Hey Starkey, do you mind me asking when you first applied for the scheme.
Also, did you apply for the Affordable Housing Initiative or AffordableHousing Scheme in order to get your offer of 5 different Docklands appartments?
I have a viewing of the Carraig Court appartment in City West this week but im very apprehensive. Like alot of the posters i feel like the AH is a great scheme and it would be foolish not to avail but i really dont want to live out there. It miles from anywhere and as if to annoy me the mad cow roundabout it between it and town!
Well I applied for two draws as far as I can remember. One in November 2006 I think, and then one in July 2007. I did not get offered a property initially in the first one. But then I was offered a cancelation, this was in D13. it was a two bed, but I think it may have been on the AHI, rather then the affordable housing scheme. The long and he short of it was that I could not afford to buy it, as they were looking for 280,000 for it. And At the time my salary was not enough so I had to turn that down.
My post may have been a little misleading, I was only offered one property. A two bed in a particular block in the docklands. In order to try and facilitate every one DCC where possible are showing people a few different apartments (they mentioned 5 to me), then you get to pick the one that suites you most. I have only ever been offered one apartment, this is on the affordable housing scheme, but under a subsection of that scheme designed specifically for the docklands, it was all handled though DCC on the same application form, but it is a slightly different scheme.
Totally understand what you mean about the location that you are being offered. Firstly I think its important to outline that unlike other councils, DCC do not match people to apartments based on need and income. You fill in a location preference form and then are entered into a lottery system based on your personal selection. I made sure to select only places that I was going to be happy to live long term, granted I did not have high odds of getting a place, but I would prefer to rent then to move to a location that did not suit me, so I just waited patiently till the offer arrived in the docklands.
If your not happy about your location then don’t feel under pressure to buy it, this may mean you are put to the bottom of a list, but if you are patient you will get a place where you want eventually.
I wonder what the delay or reluctance on the part of the banks is about. I hadn't heard anything about a different clawback system for the AF in the Docklands...maybe that was/is the issue?
According to my solicitor, in her experience the whole process takes about 3/4 months until you get the keys and she will handle all the paperwork between bank, DA, and solicitors (she said it is pretty straightforward)...so we are probably looking at early summer.for completion...not a bad time to be moving!
The whole experience is a bit nerve-wracking though, isn't it!
Oh and good luck with your viewing
Well I was looking over the original news letter that I got here is a direct quote:
“Please note that this scheme is different to the Dublin City Council Affordable Housing scheme”
Anyway I cant find any info on claw backs or anything like that for the docklands properties. I am not all that worried though, I mean its right in the city center and a place I could never afford by my self so I cant see my self moving anywhere. I am one of the few people in Ireland that actually wants to live in an apartment. And I am not planning any kids any time soon ;-) The only thing that is bothering me is the lack of a parking space, although I knew that there was not one when I ticked the preferences so its not a surprise. While it does not matter now as I will be living and working in town, 5/10 years down the road this may be a problem. I am thinking that I can just rent one if and when I need one from someone else in the building. It seems a bit mad that the DDDA want people to stay there long term, yet did not adequately provide enough parking spaces, but I am not looking a gift horse in the mouth and will figure out a solution to this as and when I need to.
It is nerve racking alright, I am still convinced it’s a wind up. I was making inquiries about emigration visas leading up till I got the call about the AH as I was so disillusioned by the price of property here. Looks like I will be sticking around after all now, which is good. Glad to hear that it will take 3 to 4 months, as I am trying to save money to buy stuff to sit/sleep on. In my general experience property transactions always take months and months here.