Aussie Expat Home Loans

There comes a time when every expat asks: what next? For a lot of us, the answer is a family home back in Australia. Since the May budget I've had the same conversation on repeat - clients wondering if the CGT and negative gearing headlines closed the door. They didn't. Those changes are aimed at property investment. A home for your family to live in is a different kind of purchase. The practical starting point is understanding what you could realistically borrow.

Softer sentiment today is sitting on top of a housing shortage that's been building for years - the government's own report shows completions running well below demand, and migration is still strong. My personal view: the demand that's gone quiet hasn't gone away, it's waiting. In a softer market, the strongest buyers are the ones who know what they could realistically borrow before they start looking.

Buyers have real breathing room in the Australian market (for the first time in years) Cotality's auction data shows clearance rates hit their weakest level since 2020 in late June, before recovering to the mid-50s in July. Properties are passing in, more sellers are moving to private treaty, and "let me think about it" is back in the vocabulary. In a market like this, the buyers in the strongest position are the ones who already know what they could borrow.

If a family home back in Australia is on your mind, the practical starting point is simple: understand what you could realistically borrow. Not the news, not the budget noise - your actual numbers. It's a conversation we have with expat clients every day. Head over and see where you stand.

Would you worry about the resale value of a wedding band while you're choosing one for your partner? A family home you'll live in one day isn't an investment decision. The CGT changes are about tax when an investment is sold. Tax for Aussies overseas has its own quirks, and how the rules apply to you is one for your accountant. But don't let headlines written for investors talk you out of a decision that was never about investing.

HSBC has sold its Australian home loan book. If yours is in it, one of Australia's big four banks is taking HSBC refinances now, and looking to match your existing rate. It's an APRA-regulated bank that still writes new lending, with a full product range and a pricing team you can go back to. We'll also rebate you from our own commission on settlement: $500 on loans $700k–$1M, $1,000 over $1M (AUD). Applications need to be in by 11 September. Rate match is subject to the lender's pricing limits and credit approval.