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First home buyer help without the overwhelm

Buying your first home can feel like a maze. John helps you understand your borrowing position, deposit pathway, LMI trade-offs, lender options, grants, government schemes and low-deposit alternatives before you start making offers.

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Balance check

How John helps you get balanced before you buy

The aim is not to rush you into an application. It is to balance deposit, repayments, scheme eligibility, LMI, documents and offer timing before the pressure starts.

Funds Deposit, costs and buffer Comfort Repayment range Timing Offer and settlement steps
  • Borrowing position and deposit planning
  • LMI and low-deposit cost checks
  • Government scheme and grant checks
  • FHSS, Help to Buy and low-deposit pathway review
  • Offer and contract finance timing
  • Step-by-step support through settlement

General information only. Your personal circumstances, lender criteria and scheme rules need to be checked before you rely on a pathway.

First home buyer strategy notes

Short practical articles to help you feel more confident before you make an offer, sign a contract or rely on a scheme.

Start with your real funds to complete

The deposit is only one part of the story. John checks deposit, grant timing, FHSS timing, estimated purchase costs, LMI if relevant, and whether there is enough buffer left after settlement.

  • Deposit and savings history
  • Stamp duty and purchase costs
  • Grant or scheme timing
  • Post-settlement buffer

Know your comfort number before your maximum

Borrowing capacity is not the same as repayment comfort. A useful plan compares what a lender may assess with what you are comfortable paying after bills, lifestyle and future rate movement.

  • Current rent or savings habit
  • Repayment comfort range
  • Fixed and variable costs
  • Room for rate changes

Get the pre-approval clean before making offers

A rushed pre-approval can still leave problems later. John checks income evidence, debts, credit conduct, deposit source and likely property assumptions before you rely on it.

  • Income documents
  • Credit cards and loans
  • Deposit evidence
  • Property and price assumptions

Treat LMI as a strategy decision

LMI may let some buyers enter the market sooner, but it is a cost that generally protects the lender. John compares it against schemes, family support and other low-deposit pathways.

  • Estimated LMI amount
  • Cost if added to the loan
  • Alternative pathways
  • Longer-term refinance plan

Keep your offer timing under control

Before making an offer, know the finance date, valuation risk, required documents and any scheme steps. The goal is to reduce avoidable pressure once the contract clock starts.

  • Finance clause timing
  • Valuation risk
  • Scheme steps
  • Settlement documents

Use the right lender lane first

A first home buyer can look strong but still fail a specific lender rule. John checks the policy lane before lodging so the application has a clearer reason to be there.

  • Income treatment
  • Property fit
  • Deposit source
  • Credit conduct

First home buyer schemes and low-deposit pathways

John checks the options that may help a first home buyer get moving, then tests the trade-offs against lender policy, contract timing and the property being purchased.

Government guarantee pathway

Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme / Home Guarantee Scheme

May help eligible first home buyers buy with a smaller deposit and avoid lender mortgage insurance through a participating lender. The lender still assesses income, debts, credit conduct, property type and serviceability.

  • Minimum deposit
  • Property price cap
  • Participating lender
  • Loan approval criteria
Official source
State grant

Queensland First Home Owner Grant

May provide money towards buying or building a new eligible home in Queensland. It is not automatic and the property, contract timing, occupancy rules and buyer eligibility need to be checked.

  • New home rules
  • Value cap
  • Occupancy requirement
  • Application evidence
Official source
Super savings pathway

First Home Super Saver

May let eligible buyers release certain voluntary super contributions plus associated earnings to help buy their first home. It needs planning before contract timing and release steps become urgent.

  • Voluntary contributions
  • ATO determination
  • Release timing
  • Occupancy intention
Official source
Government shared-equity pathway

Help to Buy / shared equity

May help eligible buyers purchase with a smaller deposit and mortgage where the government takes an equity contribution. The trade-off is ownership structure, future repayment rules and property eligibility.

  • Income and eligibility
  • Participating state or territory
  • Equity contribution
  • Future sale or refinance rules
Official source
Low-deposit cost check

Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI)

LMI is usually a one-off cost when the loan is above 80% of the property value. It protects the lender, not the borrower, so John checks whether paying LMI, using a scheme, using family support, or choosing another pathway is the better fit for the client.

  • LVR and deposit
  • Estimated LMI cost
  • Capitalised or paid upfront
  • Compare with scheme alternatives
Official source
Low-deposit lender pathway

Low-deposit lender pathway

A pathway John can check for strong applicants who have income and servicing but not a 20% deposit. Some lenders offer low-deposit lending without standard LMI or equity sharing, but credit, income, fees and security rules still matter.

  • LVR and fees
  • Full-doc income
  • Security/postcode fit
  • No guarantee or equity sharing
Alternative deposit pathway

Deposit-support pathway

A deposit-support pathway John can check for eligible buyers where the deposit is the main barrier. These options can involve a split or support structure, so the total cost, exit plan, credit rules and property fit need to be understood.

  • Deposit support fit
  • Clean-credit policy
  • Approved postcode/security
  • Exit or refinance plan

What John checks before you rely on a scheme

Scheme rules can change. John checks eligibility, lender access, property caps, savings history, document timing, contract dates, repayment comfort and whether using one pathway blocks another option.

Housing AustraliaQueensland Revenue OfficeAustralian Taxation OfficeAustralian Government First Home BuyersMoneySmart LMI

QLD stamp duty for first home buyers — the short version

Transfer duty (stamp duty) is one of the biggest purchase costs, and Queensland now treats new and established homes very differently. As at 16 July 2026, per the Queensland Revenue Office:

  • Brand-new home or off-the-plan: first home buyers pay no transfer duty at all on contracts dated from 1 May 2025 — and there is no price cap on the home itself.
  • Established home: the first-home concession still applies — generally nil duty up to $700,000, phasing out to no concession at $800,000 (maximum saving $24,525).
  • Vacant land to build your first home: no duty on the residential land, with build-and-move-in conditions.
  • Conditions matter: you generally must be buying your first residence anywhere in the world, pay market value, move in within a year and live there — selling or moving out early can claw duty back.
  • Announced change: from 1 August 2026 these concessions are set to require Australian citizenship or permanent residency (now law — see what changes on 1 August 2026).

Source: Queensland Revenue Office (qro.qld.gov.au), checked 16 July 2026. Duty rules change — John confirms the current position and the numbers for your contract as part of any review. General information only, not credit or tax advice.

First home buyer policy checks

The deposit, scheme, property and document rules matter before you make an offer.

Deposit source and genuine savings

First home buyers can get caught when the deposit story is not clear. John checks savings history, gifts, First Home Owner Grant funds, First Home Super Saver amounts, equity support and whether the lender needs genuine savings evidence.

Low deposit does not mean one simple answer

Some lenders, government-backed pathways and deposit-support products may help eligible buyers with a smaller deposit, but the borrower, property, price cap, income, location, credit conduct and lender criteria still need to fit.

LMI can be a cost, not a protection for you

Lenders Mortgage Insurance usually protects the lender if the loan is not repaid. It may help a buyer enter sooner with a smaller deposit, but John checks the estimated cost, whether it is added to the loan, and whether another pathway could be more suitable.

Pre-approval needs the right documents

A useful pre-approval is built on the same basics a lender will test later: income evidence, liabilities, deposit, living expenses, credit conduct and property assumptions.

Scheme stacking needs a proper order

A first home buyer may be looking at LMI, the First Home Owner Grant, First Home Super Saver, the 5% Deposit Scheme, Help to Buy, a low-deposit lender pathway, a deposit-support pathway or family support. John checks which options can work together, which ones clash, and what needs to happen before contract dates become tight.

General information only. Lender policy changes often, and personal credit assistance depends on your objectives, financial situation and full assessment.

Go deeper

First home buyer questions

How much deposit do I need?

It depends on the loan, lender, property and whether you qualify for any first home buyer schemes. We help map the realistic options.

Can I buy with less than 20% deposit?

Often yes, but lender mortgage insurance, scheme eligibility and lender policy need to be checked first.

Does LMI protect me?

No. LMI generally protects the lender, not the borrower. It can still be part of a sensible low-deposit pathway for some buyers, but the cost and alternatives should be checked first.

Can I use more than one scheme or pathway?

Sometimes, but not always. Grants, FHSS, LMI, the 5% Deposit Scheme, Help to Buy, low-deposit lender pathways, deposit-support pathways and family support can each have different rules, timing and lender requirements.

Should I get pre-approved first?

Usually yes. A lender pre-approval can help you understand budget and reduce stress before you make an offer, subject to lender criteria.

Prospective buyers walking through a home

Plan before the offer

Buying feels easier when the order is clear

Deposit, repayments, documents, property checks and contract timing can be worked through one step at a time.

John Carson-Zangor

John Carson-ZangorDirect help from a residential mortgage broker based in Bethania, Logan.

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Interactive check

Which QLD first-home help might apply to you?

Answer three quick questions for a general guide to the grants and duty concessions that may apply. This is education, not an eligibility decision — and it is not a credit application.

1. Is this your first home, and will you live in it?
2. What are you buying?
3. Roughly what price?

General information only — not credit advice and not an eligibility confirmation. It doesn’t consider your personal circumstances; grant and duty rules have caps, conditions and residency requirements that change (including changes from 1 August 2026). Check the QLD duty calculator, the current duty rules, or ask John. John Carson-Zangor, Credit Representative 537545, QED Credit Services Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 387856.

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