Mortgage indemnity scheme launched

Sep 12 2012

A scheme has been launched to help people get on to the housing ladder without the need for large deposits.

Banks, building societies and housebuilders are backing the national mortgage indemnity scheme aimed at helping up to 6,000 households.

The MI New Home scheme will allow households across Scotland who could afford a mortgage on a new-build home, but are currently locked out due to high deposit requirements, to borrow 90% to 95%, up to a maximum sales price of £250,000.

Nationwide and the Royal Bank of Scotland have already signed up while Bank of Scotland/Halifax will offer mortgages through the scheme in the near future.

A total of 12 housebuilders have signed up and more are expected to follow. The Scottish Government will support the scheme by providing a guarantee.

Homes for Scotland - the housebuilding industry body which developed the scheme - is projecting that it has the potential to generate sales of up to £1 billion over three years and could also create or safeguard 22,800 construction jobs and more than 650 apprenticeships.

Launching the scheme in Edinburgh, Infrastructure and Investment Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "The Scottish Government wants to help people get onto and move up the housing ladder, where it is sensible and sustainable for them.

"High deposit requirements have presented a major stumbling block for those who want to buy a new-build home. That is why securing the backing of our leading lenders for this mortgage indemnity scheme is hugely significant."

Homes for Scotland chief executive Philip Hogg said: "With housing output at its lowest level since the Second World War, the main obstacle to recovery in our sector remains constraints on mortgage lending, particularly in relation to high deposits. Only through the implementation of innovative measures like MI New Home can we ensure Scots have access to a full range of housing options."

Paul Smee, director general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, said: "MI New Home offers a way for homeowners in Scotland to enter the market or move house with a lower deposit than they would otherwise need. It increases the options for households who may have been feeling constrained and offers lenders additional assurance by offsetting some of the risk they would otherwise face."