Future homeowners had their questions answered by the experts last night in Portage la Prairie.

The information session was put on by both the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation and Stride Credit Union.

"You hear a lot about housing right now, occupancy rates being low, people looking for homes, people renting," says PCRC Community Facilitator Vienna Lopez. "(People) need to know, is owning a home right for me? Maybe they want to continue to rent. How much time is there? I know with the growth of Portage la Prairie, people really worry about, am I going to be able to buy a home when the time comes?"

The sessions featured a presentation from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, a panel with home buying experts from MIG Insurance, Christianson TDS, and Century 21 Foxx Realty, and a chance to book a one-on-one for your individual assessment with Stride Credit Union.

"Yes, we have had some community people come in to our offices, sometimes they feel a little bit intimidated so mostly they will phone us on the phone, ask questions in that form there, and then never really show up after that," says Lori Twist, Financial Services Officer with Stride Credit Union. "We were thinking that maybe something in the community that they could come to an evening with friends or family might make them feel a little more comfortable to come in and ask the questions they need answered."

Although this was the first edition of the session, all parties are hoping this can become a regular event on a semi-annual or annual basis.