Shared Ownership
What is shared ownership?
Shared Ownership is an affordable home ownership scheme which allows individuals the chance to purchase a share of a brand-new property for 25% – 75% of their market value with rent payable on the rest.
What are the benefits?
- Savings Applicants only require a mortgage deposit on the portion theyre purchasing and not the full market value of the home, making the initial costs more affordable.
- Opportunity – Shared Ownership is designed to be accessible, enabling a wide range of applicants to get on the housing ladder. Most developments also facilitate the purchasing of further shares, providing the opportunity to move toward outright home ownership.
Am I eligible?
Shared ownership is available for most people to apply for in a variety of circumstances, including first time buyers, growing families and those who cant afford to purchase a home outright on the open market.
Each scheme has its own eligibility criteria. These include but may not be restricted to:
- Local connection To qualify for a local connection an applicant must comply with one of the following criteria:
- Has continuously been a resident in the locality for the last 3 years
- Is permanently employed or has a firm job offer for a minimum of 16 hours per week within the locality (contracts for a minimum 1 years continuous employment/self-employment) evidence required.
- Is an armed forces personnel whose location is beyond their control and has lived for 3 years within the locality prior to the move.
- Existing or former members of the reserve forces and suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which is wholly or partially attributed to their service and has lived in the locality for at least 3 years prior.
- Bereaved spouse or civil partner who is no longer entitled to MOD accommodation due to their bereavement and have lived in the locality for 3 years prior to their move.
- Previously lived in the locality for at least 3 years and have completed a post-secondary (tertiary) course within the previous 3 years
- Needs to live in the locality due to their or a relatives health needs
- Previously lived within the locality for a continuous period of 20 years or for half of their life prior to leaving the locality less than 10 years ago.
- Has spent 10 years of their school education within the locality
- On the advice of a professional that a person needs to live in the locality due to domestic violence.
- Financial requirements To qualify an applicant must:
- Not be able to afford to buy suitable accommodation at open market value
- Earn less than £80,000 annually as a household
- Prove they are not in mortgage or rent arrears
Owner occupiers can, in exceptional cases, have access to the scheme subject to certain conditions. Each of these applications will be assessed on a case by case basis, however applicants are ALWAYS required to have already sold their property or sell their property at the same time as buying through shared ownership.
All shared ownership properties available are advertised under each proposed development which can be found here.
For more information contact us at sales@southlakeshousing.co.uk
