All you need to know about buying a home of your own
Following a successful event held in East Birmingham in February, Orbit HomeBuy Agents is hosting a second event in the city on Friday 12 March at the Holiday Inn Hotel on Chapel Lane in Great Barr. The event, which will run from 12 noon to 7pm, is aimed at helping those people in need of affordable housing, whether they prefer to rent or buy their new home.
Orbit HomeBuy Agents Team Manager, Karen Coleman said: “Our first event in Birmingham was extremely well attended and the feedback we had was exceptionally positive. Lots of visitors took away information packs and application forms and we hope we’ll soon be able to match eligible applicants with a suitable new home.”
She continued: “The story we are hearing time and again from people who attend these events is that they weren’t aware previously that help is available. The reality is quite different - as long as your household income is less than £60,000, we may be able to help you through a variety of HomeBuy schemes that are on offer. Last year, we processed around 1,000 applications each month from people looking for a home they could afford, so if you are struggling to find a home of your own, can you afford to miss this event?”
Orbit HomeBuy Agents will be joined at the event by other housing associations and developers operating in the region to ensure that visitors have access to as much information as possible about the low-cost home-ownership options available to them. Bellway Homes, Barratt Homes, Persimmon, David Wilson Homes, Optima Housing Association, Bromford Housing Association, Urban Living, Crest Nicholson, Taylor Wimpey, Miller Homes, Heantun Housing and Accord Housing Association have confirmed they will be attending.
Representatives from Halcyon Mortgages Ltd and APH Independent Financial Advisers will be on hand during the first event to offer free, no-obligation financial advice to those requiring assistance. In addition, Canty and Co solicitors and Davisons Solicitors will be offering free legal advice relating to the purchase of a home.
The event is totally free and there is free parking at the venue for visitors.
Visitors will be able to find out about a number of HomeBuy products that are currently available, including NewBuild HomeBuy and HomeBuy Direct.
Under the New Build HomeBuy scheme, you would generally take out a mortgage for a share of the property and rent the remaining share at a discounted rate. You can then purchase additional shares in the future until you own the property outright.
Alternatively, many developers are now offering brand new homes for purchase through the HomeBuy Direct scheme. Those eligible can take advantage of equity loans provided jointly by the developer and the government of up to 30 per cent of the property value, with no interest to be paid on the loan for the first five years. You can also find out about the Rent to HomeBuy and Intermediate Rent schemes, both of which are helping many people find an affordable home.
For further information about the event or Orbit HomeBuy Agents, visit orbithomebuyagents.co.uk.
