Help to Buy Scheme to launch in December

Help to Buy shared equity scheme launches December 5, buyer's remorse rife on Black Friday and the suburb where home prices are 18 times higher than three decades ago. Here are five things you may have missed this week.

Help to Buy shared equity scheme launches December 5

It's been three years in the making, but the Labor government's Help to Buy shared equity scheme is finally getting off the ground, with a start date of December 5.

Under Help to Buy, the federal government will chip in up to 40% of the purchase price of a new home, or 30% for existing homes.

This makes saving a deposit easier and reduces the pressure of loan repayments.

If you sell the property in the future, the government will take its share of any gains or losses made on the place. Or you can choose to buy out the government's equity stake (potentially by borrowing additional funds).

Help to Buy is available to first-time buyers or those returning to home ownership.

To be eligible, you'll need a minimum 2% deposit, and earn up to $100,000 annually as a solo buyer, or $160,000 for single parents and joint applicants.

Property price limits also apply, as shown below:

APRA caps high debt-to-income loans

Following speculation that the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) would intervene in the lending market, Thursday saw the regulator impose a cap on high debt-to-income home loans.

From February 1, 2026, banks must limit high debt-to-income ratio loans to 20% of new lending.

APRA says it has seen a pick-up in riskier forms of lending over recent months, and believes this has the potential to "undermine banking sector and household financial resilience if left unchecked".

APRA chair John Lonsdale says the signs of a build-up in risks are chiefly concentrated in high debt-to-income loans "especially to investors", however the regulator is not prepared to wait for housing-related vulnerabilities to build up before acting.

APRA's debt-to-income limit excludes bridging loans for owner-occupiers and loans for the purchase or construction of new dwellings.

One in two shoppers regret Black Friday buys

We're in the thick of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales this weekend, and savings are up for grabs on everything from flights to fashions .

But the 'unmissable' discounts and 'best-ever' deals won't always bring lasting joy.

CHOICE research shows one in two (53%) people who have made Black Friday buys have regretted the purchase or had a negative experience.

CHOICE's Liam Kennedy says, "Retailers are doing every trick in the book to get people to make a purchase, and our research shows people are often left feeling pressured or disappointed."

The CHOICE survey found:

• 52% of shoppers spend more than intended
• 48% purchase items they don't need, and
• 47% say the Black Friday promotions made them feel pressured to buy.

The trick to scoring a bargain is to compare prices.

Kennedy says, "We often see retailers making a big deal of discounting a product for Black Friday when in reality they're not even offering the best price. Compare the prices across different stores to find the best deal.

"Sales might also not be as good as ads make them out to be, so check for any limits and exceptions."

Queensland scoops the pool for 30-year home price growth

Australia's housing affordability has hit record lows according to Cotality, with home loan repayments now taking up around 45% of median household income.

However, as a long term investment our homes have stood the test of time - especially in the Sunshine state.

Analysis by PropTrack shows 8 of the nation's top ten suburbs for home price growth over the past 30 years are located in southeast Queensland.

Leading the nation for 30-year price growth is New Beith in the Logan area south of Brisbane. The current median value of $1,268,000 is 18 times higher than it was in 1995.

Across the nation's, the other top performers over the past 30 years are:

The catch is that plenty of home owners never benefit from the 30-year price growth of a given suburb .

On average, we stick with our homes for about 10 years before moving on.

One in five of us admit to regifting

As we head into the silly season it pays to play it smart with gift buying.

Research by Finder shows one in five people have re-gifted presents they didn't want or need.

On average, each person has re-gifted around $297 worth of presents. That's nearly a third of what many of us spend in total on festive gifts.

Two in five Australians admit to receiving questionable presents ranging from oddities like voodoo dolls to a novelty toilet seat featuring Santa's face.

Finder's Rebecca Pike says re-gifting has become routine: "What was once considered a social faux pas has now become commonplace."

Pike says the best gifts aren't about the price tag.

"A thoughtful $10 present can mean more than something expensive that misses the mark.

Pike advises, "Before you buy, think about what the person would actually use or enjoy - it's not about spending more, it's about spending smarter."

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