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What is a HomeBuy Agent? |
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These are organisations appointed
by the Housing Corporation as a one stop shop and
point of contact assessing eligibility and providing
information for applicants on all of the home ownership
options available in their area. Each HomeBuy Agent
covers a particular geographical area or zone. All
are Registered Social Landlords with a proven track
record in delivering low cost home ownership schemes. |
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How do I know which properties are
available? |
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All housing associations that are
offering homes for sale or discounted rent in Kent,
Essex, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire
and Oxfordshire are marketing their properties on
this website. Where individual eligibility criteria
apply these will be detailed for the particular
scheme or development. In order to proceed with
a scheme or development that you are interested
in you must first register with your HomeBuy agent.
Your HomeBuy Agent will also share your application
details with other housing associations who may
also send you property information. |
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Can I afford it? |
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Buying a property is expensive and
feedback from purchasers confirms that an amount
of £3500 to cover the one-off costs is realistic.
To proceed with your application, you will need
to have access to at least £3500, either through
savings or from family/friends, without the need
to borrow extra money on your mortgage or to take
out a personal loan.
If you think you can afford a mortgage we suggest
you seek advice from an independent mortgage advisor.
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Can I buy additional shares? |
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If you buy a New Build HomeBuy property
you can increase your ownership at a later stage
and own the property outright if you wish to. This
is called “staircasing”. Many people
who buy affordable homes staircase to become full
owners. |
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I am not a UK National. Am I eligible
to apply? |
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You will be eligible to apply for
HomeBuy if you have the right to reside permanently
in the UK. If you are not a British citizen this
means you should have “indefinite leave to
remain” stamped inside your passport. People
from member states of the EU/European Economic Area
may also apply if you are currently living and working
in the UK.
If you do not have the right to reside permanently
in the UK we can consider your application to rent
a home at discounted rent (key workers only). |
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What happens if I want to sell my
home and move, after I have purchased through HomeBuy? |
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Advice about selling and re-purchasing
a property would be available from the housing association
that dealt with the original purchase. |
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If you have any questions regarding your eligibility
for the HomeBuy Scheme, you may contact
us directly. |
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