Help to Buy 2026 — 2% Deposit and Shared Equity Explained

What Help to Buy is

Help to Buy is an Australian Government shared-equity scheme administered through participating lenders.

The buyer owns the home, while the Australian Government contributes part of the purchase price and shares proportionally in future gains or losses until its equity share is repaid.

Current contribution and deposit

• Minimum buyer deposit: 2%.

• Government contribution: up to 30% of an existing home's purchase price or up to 40% of a newly built home's purchase price.

• 10,000 scheme places are available each year.

2026–27 income thresholds

For 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the taxable-income threshold is $103,000 for a single applicant and $165,000 for joint applicants or a single parent/legal guardian.

All applicants must be Australian citizens and must meet the other property-ownership and owner-occupier rules.

NSW price caps

Current Help to Buy property caps are $1,300,000 for NSW capital-city/regional-centre areas and $800,000 for the rest of NSW.

Your own affordable purchase price may be below the cap because the participating lender still assesses borrowing capacity.

Not the same as the 5% Deposit Scheme

The 5% Deposit Scheme is a government guarantee to the lender; Help to Buy is shared equity where the Government owns an equity share in the home. They solve different problems and have different eligibility rules.

Next step

Message HELP with income + deposit + suburb + expected property price if you want help organising the scheme comparison questions before speaking with a participating lender.

Thao Pham | 0452 526 888 | info@eltnetwork.com | Class 1 Licensed Real Estate Agent — Licence No. 20375265

General information only; participating lenders and Housing Australia rules determine final eligibility.

Sources

Australian Government First Home Buyers — Help to Buy Scheme.

Help to Buy 2026–27 income/threshold update and property price caps.