Altogether, 10,435 new buyers drew down mortgages in the first half of the year, compared with 15,802 between January 1 and June 30 last year — a drop of 5,367, or almost 30pc.
Pat Farrell, chief executive of the Irish Banking Federation which produced the figures, said many first-time buyers were getting loan approvals but were [...]

This increase in the supply of rental properties has pushed rents downwards – falling 2.2% in the past three months.
While overall the cost of accommodation for students is falling this year, there are significant differences in rents across the country. Dublin-based students pay significantly more than those in college outside the capital – a student [...]

Mortgage brokers are being investigated over allegations that some of them colluded with estate agents to inflate property prices and rip off homebuyers.
In an unprecedented move, the Financial Regulator is checking claims that brokers have illegally shared data about how much people could afford to pay.
The sweeping probe comes after persistent claims [...]

Yep yet another increase. The European Central Bank has raised its key lending rate by a quarter-point to 4.25%.
Banks and building societies are expected to pass the rate increase on to mortgage holders in the weeks ahead.
The increase was flagged by the President of the European Central Bank last month and comes after heightened concerns [...]

Thousands of homeowners are paying massively over the odds for their mortgages because the banks have failed to tell them of better deals on offer.
In some instances, people with variable rate mortgages are paying as much as €3,000 a year extra on a €300,000 loan.
But they could slash their repayments by switching to the alternative [...]

Softer house prices and rising rents saw improved rental income for new buy-to-let investments during the 12 months to the end of January.
The outlook also looks good. At the year end, rental yields rose above 4pc in a number of areas including south Dublin city, west Co Dublin and Limerick. The best yields of 4.3pc [...]

Inflation is too high for the European Central Bank to consider cutting interest rates yet, its president Jean-Claude Trichet signalled yesterday.
Borrowers are likely to have to wait until the summer, or even autumn, before they see the cost of their mortgages and other debts comes down, economists said. One believes there may be no cuts [...]