Glossary

Plain-English definitions of terms used across Stickybeak. Tap the i icon next to any term on a suburb page to see its definition inline.

30% stress line

The widely used benchmark where mortgage repayments exceed 30% of gross household income, considered housing stress.

AQI (Air Quality Index)

A 0-200+ scale summarising pollution levels. 0-33 is Good; 200+ is Hazardous.

Centroid

The geographic centre point of a suburb or area, used for distance calculations.

FHBAS (First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme)

NSW stamp duty discount or exemption for eligible first-home purchases under the price cap.

FHOG (First Home Owner Grant)

A one-off $10,000 payment from the NSW Government for eligible buyers of new homes.

FHSS (First Home Super Saver Scheme)

Withdraw voluntary super contributions (up to $50k) to use as a home deposit.

First Home Guarantee

A Commonwealth scheme letting eligible first-home buyers buy with a 5% deposit and no Lenders Mortgage Insurance.

Help to Buy

A Commonwealth shared-equity scheme letting eligible buyers purchase with as little as a 2% deposit.

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage)

An Australian school rating. The national average is 1000. Higher scores correlate with stronger academic outcomes.

LGA (Local Government Area)

The council area a suburb belongs to. Council rates, DAs, and local services are managed at the LGA level.

LMI (Lenders Mortgage Insurance)

Insurance the buyer pays when their deposit is below 20%. FHB schemes like the First Home Guarantee waive LMI.

NO₂ (Nitrogen Dioxide)

A gas pollutant from vehicle emissions. Measured in parts per hundred million (pphm).

P&I (Principal & Interest)

A loan where each repayment covers both the amount borrowed and the interest. The alternative is interest-only.

PM10

Particulate matter smaller than 10 micrometres. Includes dust and pollen.

PM2.5

Fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres. A major health concern at elevated levels.

pphm (parts per hundred million)

A concentration unit for gas pollutants in air quality monitoring.

Rental yield

Annual rent income as a percentage of the property's purchase price. Indicates investment return.

Repayment-to-income ratio

Your monthly mortgage repayments as a percentage of your gross monthly income. Lenders use 30% as a stress threshold.

SA2 (Statistical Area Level 2)

An ABS geographic unit, typically covering a suburb or group of suburbs. Used for census and demographic data.

Section 10.7 certificate

An official council document disclosing planning controls, contamination, flood, and bushfire risk for a specific property.

SEIFA (Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas)

An ABS index ranking areas by relative advantage and disadvantage. Higher scores indicate greater advantage.

Strata health

The condition of a strata scheme's governance, finances, and building maintenance. Flagged building orders indicate potential issues.