First Home Guarantee 5% Scheme buyers, how are you holding up after the rate hikes?
​
Broker here.
Genuinely curious how people who used the 5% First Home Guarantee scheme over the last year are tracking now that we have had three rate hikes since early 2026.
The scheme itself is great in theory, gets people into the market with minimal deposit and no LMI, but the timing has been rough. Bought into a period of global uncertainty, oil price pressure and stubborn inflation that nobody really predicted would stick around this long.
For those who used it:
- How much of your buffer have you eaten through?
- Are repayments still comfortable or are you feeling the squeeze?
- Any regrets, or still glad you got in when you did?
Not looking for property market predictions, just real experiences from people actually living it. Curious whether the scheme achieved what it was supposed to or whether the macro environment has made it harder than expected.
Been checking in with clients, so far everyones safe but saw some stats about how some Aussies are having a hard time.