Government of Jamaica

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to some frequently asked questions here. 
If you don't see an answer to your question, you can send us an email. 

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Bids are opened twice per month, usually on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

If the bid is considered to be acceptable, and the Private Treaty Committee has approved sale of the property to a successful bidder, the successful bidder will receive a telephone call to firstly indicate the success of his/her bid, and advised that the letter of approval and other offer conditions should be collected from the NHT's office within two (2) working days of receipt of the approval. The unsuccessful bidder will be sent a letter, by mail, advising of the status of his/her bid, within five (5) working days of receipt of approval. The bidder whose bid was disqualified will be sent a letter, by mail, advising of the status of his/her bid, within the same time-line.  N.B. If a sale is not approved, the NHT will continue to invite interested persons to make offers to purchase the property.  We would appreciate if this request is given urgent attention, in keeping with a recommendation made by our internal auditors.

Your bid will be rejected if: you do not state your name, and did not sign the letter (if your bid was typed); you do not state the exact address of the property you wish to purchase; you state a range of figures ( e.g $1m to $ 2m) for your bid sum instead of one amount; the property is not on the list of properties which the Trust is selling by Private Treaty; words and figures in your bid letter do not agree; Real Estate Agents who are making bids on behalf of bidders, do not attach a signed copy of the bid from the bidders; when the bid/letter is opened, the information does not clearly indicate that a bid is being made on a property. a higher bid is received from another person. your proof of deposit and mortgage financing documents did not accompany your bid letter; a certified Power of Attorney document giving authorisation for your Agent/Representative to make a bid on your behalf is not received.

You may click on the "Properties for sale" link OR Visit the nearest NHT Branch Office or Service Centre and speak with a Customer Service Representative; OR You may give us a call at the following numbers: (876) 929-6500 –9 or toll free at 1-888-CALL NHT.

You can apply by doing the following: ( i ) Visit the property of choice to determine its external condition, and if it is in a suitable location; ( ii ) If you are interested in purchasing the property, write a letter, referred to as a “Bid”, which must include the following information:- Full address of the property/ies of choice; Specific amount(s) being offered to purchase the property/ies; Your full name, mailing address, and telephone contact number(s); State whether you will be purchasing the property with Cash or by getting a loan from a financial/mortgage institution; Ensure that your bid/letter is signed by yourself and any other person (if you and other persons are bidding on the property together); state exactly how much you are offering NHT for the property. Do not state a range for your offer (e.g. $1.5m to $2.m); Place your bid in a sealed envelope and mail or deliver it at any of our offices. Do not send your bid by email or fax transmission. The bid should be addressed as follows:(To be opened only by Private Treaty Committee) Private Treaty Committee, P.O. Box 152, Kingston 5. ( iii ) Attach the following documents to your “bid” /letter: Proof of required deposit Letter from financial/mortgage institution indicating that you can afford a loan, and details of the loan; *N.B. Your bid will be disqualified if these documents do not accompany your letter.

Sealed bids (in envelopes) should be given to the Receptionist at any of the NHT’s Branch Offices/Service Centres, between the following hours each day: Mondays to Thursdays - 7:30 a.m to 3:00p.m. Fridays - 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. You must ensure that all the requirements outlined for purchasing a property are strictly followed in submitting your bid.

An 'Asking Price' for each property is displayed. This price is the amount we will be prepared to consider as an offer to purchase the property. Please note that this figure is subject to change from time to time. *N.B. We reserve the right to accept or reject any bid, and we are not compelled to sell the property to the highest bidder.

Type of financing Requirement Loan from NHT 5% of the bid sum is payable as a deposit, providing the other associated costs can be covered by the mortgage loan. Loan from other source(s) 15% of the bid sum is payable as a deposit, providing the other associated costs can be covered by the mortgage loan. Cash purchase 15% of the bid sum is payable as a deposit. Evidence of the balance of the purchase price and the other associated costs must also be provided before offer is considered acceptable. Joint Finance Mortgage Programme (JFMP) 15% of the bid sum is payable as a deposit, providing the other associated costs can be covered by the mortgage loan.

You will be required to pay the difference between the bid amount and the maximum loan entitlement. This is also subject to your ability to repay the loan. You must provide evidence that you can pay this shortfall before the sale/purchase processes can commence.

There will be some specific legal fees which you will be required to pay to enable us to not only register your name(s) on the Title as owner(s) of the property, but also the mortgage loan. These fees are approximately 3% of the sale price, and represent half costs for stamp duty and registration. (N.B. The 3% is based on the Stamp Commissioner’s assessment of the value of the property, and the cost to register the mortgage loan may vary depending on the Institution from which you will be obtaining the loan)

(a) You must be a first-time homeowner, and currently making contributions to the Trust. However, for more details of the eligibility requirements you may either visit the Customer Service Department at the nearest Branch Office, or visit the Loans section of the website by clicking on the  “ Loans”  link in the menu for more information. N.B. If you are not qualified for a NHT loan, you may still be allowed to purchase a property; however, we will not grant you the loan. Financing must therefore be sought from another source. (b) You may use the Fifteen (15) Plus Loan to purchase a property being sold by Private Treaty provided: the previous NHT loan was obtained at least 15 years ago; you are not currently a home-owner; your current non-home -owner status is not as a result of failure to meet NHT’s required mortgage payments. (c) If you are successful in bidding on more than one property, you will be allowed to purchase these properties, subject to proof that you can afford to pay for each one. However, we will grant you a mortgage loan on only one (1) property, if you are eligible for a non-home-owner’s loan or a loan as outlined at item (b) above.