Government Expands First-Home Buyer Support with Lower Deposit Requirements
From 1 October 2025, the Australian Government has expanded its Home Guarantee Scheme to make it easier for first-time buyers to enter the housing market. Under the revised policy: Unlimited places are now available — first-home buyers with a deposit as low as 5% can apply for government support across the country. Higher property price caps were introduced to reflect rising house values, especially in major cities. The scheme has removed previous limits on applicant numbers and income thresholds, allowing more Australians to benefit. This expansion aims to help young buyers and low-deposit households step into homeownership sooner, reducing reliance [...]
APRA Introduces Caps on High-Risk Home Loans to Reduce Market Risk
In response to mounting housing prices and rising credit growth, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) announced a major regulatory change affecting home loan lending. From 1 February 2026, authorised lenders will be limited in how many high-risk loans they can issue: Banks can issue no more than 20% of new mortgage loans with a debt-to-income (DTI) ratio of six times or more (i.e., loans six times the borrower’s income). The cap applies to both investor and owner-occupier loans — a move aimed at curbing risky lending before it becomes systemic. The limits do not apply to loans for new [...]
From 1 October 2025, the Australian Government has expanded its Home Guarantee Scheme to make it easier for first-time buyers to enter the housing market. Under the revised policy: Unlimited [...]
In response to mounting housing prices and rising credit growth, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) announced a major regulatory change affecting home loan lending. From 1 February 2026, authorised [...]
