For release:
Thursday, March 11, 2010

Southern California Home Buyer’s Fair this weekend at L.A. Convention Center

Event Highlights:
- More than 50 FREE “how to” seminars.
- More than 80 exhibit booths.
- Real estate market outlook from C.A.R.’s Chief Economist, Leslie Appleton-Young.
- Free movie tickets to the first 200 attendees each day.
- Free iPod shuffle giveaways each day.
- Free shade trees to first 200 attendees on Saturday.

LOS ANGELES (March 11) – Thousands of potential home buyers are expected to converge this weekend for the third annual Southern California Home Buyer’s Fair at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles. The Southern California Home Buyer’s Fair, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 13, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, March 14, features more than 50 educational “how-to” seminars designed to help home buyers navigate today’s real estate market with confidence and peace of mind. The event is free to the public, and the first 200 attendees each day will receive a free AMC Entertainment movie ticket (one ticket per person).

C.A.R. also will give away 10 iPod shuffles each day at booth #201 in the exhibit hall. Tickets for the iPod shuffle giveaway will be handed out one hour before each drawing in the lobby of the Concourse Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Drawing times are 12 noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 13, and 12 noon and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 14. No purchase necessary, but winners must be present to claim prize.

Seminar topics range from saving for a down payment and monitoring and repairing credit, to buying foreclosures, short sales, and bank-owned homes, and finding and qualifying for a home loan. Several of the sessions also will be offered in Spanish. One of the featured presentations includes the “California Housing Market Outlook,” which will be presented by CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ (C.A.R.) Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. The presentation will include an historical overview of the housing market, and a synopsis of the current financial situation and its impact when trying to secure a mortgage loan. Appleton-Young also will provide a preview of what consumers can expect for California’s housing market in the coming months.

The Southern California Home Buyer’s Fair will feature more than 80 exhibit booths, where attendees can obtain information from industry experts about homeownership and the home-buying process. On Saturday, March 13, non-profit organization Million Trees L.A. will give away 200 free shade trees on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 10 a.m. in booth #419. (Please note, proof of L.A. City residency—Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power bill or California Drivers License--is required.)

The event is sponsored by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and the Los Angeles Times. For complete information, go to www.homebuyersfair.com.

Leading the way...® in real estate news and information for more than 100 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with nearly 150,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.