Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1491702
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 FEBRUARY 2023 14 COMMERICAL Grants and savings available to first time buyers IT does not matter where you are in the world, buying your first property can be extremely stressful, financially daunting and at times seem impossible! Not any more…with an experi- enced real estate agent at your side, you will benefit from their decades of experience and re- ceive expert guidance all the way. Plus, when you pick Frank Salt Real Estate you also ben- efit from an excellent package brimming with discounts and savings when you come to fur- nish and finish your new home with an exclusive savings pack- age worth over €15,000! To sweeten the deal further, there's the stamp duty reduc- tion that the government is offering: as a First-Time Buyer, no stamp duty will be due on the first €200,000 of the prop- erty price. First-time buyers are also el- igible for a one-time €10,000 grant spread out over 10 years subject to the property not ex- ceeding the value of €500,000. People buying their first home – given that its value does not exceed €225,000 - can also avail from the Deposit Payment Scheme – aimed to assist people who despite be- ing eligible for a home loan do not have the necessary liquid- ity to pay the required 10% down payment on the signing of the promise of sale. Whilst the applicant will be paying this personal loan, the Housing Authority will be financing the interest incurred on this loan during the whole term (up to 25 years). FTBs can also apply for reim- bursement of certain expenses up to a refund of €54,000 relat- ed to the restoration and finish- ing of their home. This applies if the property is located within an Urban Conservation Area, if it has been built for more than 20 years and has been vacant for more than seven years, as well as for new properties that are developed in conformity with specific criteria reflecting a 'traditional' element. So if you are eager about the prospects of owning your very first home, just have a look at some of the exceptional, exclu- sive collective savings that our First-Time Buyer's Pack has to offer by visiting www.franksalt. com.mt/ftb. There is savings on notarial fees, home insur- ance, kitchens, furniture, soft furnishings, sanitaryware, tiles and parquet, air conditioning units, PV Panels and solar wa- ter heaters, white goods, inter- nal doors and more! We keep adding more suppliers to this list so make sure to check out our page regularly. As your estate agent we can answer all questions you might have and take you through the whole process of preparation, qualification and legal require- ments that you have to deal with when buying your first property. This all goes to show that we do far more than just sell properties! We will accom- pany you through the entire process: from choosing your first selection of properties to view, then on to the process of elimination and finally decid- ing on "the one"! On top of that we will nego- tiate on your behalf with ven- dors, assist you with applying for bank loans, complete all the paperwork and deal with nota- ries on your behalf. Esplora launches the National STEM Community Fund THE second edition of the Na- tional STEM Community Fund has been launched, which will enable eligible organisations to carry out community-based STEM-related projects within the community. Organisations who engage with a researcher or STEM professional for such pro- jects can receive up to a maxi- mum of €8,000 per project. This was announced during a press conference by the Parliamenta- ry Secretary for Youth, Research and Innovation Keith Azzopardi Tanti. The National STEM Commu- nity Fund is an initiative of the STEM Engagement Working Group which is chaired by Es- plora Interactive Science Centre on behalf of the Malta Coun- cil for Science and Technology (MCST), with the endorsement of the Malta Council for the Vol- untary Sector. Parliamentary Secretary Keith Azzopardi Tanti emphasised on the importance of such initia- tives to engage more people into the STEM world. "We thrive to bring people closer to the STEM subjects. Through such initia- tives we are raising awareness and interest of people from a very young age to continue their studies in STEM subjects," stat- ed the parliamentary secretary. He also spoke about the im- portant work MCST is carrying out in promoting STEM subjects within the Maltese communi- ty. He concluded by welcoming Silvio Scerri, the new CEO of MCST, who with his vast ex- perience will support the entity with continuing to progress and move forward. Chief Executive Officer of MCST Silvio Scerri stated: "At Esplora we are committed to bridging the gap between sci- ence and society. This scheme, will serve as a step forward towards making science more accessible to the local community while bringing together STEM professionals and the general public to use their expertise in developing a STEM project that benefits soci- ety at large." Eligible organisations, in- cluding schools and resource centres, can access the appli- cation from: https://esplora. o r g . m t / t h e - s t e m - c o m m u - n i t y - f u n d - 2 0 2 3 - i n t r o d u c - tion-and-applications/. Applications will be open till Friday 24th of March 2023. Further information can be ob- tained by email at stemengage- ment.esplora@esplora.org.mt.