A straw poll of Irish developers has revealed that builders have reacted to the changing demographics and are starting to build what is required for families to live in, rather than what some people thought they could make a quick investment buck on. This manifests itself in a swing away from building apartments to building more conventional 3 and 4 bedroom houses. ERA brokers report an increase in viewing activity for properties on the market as we head into the spring selling season. Property vendors are focusing again on presenting their properties after the holiday season lull.
Increased activity is reported in the 'detached property on its own site' where there is very good value to be had. The ' first time buyer ' market continues to struggle with very tight lending conditions being maintained by the major banks. For those who can secure mortgage finance however there is fantastic value to be had and low interest rates make home ownership more affordable than at any time in the last ten years.
