Hillcrest sits in the mid range of Logan affordability, and the large majority of local purchases fall under Queensland's $700,000 zero transfer duty threshold for first home buyers. Combined with the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, which removes Lenders Mortgage Insurance on a 5% deposit, it is one of the more accessible options in western Logan.

Hillcrest sits in the 4118 postcode adjoining Browns Plains, Boronia Heights and Regents Park, a short drive from the Grand Plaza retail precinct. At the 2021 Census Hillcrest had 6,268 residents with a median age of 33. Housing is predominantly detached family homes developed from the 1980s and 1990s, with some townhouse stock.

Stamp duty and the First Home Concession

Established homes under $700,000 attract zero transfer duty under Queensland's First Home Concession, which covers most Hillcrest purchases. New homes and vacant land attract a full exemption with no price cap on contracts signed on or after 1 May 2025. From 1 August 2026 these concessions are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and specified foreign retirees.

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme

Renamed from the First Home Guarantee in October 2025, the scheme allows a 5% deposit with no Lenders Mortgage Insurance. Income tests have been removed and there is no longer an annual cap on places. See the scheme explained and avoiding LMI.

The value case in western Logan

Hillcrest prices sit below neighbouring Regents Park and Heritage Park while offering the same access to Grand Plaza, the Mount Lindesay Highway and local schools. For buyers who want the amenity of the Browns Plains precinct without paying for a newer estate, Hillcrest is usually the answer, and that relative value is the suburb's core appeal.

Townhouses and attached stock

Some Hillcrest stock is attached, and lender policy on townhouses varies. Minimum floor areas, complex exposure limits and lower maximum LVRs are all common. We check the specific property during pre-approval. See home loans for units and apartments.

Call Cube Home Loans on 1800 774 756 for a free assessment of your Hillcrest first home buyer options.

Hillcrest offers investors moderate entry prices and steady rental demand from the Browns Plains employment and retail precinct, with yields sitting in the middle of the Logan range. Investment lending is assessed on your income plus projected rent, and lender appetite for the suburb's detached stock is broad.

Demand is supported by Grand Plaza, the Mount Lindesay Highway corridor, the bus interchange at Browns Plains and local school catchments.

Investment loan assessment in Hillcrest

Lenders weigh your income, projected rent, existing commitments and portfolio position, commonly accepting 70% to 80% of the appraised rent. Hillcrest's detached family homes attract stable tenants and value predictably against ample comparable sales. See our investment loan page and rental yields across Logan.

The balanced position in western Logan

Hillcrest sits between the higher-yield northern Logan suburbs and the lower-yield established east. Entry prices are moderate, rents are reasonable, and neither the yield nor the growth case is exceptional. For investors that makes it a straightforward hold rather than a strategy play, and it means the lending is generally uncomplicated, which has its own value.

Dual occupancy and secondary dwellings

Block sizes across parts of Hillcrest support secondary dwellings. Lender treatment of that second rental income differs sharply, from counting it in full to excluding it entirely. Confirm both the council planning position for your lot and the lender's income treatment before committing. See dual occupancy loans.

Renovation and value-add

Much of the stock is 1980s and 1990s construction where cosmetic renovation lifts both rent and valuation. Structural work usually needs a construction loan drawn in stages against a fixed-price contract. See renovation lending.

Call Cube Home Loans on 1800 774 756 to talk through Hillcrest investment finance.

Refinancing a Hillcrest home loan is usually worth investigating when a fixed rate is ending, when equity growth has taken you below 80% LVR, when you want to release equity for a renovation, or when your income has changed. Hillcrest values have risen materially since 2020.

Here is how each case works in practice.

Getting out of Lenders Mortgage Insurance

If you bought with less than a 20% deposit and paid LMI, capital growth may already have pushed your loan-to-value ratio below 80%. Refinancing at that point can secure a sharper rate without paying LMI a second time. See accessing equity.

Your fixed rate is ending

The revert rate at the end of a fixed term is rarely a lender's best offer. Start two to three months before expiry rather than after. See fixed rates ending.

Renovating rather than moving up

Hillcrest's older stock on reasonable blocks makes renovation a strong alternative to buying into neighbouring Regents Park or Heritage Park at a higher price. Cosmetic work can often be funded through an equity release; structural work needs a staged facility. Running the numbers on renovate versus relocate, including duty on a new purchase, is worth doing before you commit either way. See renovation lending.

Consolidating debt

Rolling car loans, personal loans or credit cards into a mortgage lowers the rate but extends the term, so check total interest paid rather than the monthly figure alone. See debt consolidation.

When refinancing is not worth it

If the balance is small, if you are close to paying out, or if fixed-rate break costs exceed the saving, staying put is the better call and we will say so. Start with our refinancing calculator.

Call Cube Home Loans on 1800 774 756 for an honest read on your options.

Yes. Hillcrest has a broad mix of trades, retail, healthcare and service workers, with a median weekly personal income of $769 at the 2021 Census, close to the Logan average. Two years of tax returns allow a full-doc assessment; alt-doc lending covers applicants whose returns understate current trading.

The most common complication here is combined household income rather than any single unusual income type.

Two-income households with variable components

The gap between personal income of $769 and household income of $1,573 shows most Hillcrest applications combine two earners. Where one of those incomes is casual, part-time or includes overtime, lender policy decides how much of it counts. Some lenders count consistent overtime in full for essential service workers, others discount to 80%, others exclude it. On a two-income Hillcrest household that difference frequently moves borrowing capacity by six figures. See part-time and casual workers.

Self-employed and sole traders

Full-doc assessment needs two years of returns and financials. Add-backs matter: depreciation, one-off expenses, additional superannuation contributions and interest on refinanced debt can often be added back to assessable income, and lenders differ on which they accept. See self-employed home loans and home loans for tradies.

Alt-doc and low-doc options

Where returns do not reflect current trading, alt-doc lending assesses you on BAS, business bank statements or an accountant's declaration. Higher rate and larger deposit, but a workable path where full-doc is not available.

Credit impairment and past declines

A default, a discharged bankruptcy or a prior decline does not close the door. Specialist lenders price for risk rather than refusing outright. Avoid applying to several banks in succession. See applying after a decline.

Call Cube Home Loans on 1800 774 756 to discuss your situation confidentially.

At the 2021 Census, Hillcrest had 6,268 residents with a median age of 33, living at an average of 2.7 people per household. Median weekly household income was $1,573, median weekly family income was $1,807, and median weekly personal income was $769.

Just below the Logan average

Median household income of $1,573 sits slightly below the Logan LGA figure of $1,616, while personal income of $769 is solidly above the LGA pattern. That combination is worth noting: Hillcrest individuals earn reasonably well, but households are smaller at 2.7 people against the LGA average of 2.9, so fewer earners are combining.

The western Logan comparison

Hillcrest sits between its neighbours on almost every measure. Regents Park records $1,864 household income with 3.0 people per household; Browns Plains records $1,390 with 2.7. Hillcrest sits between them at $1,573. Three adjoining suburbs, all sharing the same shopping centre and highway access, with materially different household profiles and correspondingly different lending patterns.

What this means for your application

Hillcrest applications are typically two-income households with moderate individual earnings, which puts the emphasis squarely on how a lender treats the second income. Where that income is casual, part-time or overtime-dependent, the same application can produce borrowing figures well over a hundred thousand dollars apart between lenders. The property side is generally straightforward, since most local stock is detached housing with ample comparable sales, so lender selection here is almost entirely an income question. See increasing your borrowing capacity.

Where Cube Home Loans fits

We are based at 3/3986 Pacific Highway, Loganholme. Scott Beattie, Nevada Matthews and the team compare more than 60 lenders and match your income structure to the lender most likely to assess it favourably. Cube Central Pty Ltd, Credit Representative #472851, authorised under Australian Credit Licence #517192.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Hillcrest (SAL31338).

Call Cube Home Loans on 1800 774 756 for a free assessment of your borrowing position.