Plain-English articles to help you navigate schemes, grants, and the numbers behind buying your first home in Australia.
Buying StrategyLatest
Regional centres are outpacing the capitals on price growth in 2026 while still offering entry prices well below Sydney and Melbourne medians. How the growth data, infrastructure pipelines and scheme eligibility actually compare, and the real lifestyle trade offs for first home buyers choosing between a regional and a capital city purchase.
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State Guides
From 1 July 2026 the ACT Home Buyer Concession Scheme removed its income test and its property price cap, so eligible first home buyers in Canberra pay zero stamp duty at any price. How HBCS works in 2026, how Help to Buy and the 5% Deposit Scheme stack on top, and what the house vs unit price gap means for buyers now that the old cap is gone.
News and trends
Cotality's Home Value Index fell 1.1% in September, with values about 5.2% below March's peak. Here is what the data shows and how to think about it alongside higher interest rates.
News and trends
Victorian sellers must now publish their reserve price at least seven days before an auction or fixed-date sale. Here's how the new rules work and what they may mean for first home buyers as rates rise.
News and trends
More than 100,000 first home buyers have used the expanded 5% Deposit Scheme in its first year. Here is how it works, the current price caps, and what to weigh up with rates at a 15-year high.
Mortgages & Loans
Variable rates are hovering around 7.2% and 2 to 3 year fixed deals are advertised near 5.9% to 6.4%, so first home buyers face a real structure decision. How variable, fixed and split loans actually behave in 2026, where the hidden break costs and offset limits sit, and a stress tested framework for choosing the right mix on a $500,000 loan.
Suburb Guides
At $650,000 all three Queensland cities sit inside the $30,000 FHOG, the new build stamp duty exemption, the federal 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy. What changes is the property. How Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast compare on price, growth, Olympic corridor exposure and lifestyle in 2026.
News and trends
August's Cotality Home Value Index shows houses falling roughly twice as fast as units, with the gap widest in Sydney and Melbourne. Here's why apartments are pulling ahead and what it means for first home buyers.
News and trends
Fresh ABS labour force data shows the jobless rate rose to 4.6% in August even as the economy added jobs overall, adding a mixed signal days before the Reserve Bank's September rate decision.
Schemes & Grants
Eligible first home buyers in Victoria pay zero stamp duty on any property, new or established, up to $600,000. Between $600,000 and $750,000 a sliding concession applies, and above $750,000 the full duty is back. How the cliff works in real numbers, why it makes Melbourne buyers better off than Sydney equivalents, and how to use the threshold as a negotiating anchor.
News and trends
The Reserve Bank's board meets on 28-29 September with markets pricing a strong chance of another cash rate rise, after all four major banks forecast a move. Here's what it means for borrowing power and mortgage repayments.
News and trends
Westpac has become the last of the big four banks to forecast a Reserve Bank rate rise at the 29 September meeting, joining CBA, NAB and ANZ. Here's what a unanimous call means for first home buyers a week out from the decision.