New financial year, new opportunities for customers
Take another look at borderline dealsThe start of a new financial year brings updates to tax rates and indexed government payments, including some Centrelink, family, and HECS payments.
While the changes may be small, they can affect assessable income and product eligibility. If a customer's application was just outside eligibility requirements before 30 June, it's worth reassessing in the new financial year.
This may be particularly relevant for customers being assessed for products such as the Advantage Loan, where even small income changes can make a difference.
Self-employed customers
Brokers don't need to wait for FY26 tax returns before submitting an application.
Under current policy, HomeStart can continue to use the previous two years' financial information, provided it falls within policy requirements. The latest tax year can end within the last 18 months, for example, we currently accept FY24 and FY25, form January 2027 we will require FY25 and FY26. We also require evidence that the business is continuing to trade.
Remember the full income picture
When assessing income, it's important to consider the full financial position rather than focusing only on recent earnings.
This can be particularly relevant for customers with variable income, such as casual income, penalties or overtime, where year-to-date earnings may provide a more complete picture than a shorter period of income alone.If year-to-date is less than six months, we also require the previous year’s income statement as a comparison.
What brokers should do
- Review applications that were just outside eligibility requirements before 30 June.
- Check updated income assessments for customers whose circumstances may have changed in the new financial year.
- Discuss customer scenarios with the Scenario Helpline or your Business Development Specialist.
First-touch approvals: how to reduce rework
What makes a first-touch approval?More than one in three broker applications were approved at first touch in the final quarter of last financial year.
This reflects improvements across HomeStart to streamline processes, tools and support, while at the same time, brokers are also improving application quality and completeness.
The best applications answer questions before an assessor needs to ask them.
Top tips from our assessors
- Use HomeStart calculators and tools including the Year-to-Date Calculator, which are used by our assessors.
- Ensure information is consistent across quotes, supporting documents, commentary and the application. For example, if a quote uses expenses of $3,000, the application should reflect the same figure
- Include an exit strategy where income has an end date, such as Family Tax Benefit or child support
- Check complex scenarios first with your Business Development Specialist or the Scenario Helpline
- Provide a clear exception request if you're seeking approval outside standard policy requirements. Include all relevant details upfront, such as employment arrangements within a family business, as these scenarios may require additional information
- Include all required documents and supporting comments
- For land-only purchases, also submit a refinance land-and-build quote to assess whether the future build is viable
- Tell the customer's story through clear notes and commentary, including information that isn’t obvious from the application, such as how income was calculated or explanations for regular unusual transactions
- Investigate transactions and identify potential ongoing [IT6.1]liabilities/commitments before submitting
- Ask the applicant additional questions when something is not clearly evident
- Provide information upfront to avoid an assessor requesting it
- Verify details with customers before responding to requests for further information
- Consider how an assessor will view the application and address potential questions early
We have also dedicated our webinar on 17 September 2026 to this topic, register here.
Dependants, child support and shared care.
Some scenarios need more contextNot every application fits neatly into policy.
Shared care arrangements, child support and Family Tax Benefit can affect how dependants and income are assessed. Providing the full picture upfront helps assessors understand the customer's circumstances and can reduce requests for further information.
What brokers should do
- Provide clear information about dependants, shared care arrangements and child support
- Include relevant supporting information particularly where care arrangements or income sources do not fit a standard scenario, documentation should include the percentage of care
- Explain any circumstances that may affect how income is assessed or change over time
- Include supporting commentary to help assessors understand the customer's overall financial position, for example, specify the allocation of care per child if it differs or if you have entered one dependent when there are two at 50% care. Include any screenshots/emails of discussions with your Business Development Specialist if they apply.
HomeStart’s new campaign could help restart customer conversations
HomeStart’s new campaign is now liveHomeStart's new advertising campaign launched on 19 July and is aimed at South Australians who feel home ownership may be out of reach.
Built around real customer stories, the campaign focuses on common barriers such as saving a deposit, borrowing enough to buy a home and feeling confident about repayments.
Why this matters for brokers
Many of the people responding to this campaign may already be in your pipeline.
They may have delayed purchasing, assumed they don't have enough deposit, or ruled themselves out of the market altogether. The campaign is designed to encourage them to take another look at their options, creating an opportunity for you to reconnect with customers who have gone quiet, revisit previous conversations and help customers understand the support available to them.
What customers may ask you about
The campaign highlights three key HomeStart benefits:
- Low deposit loans
- Additional loans
- Repayment Safeguard
What brokers should do
- Watch the campaign to understand what customers are responding to.
- Refresh your knowledge of the featured HomeStart products.
- Review your pipeline for customers who may have paused their home ownership plans.
- Start the conversation with customers who think buying a home is out of reach.
Upcoming webinars: Fast Approvals
Improve your chances of a first-touch approvalMore than one in three broker applications were approved at first touch last quarter.
Join our upcoming webinar to learn practical ways to improve application submission and reduce requests for additional information.
You will hear from Business Development Specialist Kirsty Wilson and Credit Assessor, Vanessa Valente who will share insights from applications they review every day, alongside findings from research findings for a faster Time to Yes.
We'll cover
- What supports a first-touch approval
- The most common causes of assessment delays
- Why [AD9.1]bank statements are the most frequently requested document
- Telling the customer's story through effective notes and commentary
- Explaining income calculations and unusual transactions
- Keeping information consistent across applications and supporting documents
- Managing complex scenarios and exception requests
- We'll also share an early look at upcoming initiatives designed to make submitting applications easier and improve the broker experience.
We encourage brokers and PAs involved in preparing applications to attend.
Register now
A reminder of the difference brokers make
Among the applications, policies and processes, it's easy to forget the impact home ownership can have on customers and their families.Recently, a customer visited HomeStart to lodge their signed loan documents before settlement.
As they were leaving, the customer turned and thanked the team for believing in them.
"We never thought we could own our own home here in Australia. We never thought it was possible."
For this customer, buying a home represented more than a property purchase. It was the achievement of a goal they once believed was out of reach.
It's a reminder of the role brokers play in helping customers navigate the path to home ownership and the difference the right support can make.
Thank you for the work you do every day to help South Australians achieve their home ownership goals.
