Irish Housing Madness Returns………

The Broken Elbow probes the return of the House Monster.

This feature in today’s Irish Times (see below) tells us something very important: the lunatic spiral in house prices which brought us first the Celtic Tiger and then the great banking collapse and recession cum austerity shows distinct signs of a comeback.

How else to explain the fact that in today’s Irish market you can buy for what you pay for a modest bungalow (ranch house in America) in Clonskeagh, an unexceptional suburb of south-west Dublin whose postal code, Dublin 14, tells you all you need to know, a chateau in France with six cottages and 180 acres of land, a period villa on Italy’s Adriatic coast, an eight bedroom villa on the Greek island of Corfu, complete with its own swimming pool and views of the Mediterranean or a four bedroom villa in Portugal, also with a swimming pool, a large one by the look of it.

Which one of these would you want to live in, or rather which one would you least like to live in. Silly question!

The point though is this: I seriously doubt that the Irish economy has recovered from ’08 so thoroughly that consumers there can afford to buy such an over-priced bungalow on what one might call ‘normal’ terms. e.g ten per cent down and evidence of an income healthy enough to support the interest on a loan of €800,000 ($900k).

My suspicion is that Ireland’s well-fed and pampered banks are back in the business of lending to anyone able to stay vertical long enough to shake hands on a deal while the government is content to turn a blind eye, not least because in rising housing prices the voters (who go to the polls on February 26th) may be hoodwinked into seeing a recovering economy.

If so, they won’t be the only ones hawking a mirage. The Irish Times publishes this little feature without comment and the casual reader is as likely left with the impression that Ireland’s paper of record is a little bit chuffed with this piece of good news.

And why not? The Irish Times made an absolute fortune from housing ads during the Celtic Tiger years – it was the paper of choice especially for ads catering to the super-rich – and the suspicion lurks that the paper’s hyping of the Irish housing market in those days played no small role in creating and sustaining the bubble that very nearly brought the country to its knees.

But true to an old Irish tradition, we don’t talk about such things, least of all in our media.

Take five for €990,000

What can you get for €990,000 in Ireland and abroad? We compare house prices around the world

Wed 17 Feb 2016



Castle Estates is seeking €995,000 for this five-bedroom, two-bathroom house at 7 Sorbonne, Ardilea, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14.


France, Dordogne: There are 16 bedrooms in the main chateau and plenty more in the five-bed manoir and six cottages on the 180 acres. The chateau, which needs work, dates from the 16th century and has original features. Along with reception rooms and kitchen, there are seven bathrooms. It is five minutes from Thiviers town. Price: €999,995




Italy, Le Marche: On a hill 5km from the Adriatic, this period villa is surrounded by vineyards. Living space measures 720sq m stretched across the main villa and a separate four-bedroom house. The two-storey-over-basement manor has a library in its tower. Reception rooms on the ground floor include a studio and a sitting room with large windows overlooking the 2.4-acre garden. Upstairs are four en suite bedrooms. Price: €950,000 Agent: Casatuscany.com


Greece, Corfu: On the northwest of the island, this 320sq m villa has terraces that step down to a beach, with a swimming pool en route. It has eight bedrooms and five bathrooms and marble everywhere, from floors to fireplaces. Receptions are on the first floor with the kitchen and living room with windows to the sea. The main bedroom beside it also takes in the sea. There are three separate apartments. Price: €980,000 Agent: corfurealestate.com

Portugal, Ayamonte: Facing south across its swimming pool, this four-bedroom villa sits in a garden. To the east of Faro in Praia Verde, the house has its living space along with three bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms on the ground floor. The main suite is on the first floor with a bathroom and terrace. The living room has a mezzanine Price: €1 million Agent: portugal-property-villas-sales.com

3 comments:

  1. Ah how depressing. The spiral starts again and nothing has been done to curb it. And the worst is that people will go out and vote these right wing parties back conditioned by right wing media.

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  2. And people wonder why we are called the dumb Paddy through out this rock......

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  3. Interesting that we keep referring to the 'celtic tiger' when it should be referred to as the 'imagined tiger' since it was all based on loans...nothing concrete, not even in the infrastructure of some developments....ask McFeeley about those!

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