You may not be aware but you may be eligible for a council house mortgage. A council house mortgage may be granted to tenants who are currently renting a home from a local authority. There are certain qualification criteria, which we shall soon discuss. First, let's discuss what are council house mortgages.

When a tenant applies for a council house mortgage, a valuer will be sent to assess the house and give it a market value. This process usually takes around 3 months. If the tenant fulfills all the criteria, and the council house mortgage is approved, the tenant can buy the house at a heavily discounted rate. For example, a house valued at $100,000 may be bought for $50,000.

A tenant can borrow up to 100% of the council's valuation. In the above example, that means the tenant has excess cash of $50,000. The money can be used for various purposes such as renovations, buying furniture, or for business. Or the tenant can use the money to pay off some debt. Whatever the case, the council house mortgage will leave the tenant in a stronger financial position.

In addition, the tenant is now officially a homeowner instead of a tenant. There are several qualifying criteria for council house mortgages.

Firstly, tenants must have stayed in the council house for at least 2 years. If the tenancy began after 18 January 2005, then the minimum period is 5 years.

Secondly, the house must be a district council house, a London Borough Council House, or a house belonging to a Housing Action Trust. You can apply for the right even if you have bad credit ratings. For instance, you may be a discharged bankrupt, and still qualify for the scheme. All you have to do is to consult a professional mortgage firm that specializes in applying for the right to buy.

Similar to other home mortgages, you are required to pay interest on the loan. In other words, the more you borrow, the more you have to pay back. For this reason, it is best to apply common sense when it comes to deciding on the loan amount to borrow. Obviously, you should not take out the maximum amount that you are eligible for if you do not need that amount of money.

Borrow what you need, and what is necessary to enable you to achieve your own goals. For instance, if you have the intention of using the money for a business start-up, make careful calculations of how much you need and borrow that amount. If you borrow in excess, your monthly payments will naturally be higher, putting more pressure on you to pay off the monthly installments.

And if you find yourself not being able to pay off the monthly payments, you home may be re-possessed. Therefore, always seek professional advice when in doubt. Borrow prudently and you will never have to worry about losing your home.