News and events

People who are experiencing difficulties finding a home they can afford are invited to an open event being organised by Orbit HomeBuy Agents. The event will take place at the Wolverhampton Homes city centre office on Market Street, Wolverhampton between 10am and 3pm on Tuesday 7 September.

Olwen Ryan and Janet Smith, Stakeholder Relations Officers from Orbit HomeBuy Agents, will be on hand to provide information and advice on the range of HomeBuy products available to help people get onto the property ladder. And there is no need to book an appointment; would-be homeowners are welcome to drop in anytime.
 

On Friday 13th August, Orbit HomeBuy Agents attended the Coventry Housing Fair in the Lower Precinct Shopping Centre and spoke with over 100 people about how they could help them get a first step on the housing ladder.

Orbit HomeBuy Agents were at the Fair to raise awareness of the low cost home ownership products on offer through HomeBuy and how these can help would-be homeowners to find an affordable home in the Coventry area.

Orbit is the HomeBuy Agent for Coventry and Warwickshire and receives 100s of applications every year from people in the area looking for a way to afford their own home, but wanted to attend the Fair to let even more people know about HomeBuy.

On Saturday 24th July, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service held a Community Safety Day at Worcester Racecourse, and Orbit HomeBuy Agents were invited to attend.

The aim of the event was to educate the community about the services the Hereford and Worcester emergency services provide and to bring home some vital safety messages, to give the community chance to hear about other organisations working in their area, and to have some fun! As well as the Fire and Rescue service, the Police Air Support Unit, Trading Standards, NHS Blood and Neighbourhood Watch Association were among the organisations that attended.

Coventry based Orbit HomeBuy Agents, the largest HomeBuy Agent in England, is turning to You Tube to help get across its message that home ownership isn’t as out of reach as many people think. Despite the current economic climate, large numbers of people – young and not so young - still harbour aspirations to own their own home. For those who can’t afford to buy a home of their own outright, HomeBuy – a range of low cost home ownership products - is a very attractive proposition and You Tube, with its key younger 17-35 target audience, is an ideal way of getting the message across.
 

Your children can fly the nest and find an affordable home in the community in which their family lives. That is the response of Orbit HomeBuy Agents to a recent YouGov survey which claimed that six out of ten adults with children living at home believe that this is an impossible dream.

The survey, commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Housing, indicated that a potential 15 million people in the UK fear that their children must move away from their community in order to find a home but Orbit, the largest HomeBuy Agent in England disagrees.

Teachers in Luton were given a valuable lesson when Orbit HomeBuy Agents recently visited Putteridgebury University to talk about affordable home-ownership.

Orbit’s Stakeholder Relations Officer, Jennie Spencer, was invited to set up a stand during the lunch period at the Luton Teachers’ end of year event to talk to them about HomeBuy products which can help key workers take their first step onto the property ladder. She also used the opportunity to promote a new mortgage, specifically aimed at helping teachers purchase their own home.
 

Former West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, Aston Villa, Wolves and England centre forward Cyrille Regis was guest of honour at the recent Warndon Villages Football Club World Cup Day and Presentation event at Little Perdiswell in Worcester.

More than 100 young players from the club’s many teams took part in the event which was excellently supported by parents and grandparents and well organised by the club. Orbit HomeBuy Agents, sponsors of one of the Warndon Villages teams – the Under 8s Jaguars side – also attended the event. They provided information promoting the HomeBuy products to interested parents – and handed out giveaways which went down really well – especially the hand held windmills that most of the children were rushing around with by the end of the day!

As part of their ongoing mission to promote low cost housing options as widely as possible, Orbit HomeBuy Agents and Orbit East took part in the Disability Housing: Equality and Inclusion Conference on 24 June.

Organised by Breckland Council, and held at the University of East Anglia, the event was aimed at professionals involved with people with disabilities, including managers, policy-makers and strategists in the field of housing, as well as occupational therapists, social workers, GPs and disability organisations. Its purpose was to get everyone involved in the housing debate, raising greater awareness of the need for inclusive and accessible housing, to discuss ways of developing and shaping the future of housing for people with disabilities in Norfolk, and to encourage more partnership working to improve housing options for disabled people.

There’s considerable concern being expressed by the UK’s largest HomeBuy Agency that the messages about low cost home ownership options are simply not getting through.

Orbit HomeBuy Agency Manager Karen Coleman is concerned that recent research released by Hometrack showing that 15,000 households allocated general needs housing last year would have been eligible for an intermediate rent of 80 per cent of their home’s open market value, highlights a wide spread lack of understanding of the low cost housing options available to UK households.

Piotr and Aga Grabowski dreamt of owning their own home, but due to high property prices and high deposit requirements, they had to settle for renting a cramped, cold and draughty one-bedroom flat in the centre of Worcester. When baby Nikodem came along, they wanted to give him the best possible start in life so it became ever more important to find a good place to live.

When they discovered Brickfields – a West Mercia Housing Group development, just two miles from Worcester city centre, they never thought they’d be able to afford to live there. Piotr said: “We had friends living close to the development so we’d driven past many times admiring the new homes but we didn’t think it would be possible to have one for many years.”

A drop in event organised by Orbit HomeBuy Agents to promote affordable home ownership in Nuneaton was a great success with almost 50 people attending.

Held at the Town Hall, the event provided information and advice regarding the range of options available to help local people get onto the property ladder. Peter Edmonds from Central Financial Services also attended and visitors were happy to have the opportunity to speak with an expert in the field about mortgages specifically tailored to HomeBuy purchases.

People who are experiencing difficulties finding a home they can afford are invited to an open event being organised by Orbit HomeBuy Agents (HBA) in partnership with Stafford Borough Council. The event is being held in a marquee on Stafford’s Market Square, between 10am and 3pm on Wednesday 13 July.

Staff from Orbit HBA will provide information and advice on the range of HomeBuy products available to help people get onto the property ladder while Stafford Borough Council’s Housing Options Team will also offer general housing advice and information along with representatives from their Waste Management and Street Scene teams. These teams will be available to provide effective advice and assistance to help visitors regarding finding, keeping and maintaining their home, as well as how to stay warm in the winter and make their home more energy efficient.

A successful housing development in Rugby has seen nine of its homes sold in the first two months since the scheme was launched.

People seeking an affordable home in the town are invited to attend the Orbit Homes Open Day at the Butterfields development before the remaining houses are also snapped up.

Taking place on Saturday 10 July from 10am to 3pm, staff from Orbit Homes and an Independent Financial Advisor will be on hand at the Butterfields showhome to demonstrate the properties and discuss the home ownership process with visitors. This beautifully decorated showhome is also open every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm.

 

There is still a huge demand for affordable homes in the Staffordshire region – a fact that was highlighted at the recent North Staffordshire Housing Fair. Jointly organised by Orbit HomeBuy Agents and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the event attracted almost 140 visitors, each keen to find out more about all aspects of housing, whether they prefer to rent or buy.

As well as residents, the event also showed that organisations operating in the regions, which are involved in all aspects of home-ownership, were keen to work together - in total, just under 40 exhibitors took part in the event. Along with Orbit HomeBuy Agents and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, developers, regeneration agencies, private landlords, voluntary organisations, building societies, independent financial advisors and solicitors turned out to provide as wide a range of information as possible about housing issues.

People who are experiencing difficulties finding a home they can afford are invited to an open event being organised by Orbit HomeBuy Agents. The event, takes place at the Town Hall on Coton road in Nuneaton between 10am and 3pm on Wednesday 2 June.

Staff from Orbit HomeBuy Agent and an independent financial advisor will be on hand to provide information and advice on the range of HomeBuy products available to help people get onto the property ladder.

Delegates attending a recent seminar organised by Orbit HomeBuy Agents gained valuable information that will help them provide a more cohesive service to people looking for affordable housing in the region.

Held at Wyboston Lakes in Bedford, the event attracted 30 stakeholders from across Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, including developing registered social landlords (RSLs), local authorities and housing developers as well as independent financial advisors and solicitors involved in the home-buying process.

Orbit HomeBuy Agents are delighted to be joining their colleagues from Orbit Heart of England to promote low-cost home-ownership during one of Birmingham’s most colourful and vibrant events of the year.

The sister companies will host an exhibition stand during Birmingham Pride on 29 and 30 May; an event which celebrates the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. A variety of activities will be taking place throughout the Spring Bank Holiday weekend in and around Hurst Street – the heart of the Birmingham’s gay ‘village’. These include a carnival parade, cabaret, comedy, and a talent contest as well as a wide range of market stalls.

A recent event hosted by Orbit HomeBuy Agents has highlighted that people across the region still aspire to be homeowners and that there is a still a desperate need for affordable housing.

The New Homes event held at The Courtyard Centre for the Arts in Hereford saw Orbit Home Buy Agents joining forces with Two Rivers Housing, Festival Housing, West Mercia Housing, Wyre Forest Community Housing and Herefordshire Council, to promote the range of HomeBuy products – Government assisted schemes – which help people get onto the property ladder. The Keith Savage Consultancy, Gerry Dupree & Co Ltd (IFAs) and Franklins Solicitors were also on hand to provide free, no-obligation legal and financial advice relating to HomeBuy to those requiring it.
 

Teachers Building Society has been helping teachers onto the property ladder for over forty years. We understand that providing a sizeable deposit is a barrier for many people in education who want to own their own home. That’s why we welcome applications from teachers purchasing a property through the Government’s HomeBuy Direct scheme.

A recent event hosted by Orbit HomeBuy Agents has highlighted that people across the region still aspire to be homeowners and that there is a still a desperate need for affordable housing.

The New Homes event held in Bedford saw Orbit Home Buy Agents, North Hertfordshire Homes, Aldwyck Housing/Lea Valley Homes, David Wilson Homes South Midlands Region, bpha, and Morris Homes joining forces to promote the range of HomeBuy products – Government assisted schemes – which help people get onto the property ladder. Hegartys Solicitors, Mortgages Direct and Mayfair Financial were also on hand to provide free, no-obligation legal and financial advice relating to HomeBuy to those requiring it.
 

A recent event hosted by Orbit HomeBuy Agents has highlighted that people across the region still aspire to be homeowners and that there is a still a desperate need for affordable housing.

The New Homes event held in Norwich saw Orbit Home Buy Agents, joining forces with Orbit First Step, Flagship Homes, Broadland District Council, and Taylor Wimpey East Anglia, to promote the range of HomeBuy products – Government assisted schemes – which help people get onto the property ladder. Hegarty Solicitors, Warners Financial Services, Just Mortgages, and Independent Mortgages & Financial Solutions were also on hand to provide free, no-obligation legal and financial advice relating to HomeBuy to those requiring it.
 

The affordable scheme is helping hundreds step on the property ladder.

Many young people want to gain their independence and this means finding a place of their own. In recent years, however, with the high cost of properties and the need for a large deposit to secure a mortgage, this has become unattainable for many people who, like Simon Moseley, have been forced to continue living with their parents.
 

Orbit HomeBuy Agents – England’s largest HomeBuy Agency – has welcomed the Budget announcement by Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling that there will be a two year stamp duty ‘holiday’ for first time buyers purchasing properties valued at up to £250,000.

The Orbit HomeBuy Agents team has been further strengthened with the appointment of Janet Smith as Stakeholder Relations and Events Officer, with responsibility for Staffordshire and Shropshire areas.

Come to our New Homes Events In Birmingham on Friday 12 March

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.

The idea that shared owners are 'marginal' buyers or represent high risk lending for banks and building societies is a myth.

Figures released by the National Housing Federation’s Home Ownership Advisory Panel today show that shared owners are no more likely to be repossessed than those who own 100 percent of their property with a mortgage. The figures suggest Buy-to-Let ownership is more likely to lead to repossession than shared ownership.

Armed Forces Home Ownership Scheme (AFHOS)

The HCA in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Communities and Local Government have launched an equity loan scheme, the Armed Forces Home Ownership Scheme (AFHOS) Pilot, which is designed to assist serving members of the British Armed Forces (with four to six years service) to find a suitable home on the open market.

Come to our New Homes Events across the country

Orbit HomeBuy Agency is organising a series of New Homes events designed specifically to help those in need of affordable housing, whether they prefer to rent or buy their new home. They will be held in Birmingham, Bedford, Cambridge, Norwich, Hereford and Stoke-on-Trent over the coming weeks.

HomeBuy Agency Team Manager, Karen Coleman said: "Many people who desperately want their own home are unaware that help is available and these events are a great way of promoting all the schemes that are on offer. We’ve organised similar events in the past and they’ve always been popular but we hope that they’ll prove an even bigger success this time round. Last year, we processed around 1,000 applications each month from people looking for a home they could afford, and as long as your household income is less than £60,000, we may be able to help you, too. So, make sure you put the date in your diary."

It is a New Year and a new start for Tracey Kingston and Peter Williams as they moved into their very own home with a little help from Orbit First Step.

“Peter and I were living in a property rented to us from Orbit Heart of England, but it was a one-bedroom flat and we soon outgrew it,” said Tracey. “We wanted to buy a place of our own but we simply couldn’t afford anything, particularly because of the high level of deposit needed to raise a mortgage and we were on the verge of giving up our dream of becoming homeowners. Then we discovered a small development of new homes just round the corner from us at Caldecott Manor, off Boughton Road. The homes were available through Orbit First Step and when we spoke to the Sales and Marketing Officer for the development, Aidan Weir, we discovered that we were eligible to purchase one. It was like a dream come true.”