Latest News
Solicitor Blog: Starting out on your road to buying your own home
14th August 2017
Our latest Solicitor Blog comes from Alexander JLO Solicitors, and talks first time buyers through the steps to take after you have found a property you are interested in buying...
London's No.1 first time buyer event returns! Get your FREE ticket for the London Home Show
31st July 2017
The London Home Show Autumn 2017 takes place on the 23rd September at the QEIIC, Westminster from 11am – 5pm. The event, supported by the Mayor of London, is the No.1 event for first time buyers in London.
Solicitor Blog: Conveyancing - why you need to use a specialist Shared Ownership legal firm
13th July 2017
Our latest Solicitor Blog comes from Andrew Theoff, Partner at Shared Ownership Solictors Direction Law. Andrew explain why you will need to use a specialist legal firm with experience in Shared Ownership when you are ready to make a purchase.
Solicitor Blog: The Shared Ownership legal process
3rd July 2017
Read our latest Guest Blog from Humphreys & Co. Solicitors. In this blog, Humphreys & Co. break down the legal process involved in purchasing a Shared Ownership property into 3 steps.
Shared Ownership Case Studies
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.
