Fragile property market awaits outcome of budget

While the housing outlook may be intimidating for first-time buyers, more mature home owners could be tempted back to the market by falling prices.

While the housing outlook may be intimidating for first-time buyers, more mature home owners could be tempted back to the market by falling prices.

Over the past decade, the auction rooms of Ireland’s estate agents were the scenes of some of the most striking examples of Celtic tiger excess.

As the economy boomed, eager buyers fell over each other to bid up the price of what were, in many cases, pretty unremarkable properties. ...