Home buyer fair held in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - After the foreclosure crisis it's difficult for some people to think of owning their own home, but one group is trying to make home ownership possible. They want you to buy a home in the "City of Homes."

Buy Springfield Now held a home buyer fair Saturday to help people like Angela Rodriguez who want to make the move into a home.

“Rents are really expensive, I had been looking at rents and $800 to $900 would just get you a small apartment plus you pay utilities and the cheaper way to go is just to invest in a home,” said Angela Rodriguez.

With Springfield's unemployment rate still at around 11% it can be difficult for some people to be able to find the money to buy a home but this group says there are people that can help make home ownership possible.
For those who have the means the thought is that financing is difficult to obtain but that's not always the case.

“In many cases they should explore the options and find out if it is difficult for them individually because a lot of times we're finding it's not the case,” said broker Arthur Ferrara.

Buy Springfield Now says more people are moving into cities and economic centers. And with rates at historic lows, they say now is a great time to buy.

“You can get a nice three family home for $140,000 mark. If you go to some of the suburbs you're probably almost doubling that price for the same square footage area,” said Jose Delgado of Buy Springfield Now.

The fair brought together lenders, realtors, attorneys, and neighborhood councils. They offered incentives and discounts, all in an effort to get people into the city of homes.