First home buyers
Grants, concessions and practical guidance for people buying their first home.
First home in Australia: who qualifies for the 5% deposit and Help to Buy
One federal scheme guarantees part of a home loan, the other buys a share of the home. The eligibility tests, deposits, price caps, deadlines and ongoing duties of each, from the official guides.
Housing support for Emiratis in Dubai: what the official texts say
The federal housing programme and bank mortgage limits for UAE nationals, from the official texts, with the Dubai housing body's figures as one newspaper reported them in June 2025.
Dubai's First-Time Home Buyer Programme: Who Qualifies and How It Works
Dubai's programme for first-time buyers has four eligibility tests, a QR code and a single use. What the Dubai Land Department says it offers, what it costs and what it leaves open.
Using CPF savings for a first home in Singapore: limits and HPS
What CPF Ordinary Account savings may pay for when buying a first home in Singapore, the two ceilings on their use, the lease-to-95 test and the Home Protection Scheme.
Singapore first-time buyers: BTO ballot, flat classes and CPF grants
How a first home is bought from HDB in Singapore: the HFE letter, the BTO ballot and its quotas, what Standard, Plus and Prime change, and the CPF housing grants.
Buying an HDB flat as a single in Singapore: the rules from age 35
Who counts as a single buyer for HDB in Singapore, which new and resale flats are open, the income ceilings and grants as published, priority near parents, and marriage.
South Australia first home buyers: the A$15,000 grant and duty relief
South Australia pays first home buyers a grant of up to A$15,000 and waives stamp duty, but only on new homes. What RevenueSA and the Act say on who qualifies, when and how.
US first-time buyers: IRA withdrawals, 401(k) loans and the MCC
How federal rules treat retirement money used for a first home in the United States, how the Mortgage Credit Certificate works on Form 8396, and what a buyer can deduct at purchase.
US state housing agency loans: California, Texas and Florida compared
How state housing finance agencies help first-time buyers in California, Texas and Florida: who qualifies, what form the money takes, and when it must be repaid.
Western Australia's first home help: A$10,000 grant, duty rate, Keystart
Western Australia runs a A$10,000 grant for new homes, a first home owner rate of duty reset on 7 May 2026, a A$2,000 costs grant and Keystart loans. The rules, with examples.
US older owners to release 13.9 million homes, few of them starters
A Realtor.com analysis reported by HousingWire expects older American owners to release 13.9 million homes by 2036, but only about 38,000 starter homes a year.
Australia's expanded 5% Deposit Scheme, one year and 102,594 buyers on
A joint ministerial release of 1 October counts 102,594 first home buyers in the scheme's first uncapped year. What the figures show, state by state, and what the Reserve Bank adds.
USA: how FHA loans and the VA funding fee work for buyers in 2026
Two federal routes let Americans buy with little or no money down. What an FHA loan costs and how far its 2026 limits reach, and how the VA funding fee is set, waived, paid and refunded.
US judge keeps housing counselling funds alive as buyer aid is debated
A federal judge in Washington has stopped US$57.5 million of housing counselling money from expiring while ten nonprofits challenge its cancellation. The government answers on 9 October.