Homeownership Fair at El Rio Neighborhood Center this weekend for potential homebuyers in Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — June is National Homeownership Month, but buying a home can be intimidating right now with interest rates at record highs. According to Mortgage News Daily, the national average on a fixed 30 year mortgage is 7.1%.

Still, local nonprofits like Pima County Community Land Trust have stepped in to offer potential homebuyers some support. On Saturday June 7th, PCCLT is hosting a Homeownership Fair at the El Rio Neighborhood Center from 9 a.m. to noon.

“Arming yourself with knowledge and knowing what resources are available in our community is the very first step to buying a house,” said PCCLT Executive Director Maggie Amado-Tellez.

The resource fair will offer down payment assistance, housing counseling, financial planning, and plenty more from experts on home buying. There will also be raffles and Eegees offered to help potential home buyers stay cool in the heat.

Tucsonans like Jaymie Crespo-Miranda have been working with PCCLT to buy a home. He's under contract with one of the many affordable homes PCCLT offers through their programs. Crespo-Miranda had been searching for a home for 12 months, and more seriously for six months with the help of his realtor.

“The competitions with different households, you know I'm just a single-income household, so sometimes you're competing against multiple incomes. People in general have far more resources," said Crespo-Miranda.

Then he found the resources he needed to be able to purchase the home through Pima County Community Land Trust. His realtor, Nicole Caballero with Keller-Williams, shared how the process helped get Jaymie into a home quicker.

“It's a walk in the park working with the company… because they've given Jaymie resources. They've literally done it for him,” said Caballero.

For more information on Pima County Community Land Trust, visit their website.