Property and mortgages
Mortgage repayments, borrowing power, stamp duty, deposits, first home buyer schemes and grants, lenders mortgage insurance, offset accounts, buying versus renting, land tax and the 2027 investment property changes.
Calculators
Mortgage repayment calculator
Principal and interest or interest-only repayments, with extra payments, an offset balance and a yearly table.
Stamp duty calculator
Transfer duty estimates for each state and territory, with first-home concessions where the official scale is clear.
Borrowing power calculator
A transparent estimate from surplus cash flow and APRA's 3 percentage point serviceability buffer, not a loan approval.
Capital gains tax calculator
Current 50% discount rules, losses first, and a labelled estimate of post-1 July 2027 indexation and the 30% minimum tax, including crypto.
Negative gearing calculator
The tax effect of a rental loss under the current rules, and the 2027-28 quarantine for many established dwellings.
Offset account calculator
Interest and time saved with an offset balance, compared with extra repayments.
Rent versus buy calculator
After-tax cash and end wealth for buying or renting, with growth and return assumptions you control.
Guides
CGT calculator: old rules vs new rules for shares, property and crypto
How Australia's 50% CGT discount compares with cost base indexation and the 30% minimum tax from 1 July 2027, for shares, investment property and crypto, including the transitional market-value split.
First Home Super Saver Scheme: contribution limits, withdrawals and tax
How the First Home Super Saver Scheme works in Australia, including the $15,000 and $50,000 limits, eligibility, release rules, the 30% tax offset and occupancy requirements.
How negative gearing works in Australia under the current rules
How negative gearing works in Australia today: what a rental loss is, which expenses are deductible, how the tax saving is calculated, and what changes from 1 July 2027.
Land tax by state and territory: thresholds, rates and who pays
How land tax works in each Australian state and territory, with official thresholds and general rates as published for 2026, and the usual exemption for your home.
Main residence CGT exemption: the 6-year absence rule and partial exemptions
How Australia's main residence CGT exemption works, including the 6-year absence rule, partial exemptions for renting or a home business, and the first-used-to-produce-income rule.
Negative gearing and CGT changes from 1 July 2027, explained
What Australia's 2027 negative gearing and capital gains tax changes actually do, who is grandfathered, how indexation and the 30% minimum tax work, and what is still to be settled.
Is my investment property grandfathered under the 2027 negative gearing changes?
Who is grandfathered under Australia's 2027 negative gearing changes, how the 12 May 2026 cut-off works, what happens if you bought after Budget night, and when later transfers can keep the old treatment.
New builds vs established property after 2027: what changes for investors
How negative gearing and CGT will differ for new builds and established property from 1 July 2027, and why the legal definition of a new residential dwelling is still proposed rather than settled.
Refinancing a home loan: costs, savings and what to check first
How refinancing a home loan works in Australia, including switching costs, lenders mortgage insurance, break fees and how to compare a new loan with your current one.
5% Deposit Scheme (Home Guarantee Scheme): eligibility, price caps and how to apply
How the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme works from 1 October 2025, including the 5% and 2% deposit rules, price caps, eligibility and how it differs from Help to Buy.
Help to Buy scheme: shared equity, income caps, price caps and how it works
How the Australian Government Help to Buy shared-equity scheme works, including the 2% deposit, government contribution, income limits, price caps and how it differs from the 5% Deposit Scheme.
First home owner grants by state and territory
Current first home owner grant amounts, value caps and eligibility in each Australian state and territory, and how the grants differ from stamp duty concessions and the 5% Deposit Scheme.
First home buyer checklist: from savings to settlement
A practical Australian first home buyer checklist covering deposits, borrowing, the 5% Deposit Scheme, Help to Buy, grants, stamp duty, inspections and settlement.
Lenders mortgage insurance (LMI): when you pay it, what it covers and how to avoid it
How lenders mortgage insurance works in Australia, why it usually applies above an 80% loan-to-value ratio, who it protects, and options that may avoid it, including the 5% Deposit Scheme.
How much deposit do you need to buy a home in Australia?
How home loan deposits work in Australia, including 20% and LMI, 5% government schemes, extra buying costs, and a simple way to set a savings target.
Fixed vs variable vs split home loans
How fixed, variable and split home loans work in Australia, including repayments, extra repayments, offset features, break fees and what happens when a fixed period ends.
Guarantor home loans: how they work and the risks for everyone involved
How a guarantor home loan works in Australia, what the guarantor can be required to pay, how a limited guarantee differs, and the risks MoneySmart says to check before anyone signs.
Debt recycling: how the interest deduction actually works
What debt recycling means in Australia, how the ATO treats interest when loan funds are used for a rental property or for private spending, and the records and risks involved.
Off the plan vs building: deposits, duty, grants and the contract risks
How buying off the plan compares with building a new home in Australia, including deposits, first home owner grants, government schemes, stamp duty and the contract issues to have reviewed before you sign.