Take Advantage of Free Classes from the Federal Reserve of Chicago

It’s Money Smart Week! The Federal Reserve has been hosting a series of free events throughout the week designed to help consumers manage their personal finances, and there are a ton of classes for homeowners or those that want to be.

There are sessions on mortgages, buying a home, buying or avoiding foreclosures, federal programs, home owner assistance, investment properties and more, but there are also discussions on retirement, taxes, insurance, estate planning, small businesses, being green, investing, debt management, kids and money and more, so check out the Money Smart Week 2010 web site for the topic of your interest.

What we have here is a list of anything related to home ownership. This schedule is for classes on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24. The web site encourages participants to verify dates, times and registration information of the event you would like to attend as there could be changes. Hope you learn something!

The following real estate events are scheduled for Friday, April 23:

What: Reverse Mortgage/Make Living Affordable/Retire in Your Home with No Mortgage Payment!! Learn how to pay off debtand eliminate mortgage payments for life, including pitfalls to avoid.

When: 1 to 3 p.m.

Where: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, 230 South LaSalle Street, Chicago

What: Mortgage Workshop: Investigate today’s mortgage environment and find the right mortgage for you.

When: 1 to 3 p.m.

Where: Palatine Opportunity Center, 1585 Rand Rd., Palatine

What: Mortgage Workshop: Investigate today’s mortgage environment and find the right mortgage for you.

When: 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Where: Palatine Opportunity Center, 1585 Rand Rd., Palatine

What: First-Time Homebuyer Seminar: Learn the A to Z steps to buying a home.

When: 5 to 7 p.m.

Where: Harris Bank, 1630 Chicago Rd., Chicago Heights

What: First-Time Homebuyer Seminar: Cover all the steps to buying a new home.

When: 5 to 7 p.m.

Where: Harris Bank, 207 Mondamin, Minooka

What: First-Time Homebuyer Seminar: Learn the A to Z steps to buying a home.

When: 5 to 7 p.m.

Where: Harris Bank, 4050 W. 147th St., Midlothian

The following real estate events are scheduled for Saturday, April 24:

What: Avoiding Foreclosure, Understanding HAMP and Budgeting Tools: Learn how to use the Home Affordable Mortgage Program and how to set a realistic budget.

When: 8:30 a.m. to noon

Where: Northwest Side Housing Center, 5007 W. Addison St., Chicago

What: First-Time Homebuyer’s Seminar: Learn how to navigate the home buying process.

When: 9 to 11 a.m.

Where: Village of Riverdale, 157 W. 144th St., Riverdale

What: Foreclosure Prevention: Find information and guidance as well as resources to prevent mortgage default and foreclosure.

When: 9 to 11 a.m.

Where: Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County, 1590 S. Milwaukee Ave., Suite 215, Libertyville

What: Kiss Your Landlord Goodbye! Home Buyer Seminar: The secrets of credit, mortgage loans, free grants and more.

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: North Side Community Federal Credit Union, 1011 W. Lawrence, Chicago

What: Foreclosure Prevention Seminar: Save Your Home Save Our Community: Learn steps to saving your home.

When: 9 to 11 a.m.

Where: Truth Deliverance Int’l Ministries, 3 S. Laramie, Chicago

What: Home Buyers Fair for First-time Home Buyers: Free workshops on mortgage, inspections, credit and more.

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Jack T. Knuepfer Center – DuPage County Complex, 421 N. County Farm Rd., Wheaton

What: Home Financing 101: Discussion on mortgages, home ownership and making credit work for you.

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Standard Bank and Trust Co., 8380 W. Cermak Rd., North Riverside

What: First-Time Homebuyer Seminar: Learn the steps to buying a home from A to Z.

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Harris Bank, 555 Burnham Ave., Calumet City

What: Understanding Mortgage Market, Property Taxes and more: A forum about mortgage environment, property taxes, home insurance and income tax.

When: 10 a.m. to noon

Where: Alderman Roberto Maldonado’s Ward Office, 2423 W. Division, Chicago

What: Navigating the Mortgage Process: Make applying for a home mortgage as painless as possible.

When: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: St. John MB Church, 4821-35 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago

What: Investing in 2- to 4-Flats: Get information on financing plus 10 years of data on all of Chicago to find affordable properties.

When: 2 to 4 p.m.

Where: Avalon Library, 8148 S Stony Island, Chicago

What: The Chicago Home Buyer Boot Camp: Get mortgage information and inside information for home buyers.

When: 2 to 3 p.m.

Where: Molitor Financial Group, 5412 N. Clark Street, #223, Chicago