• Home Equity Loan   • Home Refinance Loan   • Home Purchase Loan   • Second Mortgage Loan   • Debt Consolidation Loan
Home Equity Loan Store «A website where you can find the lowest interest rates on home loans with absolutely free quotes from multiple lenders»
::

Housing Bill - Changes in the Right To Buy Scheme


Presently council tenants are able to purchase their rented property after 2 years of tenancy. However, this is about to change. As of the 18th January 2005, the new Housing Bill becomes law and the current 2 years will change to a period of 5 years. This means, that once the proposals come into force, any new council tenant will have to wait 5 years before having the option of buying their property.

There is also a proposal to extend the period during which landlords can require owners to repay some or all, of the discount given on a property in the case of an early resale.

Currently, purchasers of a property that has been bought on the right to buy scheme, can sell after 3 years with no requirement to make any repayments of the discount. The proposal suggests this should be extended to 5 years. Therefore, anyone who sells a property bought under the right to buy scheme within 5 years of the purchase, will be requested to repay a percentage of the given discount. Repayment figures are as follows: -


Currently
Sale within the 1st year - 100%
Sale within the 2nd year - 66%
Sale within the 3rd year - 33%


Proposal amounts
Sale within the 1st year - 100%
Sale within the 2nd year - 80%
Sale within the 3rd year - 60%
Sale within the 4th year - 40%
Sale within the 5th year - 20%

With the predicted drop in house prices in 2005 (meaning lower property valuations) combined with the new proposals further restrictions on council tenants wishing to purchase, now may be a good time to consider a right to buy.

The proposed changes in the right to buy scheme include measures to reduce the attraction of purchasing a discounted property with the prospect of selling it to make a profit.

The initial idea of the right to buy scheme was to give ordinary families the opportunity to own their own homes, something they may not have been able to afford otherwise. However there are concerns about the effects this has had on local housing stock and a number of people profiteering from potential windfalls in expensive property areas.

Exploitation in the Right to Buy Scheme

There have been several schemes where third party companies encourage tenants to purchase their homes under the right to buy scheme, by offering them cash incentives. The tenant purchases the property at a discounted price under the right to buy scheme and simultaneously exchanges contracts to sell the property to the company after 3 years at which point no discount penalty will be repayable. The tenant will lease the property to the company and move out of the home with a cash sum. This leaves the company free to rent out the property at the current market rental rates.

After three years the tenant sells the property to the company. The company will either continue to rent the property at market rates or the property will be sold on at a substantial profit.

The incentive for the tenant is the lump sum offered, which can be anywhere from Ј5000 to Ј26000 but is usually a percentage of the equity of the purchased property. This could be attractive to tenants who do not wish to purchase their current home or hope to purchase a property in another area as it will give them a ready made deposit to buy another home.

The new proposals are designed to make this type of sale less attractive and prevent profiteering as well as securing local housing for the less well off.

The proposed changes in section 180 and 182-189 of the Housing Act 2004 will come into effect on 18/1/2005.

For more information on a right to buy mortgage, visit Right To Buy website.

Nicola Bullimore has been working with people to resolve debt problems for a number of years. For more information regarding debt issues, please visit Debt Questions website.


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Pros and Cons of a Mortgage Refinance
FreeRateUpdate.com
Many homeowners are jumping on the opportunity to save money with a mortgage refinance at the current low mortgage rates. With mortgage rates at historically low levels, some homeowners have refinanced more than once in the past several years which is ...
Who Qualifies for the $26 Billion Foreclosure Settlement?TIME
What $25 billion mortgage settlement will and won't do for homeownersThe Seattle Times

all 3,674 news articles »


Lenders say mortgage refinance deal will bolster Manatee market
Bradenton Herald
By JOSH SALMAN - jsalman@bradenton.com MANATEE -- A new refinance program to help underwater homeowners will uplift the local economy by putting extra cash into the pockets of those who will spend it, area lenders predict. The deal struck with five of ...

and more »


Mortgage-refinance bill a dangerous deal
Arizona Republic
by Robert Robb, columnist - Feb. 10, 2012 12:00 AM State Sen. Michele Reagan wants to help out underwater homeowners in the worst way. And she has succeeded with SB 1451 -- it's hard to imagine a worse bill. Reagan proposes to establish a state agency ...

and more »


Housing Wire

Obama pressures Congress on mortgage refinance program
Fox News
WASHINGTON – President Obama is rallying support for his plan to expand government assistance to homeowners, pressuring Congress to help lower lending rates for millions of strapped homeowners. Obama, in his radio and Internet address Saturday, ...
President Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Just a Bid for VotesYahoo! Contributors Network
Obama Unveils Mortgage Refinance EndeavorsMortgageorb
New Obama mortgage refinance plan to near $10 billionHousing Wire
Go Banking Rates -CBS Moneywatch -MarketWatch
all 1,239 news articles »


Harney: Reviewing Obama's mortgage refinance plan
The Seattle Times
Though it was pronounced dead-before-arrival by opponents on Capitol Hill, President Obama's new mortgage-refinancing package contained... By Kenneth R. Harney No comments have been posted to this article. WASHINGTON — Though it was pronounced ...

and more »


MonitorBankRates.com

Mortgage Refinance Rates: 15 Year Refinance Mortgage Rates at 3.29%
MonitorBankRates.com
Mortgage refinance rates on 30 year conforming home loans are averaging 3.98%, unchanged from yesterday's average 30 year mortgage refinance rate. Mortgage refinance rates today on 15 year home mortgage loans are averaging 3.29%, down from yesterday's ...

and more »


Fox News

Obama Proposes Mortgage-Refinance Plan
Wall Street Journal
By NICK TIMIRAOS President Barack Obama called on Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union address to approve new legislation that would give all homeowners who are current on their mortgages the opportunity to refinance at record low mortgage ...
Will Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Be D.O.A.?U.S. News & World Report
Obama proposes mortgage refinance programPolitico (blog)
Obama proposes new mortgage refinance programHousing Wire
Daily Caller
all 314 news articles »


Bloomberg

HARP Refi May Delay PMI Cancellation
NASDAQ
The federal HARP mortgage refinance program can be a huge boon for underwater homeowners. But if you have PMI, there's a little hitch you should know about. While refinancing a mortgage through HARP can cut your interest rate and save you money, ...
New HARP Could Help Up to 6.7 MillionMortgageLoan.com

all 52 news articles »


International Business Times

FOX 11 News Discussion: State of the Union
MyFox Los Angeles
And he aimed a pitch at homeowners, announcing a new mortgage refinance program with "historically low interest rates" that "gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3000 a year on their mortgage." He added, "A small fee on the ...
Winning Words, But Not a WinnerU.S. News & World Report
Obama State of the Union 2012: Mortgage Refinance Changes Face ObstaclesInternational Business Times

all 12,250 news articles »


CBS Local

Six Questions on Obama's Mortgage Refinance Proposal
Wall Street Journal (blog)
By Nick Timiraos President Barack Obama said Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that he would send a plan to Congress to allow all homeowners who are current on their mortgages to refinance. Here's a quick look at the proposal: How is this ...
Obama plan could help refinance Bay Area mortgagesSan Francisco Chronicle

all 19 news articles »

Google News

Home Equity Loan | Home Refinance Loan | Home Purchase Loan | Second Mortgage Loan | Home Improvement Loan | Debt Consolidation Loan | Loans | Leases & Leasing | Personal Finance | Mortgage Refinance | Debt Consolidation | Debt Relief | Finance Resources
© 2006 Home Equity Loan Store | Mortgage Refinance Information | Mortgage Refinance Articles