LIHU'E – Kaua'i residents looking to purchase their first homes are invited to sign up for free homebuyer orientation classes.

The classes are held monthly, 6 to 7 p.m. at the Lihu'e Civic Center, Pi'ikoi conference room. The only exception is the Aug. 4 session, which will run from 5 to 7 p.m.

The classes will be offered Aug. 4, 8 and 29; Sept. 5 and 19; and Oct. 3 and 17.

Participants will be given an introduction to financial literacy, home ownership, assessment of homebuyer readiness and a description of the home-buying process, according to a Kaua'i County news release on the program.

"There are a number of affordable housing projects that are expected to be completed over the next few years, so I strongly encourage anyone who's interested in buying a home to register for an orientation class," said Kaua'i Housing Director Ken Rainforth.

"I enrolled in a homebuyer education program years ago and found it to be very beneficial," Rainforth said..

The classes are run by two well-established nonprofit agencies, Hawai'i Home Ownership Center and Hawaiian Community Assets, whose mission is to help residents become successful homeowners.

For more information, call Hawai'i Home Ownership Center at their Lihu'e office, 808-245-5860, or toll-free 1-877-523-9503, or Hawaiian Community Assets, 808-632-2070.