The scheme originally came into the world way back in 2014, with the £200 million scheme being put out with the aim to provide a boost to anyone who is a member of the forces and is in need of help buying their own property.
Though created for great reasons, the project was not created to be around for a long though, originally slated to end in December 2019.
As opposed to just bringing it to an end though, to give out a thank you to the forces’ commitment to their Queen and country, the UK government made the decision to make this an enduring policy.
If you have served in the military at some point in the past and you are able to meet the right criteria, you will be able to utilise this government scheme, which will allow you to borrow a deposit that is up to half your annual salary (with a maximum of £25,000), without additional interest on top.
You will be able to use this scheme as a way of buying your first home or to cover the costs of a new property to move into. You could argue that the most appealing aspect of this, is that you are not required to have any current savings in order to make the leap onto the property ladder.
The funds that you will be able to use is raised from the Forces Help to Buy loan and you are able to use it for pretty much anything, from your deposit on a property, to any other costs that come up.
These costs may potentially include, but are not limited to, the costs of stamp duty, estate agent fees or even the costs of locating a suitable solicitor.
This government scheme is considered to be a little more relaxed than the other schemes available to home buyers, as the Forces Help to Buy loan can be taken out and paid back over a 10 year term. This allows you to breathe and not feel like your impending payments are breathing down your neck every month.
Once again, remember that you will still have to qualify for eligibility, the terms of which are based on if you have served your country and are able to meet the necessary criteria (length served, service term left and medical categories).
Click here to read further details on this helpful scheme from the government.
By enlisting the help of a dedicated team of mortgage advisors in Cardiff, your journey to mortgage success may go quicker and smoother than it otherwise could have done.
Your assigned advisor will guide you throughout every part of the process, ensuring you are taken care of and well informed.
From the beginning of your journey, until your mortgage completes and beyond, your trusted mortgage advisor in Cardiff will be by your side, hopefully allowing you to end up with a favourable outcome.
We’re proud of the reliable and efficient customer service we provide, always working hard to reduce customer stress and most importantly, show love and respect to our nations forces.
Book your free Help to Buy mortgage appointment online today and we will see how we can help.
If you have your heart set on a property and are ready to make an offer to purchase it, you may be left scratching your head, unsure of what exactly you should do next.
It’s not as simple as just approaching a seller and asking to buy the property, there is a lot you need to do ahead of time in order to prepare for this step.
Obtaining an Agreement in Principle is a key part in the process of buying a home. It is a written statement of approval from the mortgage lender that confirms that in principle, they are willing to lend you the desired amount to purchase the property, subject to further checks.
It’s for this reason why you will need to make sure that you have one to hand, as a home seller or estate agent will want to know that you actually have the funds to proceed, avoiding any possible wasted time on both their end and yours.
During the COVID-19 lockdown periods in 2020, you even needed an Agreement in Principle to view a property, let alone buy it. This was to limit the viewings only to people who could proceed there and then if they wanted to make a purchase.
As an experienced mortgage broker in Cardiff, we always recommend preparing ahead of time and putting yourself in a better position than other buyers, by obtaining an Agreement in Principle as early as you can.
In most cases, you will never be able to compete with a cash buyer of a property. Lenders love it when someone can make a payment on the spot, without having to wait for a mortgage to complete.
That being said, by obtaining your AIP, you may be able to increase your odds against cash buyers and even other possible home buyers.
If you have an Agreement in Principle to hand, you are demonstrating to the seller that you are very serious and do have the funds to proceed.
It also puts you in a higher position than other buyers who maybe do have the funds, but haven’t gotten an AIP of their own.
This is one of the benefits of getting in touch with a dedicated mortgage broker in Cardiff. Our dedicated mortgage advisors in Cardiff will be able to obtain one of these within 24 hours of your initial free mortgage appointment.
Buying a property is all a matter of negotiation. If the offer that you put forward to the seller is rejected, you will be asked about potentially increasing your offer.
If you believe that the property is indeed worth the increase and you want it, you may have to be prepared to spend a little more than you had planned.
Don’t be worried though if your first offer is declined, this has happened to lots of First Time Buyers in Cardiff in the past and they are still able to secure a property down the line at some point.
If your second offer is also declined, you possibly have to be prepared to pay the asking price. This is where it pays to make sure that you have done plenty of research ahead of time.
Before you make any offers, you should always have a look at the other properties in the local area and see what they are selling for on sites like Zoopla or Rightmove. This may give you a general idea of what to offer the property seller.
You should also look for how long the property has been on the open market. If it is a new listing, the seller may want the asking price, whereas if it’s a long-time listing, the seller may accept a lower offer just to have it taken off their hands.
If you come across houses that have gone for amounts that are less than they are worth, there is usually a very good reason for it. It may have possibly been repossessed, sold to at a discounted price to a residing tenant or an inter-family sale.
For any mortgage advice relating to this specialist subject, feel free to contact our expert mortgage advisors in Cardiff today.
If you are in need of any help with making an offer as a First Time Buyer in Cardiff or perhaps just want a mortgage advisor in Cardiff to walk you through it and get a great deal, we’ll always be on hand to guide you throughout the process.
Our team of mortgage advisors in Cardiff are available all throughout the week, so book your free mortgage appointment online and get your journey started today.
Shared Ownership is a help to buy scheme designed by the government to help first time buyers and home movers get onto the property ladder.
The scheme allows you to buy a share of a property (usually between 10% to 75%) and then pay the remaining share back on rent. If you situation changes, such as getting a higher paid job, you could look at increasing the percentage share that you own. Sometimes, you can increase your share to 100% and take full ownership of the property, whereas, some building societies may not allow you to do this and put a limit on the amount that you can own.
If you meet the requirements for this scheme and are a First Time Buyer in Cardiff, it can be a great mortgage option to look at, especially since it helped you get onto the property ladder.
First of all, like any mortgage, you’ll need to put down a deposit. The minimum amount that you need to put down can vary from property to property; it can also change depending on your credit score.
You will be taking out a mortgage based on the percentage that you own. For example, if you are wanting to own a 50% share of a property that is worth £200,000, you will need to take out a mortgage worth £100,000.
Furthermore, you will not need to provide a deposit based on the price of the property, it will be based on the share that you took out. If you’re required to meet a minimum of 5%, on a £100,000 mortgage, you will need a £5,000 deposit.
Once your offer has been accepted and you’ve moved into your property, you will start paying off your mortgage and also receive rent based on the remaining percentage of the property.
Even though you have two sets of payments, your overall monthly costs shouldn’t add up to as much if you had taken out a ‘regular mortgage.
There are lots of different types of costs and fees that come with taking out a mortgage. When taking out a Shared Ownership mortgage, you may face set-up/arrangement fees, legal fees and possibly booking fees. Double-check with your Mortgage Advisor in Cardiff about other costs before you continue.
Property to property, costs can vary. This will be factors such as deposit size, monthly payments arrangement fees and even stamp duty.
First of all, if you want to check whether you qualify for the Shared Ownership scheme or not, you can get in touch with our team and we can arrange this for you. All you have to do is book your free mortgage appointment online!
Here are the schemes basic requirements:
Each of the help to buy scheme requirements will vary. Some will be harder to match than others, however, when this is the case, it could mean that you are not suited to that scheme.
If the Shared Ownership scheme doesn’t seem like the right fit for you, you can always check out other government schemes on ownyourhome.gov.uk.
If you’re a First Time Buyer in Cardiff, we would recommend getting in touch with our mortgage advice team. We can work out your mortgage affordability, how much you can borrow and whether you’re eligible for a help to buy scheme.
We have helped many customers in Cardiff access this scheme and other help to buy options. If you’re looking for Help to Buy Mortgage Advice in Cardiff, you’ve come to the right brokers!
Book your free mortgage appointment online today,
After the perilous financial crash in 2008, known as The Credit Crunch, the government brought in some backup to try and provide a much needed boost the mortgage market. They brought in new ways to help First Time Buyers get onto the property ladder, with these being called Help to Buy Schemes.
There are a number of different Help to Buy Schemes available in the market. Some you may be able to match with and some others maybe not so much. Here is a list of the Help to Buy Schemes and some other similar schemes that you may have access to.
The Help to Buy Shared Ownership scheme was introduced as a means to help applicants to purchase a percentage of a property and then pay the rest back on rent over time.
The percentage of the property that you own in your name usually has to be between 25-75%. The remaining percentage will most likely be owned by the housing association. This share can possibly be increased at a later date, maybe at a point when you have more money.
The way that your payments work is that you have to pay your mortgage as well as your rent. So what this means is that you are basically paying 100% of the ground rent and service charge on the property. This is still the case, even if your share is the lowest available amount.
The Armed Forces Help-to-Buy scheme was introduced in 2014 following the previous success of the Help-to-Buy Equity Loan scheme. This scheme had the same concept of the prior version, however, this one was specifically for members of the armed forces.
If you match the criteria of the scheme, it could be a great option for you to take. The government has now made this an enduring policy. Here at Cardiffmoneyman, we are hoping that it stays around, as the scheme is incredibly helpful for existing armed forces members who really need that extra help with getting onto the property ladder.
The Lifetime ISA is often a scheme that is forgotten by homebuyers. It’s not a go-to scheme, however, it’s still very useful to be aware of it, it can help you secure a new home as a First Time Buyer in Cardiff.
A Lifetime ISA is basically a savings account where your money grows, free of tax. The government will also give you a nice little top up of your savings by an extra 25%, so if you meet the £4,000 maximum amount, you will receive a pretty handy bonus of £1,000.
You have to pass certain criteria in order to gain access to this type of mortgage scheme. All of these details are available on the Lifetime ISA website.
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Cardiffmoneyman.com & Cardiffmoneyman are trading styles of UK Moneyman Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
UK Moneyman Limited is Registered in England, No. 6789312 | Registered Address: 10 Consort Court, Hull, HU9 1PU.
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
We are entered on the Financial Services Register No. 627742 at www.register.fca.org.uk
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Cardiffmoneyman.com & Cardiffmoneyman are trading styles of UK Moneyman Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
UK Moneyman Limited is Registered in England, No. 6789312 | Registered Address: 10 Consort Court, Hull, HU9 1PU.
Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
We are entered on the Financial Services Register No. 627742 at www.register.fca.org.uk
