If you are in the market for your first home, consider a rigorous program of home buying and ownership education first, because your purchase doesn't come with an operating manual.

Unlike other major purchases, cars, major appliances and the like, when home ownership breaks down there is no service center to call or handy person who'll rush out and fix it.

It's up to you to know what steps to take to keep your home ownership intact and the experts say quality home ownership counseling is the closest you can get to a user's guide.

Only 15 percent of first-time home buyers receive quality training, but high-quality education and training substantially reduces your chances that your home ownership will reach the breaking point, according to statistics compiled by the Washington, D.C.-based NeighborWorks community-based neighborhood revitalization network designed to develop strong communities.

NeighborWorks says the 90-day delinquency mark is where many lenders begin foreclosure proceedings, but a well produced home study program can reduce 90-day delinquencies by 21 percent; classroom lessons can lower 90-day delinquencies by 26 percent; and one-on-one study programs can push the rate down even further, reducing the level of 90-day delinquencies by 34 percent.

Lessons about credit, savings, mortgages and other financial aspects of buying and owning a home, as well as the nuts and bolts of home ownership helps more buyers not only keep their homes but it also builds strong communities.

Higher rates of home ownership builds greater net worth, financial confidence, better cared for properties, less crime and generally greater community well-being, studies have shown.

"An informed buyer is an empowered neighbor whose wealth and contribution to his or her community multiplies. One survey of consumer finances found that low-income homeowners had a net worth 12 times that of renters at the same income level. Other studies found that children of homeowners are more likely to graduate from high school and college and more likely to go on to own homes of their own. Home Ownership also improves neighborhood safety, generates higher property values, stable employment and other economic activity," said Kenneth D. Wade, CEO of Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, a national nonprofit organization created by Congress to provide financial support, technical assistance, and training for community-based revitalization efforts.

"Without experience and training in buying and keeping a home, people can easily pay too much or make poor choices that eventually can jeopardize their financial health," Wade added.

To that end NeighborWorks created the Neighborworks Center for Home Ownership Education and Counseling (NCHEC) late last year to provide education for more than 2 million households by 2007 -- compared to only 291,000 counseled by the group in 2003.

The group also is providing certification to triple the cadre of qualified professional home ownership counselors because many who seek out quality training can't find such tutors.

As well as educating more new home buyers and the counselors to teach them, the program is also designed to:

• Help the home ownership education industry develop a more corporate-like central voice speaking with a unified message. Currently the industry is splintered and disparate.

• Develop industry standards to better track and quantify data on the impact of counseling.

• Promote the use of technology to develop better standards in procedure, case management and lesson plans.

For more information on the program, contact NeighborWorks at (800) 438-5547, or via email at nchec@nw.org.