Latest News
It's Shared Ownership Week 2016!
16th September 2016
WHAT IS SHARED OWNERSHIP?
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN DISPELS MYTHS SURROUNDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCT
Confused by shared ownership? Think it’s just for key workers? Or just for first time buyers? Think again. A week-long national campaign is returning for its fourth year to raise awareness of the more affordable alternative home ownership product, starting on Thursday 15th September, to help homebuyers understand how they could be eligible to secure a property with this pioneering scheme. Read on
'Buying Shared Ownership was stress-free'
15th September 2016
Buying Shared Ownership was stress-free
With buying a house on the list as one of the most stressful things to do in life, purchasing through Shared Ownership has been relatively stress-free and easy for 27-year-old Claire Harvey. Read on
London Home Show Blog: L&Q
14th September 2016
Our latest guest blog comes from Lucy Chitty, Regional Director of Sales at leading housing provider L&Q. Lucy takes you through the some of the advantages of buying a Shared Ownership home, helping you belong in London.
London Home Show Blog: Help to Buy London
13th September 2016
A New Home of Your Own?
Are you looking to purchase a new home in London and are struggling to find a large enough deposit? Then come along to the London Home Show. The Help to Buy London Team will be there to offer advice on the equity loan scheme.
We are the Government appointed Help to Buy agent for Equity Loans in London, and can help to guide you through the process.
Click here to read more about Who Can Benefit from Help to Buy?
Shared Ownership Case Studies
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We will also use our mailshot to update you when we amend our general graduate finance content.
Welcome to sharetobuy.com
Sharetobuy.com aims to provide a 'one stop shop' to access the main government-backed affordable housing schemes. If you are looking to buy in London, we are the official portal of First Steps, the Mayor of London’s affordable home ownership brand. You can use our site to search for shared ownership property across England and you can also search for and compare shared ownership mortgages.
What exactly do you mean by 'shared-ownership'?
Some customers understandably assume that the phrase ‘shared ownership refers to private individuals clubbing together to buy a home with a joint mortgage. In fact, the main government backed affordable home ownership scheme is called ‘shared ownership’ because you share ownership with a housing association. This scheme is also referred to as ‘part buy part rent’ because you buy a share in a property owned by a housing association, starting from 25%, and pay rent on the remainder at an affordable rate.
What are the main affordable housing schemes you show on the website?
On our property portal we advertise the two main Government schemes: First Steps in London, for which we are the official portal; and 'Homebuy', which is the name for affordable housing in the rest of England. Specific schemes within London and outside include shared ownership/part rent part buy (as described); shared equity (inc Firstbuy, where you purchase a home outright but receive an equity loan for a large part of your deposit); and rental products including Rent to buy and Intermediate Rent. See our getting started section for more information.
What properties are available?
Most properties available to buy or rent through an affordable scheme, including both First Steps and Homebuy, are new build or recently new. However, the fact that shared ownership properties can be sold on in a process called a 'resale', where the existing share is resold, means that it is possible to part buy a second hand property. There is not currently any national scheme for purchasing any property on the open market in some form of 'affordable' fashion.
Where can I find more information?
Sharetobuy.com is primarily a ‘search’ site for affordable housing, incorporating a property search tool, a mortgage comparison site and a shared ownership specialist solicitor page that are all easy to navigate. For more detailed general information on getting started, click here www.sharetobuy.com/gettingstarted.
