Eligibility.
Am I eligible for Shared Ownership?
Whether or not you qualify for a Shared Ownership home is often referred to
as ‘eligibility’ and is dependent on a number of factors.
General Eligibility
This is defined by the Government. You need to meet the general shared ownership eligibility criteria to be accepted for any Shared Ownership scheme. The criteria is: •You are at least 18 years old •Your annual household income is less than £80,000 You are unable to afford a home suitable for your housing needs on the open market •Either you’re a first-time buyer, you don’t own your own home, or you already own a shared ownership home and would like to move to another. •Your income is sufficient to cover the mortgage (if applicable), rent and service charges. •Your chosen Shared Ownership home is affordable and sustainable for you.
Property Eligibility
Sometimes Local Authorities restrict the allocation of Shared Ownership homes, prioritising those that already live or work in the area and can clearly demonstrate this connection. This can sometimes affect whether we’re able to offer you a home. Please speak to one of our team who can provide further details on homes where this restriction applies.
Affordability
Affordability depends on your income, financial commitments, and the value of the home you want to buy. In most cases, the housing costs of a mortgage, rent and service charge should be no more than 40% of your take home pay. You need to have a good credit history with no outstanding mortgage or rental payments, and no defaults or County Court Judgments. An affordability assessment will take place as part of your application to determine whether buying a shared ownership home is an affordable and sustainable home ownership option for you and to establish the initial share that you can afford to purchase.
Who gets priority for Shared Ownership?
Priority is given to members of the military. However, shared ownership is available to anyone who meets the eligibility criteria. homes are allocated on a first come first served basis at the point where you are in a proceedable position.
Shared Ownership is a way to buy your own home if you can’t afford to buy a house outright. It’s a great way to get onto the housing ladder and costs are usually lower than other home ownership options...
Buying a new home is a life-changing experience. The buying process and requirements for Shared Ownership are a little different to when you buy a home outright. Find out how to make your shared ownership buying journey as smooth and stress free as possible, with our step-by-step guide...
We’ve put together answers to some of most frequently asked questions handled by our sales team.
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