WHAT IS SHARED OWNERSHIP ?
Shared Ownership is a housing scheme designed to help homebuyers who are unable to afford the cost of buying a property outright on the open market. Properties may be sold off-plan or new build direct from housing associations, or pre-owned from existing shared owners. The rules and terms of the scheme are set by the Greater London Authority (GLA) in London and Homes England outside of London.

IS SHARED OWNERSHIP FOR YOU ?
The GLA and Homes England set the eligibility criteria for Shared Ownership, but broadly speaking you must:
 Not own another property in the UK or any other country.
 Have a household income that falls below £90,000 (£80,000 threshold outside the M25). Every property will have a minimum income level too, determined by its’ value, rent and service charge costs. In most cases you will need to meet or exceed the given minimum income.
 Have access to a minimum deposit of 10% of the share being purchased (a minimum deposit of 5% of the share being purchased may be acceptable depending on individual financial status).
 Be in full time permanent employment.
 Be a British, EU or EEA Citizen or have indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
 Have a good credit history.
If you are still unsure about Shared Ownership or would like more information view[ Facts and Frequently Asked Questions]

• Minimum salaries required are: £36,970 (single), £40,970 (joint) based on a minimum deposit. 
• Applicants must have access to £3,500 savings to cover purchasing costs. A higher level of savings will be required to obtain a mortgage
• Applicants must be registered with Share to Buy
• Applicants should have a live and/or work connection to the Stevenage district
• Priority will be given to serving military personnel

Information correct as December 2019

• Must pass the One Housing financial assessment (done after receiving the application, which can only be submitted after viewing the property)
• No pets
• You must be aged 55 years or older. However, some OPSO developments will allow a couple where the main applicant is 55 but a second applicant is 50 or older.
• Your maximum household income must not exceed £90,000 per annum in London or £80,000 outside of London.
• You should be unable to purchase a home suitable for your needs without assistance.
• You do not already own a home, or you will need to sell any existing property owned before purchasing through the scheme.
• You will need to be able to secure a mortgage or have sufficient savings to pay the share in full if retired.
• You must not have any outstanding credit issues such as unsatisfied defaults or county court judgements

Please be advised that if all applicants meet the criteria above the property will be offered on a first come first serve basis, this means that the first eligible applicant who submits an application will be nominated as the buyer.

Eligibility Criteria

· Household income must not exceed £80,000 (outside of London) or £90,000 (in London)

· Must pass the One Housing financial assessment (done after receiving the application, which can only be submitted after viewing the property)

· No cash buyers

· No pets

· Applicants must be able to afford their purchase, and sustain their housing costs

· Applicants are primarily expected to be first time buyers, though some applicants who own or have previously owned a home may be eligible, including existing shared owners

· Applicants must be unable to purchase a property suitable to meet their needs on the open market

· Priority will be given to Armed Forces personnel (serving military personnel and former members of the British Armed Forces discharged in the last 2 years) and then on a first come first serve basis

Please be advised that if all applicants meet the criteria above the property will be offered on a first come first serve basis, this means that the first eligible applicant who submits an application will be nominated as the buyer.

Priority will be given to first time buyers and to those with a local connection to the St Albans district area i.e. you currently live and/or work and/or have a close family connection in the area.

You must meet the following:

· You are approved by the Help to Buy Agent.

· You have a gross household income of no more than £80,000 per annum.

· You are unable to purchase a suitable home to meet your housing needs on the open market (100% ownership).

You may be eligible for this property if:

• You have a gross household income of no more than £80,000 per annum.
• You are unable to purchase a suitable home to meet your housing needs on the open market.
• You do not already own a home or you will have sold your current home before you purchase or rent.

The Shared Ownership scheme is a Part Buy, Part Rent way of owning your own home for a smaller up front payment. With Shared Ownership, you buy a share of your home using a mortgage from a bank or building society and pay a subsidised rent on the share you did not purchase. The combined mortgage and rent is usually less than you’d expect to pay if you bought a similar property outright.

At Hanstead Park you can buy a minimum 40% share of your home (the maximum you can buy initially is 75%). When you’re ready, you can buy more shares until you staircase to owning 100% of your home.

To be eligible for shared ownership you would need to meet the following criteria:

• Your household income does not exceed £80,000 (outside of London) and £90,000 (inside of London)
• You have a deposit of at least 5% of the share value
• You do not own another property or have your name on the deeds or a mortgage for a property worldwide.
• This will be your only residence.
• You are a permanent UK resident or have indefinite right to remain.

Please note the minimum share you can purchase can vary depending on your financial situation and you may be asked to purchase a larger share, should your personal circumstances permit.

To be eligible to purchase a Shared Ownership home

• Your annual household income can be no more than £90,000 if the property is in London, no more than £80,000 if the property in not in London
• You should be unable to purchase a home suitable for your needs without assistance.
• You must not have any outstanding credit issues (i.e. unsatisfied defaults or county court judgments).
• You must be a first time buyer. If you already own a home and need to move but cannot afford to, please contact us. There may be some circumstances under which you could be eligible.

The ‘Estimated total monthly cost’ for a Shared Ownership property consists of three separate elements added together:

• Rent: this is charged on the share you do not own and is usually payable to a housing association (rent is not generally payable on shared equity schemes)
• Service Charge: covers maintenance costs for the property as a whole and communal areas
• Mortgage: Share to Buy ltd are specialist Shared Ownership mortgage brokers and we use a database of daily updated mortgage rates to work out the lowest rate available for the deposit amount shown, and then generate an estimated monthly payment on a 25 year capital repayment basis.

NB: this mortgage estimate is not confirmation that you can obtain a mortgage and you will also need to satisfy the requirements of the relevant mortgage lender. Nor is this a guarantee that in practice you would be able to apply for such a rate, and nor is this a recommendation that the rate used would be the best product for you.

Shared Ownership Resales: Also known as part buy part rent on second hand homes, with this affordable home ownership scheme you purchase a share of the property and rent the remainder from the housing provider.

Shared Ownership New Build: Also known as part buy part rent, with this affordable home ownership scheme you purchase a share of a brand new property and rent the remainder from the housing provider. The price shows the minimum share available, and the size of the share you purchase will depend on what you can afford.

Affordable housing scheme: Intermediate Rent (pay a discounted rent)

Affordable housing scheme: Rent to Save (pay a discounted rent).

Rent to save is designed to enable aspiring home-owners to move into the home they have chosen, even if they have not yet been able to save a sufficient mortgage deposit. As the rent will be at a lower than market rate, you will be able to save throughout the period of your tenancy.

Affordable housing scheme: Over-55s Shared Ownership

For people aged 55 or over who are otherwise unable to afford to buy a home suitable to their needs. The scheme is similar to Shared Ownership and enables you to buy a 75% share of the home or apartment.

Affordable housing scheme: Your Home

Turn any freehold property into part-buy-part-rent with Your Home. You simply need 10% cash deposit on the full purchase price, there’s no need for a mortgage and you can buy more or move at any time plus added benefits. To find out more contact Heylo via the property page

Affordable housing scheme: Discount Market Sale

Discount Market Sale (DMS) is a low cost home ownership product where a new build property is purchased at a discounted price. This discount is usually around 20% and the scheme is to help low and middle earners get onto the property ladder.

Affordable housing scheme: Help to Buy equity loans (100% ownership but with a 20% equity loan)

Buy a new home on an approved new build development with assistance from the Government in the form of an equity loan. The equity loan is interest free for the first five years.

Affordable housing scheme: Help to Buy equity loans (100% ownership with a 40% equity loan)

Buy a new home on an approved new build development with assistance from the Government in the form of an equity loan. The equity loan is interest free for the first five years.

Affordable housing scheme: Discount Full Ownership (100% ownership at a discount)

Affordable Housing Scheme: London Help to Buy equity loan (100% ownership with up to 40% loan)

Borrow up to 40% of the purchase price from the Government with the London Help to Buy scheme. You would only need a 5% deposit and your mortgage would make up the rest.

London Living Rent is a type of affordable housing for middle-income Londoners. These homes offer lower rents, with the saving on the rent aimed to help you ave towards a deposit for your own home.