Helping Kiwis to find a house to call home.

“Shared ownership is an ever-growing alternative method to use when purchasing your own home.”

Though it’s relatively unheard of by many Kiwis, ‘shared ownership’ is not a new idea. These days there aren’t many financially flexible options when it comes to buying a house, and this is where shared ownership comes along to change that!

‘Shared ownership’ is an ever-growing alternative method to use when purchasing your home. If you’re serious about getting your foot onto the property ladder and into a home of your choice, but your options seem unrealistic, this could be the solution to make your dream a reality.

Let’s get down to brass tacks on ‘shared ownership’ so you can decide if it might fit your circumstances and help get you into your own home.

 

What is shared ownership?

First and foremost, it means you initially share the ownership of a property with a third party. You are always the majority owner, but instead of owning 100% of it, you may only have enough deposit and home loan approval to buy 75% to 90% of a house. And a third party, or co-owner, invests with you – owning the other 10% to 25% of the property.

If you have a steady paying job… you might be contributing to Kiwisaver… and you have some cash saved up – but not quite enough to get a home loan – YouOwn might be able to help you get a foot in the door.

Shared ownership with YouOwn is an alternative and cheaper option to a low equity loan from a bank if you don’t have 20% deposit.

Have a look at the interest rates for home loans on the website of your bank.

 

Who is YouOwn and where do they fit in the picture?

YouOwn is New Zealand’s first privately-funded organisation established to offer a shared ownership product for first time buyers. We want to lend a helping hand to prospective homebuyers through a programme that’s easy to understand and simple to engage with.

Our journey doesn’t stop once you have your keys, we help you as you reach the five-year mark and beyond – as you work towards securing the whole home for yourself.

YouOwn is independent of any builders, real estate agents, and home loan lenders. We are a privately funded programme. That means there is no income cap or eligibility criteria specified by the government. We welcome everybody who’s interested in co-ownership with us for new or quality existing properties.

 

How does that make me a homeowner if a third party co-owns the property?

You are the majority owner of the property and YouOwn is like a passive mum and dad investor. YouOwn will only ever own 10% to 25% of the property – in effect, the house is yours to do what you want with (which includes pinning things on the walls, choosing the colours and changing the carpet – something you can’t do when you’re renting).

Your house is on its own title, and together as co-owners, you and YouOwn own the property as tenants in common. However, you are responsible for all ownership costs such as rates, maintenance, and insurance (as you would be when buying a house solo).

After five years, you can buy YouOwn’s share in the home when you are able to – which then renders you a full homeowner!

The best thing? You have one foot on the property ladder, no more worries or stress with renting, and have the freedom and flexibility of living in your own house – and creating your forever home.

 

Do I have to pay a fee to YouOwn?

Yes, you are obliged to pay a monthly equity charge on YouOwn’s portion of the home. However, your monthly repayments are likely to be less than if you have a low equity loan, so it works out in your favour.

 

What if I don’t have a 20% deposit?

Good news! The required deposit is only 5%.

 

Is shared ownership suited for me?

First of all, to be eligible for this programme, you must be a New Zealand Permanent Resident or Citizen, have a clean credit history, and be buying the house for you to live in. If you tick these boxes, you must then also have:

• A deposit of almost 5% or more from KiwiSaver funds or savings.
• Low debts, maybe less than $15,000.
• A steady income (total of around $130,000 income or above the median in your location).

These factors ensure that the necessary repayments and long-term commitments are achievable.

 

Can I see an example of how the financial setup might look?

For example, a property valued at $600,000 will usually require a 20% deposit for banks to lend, i.e. $120,000.

• With co-ownership, if you choose to go for a 85% share in a property valued at $600,000, you will need a deposit of $30,000 (as opposed to $120,000 required by most banks).

 

Will I need legal advice?

Before signing the co-ownership documents (sale and purchase, home loan and shared ownership agreements), you’re encouraged to seek independent legal advice.

• A solicitor undertakes the conveyancing transaction for both sides. This involves drawing funds from the bank, YouOwn and your KiwiSaver provider, paying the vendor on settlement and registering the home loan on the title.

 

I’m still not sure. What are the pros and cons of shared ownership?

The pros:

• Shared ownership gets you on the property ladder as an owner-occupier without overstretching yourself as you might have to in other programmes. You can determine how much you can afford at the beginning of the process, whereas outright ownership requires a much bigger initial financial investment.
• The third party that invests in your property (in this case, YouOwn) is a passive owner; the house is yours to do what you want with. Essentially, shared ownership is very similar to approaching the bank of mum and dad.
• The deposit is low at only 5%. This is much more of an achievable goal for the majority of home buyers, compared to 20% when buying a house on your own.
• Your monthly repayments are less than if you have a low equity loan.
• You’re free to alter the house but must comply with council requirements and let YouOwn know.
• You can increase your share of the house until you own 100% of it.
• You can sell your house on the open market and you can rent it out.

The cons (and their counteractions):

• Not all lenders offer home loans for shared ownership.
  • However, YouOwn can help you find lenders.
• The selection of houses you can buy through shared ownership is more limited.
  • However whether a new or existing home, it will be a quality built home in locations of long term capital growth
• As well as loan repayments, there is an equity charge on the share the third party owns.
  • Think of this as a ‘thank you’ payment to a friend for using their money, and bear in mind that in this type of programme, you’ll be moving towards ownership much quicker than in any other programme.
• You pay 100% of the rates and insurance
  • This would be the same in a full-ownership situation, so it’s not really a negative thing.

 

Is this for you?

If you think ‘shared ownership’ might just be what you’ve been hunting for, then follow these steps below to see how you can start your journey!

1. Apply: Check out our eligibility criteria and register your interest online.
2. Plan and pre-approval: If you’re eligible we’ll give you a rundown on our processes and link you up with a bank who can give you a loan.
3. Purchase: Together, we enter into the purchase agreement as co-owners. We sign a legal agreement that specifies our rights and obligations called the co-ownership agreement.
4. Settlement: We help you complete documentation to withdraw any KiwiSaver funds (if applicable) and you sign the loan documents with the bank.
5. Move in: The balance of the purchase price is paid, the bank secures a mortgage over the property and you move in!

Weigh up the likelihood of owning your own home via the traditional routes of saving a 20% deposit. If it looks like a distant dream, consider speaking with YouOwn about new, more feasible opportunities. ‘Shared ownership’ is a foot in the door that may never have come about otherwise, and with that, a real sense of achievement and relief will follow.

What are my next steps?

• Sale & Purchase agreement conditional on finance
• YouOwn Application
• Approval from YouOwn
• Arrange home loan with financial advisor / broker
• Apply for KiwiSaver
• Sale & Purchase Agreement goes unconditional
• Give notice to landlord
• Arrange insurance on your home
• Sign documents with solicitor
• Settlement
• Move into your new home!