5% Deposit Home Loans

If you’re a first-home buyer in Australia, there are ways you can secure a home with a 5% deposit. You could:

• Apply for any of the guarantees under the Home Guarantee Scheme
• Use a shared-equity scheme
• Apply with a lender that approves 95% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) home loans
• Use a guarantor

Home Guarantee Scheme

The Home Guarantee Scheme is the Australian Government’s initiative to support eligible homebuyers who want to buy a home with a smaller deposit. The greatest benefit of this scheme is you don’t need to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). LMI is usually applicable when your deposit is less than 20% of the property price.

There are three types of guarantees under this scheme:

• First Home Guarantee: Eligible homebuyers can purchase their first home with at least a 5% deposit
• Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee: Eligible first-home buyers can purchase a home with at least a 5% deposit
• Family Home Guarantee: Eligible candidates can buy their home with at least a 2% deposit

Each of these schemes has its own eligibility requirements and property price caps. Please read them carefully to see if you qualify, or you can contact the experts at 1300 889 743 for more information.

Shared-Equity Scheme

Shared-equity schemes are another way to qualify for a 5% deposit without paying LMI. These arrangements involve an equity partner, which can be the lender or a third-party investor, like the government. They typically contribute a portion of the property’s purchase price in exchange for an ownership interest.

Some popular shared-equity schemes in Australia are:

• Help to Buy Scheme: This scheme allows eligible homebuyers to purchase a home with a deposit of at least 2% of the property purchase price, through an equity contribution from the federal government.
• NSW’s Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper: The NSW Government has its own shared-equity scheme that helps eligible applicants buy with at least a 2% deposit. The scheme is available to single parents with dependent children, single people aged 50 or above, and first-home buyers who are employed as key workers.
• Victorian Homebuyer Fund: This shared-equity scheme helps eligible applicants buy a home with at least a 5% deposit. The Victorian Government will make a financial contribution toward the purchase of the home in exchange for an equity share in the property.

Lenders Who Offer 95% Home Loans

At Home Loan Experts, we have lenders on our panel who let you borrow up to 95% of the property value if you’ve saved between 5% and 10% of the value as a deposit. First-home buyers can even include the First Home Owners Grant as part of the deposit.

Lenders are favourable to those who have a stable job and earn regular income. Waived LMI home loans are also available for certain professionals.

Guarantor Home Loans

A guarantor home loan is a great option if you have parents who own property in Australia. You don’t even need a 5% deposit if your parents can act as guarantors on your home loan. As a guarantor, your parents will put up their own home as security on your home loan.

There are risks and benefits involved with getting a guarantor or being a guarantor on a home loan. It’s best to consult with an expert to see if a guarantor home loan is a viable option for you.

Is It Worth Buying With A 5% Deposit?

Low-deposit home loans are not without risks. On the positive side, however, a 5% deposit home loan can let you buy your property sooner.

Fast Track to Approval: Your Home Loan Checklist

A well-curated checklist to improve your chances of a home loan approval.

Do I qualify?

Generally speaking, you’ll need:

• A good income: Lenders tend to be quite strict when assessing your means of paying off a 5% deposit home loan, otherwise known as your ‘serviceability ratio’.
• Stable employment history: Although there are exceptions, this usually means that you’ve been working in the same job for the past 6 to 12 months.
• A clear credit history: Your credit file must have minimal credit enquiries and be free of defaults. As a general rule, credit cards, rent and bills like utilities and mobile plans need to have been paid on time for the past 6 months.
• Strong asset position: Lenders will assess your income to asset position relative to your age. It’s assumed, for example, that if you’ve been working full time for a few years that you’ll have a car and a decent amount of savings relative to your income.
• Little to no existing debt: Having more than one credit card and/or personal loans is a red flag for most lenders.
• Proof of 5% in genuine savings: This is usually in the form of consistent deposits into a savings account over a period of 3 months. There are some exceptions to this though.
• Non-traditional property or location: Banks are pretty conservative when it comes to property located in high rise units and small or regional. There are other types of ‘unusual property’ that may see your home loan application declined.

Want to know if you qualify for a 5% deposit home loan?

Fill in this free and easy assessment form or call us directly on 1300 889 743 and let us help you find the right home loan for your needs.

Do you qualify for a 5% deposit home loan?

Speak to an experienced mortgage broker that specialises in 5% deposit home loans.

It can sometimes be difficult to get approved but with a professional to help you present a strong case you’re in with a better chance.

Call 1300 889 743 or fill in our free assessment form and we can tell you which home loan option is right for you.