¡Es Posible! It’s Possible! ICHDE’s Fall Home Ownership Fair Brings Bilingual Education to Kent County

On October 21st, Maranatha Life Changing Church in Dover hosted ICHDE’s Fall Home Ownership Fair (Feria de Vivienda de Otoño), bringing together 56 adults and 11 children for a day of bilingual homeownership education. Sponsored by Fulton Mortgage Company, the event demonstrated that with the right information and support, homeownership is within reach for Delaware families.

Building Community Awareness

In the week before the fair, ICHDE’s Rosa Rivera and Fulton’s Sara Altagracia were interviewed on Maxima 95.3 FM on October 16th. Speaking in Spanish, they discussed what attendees could expect at the event and why homeownership is both important and achievable for Delaware’s Spanish-speaking communities. This partnership with Maxima 95.3 FM opened up a new way to reach families throughout the region with homeownership information.

Bilingual Sessions

The fair’s bilingual format allowed every attendee to receive expert guidance in their preferred language. With 34 Spanish-speaking and 22 English-speaking participants, both sessions were well-attended and highly interactive.

Spanish Session Highlights

Led by Eva Ramos and Rosa Rivera from ICHDE, alongside Sara Altagracia from Fulton, the Spanish session created what attendees described as a welcoming and comfortable environment. The team was joined by:

• Cristina Tlaseca from Homes from the Heart, who shared insights into the homebuying process from a realtor’s perspective and explained the importance of building a strong relationship with your real estate agent
• Sara Altagracia, who provided information about mortgage qualification processes and first-time homebuyer programs

English Session Highlights

ICHDE’s Arlisa Howard and Tracy Spriggs guided the English-language participants through their homeownership journey, supported by:

• Trina Joyner from Coldwell Banker Premier, who offered real estate guidance and helped attendees understand the realtor-buyer relationship
• Margaret McCabe from Fulton, who detailed available programs for first-time homebuyers and explained the mortgage qualification process

John Kerrigan from Reliable Home Inspection Service discussed the critical role home inspections play in protecting your investment in both sessions.

Engaged Participants

Both sessions were highly interactive, with attendees asking questions throughout the presentations. The conversational format allowed families to address their specific concerns and get clarity on their individual situations.

The feedback from Spanish-speaking attendees was particularly encouraging—they shared that the event felt like a friendly, comfortable space where they could ask questions freely. This kind of welcoming environment is essential to ICHDE’s work, and we’re pleased to see that several families from the fair are preparing to take the next steps toward purchasing their first homes.

¡Es Posible! It’s Possible!

The strong turnout in Kent County reinforces an important message: homeownership is achievable for Delaware families when they have access to the right information and support. Through bilingual education, expert guidance, and partnerships with organizations like Fulton Bank and Maxima 95.3 FM, ICHDE continues working to make homeownership accessible to everyone.

Next Steps

Whether you attended the Fall Home Ownership Fair or are just beginning to consider homeownership, ICHDE’s HomeOwnership Center provides personalized counseling and guidance—in English and Spanish. Ready to begin? Contact ICHDE today to learn how we can support your path to homeownership. ¡Es posible! It’s possible!