Home loan deposit explained
Understand deposit size, LVR, genuine savings, LMI, grants, and why the deposit is only one part of buying.
Read guideBuying guides
Home buying guides for deposits, costs and pre-approval
Before choosing a property range, check borrowing capacity, deposit source, buying costs, documents and the conditions attached to any pre-approval.
Popular guides.
Best mortgage brokers for first-home buyers in Australia: five options compared for 2026
Compare five mortgage broker services for Australian first-home buyers by deposit planning, scheme knowledge, pre-approval support, lender access and help through settlement.
Read guideDeposit and costs
Check cash to complete
Use these guides when the deposit, LVR, LMI, grants, schemes, or settlement costs need a clearer plan.LVR and LMI explained
Understand loan-to-value ratio, lender's mortgage insurance, and why deposit size can affect cost and lender options.
Read guideLMI waivers for professionals in Australia: who qualifies and what to check
See which professions Australian lenders list on their own pages for an LMI waiver, the LVR and income conditions they publish, and what to check before relying on one.
Read guideGuarantor home loans for first home buyers: how a family guarantee works in Australia
How a family guarantee (family pledge) works, what Westpac, ANZ, Bankwest, CBA and NAB publish about guarantors, the guarantor's risks, and how it compares with LMI and the 5% Deposit Scheme.
Read guideApplication prep
Prepare for lender review
Pre-approval and document preparation work better when income, debts, deposit, and property assumptions are ready.What is home loan pre-approval?
Use this before making offers so documents, conditions, expiry dates, valuation risk and lender checks are understood.
Read guideDocuments needed for a home loan
A practical checklist of document areas commonly reviewed before a home loan application.
Read guideMortgage repayments on $300k to $1 million: monthly, fortnightly and weekly tables
Monthly, fortnightly and weekly repayments on $300k to $1 million home loans over 30 years, plus loan term, interest-only and rate-rise comparisons.
Read guideCalculators
Check the numbers.
Model the numbers here, then ask a broker to check the lender policy, fees and assumptions behind them.
Next step
Ready to check what applies to your loan?
These guides are general information. emoney can review your goal, lender options and documents before you make a loan decision.