Discount Market Sale Mortgage (DMS)
(Last Updated: 26/05/2022)
26/05/2022
2,028
5 min read
Discount Market Sale scheme (DMS) mortgages - i.e. mortgages suited to the DMS scheme - are less common than standard mortgages purely because the Government's National Planning Policy Framework for Housing.
This framework establishes matters like funding parameters for low cost housing schemes run by local authorities, leaves the actual number of houses sold through the DMS scheme to the discretion of the local authorities themselves and this, in reality, is a very small number.
The fact is, however, that the DMS scheme is an excellent and underused one, described by many commentators as shared ownership without the rent.
You often have the option buy off the discount as well - thus making the property truly yours for when you come to sell - but otherwise, you must sell the property off for the same discount you were given and possibly to the original local authority involved.
That said, each individual Discount Market Sale scheme is different in terms of eligibility and ongoing rules - you must check each one on a case-by-case basis - and the schemes are very hard to find.
This article examines:
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Need a Discount Market Sale (DMS) Mortgage?
If you've been fortunate enough to locate a DMS property to buy, our experienced independent mortgage brokers can help you find just the right mortgage product for your needs according to the individual rules of your particular scheme.
Access to whole of the market – Available Outside of Work Hours – No need for face-to-face meeting with mortgage advisor - Terms Apply
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How do you find a Discount Market Sale (DMS) scheme in the first place?
No deception here - you might struggle to find a local authority which offers a DMS scheme.
And you must bear in mind that many councils will only sell the limited number of properties that they offer for this scheme to local residents or perhaps particular key workers.
That said, we've found Discount Market Sale schemes which are - or at least have - been operating in the following authorities:
- London Borough of Hillingdon
- London Borough of Barnet
- London Borough of Ealing
- London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- London Borough of Hounslow
- Cheshire East Council
- City of York Council
- Richmondshire Council
- Allerdale Council
Hammersmith and Fulham has its own schemes, one of which, Council Shared Equity (click to find out more) has many similarities with DMS.
Failing that you simply have to check your own local authority to see if they run such a scheme - we've made this slightly easier for you:
just click on Find your Local Authority by entering a postcode to give yourself a start.
Once you've found this out, look for the housing department and research from there.
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What's your best strategy to get a mortgage should you find property through a DMS scheme which you are eligible for?
Quite simply, after you've established yourself as best as possible that you're eligible for a particular DMS scheme, then we strongly advise that you consult an independent mortgage broker about any discounted scale scheme.
Need a Discount Market Sale (DMS) Mortgage?
If you've been fortunate enough to locate a DMS property to buy, our experienced independent mortgage brokers can help you find just the right mortgage product for your needs according to the individual rules of your particular scheme.
Access to whole of the market – Available Outside of Work Hours – No need for face-to-face meeting with mortgage advisor - Terms Apply
Frequently Asked Questions
Discount market housing refers to new homes which are built for lower and middle income first time buyers. The discount is usually around %20 of market value.
Discount to market value means the asking price is lower than the house is worth, as valued by a property valuer, if you were to sell it through a typical estate agent within 6 months.
This is when the terms of the discount are designed so that it is passed on to future buyers to keep supporting more new homeowners.
for example if you get a 25% discount on the sale, paying 75% of the market value at that time, then you will only be able to sell for 75% of the market value at the time that you come to sell.
The first homes scheme is a type of discount market scheme launched in 2021 - these homes come with a whopping 30% - 50% discount to market value depending on location. They were first available to key workers.
In the United States, it is possible to buy 'mortgage points' from your lender to lower the interest rate, creating a 'discount mortgage'. This is not practised in the UK.
Written by:
Andrew Boast
Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.
Reviewed by:
Caragh Bailey
Caragh is an excellent writer and copy editor of books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey, property law and mortgage-related articles.
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