First home buyer guides

Is the Victorian Homebuyer Fund Still Available in Geelong?

By Victoria Whittaker, Buyer’s Advocate · Last reviewed 16 October 2026

The Victorian Homebuyer Fund closed to new applications on 10 September 2025. New Geelong buyers should check currently available assistance rather than including this closed shared equity program in their budget.

If you have been researching help to buy a home in Geelong, you may have come across the Victorian Homebuyer Fund.

The important update is that it closed to new applications on 10 September 2025. It should not be included as an available funding option in a new buyer’s budget.

Why are there still pages about it?

Official information remains available for existing participants, who still have obligations under their shared equity arrangement. Older lender pages and articles may also appear in search results.

The fund involved the Victorian Government taking an equity share in participating homes. It was different from the federal 5% Deposit Scheme, which provides a loan guarantee to a participating lender.

What about the old price caps?

The SRO’s current historical summary records final caps of $950,000 in metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong, and $700,000 in regional Victoria. Older references to a $600,000 regional limit do not reflect that final summary.

Those figures describe a closed program. They do not establish eligibility for a new purchase today.

What can new buyers investigate?

Ask your broker or lender about current federal programs, including the 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy, and whether either suits your circumstances. Check each program separately rather than assuming you can combine them.

Eligible Victorian buyers should also investigate the First Home Owner Grant and first home buyer stamp duty relief.

The useful next step is to confirm which assistance you can actually access, then set your property budget around that advice.