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Buy a home with government help: what could you get?

Enter a few details and see how the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, Help to Buy shared equity, the Queensland First Home Owner Grant and first home transfer duty concessions could change your deposit, LMI, stamp duty and repayments.

Illustrative only, not personal advice. Estimates use published rules as at November 2026. Lender policy, valuations and eligibility checks decide the real outcome. State grants and duty are calculated for Queensland; other states show the Australian Government schemes only (state results coming soon).

You and the property State LocationQLD regional centres: Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. First home buyer? Property type Purchase price ($)

Your money Buying as Taxable income, applicant 1 ($ a year) Taxable income, applicant 2 ($ a year) Savings available for deposit ($) Interest rate (% a year) Loan term (years)

Applicants (for your broker handover)

Optional for the estimate. Needed if you want us to send the handover to our mortgage broker.

Applicant 1 first name Applicant 1 last name

Applicant 1 mobile Applicant 1 email

Applicant 1 date of birth

Applicant 2

Applicant 2 first name Applicant 2 last name

Applicant 2 mobile Applicant 2 email

Applicant 2 date of birth

Current residential address

Residential status Citizenship / residency

Number of dependents

Employment · applicant 1 Employment type Employer or business name Occupation Years in current role HECS/HELP balance ($ optional)

Employment · applicant 2 Employment type Employer or business name Occupation Years in current role HECS/HELP balance ($ optional)

Property extras & liabilities

Occupancy of this purchase Property suburb or postcode (optional)

Gifted deposit funds ($) First Home Super Saver amount being used ($)

Existing home loan balance ($) Total credit card limits ($)

Other loans — car, personal etc. ($) Monthly living expenses or rent ($)

Your estimate

Grant

Stamp duty saved

LMI avoided (5% scheme)

Deposit needed with scheme

Eligibility snapshot

Compare the options

Option	Deposit	Govt share	LMI (est.)	Loan	Monthly repayment	Cash needed*

*Deposit + stamp duty + LMI if not added to loan − grant (grant timing varies; don’t rely on it for the deposit). Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. LMI is a rough industry estimate, not a quote.

Download any time. Sending to Jeffrey Hynes at Money Quest needs your name, mobile, email and the three consents above. You will get a copy when you include your email.

The schemes, in brief

Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (Home Guarantee Scheme): first home buyers with a 5% deposit, no LMI. Since 1 Oct 2025 no income caps and no place limits. Price caps (QLD): $1,000,000 Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast; $700,000 rest of QLD.
Help to Buy: Government takes an equity share of up to 40% (new) or 30% (established); you need a 2% deposit. Income limits from 1 July 2026: $103,000 single, $165,000 joint or single parent. Same price caps as above in QLD. You can’t combine it with the 5% Deposit Scheme.
QLD First Home Owner Grant: $30,000 for new homes under $750,000 (continued for contracts from 1 July 2026). Not available for established homes.
QLD first home transfer duty: new homes, no duty at any value (contracts from 1 May 2025). Established homes, no duty up to $700,000, sliding concession to $800,000. From 1 Aug 2026 buyers must be citizens, permanent residents or specified foreign retirees.
First Home Super Saver (FHSS): make voluntary super contributions (up to $15,000 a year, $50,000 total) and withdraw them, with earnings, for a first home deposit, often with tax savings.

Assumptions

Monthly repayment is principal and interest at the rate and term you enter.
Help to Buy shown at the maximum government share and minimum 2% deposit; Help to Buy has no LMI.
Without a scheme, LMI is estimated on the loan at roughly 1% (LVR 80–85%), 2% (85–90%) and 3.5% (90–95%) and added to the loan. Lenders generally need 5% genuine savings.
Duty saved compares to Queensland’s home (owner-occupier) concession rate.
Location “capital city” uses each state’s capital/regional centre cap. Use the government postcode tool to confirm.

Sources

Want to know what you could actually qualify for? Book a time with FinForce or call 07 3262 6585.

General advice only. Illustrative only, not personal advice. It doesn’t consider your objectives, financial situation or needs, and is not a credit assessment or offer of finance. Check eligibility with a Participating Lender and the relevant government agency.