Thousands more Australians are buying their first property after just one month of a federal housing scheme, but worries about its long-term success persist.

Nearly 2000 more houses were purchased in October compared with the same month in 2024 after the expansion of the federal government's five per cent deposit guarantee for first-home buyers.

There were 5778 homes bought under the scheme in October, which is on pace with Treasury modelling estimating 70,000 properties would be bought under the scheme in the coming year.

But scepticism the scheme will not help nearly as many people as first thought lingers, especially those the scheme was originally designed to help most, such as those on lower incomes.

The government announced in August it would scrap income limits for eligibility a

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