By Chaice Paterson, CEO & Founder, Low Deposit Homes | Updated June 2026

If your family came to Australia from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania or Uganda, the path into your first home is the same powerful one every Australian first home buyer can use — and a few things specific to East African families make it more achievable than you might think. The headline: you can buy a brand-new home with a 5% deposit and no Lenders Mortgage Insurance through the federal 5% Deposit Scheme; permanent residents qualify for almost every scheme from the day PR is granted; and an equb (the rotating savings tradition many Ethiopian and Eritrean families run) can help build your deposit. These are sizeable, established communities — at the 2021 Census there were 14,092 Ethiopia-born, 5,629 Eritrea-born, 4,371 Tanzania-born and 4,163 Uganda-born residents in Australia. Low Deposit Homes builds across Queensland and Victoria and matches you to the area that suits your work, family and budget. This is your complete guide. (Kenyan, Sudanese and South Sudanese families have their own dedicated guides — see the links below.)

Each of these four communities has its own story in Australia. Ethiopian families are the largest of the group and long-established, with strong concentrations in Melbourne’s west and south-east. Eritrean households often arrived through family and humanitarian pathways and place huge value on home ownership as a marker of having put down roots. Tanzanian and Ugandan buyers are frequently skilled-migration arrivals — healthcare, education and trades — who reach PR quickly and can act sooner than they expect. Whichever describes you, the scheme stack below is the same.

Which schemes can East African buyers access?

Your visa status is the master key, and it works the same for every nationality:

If you’re a permanent resident (subclass 189, 190 or 186), you access everything except Help to Buy from the day PR was granted — don’t wait for citizenship to buy. Citizens also qualify for Help to Buy (income caps $100,000 single / $160,000 couple/family), the only scheme that shrinks the loan itself via a government equity share of up to 40% on a new build. On a temporary visa such as a 482 the schemes are closed for now, and transitioning to PR first is the strategic move; on a 491, eligibility varies — confirm with a broker.

A note on borrowing power: the schemes mainly reduce the deposit you need rather than the size of your loan — though waiving LMI and securing a competitive scheme rate can lift your borrowing capacity a little. Help to Buy is the exception that actually reduces the loan itself, by taking a government equity share.

How much deposit do you actually need?

Far less than 20%. With the 5% Deposit Scheme you put down 5% and pay no LMI — and because Low Deposit Homes builds right across Queensland and Victoria, the figures below are examples of the value on offer, not the only places you can buy. We match you to the corridor that suits your work, family and budget.

• More affordable Victorian corridors — for example, parts of Melbourne’s western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong), with packages frequently $650,000–$750,000. A new build under $750,000 unlocks the full Victorian stack (the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant + stamp duty exemption + 5% Scheme). On a ~$700,000 package, plan for about $29,000 net cash in, and Melton is one of several areas in this band. Similar value exists across Victoria’s other growth corridors.
• Brisbane’s western Ipswich corridor and Logan (Collingwood Park, Redbank, Redbank Plains, Ripley, plus the Logan growth corridor) — packages typically $830,000–$1 million. Most exceed the $750,000 grant cap, but the 5% Scheme plus Queensland’s uncapped stamp duty exemption still remove roughly $55,000–$60,000 of upfront cash. On an $830,000 package, plan for about $45,500 cash in. Other Brisbane growth areas offer comparable pathways.

One fact governs everything: the 5% Scheme reduces your deposit, not your loan. Your income still services the loan, capped at roughly 6.5x a single income or 6x with dependants.

How can an equb help build your deposit?

Many Ethiopian and Eritrean families save through an equb — a rotating savings association where members contribute a fixed amount regularly and the whole pool is paid to one member each cycle, until everyone has had a turn. It is one of the oldest and most trusted ways East African households build a lump sum, and for a first home buyer it can be the difference that gets the deposit over the line. (Tanzanian and Ugandan families often run similar rotating community savings groups under their own names.) A payout from your savings group can form part of your home deposit, provided it’s documented and disclosed: keep a clear paper trail of the payout, add a gift statutory declaration if any portion is gifted, and allow for time-in-account where genuine-savings rules apply. Never hide the source — declared and documented, an equb payout is completely routine and a genuine strength. (See our full guide: Community Savings for Your Home Deposit.)

What can an East African household afford?

Honest numbers, governed by the fact above — the scheme cuts your deposit, your income carries the loan:

A dual-income couple — combined $110,000–$180,000: a $650,000–$750,000 Victorian build (around $29,000 cash in on a $700,000 package) or an $850,000–$950,000 Brisbane package is well within reach. We’ll show you options across both states.

A single buyer — $80,000–$110,000: tighter, especially in Brisbane. The more affordable Victorian corridors make one income more workable; for a citizen under $100,000, Help to Buy shrinks the loan; otherwise a joint application or a larger First Home Super Saver deposit is the honest lever.

For many East African households: parents living with you count as dependants (a parent’s pension is never used in an application), and remittances home are committed outgoings that lower capacity but never disqualify you. Many community members also work in NDIS disability support or nursing — where the right lender aggregates multiple casual income streams, and most lenders count a registered nurse’s overtime at 100%. (See NDIS Worker Home Loans, African Nurses & Healthcare Workers Home Loans, and Do Remittances to Africa Affect Your Home Loan?)

Popular corridors — and the value they offer

Low Deposit Homes builds across Queensland and Victoria, so these are examples of where the value is strong, not the only places you can buy — we match you to the corridor that suits your work, family and budget.

Brisbane and surrounds — for example, the western Ipswich corridor (areas such as Collingwood Park, Redbank Plains and Ripley) and the Logan growth corridor. New 4/2/2 packages typically $830,000–$1 million. Illustrative $830,000 package: about $45,500 cash in. Other Brisbane growth areas offer comparable pathways.

Melbourne and Victoria — for example, the western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong), with packages frequently $650,000–$750,000. Under $750,000 unlocks the full Victorian stack: on an illustrative ~$700,000 package, about $29,000 net cash in. Similar value exists across Victoria’s other growth corridors.

How does Low Deposit Homes help?

We build across Queensland and Victoria — from the Ipswich and Logan growth corridors in Brisbane to Melbourne’s western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors and beyond — and match you to the area that fits your life, not the other way around. Our finance partners (licensed brokers) review your borrowing capacity and we work to find you the best option — and you’re never placed on a package you’re not fully approved for. We then find you the right new-build package — a 4/2/2 home with a multi-purpose room, no upselling. Worth knowing early: settlement is not handover — the land title transfers at settlement; the keys come at handover, often months later.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be a citizen to buy with these schemes?
No. Permanent residents access everything except Help to Buy from the day PR is granted.

Can I use my equb (or other savings group) for the deposit?
Yes — documented and disclosed. Keep the paper trail of the payout and tell your broker; it’s routine.

How much deposit do I need?
On a sub-$750,000 Victorian package, often around $29,000 net. On an $830,000–$1 million Brisbane package, roughly $45,500–$55,000.

Does sending money home stop me buying?
No — remittances reduce capacity but don’t disqualify you.

Do I have to buy in a particular suburb?
No. The corridors mentioned are examples of where we build and where the value is strong — we build across Queensland and Victoria and match you to the area that suits your work, family and budget.

Your next step

Book a free 15-minute consultation and we’ll run your actual numbers.

Book your free call → Book your free call | 1800 920 172

Related reading: African & Sub-Saharan First Home Buyer Guide (pillar) · Kenyan · Sudanese · South Sudanese First Home Buyer Guides · Community Savings Deposit Guide · NDIS Worker Home Loans.

Related guides: Queensland first home buyer guide · Victoria first home buyer guide · Grant Eligibility Calculator · Borrowing Power Calculator

Low Deposit Homes operates under Winning Homes Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 633 321 758). All calculations indicative. Not financial advice.