The City of Fontana Housing Development Department is opening a lot of doors for residents. With the continuing improvements in the quality of life in Fontana, many new home buyers are turning to this area as a possibility to purchase real estate. Between the growing commerce and state-of-the-art public facilities, the City is quickly becoming an enticing area for a new generation of first time home owners.

Living in Fontana is an attractive option to men and women who want to come home at the end of a work day, relax, go shopping, or take a stroll through a park. The city offers incredible views of the mountains, convenient access to the I-10, 210, and I-15 and while other cities in the area are mostly developed, there is still plenty of space left for a continuance of the smart growth initiatives that have been the driving force within the city throughout the last decade.

By growing alongside the master planned communities and businesses, the city has invested in parks, promoted an active lifestyle for all citizens with the creation of Healthy Fontana, and has dutifully worked with incoming businesses to generate more jobs. The city has also kicked-off a new cultural era that includes the construction of the largest, most comprehensive library and technology center in San Bernardino County.

The Housing and Business Development Department has put together a program that helps the new buyer purchase a home within the city's central core without having to wait ten or fifteen years. The First-Time Homebuyer Program offers qualified candidates up to $35,000 in a deferred down payment assistance loan that is forgivable after fifteen years.

The Fontana program is both consumer-friendly and welcoming to new residents. The requirements to live in the central core and attend home ownership classes in return for receiving the loan are pretty attractive.

The educational workshops inform new homeowners about owning residential property which in turn will help them make wise decisions when considering property improvements and upgrades to their investment.

The Central Core also offers many amenities to include living near the heart of the civic center, close to cultural attractions such as the Art Depot with summer Concerts in the Park and quarterly Artist Showcases . The Core contains incredible parks, community centers for all age groups, Center Stage Theater, the Metrolink for a quick commute, Kaiser Permanente, the California Speedway, and the new Lewis Library and Technology Center. Participants will definitely find that the services and Fontana are both well worth their time and money.

As a part of the educational incentives offered by the Fontana Housing Development Department, the group offers seminars to homebuyers. The discussions include financial representatives who provide same-day loan approvals, credit counselors, and tips on buying foreclosures and "short sale" properties.

Recently, a free seminar, sponsored by ERA Regency Realtors, American First Financial and Fontana Housing and Business Development Department included an added enhancement to the program. A percentage of proceeds from the homes purchased as a result of the seminar were reserved for the Lewis Library and Technology Center and Loma Linda Children's Hospital.

More seminars will be offered in the future. For further information about the Fontana Housing and Business Development Department programs, please call Sheri Clark at (909) 350-6634 or visit online at www.fontanabusiness.org.