A first home as a junior doctor is less about proving your income and more about the order you do things in. You can usually borrow earlier than you expect, so the decisions that matter are the ones you have never had to make before.

How lenders read clinical income, and the medico waivers you can access, are set out by a doctor home loan broker on our doctors page. This page is the part before that, the first deposit, the first loan and the timing. If you have bought before, or you are an established consultant, that doctors page fits you better than this one.

The structure you choose on loan number one can flex with a growing income, or it can quietly cost you when you come to buy again. Getting it right first is easier than fixing it later.

You can usually start earlier than colleagues assume. Registration and a signed contract carry more weight than years of tenure, so a first hospital contract or a probation period is rarely the barrier it looks like with the right lender. How your pay is read is covered on the doctors page; the point here is that starting is rarely the problem.

The deposit is usually the real hurdle, not the repayment. Savings from a first salary take time to build, and a fresh HECS-HELP balance (Higher Education Loan Program) sits on top of them. The useful question is which route avoids lenders mortgage insurance without a 20% deposit, the medico waiver, which many doctors reach without a minimum income test, or a government low-deposit scheme, which suits different cases. Our note on the government scheme versus a waiver sets out the trade-off.

Waiver eligibility and scheme rules are set by lenders and government and change over time, so treat this as a general guide.

There is no single right answer, and it turns on your deposit, your roster and your plans, not your job title. Buying earlier can mean entering the market sooner and using profession-based benefits from the start. Waiting can suit a larger deposit or an unsettled training rotation. We map both paths against your numbers so you are choosing, not drifting.

The first loan is the one most likely to box you in, because it is set up before you know what comes next. Cross-collateralising it with a future purchase, choosing an ownership structure for speed, or taking a product that is hard to move can all cost you when you buy again. We set loan one up with the next decade in view, and refinancing through a broker can unpick one that already limits you.

A fresh HECS-HELP balance weighs most at the exact point you first apply. The rules shifted through late 2025 and into 2026, and how much your balance matters depends heavily on the lender, so our note on HECS-HELP debt and borrowing power sets it out, and we match you to the lender whose policy suits your balance.

You do not need to have it all worked out to start. Map your borrowing power, your deposit path and the structure now, against the medico lenders active in Australia, and the first purchase becomes a set of clear decisions instead of a leap. Done once and done well, it is the foundation your next move builds on.

This page provides general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not financial advice. Lending criteria, concessions and government schemes vary between lenders, differ by circumstance and can change without notice. Consider speaking with a qualified professional before acting.