Real estate calendar

WED: JULY 29 Homebuying class. Learn the steps in the homebuying process. Learn about the market, the benefits of homeownership, tips and common mistakes and how to find and buy your first home or condo. Register online at www.WashingtonHousingClass.com. 40 Lake Bellevue Drive, Room 100, Bellevue. 6:30-9 p.m.

WED: JULY 15 Learn the steps in the homebuying process. Learn about the current market, the benefits of homeownership, how to find and buy your first home; registration required. 6:45-8:45 p.m., Windermere Real Estate, Bellevue, 1200 112th Ave. N.E., Suite B-100, Bellevue. Free. 425-450-2621.

WED: JULY 15 Learn about selling your home in today's market. Topics include pricing your home right, staging tips, legal pitfalls to watch for and how to maximize your home's value; registration required. 6:45-8:45 p.m., 1200 112th Ave. N.E., Suite B-100, Bellevue; free. Phone 425-450-2622.

SAT: JULY 11, 18, 25 Learn the homebuying process from A-Z along with the 10 most deadly mistakes made by first-time homebuyers and how to avoid them. Sponsored by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. For reservations and class locations please call 800-486-5250, or e-mail josh@thedibellogroup.com, or visit www.washingtonhousingeducation.org. Certificate of class completion provided. All classes begin at 10:30 a.m.

SAT: JULY 11; AUG. 8 Learn every step of the homebuying process in this interactive roundtable. This free course is sponsored by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, granting you two years of eligibility to apply for their down-payment assistance programs. Instructors: real-estate consultant Karen Balkin of Prudential Northwest Realty and mortgage planner Bill Sandusky of Cobalt Mortgage. Reserve your seat at karenbalkin@pnwrealty.com, 425-943-6610. Held at Prudential Northwest Realty, 200 112th Ave. N.E., Suite 200, Bellevue, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

TUE: JULY 14, JULY 28 Free real-estate investing seminars designed to educate new investors about low-risk strategies for entering the market. Come equipped with questions. Seminars are in Bellevue at 6 p.m. For location and to RSVP go to www.prosperarealestate.com/freeseminar.com or contact Robert Wasser at 425-289-1099 or robertw@prosperarealestate.com. 6 p.m.

WED: JULY 15; AUG. 12 Condo and town home purchasing class. These classes will explain associations, disclosures, resale cert, searching, lawsuits, tips, avoiding mistakes and the closing process. Bellevue and Seattle, Select from a variety of classes. Free. www.WashingtonStateHousing.com. 40 Lake Bellevue Drive., Room 100, Bellevue, 6:30-9 p.m.

THUR: JULY 30; AUG 27 Free homebuyer class designed to answer your questions about homeownership, including. the $8,000 tax credit and FHA loan programs. Location: McLendon Hardware; 440 Rainier Ave. S., Renton, 6-8 p.m. E-mail sherib@johnlscott.com to register or for questions.

TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS A one-hour homebuyers Q&A roundtable lunch Tuesdays and Thursdays in your office or at a restaurant. For reservations contact Karen Balkin: 425-943-6610.

Nonprofit assistance

Acorn Housing — Nonprofit-homebuyer education and loan counseling, free homebuyer counseling. $20 for credit reports. 206-243-4663 or www.acornhousing.org

El Centro de la Raza — Program offering free bilingual counseling and education services on the first two Saturdays of each month in Spanish and English, helping people improve their financial and housing situations; registration required. Free. 206-957-4610 or www.elcentrodelaraza.org/programs/homeownership.htm

HomeSight — Nonprofit group offers affordable home loans, financial counseling and two homebuyer-education classes demystifying the purchase process. $40 (206-723-4355 or www.homesightwa.org)

Homestead Community Land Trust — Nonprofit group offers down-payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers. 206-323-1227 orwww.homesteadclt.org