Everything You Need to Know About Home Loan Policies in Baldivis

Baldivis sits within the Perth metropolitan area, which means specific property price caps, stamp duty thresholds, and federal scheme eligibility apply to buyers here.

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy both operate in Baldivis, with the $850,000 price cap for capital cities and regional centres in Western Australia applying to purchases in this suburb. State-based concessions through the First Home Owner Rate also apply across all of WA from 7 May 2026, removing the previous distinction between metropolitan and regional areas. Understanding which programs you can access, and whether they can be combined, changes the size of deposit you need and the total cost of getting into a property.

Can You Combine the 5% Deposit Scheme with WA Stamp Duty Relief?

You can use the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme alongside Western Australia's First Home Owner Rate of duty, provided you meet the eligibility criteria for both programs.

The 5% Deposit Scheme allows first home buyers to purchase with a deposit as low as 5% of the property value, with Housing Australia guaranteeing up to 15% to the lender. This removes the need for lenders mortgage insurance. The scheme has no income cap and no annual place limit, but the property must be valued at or below $850,000 in Perth and applicable metropolitan postcodes. Both the purchase price and the lender's valuation must fall within this cap.

Under the First Home Owner Rate, no stamp duty is payable on homes valued up to $600,000. A concessional rate of $16.15 for every $100 above $600,000 applies on homes valued between $600,001 and $800,000. For a property valued at $750,000, stamp duty under the concessional rate would be calculated on the $150,000 above the $600,000 threshold. Buyers in Baldivis purchasing in the $600,000 to $800,000 range benefit from both the reduced deposit requirement and a lower upfront duty cost compared to standard rates.

Applications for the 5% Deposit Scheme are made through participating lenders, not directly through Housing Australia. Your mortgage broker in Baldivis can confirm which lenders on the panel offer variable, fixed, or split loan structures under the scheme and whether the property you're considering meets the postcode and valuation requirements.

How Debt-to-Income Limits Affect Borrowing Capacity in 2026

From 1 February 2026, all authorised deposit-taking institutions can lend up to 20% of new owner-occupier loans and 20% of new investor loans to borrowers with a debt-to-income ratio of six times or greater.

This limit applies separately to owner-occupier and investor lending portfolios and affects new lending only. Existing borrowers are not impacted. Bridging loans for owner-occupiers and loans for the purchase or construction of new dwellings are excluded from the measure. Non-ADI lenders are not subject to this cap, though APRA holds powers to extend macroprudential tools to non-ADI lenders if required.

For a household earning $120,000 per year, a total debt position of $720,000 or more would represent a debt-to-income ratio of six. If you're applying for a loan that would push your total debt above this threshold, the lender may still approve the application, but only if it falls within the 20% allowance for that quarter. Lenders assess serviceability using a buffer of at least 3.0 percentage points above the loan product rate, so borrowers at higher debt-to-income ratios must still demonstrate capacity to service the loan at that buffered rate.

Baldivis has experienced steady population growth, supported by new residential estates, proximity to the Kwinana industrial area, and access to the Mandurah train line. Buyers in established areas closer to the town centre may be purchasing at different price points compared to those in newer estates further south or west, but all purchases within the Perth metropolitan boundary are subject to the same $850,000 cap under the 5% Deposit Scheme and the same statewide First Home Owner Rate thresholds.

What Changed for Investment Property Loans from 12 May 2026

Losses from residential investment properties purchased after 7:30pm AEST on 12 May 2026 can only be deducted against income from other residential properties, including capital gains, from the 2027-28 income year.

Investors who purchased established residential property before that date continue to deduct losses against all income, including salary and wages. Investors purchasing new builds after 12 May 2026 can also continue to deduct losses against all income. Excess losses under the new rule can be carried forward to offset residential property income in future years. The changes apply to individuals, partnerships, companies, and most trusts. Commercial property and other asset classes are not affected.

From 1 July 2027, the 50% capital gains tax discount on residential property is replaced by cost base indexation and a 30% minimum tax rate on capital gains accruing from that date. Investors in new builds can choose between the existing 50% discount and the new indexation arrangement at the time of disposal. These measures do not affect properties held before the relevant dates, and grandfathering provisions preserve the treatment of losses and gains accrued under the previous rules.

Investors considering investment loans in Baldivis now face a choice between targeting new builds to preserve negative gearing benefits or purchasing established property with the understanding that losses will only offset residential property income. The decision depends on cash flow, expected rental yield, and the likelihood of needing to offset losses against wage income during the holding period.

Off-the-Plan Duty Concessions for Apartments and Townhouses

A 100% stamp duty concession, capped at $50,000, applies to pre-construction off-the-plan purchases of new dwellings valued up to $800,000 in Western Australia, reducing proportionally for properties valued between $800,001 and $899,999.

For contracts signed when the dwelling is already under construction, a 75% concession applies under the same value thresholds. The concession runs until 30 June 2028 and applies to strata, survey-strata, and community title schemes. Buyers beyond first home buyers are eligible during this period, provided the property is purchased as an owner-occupier residence.

Baldivis has limited stock of off-the-plan apartments compared to suburbs closer to the Perth CBD, but townhouse developments within master-planned estates may qualify where the contract is signed before construction is substantially complete. Buyers should confirm the stage of construction at contract date, as this determines whether the 100% or 75% concession applies. The concession is calculated on the dutiable value and is separate from the First Home Owner Rate, which applies based on the total property value and first home buyer eligibility.

How Help to Buy Works Alongside a Home Loan Deposit

Help to Buy allows the Australian Government to contribute up to 40% of the purchase price for a new home and up to 30% for an existing home in exchange for a proportional equity stake.

A minimum 2% deposit is required. Income limits from 1 July 2026 are $103,000 for individual applicants and $165,000 for joint applicants or single parents, based on the ATO Notice of Assessment for the previous financial year. Up to 10,000 places are available in the 2026-27 financial year. Applications are made through participating lenders and cannot be made directly through Housing Australia.

Help to Buy cannot be combined with the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, so buyers must choose between a smaller deposit with government equity contribution or a low-deposit loan with a Housing Australia guarantee. State stamp duty concessions can generally be used alongside both schemes. Property price caps vary by location and are confirmed using the postcode search tool at firsthomebuyers.gov.au. Baldivis falls within the Perth metropolitan area, so the applicable price cap is determined by that classification.

For buyers in Baldivis with a lower deposit but higher income, the 5% Deposit Scheme may deliver a larger loan amount without sharing equity. For those with income within the Help to Buy limits and comfortable sharing equity in exchange for lower repayments, Help to Buy may reduce the loan amount and monthly repayment obligation. Comparing the two structures through a home loan broker in Perth allows you to model both scenarios using your actual income, deposit, and property target.

Using Super Contributions to Build a Home Deposit

The First Home Super Saver Scheme allows first home buyers to make voluntary concessional and non-concessional contributions into superannuation and apply to release up to $50,000 toward a deposit.

Up to $15,000 of personal contributions from any one financial year can be released under the scheme. Concessional contributions are taxed at 15% rather than at marginal income tax rates, which provides a tax saving for buyers on higher marginal rates. Buyers generally need to obtain a determination from the ATO before signing a purchase contract, so planning must begin well before settlement.

For a buyer in Baldivis earning $85,000 per year and paying a marginal tax rate of 32.5%, salary sacrificing $10,000 into super over two financial years would result in tax of $1,500 on those contributions rather than $3,250 if the income had been received as salary. The released amount, less applicable tax on withdrawal, can then be added to other savings to form the deposit. The scheme works alongside both the 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy, provided the buyer meets the eligibility requirements for each program.

Buyers should confirm their superannuation fund accepts voluntary contributions for the purpose of the scheme and that contributions are correctly classified as either concessional or non-concessional when lodged. The ATO administers the release process, not the lender, so the determination must be completed and funds released in time for settlement.

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