S. citizen or have permanent residency status, live or work in Washtenaw County, have a need for simple, decent and affordable housing, and meet certain income requirements. To learn more and to sign up to attend and upcoming orientation, call (734) 677-1558 x104.

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Hope America, Inc. is holding a free seminar on Saturday, Sept. 11 from 10:00am to 12:00pm called Help Me Keep My Home. This seminar will help teach you the process of working to obtain a solution to stop foreclosure on your home. You'll learn how to negotiate with your lender, create a successful household budget, lower your mortgage payments, and more! To register, call (734) 483-5362.

If the news that the homebuyer tax credit has been extended into 2010 has you tempted to start looking for your dream home, AADL has lots of resources to help you. AADL Select Sites includes a section of websites selected by librarians specifically for house buying and selling. You can search for real estate on trulia.com or zillow.com or calculate how much you can afford with a mortgage calulator. I also found Nolo's Essential Guide To Buying Your First Home helpful when I was looking to buy my house.

Want to invest in your home and make it worth more? AADL has a 24 part DVD series titled Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford. Danny has over 25 years of experience doing home renovations, and these DVDs are realistic and practical. These DVDs include step by step instructions for: kitchen expansion, siding replacement, bedroom additions, bathroom additions, garden room additions, roofing, and painting. If you are thinking of starting a home renovation project, check out these DVDs first. They are sure to make your project run smoother, and turn out wonderfully!

Please join us tonight for an evening of information and conversation about the things homeowners want to know about housing lenders, collection and loss mitigation, Federal and State programs and initiatives, refinancing opportunities, the real estate market and housing crisis strategies. Please join our panel of housing counselors, bankers, real estate professionals and attorney to discuss all aspects of the housing crisis. This is a Town Hall style meeting with opportunity to ask questions. If you have ever wondered if you could benefit from meeting with a housing counselor, this is the place to start! Tuesday, April 14, 6:30-9:00 pm, Superior Township Offices, 3040 N. Prospect (at Cherry Hill, Ypsilanti). Free, but RSVP required, 734-997-1678. Sponsored by Washtenaw County Treasurer, MSU Extension and UM Housing Bureau for Seniors.

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You may qualify for home ownership through Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley! In order to qualify you must be able to demonstrate a need for simple, decent housing, the ability to pay, and a willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity. If you are interested in owning your own home but are unable to qualify for a conventional mortgage, and you live in Washtenaw County and have steady income, contact Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley at 734-677-1558 ext. 104. Opportunities are also available for volunteers!

You are invited to attend a free workshop on how to avoid losing your home to foreclosure. It will take place on Wed., Jan 21, 6-8 pm at the Bryant Community Center at 3 W. Eden Ct., Ann Arbor. Dinner and childcare will be provided. The speakers will be from the MSU Extension & Washtenaw County Treasurer. Please call 734-994-2722 with questions.

This Sunday, January 11, at 2 p.m., Nick Meima, founder of the Sunward cohousing community will be talking on "Community, Health, and Well-Being" and leading a tour of the three local cohousing communities. Cohousing is an innovative approach to living in which residents have separate dwellings but share activities and where the physical environment encourages a strong sense of community. Inspired by Danish experiments in intentional living, cohousing has taken off in this country, spawning a diversity of communities that each have their individual character based on needs and goals of residents. The meeting and tour will be held at Sunward Cohousing, 424 Little Lake Dr. Free. Preregistration required. Call 763-2177.