You may have heard the term Shared Ownership or New Build Homebuy and wondered where exactly you fit in on this and whether it could benefit you in any way. As a prospective first time buyer I am often left anxious, wondering whether I am ever going to get onto the mystical property ladder without a lottery win or meeting a wealthy man – not that I play the lottery or hang around Polo clubs. I have been writing about shared ownership schemes for about 6 months now and have often pondered the merits and whether this scheme could be what I am looking for.   Then, out of the local free magazine came an advert. ‘You can afford to buy with New Build Homebuy’, said the advert and by the looks of things you really can.   The advert for shared ownership housing appeared in the Brighton free magazine Latest Homes and says that I can buy a 1 bed place for as little as £50,000 or should I say a 25% share in one.   Beside the advert for the shared ownership home was a picture of the interior of the flat in question.   All brand new furnishings and kitchen appliances, not the council run-down property I had imagined at all.   And the location?  Locations that I would want.   Brighton and Hove desirable locations, not out in the middle of nowhere or somewhere with more Asbos per head than Ford prison.   Holland Road in Hove and another on The Drive all perfect locations for first time buyers and people with families looking to get onto the property ladder and wondering how to do it. By now I am really considering my options and whether shared ownership is the way for me to finally get onto the property ladder.   Shared ownership was never something that I thought I would want to consider, because it would mean getting either a flat that I wouldn’t like or somewhere in a location that I didn’t like, but it seems that I can have it all and I can afford it!The idea is that you find the perfect property through your local housing authority and then you find a shared ownership mortgage yourself – just as you would with a standard mortgage.   It really is that simple and who know I might finally make it onto the property ladder before I am 50!