Annual expo aimed at first-time home buyers and renters goes virtual

The Northern Virginia Association of Realtors conducts a homebuying overview workshop at the Northern Virginia Housing Expo at Dominion High School in Sterling, Va., in March 2017. (Communi-k Inc.)

The annual Northern Virginia Housing Expo has been reimagined from a one-day event to month-long digital programming launching Monday. Designed to inform first-time home buyers and first-time renters, its new iteration will re-create some of the aspects of the in-person event.

The online version of the expo will include an “exhibit hall” with several dozen exhibitors providing information about their services, free workshops and personal financial counseling sessions. Renters and first-time home buyers will be able to schedule virtual one-on-one counseling sessions with Britepaths, a nonprofit organization based in Fairfax County. Exhibitors include real estate companies, nonprofit groups, government agencies and financial institutions.

Live webinars will be held on Saturdays throughout June at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the website and at 2 and 4 p.m. as Facebook events. The schedule will be posted Monday and will include sessions on first-time buyer programs for local jurisdictions, market overviews, tips on preparing to buy a home, rental assistance programs and how to understand and improve a credit score. Most sessions are in English, but one financial planning and budgeting session will be held in Spanish.

Government agencies and financial institutions sponsor the free event.

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