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Loading ...I am separated and never received First Home Owner’s Grant. Do I qualify?
June 1, 2008 by Josie Kay
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Q. I’m 56 years old, separated and I want to buy a unit. My husband brought a house before we met. When we brought a house together we were not entitled to the first home buyers grant because he used it when he brought his first house. My question is: am I entitled to the grant, because I have never technically had one.
Josie’s answer: I can understand why you are keen to explore the possibility of obtaining the first home owners grant which is currently $7,000. It would certainly help to buy the unit you are interested in purchasing.
The First Home Owner’s grant is a Federal government initiative and administered by each State and Territory. From my understanding of the rules, if your ex-husband owned a home before you were married, technically you did not hold a relevant interest, i.e. your name was not on the title deed.
Therefore you would be entitled to the $7,000 grant. It states further, provided that you have not had a relevant interest in a previous residential property and all other eligibility criteria have been met, you may still be eligible.
Before you get excited about the possibility of qualifying, you mention that you ‘bought a house together’.
Consequently, you have held a relevant interest in a residential property and as a result, would not be eligible for the grant. I would go the following website for more information http://www.firsthome.gov.au.
Good luck and wishing Happy Money Organisation. Josie Kay
Don’t forget that the above information is general in nature and not specific to your goals and objectives. It is recommended that you seek personal financial advice specific to your needs.
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I’m 34 old and my husband buy unit before merried whit me and now the unit already seling on november 2008 and now we have planing to buy unit together my question am i entitled for the grant?
As your husband previously owned a home, it is my understanding that you will not qualify for the first home owners grant. The First Home Owners Grant is administered by each of the States. If you go to this website - http://www.firsthome.gov.au/ you will find all the relevant information.
The most important thing about buying a home is to ensure you can afford it. As a guide, repayments should not exceed 30% of your net income. Also, a good idea to base it on one wage, as nobody can guarantee you will both keep your jobs (also you might want to stay home for a while and not stress about keeping the bank off your back).
Good luck
Josie Kay
I do beleive that to make it totally fair for everybody, serious changes need to be made to the first home owners grant.
My husband and i bought our first home in 1994 and the grant was’nt available to anybody then, so we never received a grant, however if we sell or rebuild, …because we are homeowners now are still not entitled to the grant…
Yet some people are receiving grants from first home owners grant in new zealand, building, leaving new zealand, moving to australia receive the grant again from australia and becoming homeowners again
Totally unfair, when our own residents miss out totally with no chance of ever receiving a penny from this grant ever.
I would like to see that people who never received the grant, could still apply to either help pay their mortgages or who are looking to re buy another home and would be considered seriously, because they simply missed out.
Here’s hoping, but not holding my breath.
Anne - completely agree. Thanks for highlighting to us that the Kiwis can double dip. I will look into that one. The problem with grants, people get used to them and the lobbyists do a brilliant job scaring politicians that if they dare change it, they will lose votes. I will also not hold my breath. Josie