Are first home buyer concessions accessible in The Ponds? The FHB eligibility card below compares the NSW stamp duty exemption and concession thresholds to the median dwelling price in The Ponds 2769. In many inner and middle-ring Sydney suburbs, median prices exceed the $1,000,000 concession ceiling, making stamp duty a full additional cost at the purchase price. The card tells you where The Ponds sits relative to those thresholds.
Can I afford The Ponds?
First-home buyer eligibility
At $1,600,000, here’s which schemes you can use in The Ponds. Drag to test other budgets.
Purchase price
$1.6M
$500k$2M
Stamp duty discount (FHBAS)
✕Not eligible
$70,409 duty
Properties at or above $1,000,000 do not qualify for FHB stamp duty relief in NSW.
over 3 yrs. The deposit target grew $31,000 faster than savings
Numbers assume a 20% deposit. The First Home Guarantee can let you buy with 5%; the FHSS can release up to $50k from super.
Sources: Revenue NSW↗ (FHBAS, FHOG, standard duty), Housing Australia↗ (First Home Guarantee),Treasury↗ (Help to Buy). FYApr 2026 thresholds. Caps refresh each July; verify before signing. Not financial advice.
The NSW Government's First Home Buyer Choice scheme (now the property tax option) allows eligible first home buyers to opt for an annual property tax instead of upfront stamp duty on properties up to $1,500,000. This can significantly improve cash-flow at settlement for buyers in the The Ponds price bracket, but it involves long-term tax commitments that depend on your ownership horizon. Run the numbers with a mortgage broker before choosing between stamp duty and property tax.
