Hi Rabbits,
It seems that the biggest difficulty people seem to encounter under affordable scheme is getting finance. If you haven't started saving you should start, as you will be asked to forward a letter of loan approval in principal to DLRD Co co, in order to prove that you are able to raise anything from 220k-300k.
With regard to the legislation quoted by theste. It is good to know that we are protected if the value of the property falls below 300k and if the property did fall to the cost of purchase level it would seem to be a good opportunity to buy the council out for zero.
I would like to think that although the property market is on its knees at the moment that taking a longer term view of 5-10 years that the property market will recover and prices will exceed the 300k paid by us. If the properties ultimately appreciate then the valuation paid by us will be of great relevance.
Looking at theste's legislation the market value of the property is market value of the property at the date of sale.(I assume this should be market value on the day we close the purchase) I have quoted two relevant sections of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2002 below:-
"Y is the difference between the market value of the house at the date of sale to the purchaser and the price actually paid"
“market value”, in relation to a house, means the price which, in the opinion of the housing authority concerned, might reasonably be obtained in respect of such house, if sold on the open market;
It would seem on the basis of the above that the legislation is in our favourand accordingly we should not accept or allow ourselves to be forced to accept a valuation handed down by a developer or be an interested auctioneer many months ago.