As the new financial year begins, exciting developments are on the horizon for Australians looking to enter the property market. From the long-awaited Help to Buy scheme to expanded guarantees and tax incentives for small businesses, the 2025–26 financial year brings powerful tools to help first home buyers, regional buyers, single parents, and investors.

At Loan Nerds, we’re here to break it all down and help you take advantage of every opportunity.

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What is the Help to Buy Scheme and How Does It Work?

The Help to Buy scheme is a federal shared equity initiative where the government will co-purchase a home with eligible buyers—up to 40% for new homes and 30% for existing homes.

Key benefits:

• Only 2% deposit required
• No Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI)
• Larger income caps and property price limits than originally planned
• 10,000 places available for FY 2025–26

✅ Eligibility Requirements:

• Single applicants: income under $100,000
• Couples: income under $160,000
• Must be an owner-occupier
• Cannot receive other home ownership support (e.g., Home Guarantee, state grants)
• Must secure a standard principal-and-interest home loan from a participating lender

Area	Price Cap
New South Wales — capital city and regional centre	$1,300,000
New South Wales — other	$800,000
Victoria — capital city and regional centre	$950,000
Victoria — other	$650,000
Queensland — capital city and regional centre	$1,000,000
Queensland — other	$700,000
Western Australia — capital city	$850,000
Western Australia — other	$600,000
South Australia — capital city	$900,000
South Australia — other	$500,000
Tasmania — capital city	$700,000
Tasmania — other	$550,000
Australian Capital Territory	$1,000,000
Northern Territory	$600,000
Jervis Bay Territory and Norfolk Island	$550,000
Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands	$400,000

For new home builds:

• Construction must start within 12 months and finish within 36 months
• Must have a fixed-price building contract and insurance

This scheme is expected to open for applications later this year—Loan Nerds can help you prepare early.

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Expanded Home Guarantee Schemes from 1 July 2025

The Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) has released 50,000 new places across three programs:

• 35,000 – First Home Guarantee
• 10,000 – Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee
• 5,000 – Family Home Guarantee

From January 2026, the scheme will be even more accessible:

• Income and property price caps removed for the First Home Guarantee
• Deposit as low as 5%, with the government guaranteeing up to 15% of the loan
• Sydney property price cap increased to $1.5 million

These changes give a major boost to first home buyers who previously fell outside eligibility due to earnings or location.

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$20,000 Instant Asset Write-Off Extended for Small Business Owners

If you’re a self-employed borrower or small business owner, there’s more good news.

The government has extended the $20,000 instant asset write-off for the 2025–26 financial year. That means you can immediately deduct the cost of eligible assets (like office tech or tools) up to $20,000 per item.

This benefit can improve cash flow and may even increase your borrowing power if you’re looking to secure a low-doc or self-employed loan with Loan Nerds.

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How Loan Nerds Can Help You Navigate These Opportunities

We’re here to guide you through:

• Pre-qualification for Help to Buy
• Maximising your eligibility for HGS placements
• Assessing borrowing power as income limits shift
• Securing the right loan for new builds, existing homes, or regional purchases
• Helping small business owners leverage tax breaks and finance smarter

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, single parent, regional borrower, or savvy investor—Loan Nerds is ready to help you find a home loan that matches your life.

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Ready to take the next step?

Book a free strategy session with one of our expert mortgage nerds and see which scheme could work for you.