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

The South Sudanese community has a strong presence in Melbourne’s west — 8,255 South Sudan-born residents at the 2021 Census, with the largest communities in Victoria in the City of Wyndham (2,654 people — the largest in the state) and the City of Melton (2,174 — second largest). That’s useful context, but it doesn’t have to decide where you buy: Low Deposit Homes builds right across Queensland and Victoria, and these areas are examples of where the value is strong, not the only places you can buy. The headline for South Sudanese families: you can buy a brand-new home with a 5% deposit and no Lenders Mortgage Insurance, and a sub-$750,000 new build in any of Victoria’s more affordable growth corridors unlocks the full Victorian stack — the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant, the stamp duty exemption and the 5% Scheme — bringing net cash in down to around $26,000–$29,000. Use a sanduk the right way and the right lender for multiple-job income, and home ownership is closer than many families assume. Here’s the complete playbook.

Which schemes can South Sudanese buyers access?

Your visa status decides everything:

Many South Sudanese Australians are now citizens or permanent residents after years of settlement. Permanent residents access everything except Help to Buy from the day PR was granted. Citizens also qualify for Help to Buy (income caps $100,000 single / $160,000 couple/family) — the only scheme that shrinks the loan itself, a powerful lever on a single income. On a temporary visa the schemes are closed for now, and PR is the strategic first step.

Why is Victoria’s growth-corridor value so strong?

For many South Sudanese families, your established community and excellent new-build value happen to sit in the same part of Melbourne — Wyndham and Melton are right in the west’s affordable corridor. But that’s a convenience, not a constraint: the same value runs across Victoria’s western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong), where packages frequently run $650,000–$850,000, and we’ll match you to whichever corridor suits your work, family and budget. Any package under $750,000 unlocks the full Victorian stack:

• The $10,000 First Home Owner Grant (new build up to $750,000).
• The stamp duty exemption (at construction-stage signing only the land is dutiable — often little or no duty).
• The 5% Deposit Scheme (no LMI; Melbourne metro cap $950,000).

On an illustrative ~$650,000 package: 5% deposit $32,500 + ~$4,000 fees − $10,000 FHOG − ~$0 stamp duty − $0 LMI = about $26,500 net cash in.

How can a sanduk help build your deposit?

Many South Sudanese families save through a sanduk — a rotating community savings group (the word means “box” in Arabic) where members contribute regularly and the pool is paid to one member each cycle. A sanduk payout can form part of your home deposit, provided it’s documented and disclosed: keep a clear paper trail, 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, it’s completely routine and a genuine strength. With the 5% Scheme, the deposit target on a $650,000 package is only about $32,500. (See: Community Savings for Your Home Deposit.)

What can a South Sudanese household afford?

Honest numbers, governed by one rule: the 5% Scheme reduces your deposit, not your loan. No responsible application stretches the loan past roughly 6.5 times a single income, or 6 times where you support dependants. 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.

A couple — combined $110,000–$150,000: a $650,000–$750,000 new build in one of Victoria’s more affordable growth corridors is comfortably serviceable, landing near $26,500–$29,000 cash in with the full stack — and similar value exists in other corridors across both states.

A single buyer — $80,000–$100,000: Victoria’s sub-$750,000 corridors make one income more workable than higher-priced markets, though still tight. For a citizen under $100,000, Help to Buy shrinks the loan; otherwise a joint application or a larger First Home Super Saver deposit.

Two realities for many families: if you support parents living with you, they count as dependants, and a parent’s pension is never used. Remittances to South Sudan are committed outgoings that lower capacity but never disqualify you. And many South Sudanese workers hold multiple casual jobs (NDIS / support work, aged care) — where the right lender aggregates all your income streams rather than counting only your main job. Our finance partners do this income-matching as core to what we offer. (See NDIS Worker Home Loans and African Nurses & Healthcare Workers Home Loans.)

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.

Melbourne and Victoria — for example, the western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong), with packages frequently $650,000–$850,000. Under $750,000 unlocks the full Victorian stack: on an illustrative ~$650,000 package, about $26,500 net cash in. Wyndham and Melton sit in this band, but so do many other Victorian corridors.

Brisbane and surrounds — for example, the western Ipswich corridor (areas such as Collingwood Park, Redbank Plains and Ripley) and the Logan growth corridor, with new 4/2/2 packages typically $830,000–$1 million. The 5% Scheme plus Queensland’s uncapped stamp duty exemption removes most of the upfront cash. Other Brisbane growth areas offer comparable pathways.

How does Low Deposit Homes help?

Our finance partners (licensed brokers) review your borrowing capacity and match you to the right lender for your income pattern, so you get a full bank approval before you’re placed on any package, and we find you the right new-build package — a 4/2/2 home with a multi-purpose room, the best layout for your family within budget, with no upselling.

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.

Remember: settlement is not handover — the title transfers at settlement; keys come at handover, often months later. “Conditional, awaiting registration” is normal in a growth corridor.

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.

How much deposit do I need?
On a sub-$750,000 package in one of Victoria’s more affordable growth corridors with the full Victorian stack, net cash in is often around $26,000–$29,000.

Can I use my sanduk for the deposit?
Yes — documented and disclosed.

I work several casual support-work jobs — can I still get a loan?
Yes, with the right lender that aggregates your income streams. Our finance partners match you to it.

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) · Sudanese First Home Buyer Guide · NDIS Worker Home Loans · Community Savings (Sanduk) Deposit Guide.

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

Related guides for African first home buyers

• First home buyer guide for African migrants (overview)
• The Australian home loan process for African migrants
• How Low Deposit Homes helps African buyers
• Using community savings for a deposit
• Sending remittances and still buying
• Home loans for African nurses and healthcare workers
• NDIS worker home loans — Queensland
• NDIS worker home loans — Victoria

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