First Home Buyer Guide: Let Me Help You Secure Your First Home

Get expert guidance from Eren Tan, a UNO mortgage broker, on navigating first home buyer grants and government guarantees to secure your dream home with as little as a 5% deposit.

First Home Buyer Guide: Let Me Help You Secure Your First Home

As a UNO Mortgage Broker, I understand that buying your first home can feel overwhelming—especially with so many people saying that young Australians can’t break into the property market without family support. But I’m here to tell you that it is possible. There are several government programs and grants designed specifically to help first home buyers, and I’m here to personally guide you through them.

Whether you're looking to purchase in the city or a regional area, I'll help you navigate these schemes, understand your options, and find the right lender to make your dream of owning a home a reality.

Understanding the First Home Buyers Grant

One of the best ways to start your journey is by seeing if you qualify for the First Home Buyers Grant. This grant can help you purchase or build a new home, or even buy a property that has been significantly renovated. Since every state and territory in Australia has its own criteria for the grant, it’s important to check your local requirements. I can help you understand how this applies to your situation and guide you through the eligibility process.

  • For more details, you can contact me directly or check your state’s State Revenue Office for grant information.

Exploring Government Guarantees

The Australian government offers several guarantees that can help first-time buyers like you secure a home loan with as little as a 5% deposit—and without having to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). Here are the three main schemes I often help clients with:

  1. First Home Guarantee: This allows you to purchase a property with just a 5% deposit. You can learn more about it here.
  2. Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee: This option is perfect if you’re considering buying in a regional area. More information can be found here.
  3. Family Home Guarantee: This scheme is tailored for single parents and allows eligible buyers to purchase a home with a deposit as low as 2%. You can read more about it here.

I can help you determine which of these guarantees best suits your needs and walk you through the application process.

How to Check Your Eligibility

One of the first things I do with my clients is help them determine their eligibility for these schemes. The government offers an easy-to-use Eligibility Tool, but I’ll also go through it with you to ensure you understand everything clearly. You can access the tool here.

Once we’ve confirmed your eligibility, the next step is identifying the property price caps in your area, as these vary by state and region. I’ll assist you in finding homes that fit within those caps, but you can also check the limits using the Price Caps Tool here.

Income Limits You Should Know

To qualify for these schemes, you’ll need to meet certain income criteria:

  • Single applicants: You must earn less than $125,000 annually.
  • Couples: Joint income must not exceed $200,000 annually for both the First Home Guarantee and the Regional First Home Guarantee.

I’ll make sure your financial situation aligns with these requirements and guide you through how it impacts your application.

Genuine Savings and What Lenders Look For

Another important consideration is genuine savings. Lenders typically want to see that you’ve saved at least 5% of the property’s value over time. This is what we call "genuine savings"—a record of consistent deposits over three months or more, which shows the lender that you’re responsible with your finances.

When you work with me, I’ll help you understand what qualifies as genuine savings, and I’ll assist you in preparing the necessary documents, including your Notice of Assessment (NOA) from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and recent payslips. 

The Application Process—Made Simple

Applying for one of these government guarantees is straightforward, especially when I’m here to help you every step of the way. Once we’ve confirmed your eligibility, I’ll assist you in completing the Home Buyer Declaration form, which is available on participating lender websites. Once you submit that form to me, I can reserve your spot in the scheme and begin working on securing your loan.

Common Questions I Get from First-Time Buyers

I know you might have a lot of questions, so here are some of the most common ones I hear:

  1. Can I purchase an investment property under these schemes? No, these government guarantees are only available for owner-occupied properties.
  2. Why should I use the government guarantee? The First Home Guarantee allows you to purchase a home with a 5% deposit, while the government guarantees the remaining 15%. This gives you the benefits of a lower loan-to-value ratio (LVR) of 80%, which can help secure you a better interest rate.
  3. What is Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), and will I need to pay for it? Normally, if your LVR exceeds 80%, you’d have to pay LMI, but under the government guarantee, LMI is waived—saving you thousands upfront 
  4. How much can I borrow under the scheme? With these schemes, you can often borrow more because of the favorable interest rates associated with the lower LVR however I always say that because you are able to borrow more, because you technically have more of a deposit you tend to borrow less because of this.
  5. What documents do I need to provide? You’ll need to provide identity documents, financial statements, and the completed Home Buyer Declaration. Don’t worry—I’ll guide you through every step to make sure nothing is overlooked.

Let’s Get Started—Contact Me Today

If you’re ready to explore your options and get on the path to homeownership, I’m here to help. As a UNO mortgage broker, my goal is to make this process as smooth and stress-free as possible. I’ll work closely with you to find the best option for your financial situation and ensure you have access to all the support and resources you need.

Feel free to reach out to me directly through my UNO Home Loans profile. I look forward to helping you achieve your dream of owning your first home.

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Let’s work together to make your first home dream a reality!

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Eren Tan

October 21, 2024
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Catherine Merrett
November 6, 2025
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
My husband and I were incredibly nervous heading into the home-buying process. As first-time property investors, it felt like a monumental decision, and the learning curve seemed steep. However, Andrew Wyers and the entire team at UNO Home Loans completely changed our perspective. They made the process so much more enjoyable than we ever anticipated—it was surprisingly exhilarating! Andrew's exceptional communication was key. At moments when we felt uncertain or stressed (especially while juggling other life commitments), his guidance immediately put our minds at ease. We knew we were in safe hands with the UNO team and quickly learned to trust the process entirely, allowing us to learn along the way. Feeling guided through each step made a daunting task enjoyable, and within a matter of a couple of short months, we had achieved our goal: we were homeowners! Thank you so much to Andrew Wyers and the entire UNO Home Loans team for making this huge milestone a genuinely positive and seamless experience.
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Margaret Giles
November 1, 2025
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Due to complications arising from processes and forms required by the lender, what should have been a simple process became super complicated. UNO Home Loans dealt with everything with calm and serenity and professionalism.
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David Norman
October 31, 2025
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Outstanding service with almost daily check Ins to help us navigate a very complex process, thank you so much to Paul and team for your highly professional but also personal service to help us achieve our first home purchase in Australia. I highly Recommend Paul Davey for helping to achieve your next property purchase.
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October 31, 2025
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Paul was so helpful throughout the whole process of house purchase. We highly recommend his service :)
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Beth Wells
October 29, 2025
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Paul and the team at UNO Home Loans have been absolutely amazing, helpful and transparent during the process of purchasing our home. This team has made buying a house an absolute breeze. It has been a 9 year goal for my family and I to get back into the market and from the first zoom call with Paul all the way to settlement I have felt taken care of and at ease. I am so excited to be in our own home and am very grateful for how easy UNO made the experience. UNO offered great communication, clear instructions and got the job done. Thank you Paul and the UNO team. I will definitely be using these services again.
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Mark Russell
October 27, 2025
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Working with Scott Wilkinson at UNO Home Loans was a genuine pleasure. We used Scott to refinance our home loan and to structure an investment property loan. Both experiences were excellent from start to finish. Scott provided high quality advice, quick turnaround times and sharp pricing outcomes. Nothing was too much trouble. I look forward to using Scott’s services again and highly recommend to others.
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Rudy Seubelan
October 25, 2025
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Scott and the entire team at UNO has been skilfully in helping and assisted with my complex property financing structure in a such short time frame to execute my first investment property. He has engineered a powerful strategy to accelerate my investment property purchase while ‘Optimising’ my financial position efficiently. I couldn’t be happier with experience. They made the whole process smooth and willing to go extra mile to get me best deal possible. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for reliable and professional broker.
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If only we could leave 10 stars... We've worked with Scott Wilkinson from Uno on the purchase of our principal place of residence, as well as a recently completed investment property. Scott was excellent throughout the entire process. He's got great communication, works incredibly hard and did everything he could to negotiate us the best deal. As business owners, the investment property was particularly complex and tricky to navigate. Scott helped us from start to finish and ensured we could maximise our borrowing capacity as well as secure a competitive rate. We've got nothing but amazing things to say about the guy and would highly recommend him to anyone considering buying property.
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Gabe Windsor
October 18, 2025
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Mike Parsons at UNO is absolutely fantastic to work with. He makes the entire home loan and refinancing process so easy and stress-free. Mike is incredibly responsive, proactive with follow-ups, and always goes the extra mile to make sure everything runs smoothly. He takes on all the heavy lifting and explains things clearly every step of the way. A great communicator who genuinely cares about getting the best outcome for his clients. Mike is my go-to mortgage broker, and I’ll continue to use his services for years to come. Highly recommend!
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I honestly couldn’t recommend Paul Davey from Uno enough. He went above and beyond to get my pre-approval sorted, even with my tricky circumstances. He guided me through the whole process right through to settlement day and made everything so easy and stress-free. If you need a mortgage broker who actually cares and knows their stuff, he’s the one to call! Epic Service!
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September 9, 2025
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10/10 Stars Fantastic experience with Mike Parsons (and his team). Mike was quick to respond, explained everything clearly, and secured us a great rate with cashback. The whole refinance process was smooth and stress-free. Mike went above and beyond for us and exceeded all my expectations. 10 out of 10 Stars. Highly recommend!
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