Mortgage+help to buy eligibility?

I am a US citizen, on FLR(M); full time worker, been in the UK on student visas then current for 4 years.
My partner is a British citizen, full time worker.

We're under a lot of pressure from partner's family to consider buying a flat. We could afford the mortgage, assuming 20% down payment, on a 1 or 2 bed flat in the Docklands, for instance (where all the young people are moving these days!). But we don't have 20%, we have about 10%, for a down payment.

Enter help-to-buy. We ought to be ideal candidates. But is it possible for a non-citizen to utilize help to buy? I can't find a for-sure answer online. If not, are there pros to waiting until I have ILR (or citizenship) to purchase a place? We are a little worried about London being a housing bubble, but at the same time, it doesn't seem like it'll pop anytime soon...

Just being a grouchy person......I wouldn't buy a house/flat etc because someone else wants you to. Unless of course they are "giving" you some money to do so.

Hi,

It sounds as though you've looked online but I think you now need to speak to one of the help to buy agents to ask the question directly

http://www.helptobuy.org.uk/useful-information/faqs

Looks like you need between 5 and 20% for a deposit, so your 10% looks good so far. As to what the stupid UK housing market will or won't do is anyone guess. I read a report a few days ago about how by 2030, the average London 'house' would be £1 million+ and outer areas of London and home counties will be £500,000+. Quite if that will actually happen isn't known of course! I do agree with F5manadolin above though, why are your partners family be pressuring you both to buy a place? another report I've read about the growing trend that more and more UK people are just not going to consider buying a property and statistics show a reduction in owned properties and a higher amount of rentals due mainly, to the ridiculous UK house prices in general. I'm certainly not looking to buy another property here anytime soon - I don't feel you get 'value for money' for the insane amount you have to spend.

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

I was on FLR in a couple of years ago when my UKC wife and I started looking into buying a house, and we couldn't find a bank that would give us a mortgage.  All of them balked when they found out my immigration status.  Mortgage brokers couldn't find any, either.  Luckily, I got ILR shortly after, at which point they were all happy to deal with me. 

Sorry I don't have better news.

One of the biggest hurdles (if not the biggest) you'll be likely to face is credit scoring.  Not being on the electoral roll has a sizeable [negative] impact on your credit scoring, and you'll not be eligible to get on the electoral roll until you're a citizen.  You can contact the credit agencies to have a note added that details why you aren't eligible to be on the electoral roll, but in my experience, that doesn't really do much.     If your UKC partner has absolutely stellar credit, and you have a VERY sizeable down payment (we've been advised 30% or more), you may be able to secure a mortgage.

Beyond that, what do YOU want?  It's all very well that your relatives want you to purchase a place, but it's not about what they want.  If you don't want to buy at the moment, then don't.  We're not buying at the moment because we really aren't feeling like we get value for money - especially in London.  £500k+ for a shoebox!   

Thanks for the responses guys. I never lived in a house that *wasn't* a rental, so it doesn't bother me at all to rent, but my partner is british enough to buy into the idea that home ownership is necessary.

and the renting costs and laws are starting to annoy me. I think I'd be happy renting forever if the tenant laws were stronger, but as of now, they just aren't very good.

But yeah, a lot of things to consider. We're still quite young (late 20s) so there's plenty of time to figure out what we want to do, or wait for me to get ILR and citizenship (4 years and counting...). I guess it's just one of those annoying ex-pat hurdles right now.