Defence First Home Buyer Calculator
See your deposit and your repayment after the DHOAS subsidy — stacking your Defence benefits on top of the first home buyer grants. Illustrative estimate, not financial advice.
Book a Defence first-home call →
Estimate only — not financial product advice or a credit quote. DHOAS depends on your service record and the current benchmark rate and only applies through a DHOAS-accredited lender. Grant and scheme eligibility depends on your circumstances. Confirm everything with a licensed broker. Low Deposit Homes helps you find the home and package; finance is arranged through a licensed broker.
Can ADF members get a first home with a low deposit?
Yes. ADF members can use the civilian 5% Deposit Scheme (no LMI) plus the First Home Owner Grant and stamp duty concessions, and stack the Defence schemes — DHOAS for everyone eligible, and HPAS for permanent members — on top, because the civilian and Defence benefits sit in separate eligibility silos.
How is the DHOAS monthly subsidy calculated?
DHOAS pays 37.5% of the median interest expense on the subsidised portion of your loan over 25 years, using a median major-lender variable rate (capped at 8.95%) that is reviewed monthly — so the dollar figure moves with rates. The subsidised portion is capped at your tier limit ($413,690 / $620,535 / $827,380 for 2025-26).
Do Reservists get HPAS?
No — HPAS (the one-off $16,949 before tax) is for permanent ADF members buying in their posting location. Reservists still access DHOAS (with longer qualifying periods) and the full civilian first home buyer stack.
Defence first-home help — common questions
What home-buying help do Defence and ADF members get?
Serving and ex-serving members can stack three Defence-specific schemes on top of the normal first home buyer grants. DHOAS (Defence Home Ownership Assistance Scheme) pays a monthly subsidy toward your home-loan interest based on your length of service. HPAS (Home Purchase Assistance Scheme) is a one-off lump sum (currently $16,949, taxable) to help you buy at your posting location. And HPSEA helps with the costs of buying or selling around a posting. These sit on top of the civilian schemes — the 5% deposit scheme (no LMI), the First Home Owner Grant on a new build under the cap, and, for first home buyers, $0 stamp duty on a new home in Queensland.
How much is the DHOAS subsidy?
It depends on your length of service, which sets your tier. The subsidy applies to a loan up to about $413,690 (Tier 1), $620,535 (Tier 2) or $827,380 (Tier 3), and the monthly amount moves with the median interest rate (recently around $490, $736 and $981 a month for the three tiers). Over a 25-year loan that adds up. Check dhoas.gov.au for the current figures, as they update each financial year.
Can ADF members use DHOAS with the First Home Owner Grant and the 5% scheme?
Yes. The Defence benefits are separate from the civilian first home buyer schemes, so a serving member who is also a first home buyer can use the 5% deposit First Home Guarantee (no LMI), claim the First Home Owner Grant on an eligible new build under the cap, pay $0 stamp duty as a first home buyer on a new home in Queensland, and add DHOAS plus HPAS on top. Stacked together, the deposit barrier gets very small.
Which lender should a Defence member use for DHOAS?
Not every lender is set up to process the DHOAS subsidy correctly, so use an accredited, defence-savvy lender or broker. Get every figure — deposit, grants, the DHOAS subsidy and HPAS — in writing before you commit. Defence figures change, so confirm the current numbers on dhoas.gov.au and the Defence pay and conditions site.