Orbit help heroes find homes in Cambridgeshire
Orbit HomeBuy Agents have been working closely with MOD staff across the East of England to inform them about the range of HomeBuy options open to them, aiming to help our local heroes find homes.
This follows the announcement by Grant Shapps in May this year stating ‘Members of the Armed Forces will from now on be given top priority for housing help’
It is clear armed forces need help in finding out about the housing options open to them, and working in partnership with the MOD base at Waterbeach an event has been organised by Orbit HomeBuy agency at Waterbeach HIVE, Cambridgeshire on Friday 16th September from 11.00am-2.00pm.
Aimed specifically at serving personnel and their families, staff from Orbit HomeBuy agents will advise on the affordable housing options available to MOD staff. They will cover a range of government HomeBuy products which enable social tenants, MOD Personnel and other first time buyers to buy a share of a home and get a first step on the housing ladder in England.
Karen Coleman, Head of Orbit HBA said: ‘We are delighted to host an event which will supply our forces with information detailing how local MOD families can gain that first foot on the property ladder.’
‘We want serving members of the Armed Forces, as well as those recently retired, to be able to benefit from the range of affordable housing options that are now a priority for them. This includes the recently launched FirstBuy Scheme, which is providing £400m to help 10,000 families across the country get on the property ladder over the next two years. Those 10,000 civilian families will also include ex-service families.
‘We are acutely aware that the average house price in Cambridgeshire is around £215,000 and this is far beyond the reach of most peoples’ pockets. Added to that there are many difficulties in armed service personnel finding a mortgage, and we will do our best to offer support to help people overcome these barriers’
The event will also supply details about other HomeBuy schemes including HomeBuy Direct, and Shared Ownership, offering people a choice in the type of home they buy.
FirstBuy allows buyers to purchase a brand new home for a minimum of 80% of the market value. Equity loans of up to 20%, which are interest free for the first five years, are provided jointly by the house builder and the government. The initiative is expected to help thousands of buyers over the next two years and is open to those who have a household income of less than £60,000 a year and can provide a minimum of just 5% deposit.
For further information about the event or Orbit HomeBuy Agents, visit orbithomebuyagents.co.uk.