{"id":90483,"date":"2024-02-02T04:57:55","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T17:57:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/?p=90483"},"modified":"2024-02-01T13:02:33","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T02:02:33","slug":"shared-equity-fund-hits-1-1b-milestone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/geelongtimes\/real-estate\/shared-equity-fund-hits-1-1b-milestone\/","title":{"rendered":"Shared equity fund hits $1.1b milestone"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Victorian government’s Victorian Homebuyer Fund has reached a major milestone, providing $1.1 billion in shared equity contributions to help thousands of people achieve the dream of owning their own home.<\/p>\n

The $2.1 billion Homebuyer Fund has been progressively boosted since it was launched about two years ago and has now supported more than 7,300 Victorians to secure a home.<\/p>\n

Two-thirds of those have been first home buyers.<\/p>\n

The most recent $500 million injection was part of the Victorian government’s Housing Statement, aimed at expanding housing supply and affordability across the state.<\/p>\n

In the early 2000s, it took the typical Victorian household 3.6 years to save a deposit to buy a home but it now takes an average of 6.2 years.<\/p>\n

The Homebuyer Fund is intended to drastically shrink up-front costs for families and individuals who might otherwise struggle to get a foothold in the property market.<\/p>\n

It contributes up to 25 per cent of a participant’s home purchase price and reduces the required deposit to just 5 per cent, helping to avoid the need for buyers to pay costly premiums for lenders mortgage insurance.<\/p>\n

Homebuyers backed by the scheme would pay only $30,000 for a deposit on a $600,000 property, while the fund would contribute equity of up to $150,000. The median purchase price of fund participants is $615,000.<\/p>\n

Fund participants can earn up to $130,485 individually, or $208,775 as a couple, while the maximum purchase price is $950,000 in metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong, and $600,000 elsewhere in regional Victoria.<\/p>\n

Preston resident Cassandra Bird bought her apartment for $350,000 last November and moved in a month later.<\/p>\n

She said the backing of the fund allowed her to stop renting indefinitely and start the process of buying a house.<\/p>\n

“The scheme made all the difference for me. I was saving money, but it was a slow process and the shared equity gave me the ability to access the market now.<\/p>\n

“I was aware of the scheme but wasn’t sure if I’d qualify, but I’m glad I followed it up. It’s been amazing for me.”<\/p>\n

The Victorian government delivers the scheme in partnership with four lenders: Commonwealth Bank, Bendigo Bank, Bank Australia and Indigenous Business Australia.<\/p>\n

Scheme participants can buy back the government’s share in their property over time through refinancing, using savings, or upon sale of the property, with proceeds recycled to support new participants.<\/p>\n

Homebuyer Fund participants are also eligible for Victorian first-home-buyer stamp duty exemptions and concessions and First Home Owner Grants of $10,000.<\/p>\n

“Shared equity is a partnership that is helping thousands of Victorians take the keys to their own home,” Treasurer Tim Pallas said.<\/p>\n

“The Homebuyer Fund has been a success because it makes a real difference, while the very nature of the scheme means the impact on the state’s balance sheet is at worst neutral.”<\/p>\n

For more information on the Homebuyer Fund, head to sro.vic.gov.au\/homebuyer<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Victorian government’s Victorian Homebuyer Fund has reached a major milestone, providing $1.1 billion in shared equity contributions to help thousands of people achieve the dream of owning their own home. The $2.1 billion Homebuyer Fund has been progressively boosted since it was launched about two years ago and has now supported more than 7,300 […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":90484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-90483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nShared equity fund hits $1.1b milestone - Geelong Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the impact of the Victorian Homebuyer Fund, providing $1.1 billion in shared equity contributions. Learn how this $2.1 billion fund reduces upfront costs, making homeownership accessible. Find eligibility criteria and benefits. 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