About the author

Bernadette is a journalist with years of experience covering topics in macroeconomics, real estate, and lifestyle beats for notable print media organisations. She joined the InfoChoice Group in 2024, bringing her passion for writing stories that help Australians make better decisions about money.


Bernadette's latest articles

Bernadette Lunas

Nearly 19k first home buyers benefit from NSW stamp duty relief

Thousands of first home buyers in New South Wales have saved up to $30,000 in stamp duty following reforms that lif...

12 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Term deposit rates move in different directions in the wake of RBA pause

In the wake of RBA’s decision to keep the cash rate unchanged in February, some of Australia’s big bank...

09 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Why do home values fluctuate if there’s a chronic supply shortage?

Generally, prices tend to go higher when supply lags behind demand. But despite the ongoing housing supply shortage...

08 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

More sellers in major cities list their properties under distressed conditions

During a traditionally quiet time for residential listings, SQM Research data showed January saw an increasing numb...

07 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Red-hot rental market: Vacancy in Australia’s capital cities at critical levels in January

As tenants grapple with rising rent prices and a chronic supply shortage, the latest PropTrack report points to no ...

07 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Reserve Bank holds rates steady in February, but future hikes 'cannot be ruled out'

After its inaugural two-day meeting, the Reserve Bank on Tuesday has decided to keep the cash rate unchanged at 4.35% in February.

06 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Property settlements down in 2023, but Q4 sales boom suggests growing momentum

Property sales transactions across five mainland states in 2023 fell 9.1% year-on-year, the latest PEXA Property In...

06 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Two-thirds of Aussies under dire levels of rental stress

Seven out of 10 Australian renters are paying more than 30% of their gross income on rent, with over two-thirds mod...

03 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Banks adjust term deposit rates, largely to the disappointment of savers

During what has been a pretty busy week for depositors, a major Australian bank led other notable players in adjust...

02 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

How to downsize your home as a senior

When the kids move out and you have more space in your home than you need, downsizing to a smaller dwelling is a sensible solution for seniors. However...

01 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Building pipeline shrinks at the end of 2023

New ABS data revealed dwellings approved for construction fell by a seasonally adjusted 9.5% in December, mounting ...

01 Feb 2024
Bernadette Lunas

Home values accelerate, marking 12 consecutive months of gains

Australia’s housing market opened the year with another monthly price increase across property types. ...

01 Feb 2024