Did You Know?

Effective September 1, 2020 mortgagors will have the option of continuing peril insurance coverage with the NHT after settlement. These individuals will have the option to pay the full annual payment in advance or on a quarterly basis. The measure will come into effect with the new insuring period (September 2020). 

The National Housing Trust (NHT) is to reduce interest rates for all mortgagors effective April 1, 2020. The NHT has also put provisions in place to assist mortgagors in arrears. The measures are expected to assist more Jamaicans in becoming homeowners with comfortable loan repayment arrangements.

These and other adjustments to the NHT’s loan policy were announced by Prime Minister Hon. Andrew Holness in his contribution to the National Budget Debate on Thursday March 19.

Interest rate cuts and new borrowing arrangements
In keeping with market trends of declining interest rates, the NHT is to reduce interest rates by 1% for all new mortgagors effective April 1, 2020. The adjustment in the interest rates on new mortgages means more contributors can now access NHT loans at 0%.  

Existing mortgagors will also see reductions in their interest rates by 0.5%. 

In a move to improve access to homeownership, the NHT now provides an additional $1 million dollars to contributors, moving from $5.5 million to $6.5 million effective on May 1, 2019, retroactive to April 1, 2019.This represents an 18% increase in the loan ceiling, in keeping with changes in construction costs. 

In 2010,  the National Housing Trust (NHT), introduced the Contributions Refund Towards Deposit (CRTD) loan. This product is available to NHT contributors who are purchasing a property being funded by an NHT mortgage to assist with the required deposit and has a loan tenure of eight (8) years.

The CRTD allows contributors to borrow up to 100% of their available contributions, which are not yet due for refund, providing that it does not exceed 15% of the selling price of the property being purchased.

The Home Grant is a special offer of up to $2.5 million, to NHT contributors now earning less than $15,000 per week, and who do not yet own a home. The Grant may be combined with an NHT loan to purchase land or residential property, or to build.