Homebuy Direct Difficulties

chrisandlucy_2

Hi,

This is my first posting so apologies if I'm in an inappropriate forum or anything.

Just wondering if anyone has been in a similar position as me with regards to the following and/or there's any helpful advice out there.

My wife and I had agreed the sale of our property and, having looked around new builds in our area we were pointed to Homebuy Direct. So we registered our details online and received a letter in October stating "I am pleased to confirm that your application has been approved". Excellent we thought, so we returned to the developers and started looking around properties.

We found the home of our dreams but established, through conversation with teh developer, that we needed a PIF (Property Information Form) from South West Homes. So I spoke to South West Homes and they confirmed our eligibility for a 4 bedroom home - I have a 10 yearold dauther from a previous relationship who stays with us every weekend, my wife is pregnant with the baby due in April and I regularly work from home as part of my job (hence being allowed a study).

So everything seemed great and then South West Homes informed me I needed approval from my local Council as I currently have a mortgage (it's a shared ownership flat, I own 50%). So after lots and lots of chasing I was able to speak to the relevant authority at the City Council. The specific question that stumped my whole application was "That your local authority has assessed that it is not reasonable for you to continue to occupy your current accommodation". In response to this the lady at the Council said my current accommodation is suitable - it's a 2 bedroom flat and as my daughter ONLY stays Fri to Mon (3 nights per week) she doesn't need her own room as she's not with us over 50% of the time! Even worse is that when I questioned how I was supposed to kick my daughter out of her room for her baby sister, her response was that babies can stay in their parents room until they're one yearold and therefore we only required a one bedroom place. Oh, and my flat counts as a 3 bed because the lounge can be used as an extra bedroom!!!! It's a second floor flat and I have back problems so not good carrying a pushchair up and down every day. But still this made no odds to the Council.

So South West Homes sent me a letter saying they could not approve my purchase under the scheme.

I'm so frustrated at the vast difference in evaluating our needs between the Government scheme and the local Council.

The property is still reserved for us because the developers can't find anyone eligible for 4 bedroom houses on the scheme (quite understandable if you take everything into account, in my opinion) but I find myself in the position of having to sell my flat and move out (due to complete in the next 3 weeks) and stay with friends (technically be homeless) so the Council can authorise me on the scheme.

Finally (and I know I've waffled on, if you've got as far as this then thank you so much for your patience and sorry) I feel victimised for getting myself on the housing ladder 4 years ago by opted for shared ownership as I felt it was something more permanent for my daughter, so she can have her own room etc. If I had rented then I would have now had no problems getting onto the Homebuy Direct scheme.

It’s all a shambles and causing unnecessary stress for my pregnant wife, but like I said we’re still hopeful it’ll come together for us. I don’t expect anyone to wave a magic wand to sort this mess out but if anyone can think of something we’ve missed or if you’ve been through a similar scenario, then we’d love to hear from you.

Many thanks,

Chris

sazeasy

I was reading with interest the terrible position ChrisandLucy have been placed in when my attention was brought to the seemingly unsuitable reply. Surely, when someone with nowhere else to turn but to ask for some constructive advice from others in a similar position it does not require self opinionated and judgemental/unhelpful response from those of us who clearly have no idea as to an individuals in depth personal circumstances and is in clear contradiction to the forum etiquette as it currently stands, i.e "there is no such thing as a stupid question, and even if you disagree courtesy helps".

ChrisandLucy, it would appear that the decisions you have made and the action you have taken so far have been based upon your clear eligibilty for the scheme as assessed on an individual basis by the agent and government body and therefore this intervention from your local authority at this stage inappropriate - is there an appeal process to which you may follow?

I originally took interest in your post as I too am currently a home owner (please see my post/thread "homebuydirect with curent mortgage" and would be interested to know whether you had to make an initial "exceptional circumstamces" appeal to the government agency in order for your application to be processed this far prior to sale/removal of your name from your current liability. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

I hope that you can move forward positively with the purchase you have been approved for - good luck to you both.

chrisandlucy_2

Cannon Fodder, thank you so much for your really unhelpful response. I guess you've had some bad experiences in the housing market, I feel for you and hope everything is OK in the long run. I hope you've had a bad experience and you're not just some sad guy, living alone, with nothing better to do than post random useless responses on these forums.

Please don't respond to my posts again, you're "advice" is very unwelcome.


Sazeasy, unfortunately there's no appeals process. The South West Homes manager was really unhelpful - he questioned how I got his number (I got it through work as he had delivered a briefing to us there) and then hung up on me as he "doesn't usually speak to customers". His staff, my council and everybody else agrees it's ludicrous, unflexible and lacking in common sense. But unfortunately it seems that's the rules and that's what they all have to play by!

Pincher

Wherever there are government handouts,
there are corrupt officials handing them out to their buddies.
What they are doing is akin to insurance companies
finding excuses not to payout.
It's just the kind of thing TV programs like
Panorama and Working Lunch like to feature.
You can also try the newspapers.
All they have to do is ask for a list of approved purchasers,
and check their backgrounds to see if the approvals are dodgy.

Muhasib

Is it possible to alter your home routine so that your daughter visits for 4 nights and therefore is present over 50% of the time? shoot me down if it sounds a flippant idea but I thought i'd mention it anyway.

As a general comment (not a personal attack - I think you've had enough of those!) I hadn't realised that Homebuy Direct rules allowed so many bedrooms to an applicant who actually has a permanent need for one extra bedroom for one (soon to arrive) child. I think to actually qualify for 4 bedrooms in this case is interesting which is probably why you are attracting some adverse comment. I can understand why there are issues selling 4 bedroom homes on Homebuy Direct as clearly if the scheme is primarily designed to allow FTB's to join the 'housing ladder' (i hate that phrase) the amount that these sell for is still too inflated even for a 70-30% equity split and however can you 'staircase' later on at these prices?

Pincher

This is the schizophrenia behind these subsidised schemes.
We want to help people, but if they have what we have for less then we get jealous.

If you can remember, council housing included four or even five bedroom houses. The tenant didn't pay half the price of the house, and the council paid to maintain it. So which costs more to the tax payer?

Want to put people in hostels, sleeping in double bunks?
If they want decent housing, they should work for it?
Stop the subsidising, and see what happens. :eek:

chrisandlucy_2

Thanks for the responses.

As I said in my initial posting, I was hoping to find someone in a similar position or some useful advice. I wasn't hoping to come across individuals such as Cannon Fodder and poppy10 who must get some sort of kick out of trying to put people down. I have no doubt these individuals would be far from as abusive to my face, but I suppose that's a consequence of living in this internet society.

Anyway, I've emailed the webmasters asking how to delete this post and close my account, as I've discovered the help from these forums isn't worth the agro.

lynzpower

I actually cant believe the aggression shown to Chris and lucy.

Yet again some members seem to think its OK to be cruel and nasty, bringing this site into disrepute.

VIGILANT22

In life if you ask a question, regardless it it is via the internet or face to face....you take the risk of receiving feedback you maybe don't like....But...you take what you want and leave what you want.....simple..

Former_MSE_Dan

Hi folks,

I;ve had to remove a few posts in this thread as they were unhelpful and unneccessarily harshly toned towards a newcomer to this site, who came here looking for some friendly advice.

Please always remember the golden rule of this forum ALWAYS BE NICE TO TOHER MONEYSAVERS. If you cant say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

brit1234

It may be a good chance to stay well away from the homebuy scheme. Its a con I'm sure in time your look at this as a blessing.

save and buy a normal house or just rent, these schemes are just designed to inflate prices and have so much red tape you get strangled.