{
  "id": 2812866,
  "title": "Australia’s first home buyers are still taking out loans as property investors step back, data shows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/australias-first-home-buyers-are-still-taking-out-loans-as-property-2812866",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-23T15:00:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian",
    "slug": "the-guardian",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/24/first-home-buyers-property-investors-mortgage-loan"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Australia's property market has seen a shift as first-time homebuyers continue applying for loans despite investors retreating, according to a recent report by mortgage broker Loan Market. This trend emerges as rising interest rates and tax changes have slowed overall home buying activity. First-time buyers are now the only group to apply for more loans than they did in June, with the number of applications rising by 10% in early August after dropping 3% in July. Meanwhile, applications from other owners and investors remained relatively stable compared to June. The government's introduction of a 5% deposit scheme has played a significant role in this surge, making home buying more accessible for new entrants. This policy, aimed at leveling the playing field, has led to a notable increase in first-time buyer applications, particularly in states like New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia, and Tasmania. Property finance expert Peter Esho notes that the sentiment among first-time buyers has improved, while investors feel the opposite impact. The government scheme, which allows borrowers to take out loans up to 95% of a property's value with the government guaranteeing the loan, has helped save millions of dollars in lender's mortgage insurance (LMI). Since its inception in 2020, the scheme has facilitated homeownership for over 320,000 Australians. Housing Australia, the administration body for the scheme, reported that participants collectively saved over $2.5 billion in LMI by July 2026, with more than 5,000 guarantees issued each month. However, this figure slightly dropped to below 5,000 in July, still higher than any month before the scheme's expansion in October 2025.",
  "summary": "Exclusive: New entrants the only cohort making more loan applications amid interest rate rises and tax changes, mortgage broker says Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast First home buyers are still taking out a large number of loans, with government backing, even as investors step back from Australia’s property market. New entrants are now the only cohort applying for more…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian Australia",
        "title": "Australia’s first home buyers are still taking out loans as property investors step back, data shows",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/australias-first-home-buyers-are-still-taking-out-loans-as-property",
        "published": "2026-08-23T15:00:35.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}