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Move into your home sooner

Government support to help you get onto the property ladder faster.
Saving for a home doesn’t have to be hard.
For many people saving the traditional 20% deposit to buy a home can feel out of reach. That’s where the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme can help.

You could buy a home with a smaller deposit and without paying costly Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance. Moving day might be closer than you think!

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme

This is our sixth year taking part in the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme helping eligible home buyers move into their own homes sooner.
For First Home Buyers

You could buy a home with as little as 5% deposit and avoid paying Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance.*

For Single Parents

Single parents and legal guardians with at least one dependant could buy a family home with as little as 2% deposit.*

* Subject to meeting certain eligibility criteria set out by the Australian Government

Is the scheme right for me?

Australian Government Scheme supporting first home buyers Learn more Australian Government Scheme supporting single parents Learn more
Minimum deposit 5% 2%
Number of applicants Single or joint applicants, maximum of 2 applicants Single applicants
Citizenship Must be an Australian Citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.
Property type Existing homes and new builds. Must be owner occupier, investment properties are not eligible.
Purchase history Applicants can be a first home buyer or previous homeowners who haven't owned a property in Australia in the past 10 years. Applicants can be a first home buyer or previous homeowner.
Location Australia wide Australia wide
Property price cap Property price caps for your area can be viewed on Housing Australia website .

Apply for a home loan

Whatever your home buying dreams, our team of specialists can help guide you through the process step by step.

1
Connect with a specialist

Complete the form and we’ll connect you with one of our experienced Home Loan Specialists to discuss your goals, eligibility and next steps.

Enquire now

2
Application

When you’re ready, we’ll help you prepare and submit your application.

3
Loan approval and settlement

Once your application is ready for assessment, your specialist will guide you from approval to settlement.

FAQS

Frequently asked questions

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme is an Australian Government initiative to support eligible home buyers to purchase a home sooner.

The 5% Deposit Scheme supports eligible:

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme is an initiative designed to help more Australians get on to the property ladder sooner.

Under the scheme, eligible home buyers can buy a home with as little as 5% deposit – and without Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

Find out more about the Scheme supporting first home buyers.

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme is an initiative designed to support single parents and legal guardians with at least one dependant looking to buy their first home or re-enter the property market.

Under the scheme, eligible single parents and legal guardians can buy a home with as little as 2% deposit – and without Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

Find out more about the Scheme supporting single parents.

This is a one-off insurance payment which protects your mortgage lender if you default on the loan. LMI is commonly paid when borrowers have less than a 20% deposit. 

The amount paid can vary depending on the lender, the loan amount and your deposit size. Most lenders let you to choose to pay LMI upfront or add this to your loan amount and include it in your repayments.

Great Southern Bank is the trading name of Credit Union Australia Limited. You may have previously known us as CUA.

For over 75 years we’ve helped our customers reach their financial goals. We noticed that buying a home has been getting harder in recent years, so we’ve made it our purpose to help every Australian achieve the dream of owning their own home.

Plus, being customer-owned means that you come first. Instead of chasing huge profits for shareholders, we reinvest back into the business to provide better products and services to our customers.

Check out the table above or visit Housing Australia website.

More information on the scheme can be found here:

Need more information?

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Connect to a Home Loan Specialist

Complete the form and we’ll connect you with one of our experienced Home Loan Specialists.

Mon - Fri: 9:30am - 4:00pm (AEST)

Important Information

Great Southern Bank, a business name of Credit Union Australia Ltd ABN 44 087 650 959, AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 238317. Lending criteria, limits, conditions and fees apply. Applications are subject to credit approval. Ask us for details. More information about the Australian Government 5% Deposit  Scheme (including First Home Buyers and Single Parents) and Housing Australia is available at www.housingaustralia.gov.au.