BOISE - US Bancorp Foundation recently contributed $15,000 to the Finally Home!® Home Buyer Education program, bringing its total contribution to the program to $75,000 since 2000. The contributions will assist with educational contract expenses, textbooks and other class materials and program administration.

"The Finally Home!® Home Buyer Education program is a very important part of the home-buying process, especially for first-time buyers," said Jerry Centers, Idaho Partners for Home Buyer Education, Inc. Board Chairman.

"I believe we offer a very worthwhile service to prospective home owners, and as a nonprofit, we rely on partnerships with builders, developers, REALTORS®, lenders and financial organizations like US Bancorp Foundation to sustain the program," Centers added.

The Home Buyer Education program is provided by the IPHBE, a nonprofit organization that has joined with local partners in Idaho to offer free Finally Home!® classes every month statewide. Class content covers everything from qualifying for a mortgage and choosing a real estate professional, to making an offer and closing.

Finally Home!® has graduated more than 8,000 future Idaho home owners since its inception and anticipates graduating a total of 2,800 in 2003.

US Bank was part of the original committee that led to the creation of the IPHBE, one of the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Advisory Task Force.

For more information, visit our link at www.ihfa.org.