If you’re a would-be first-time homebuyer, two different organizations are putting you in the spotlight this month, with the Canadian Home Builders’ Association celebrating April as New Homes Month and Genworth Financial promoting Homeownership Education Week, April 11-15, 2011.

Both organizations have great resource information on their websites, while Genworth, the largest private provider of mortgage insurance in Canada, has taken its outreach to the social media level.

If you visit chba.ca and click on The Door is Open, you will find 31 articles about new homes, the benefits of buying new, the home buying process and financing your new home. These articles reflect the collective wisdom and experience of our entire industry as well as our dedication to making sure your new home-buying experience is completely positive. 

Meanwhile, at homeowership.ca, Genworth offers informative articles as well as videos on the housing market, mortgage insurance, the importance of credit and a special video for new Canadians anxious to pursue our Canadian dream of homeownership.

Going one step further, Genworth has created a webinar series that will run each day of Homeownership Education Week, including one hosted by yours truly on Thursday April 14 at 11:30 a.m. The webinar is free and you can register online at homeownership.ca.

Since this message is targeted primarily at first-time homebuyers who may find websites a little old-fashioned, you can also find the Genworth resources on Facebook at genworthsmartshopper.ca.

Things have sure changed since my first-time buying days when you would grab a newspaper or magazine, find all the projects in your price range and drive all over the GTA picking up brochures, but once you’ve done all your homework, that’s when the real fun begins.

Stephen Dupuis is the President and CEO of the Building Industry & Land Development Association.