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Bendigo First Home Buyers: 5% Deposit Scheme and What the Numbers Show

Eligible buyers can access properties up to the $650,000 cap with a reduced deposit under the government scheme.

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By Bendigo Property Desk · Published 20 July 2026, 5:53 pm

2 min read

Updated 10 h ago· 21 July 2026, 1:00 am

AI-assisted · risk-based human review

AI-assisted journalism under human editorial accountability and risk-based review. AI may assist with research, summarising and drafting. Where public source links underpin the article, they are shown below. Sensitive material is held for human review; some lower-risk material may be published automatically after sourcing, accuracy and safety checks. The Daily Bendigo covers Bendigo news. It is provided for general information only and is not professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Read about our editorial care →

Links to sources include (but not limited to): bendigobank.com.au, huntergalloway.com.au, harlowebendigo.com.au

Bendigo First Home Buyers: 5% Deposit Scheme and What the Numbers Show
AI illustration

Eligible first home buyers in Bendigo can purchase a property with as little as a 5% deposit under the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, avoiding lenders mortgage insurance. This approach applies in suburbs including Kennington, Golden Square, White Hills, Epsom and Eaglehawk where the maximum property price cap sits at $650,000.

Scheme Mechanics in Bendigo

The 5% Deposit Scheme lets approved applicants proceed without paying lenders mortgage insurance on purchases that stay inside the local price limit. Buyers secure finance through participating lenders while meeting the requirement to occupy the home as their primary residence. The structure reduces the initial cash outlay compared with standard deposit thresholds that often reach 20%.

Eligibility Criteria

Buyers must be Australian citizens or permanent residents and at least 18 years old. They must not have owned property in Australia in the last 10 years and must intend to live in the purchased home as an owner-occupier. These conditions align with the scheme rules listed by Bendigo Bank and related state resources.

Local Suburb Coverage

The $650,000 cap covers established Bendigo areas such as Kennington, Golden Square, White Hills, Epsom and Eaglehawk. Properties in these locations that fall under the price threshold qualify for the reduced deposit arrangement, allowing first home buyers to target familiar neighbourhoods without the added cost of lenders mortgage insurance.

Practical Steps Forward

Prospective buyers can review their eligibility through the listed provider sites and confirm current lending options with Bendigo Bank. Checking income caps and completing the required declarations forms the next stage before submitting an application under the scheme.

This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.

Sources:

Source material used in preparing this article is listed below so readers can check the original record.

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Published by The Daily Bendigo

Covering property in Bendigo. This article was generated by AI from the linked sources, under human editorial accountability and risk-based review and our reasonable editorial care. Sensitive material is held for human review before publication. See our reasonable editorial care.

Beta: AI-assisted and human-overseen. Details may be imperfect, so please verify anything important.

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