Overview

• The Albanese government brought the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme forward to begin on October 1, 2025, ahead of the original January 2026 start.
• Eligible buyers can now purchase with a 5% deposit backed by the Commonwealth and avoid lenders’ mortgage insurance.
• The government says the change will cut the years needed to save a deposit — in Sydney from about 11 years to as little as two to three — and expects tens of thousands to use it in the first year.
• Treasury models a 0.5% rise in prices over six years, while the Insurance Council of Australia forecasts a 10% jump in the first year.
• Economist Peter Tulip and opposition figures warn of risky high loan‑to‑value borrowing and worsening affordability, as Cotality reports the median national property value at $857,280 in September, up 0.8%.