Sunday Property Round-Up, July 15th 2018 

 

It has been another busy week on the housing front. Below are some of the biggest industry stories of the week, including more exciting Irish announcements and bumper proptech news.  If you missed last week’s Sunday Property Round-Up – which was our busiest to date –  you can catch up here: https://propertydistrict.ie/sunday-property-round-up-july-8th-2018/

Most of the stories carried in the broadsheets today have already been covered in the dailies this week (appearing below with links) so I have only included new items or ones with new insights.

Also, you might let me know if I have missed out on any relevant property news by emailing  carol@caroltallon.com.

 

(Apologies in advance for any typos, it’s difficult to get good help on a Sunday. Also, I use voice to text dictation so just sound out anything that really doesn’t make sense in a strong rural accent and that should help!)

 

Sunday Read

 

FUTURE LIVING: 3D printed homes built in less than 24 hours will ‘be mainstream by 2025’ in UK.  As the average house price in Britain soars above £220,000, it’s time to rethink how we build our homes – shared via Damien Browne, Standard Access:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/6340941/3d-printed-home-uk-mainstream-2025/

The Agile Agent – getting  Ireland’s property marketplace digital by default

 

As mentioned last week, this been almost two years in preparation so I am genuinely delighted to announce that ‘The Agile Agent’ 12-month digital transformation programme for Irish estate agents will kick off in September. This programme will be delivered by a multi-disciplinary Irish and UK team and will go beyond proptech adoption to help agents get their industry digital by default.  The ‘buddy system’ is something that we have been trialling amongst a few existing clients in an informal way and when it works, that is to say, when trust is formed and real sharing starts to happen, it is great for both agencies. By the way, this is something that I encourage all agents (and all businesses for that matter!) to try out, it can be a great resource, like an experienced but objective sounding board.

 

For further details or to attend an information session please contact info@propertydistrict.ie

 

 

 

Trending Property Stories

 

  • Dublin Housing Observatory (DHO) Mapping Viewer – What this means for property buyers in the capital: http://buyersbrokerinternational.com/2018/07/all-island-research-observatory-airo/

 

  • “A transformational opportunity for Irish cities and towns” – Minister Eoghan Murphy welcomes the new €2 Billion Urban Regeneration and Development Fund. More info (including a short video) here: ly/C4u930kRqoN

 

 

 

 

Other Property News

 

 

 

  • I mentioned here a few weeks ago that financier Dermot Desmond was planning to demolish Walford, which was Ireland’s most expensive house when it sold for €58 million back in 2005. It now appears –  according to The Sunday Times – that the billionaire is seeking permission to build a 1595 m² mansion with opulent gardens inspired by Blenheim Palace,  which will be designed by a Chelsea Flower Show-winning gardener.

 

  • Also in the Times, the legal team for Paddy McKillen  have filed a notice of discontinuance ( upon instruction by the DPP) in the civil case against former Nama employee Paul Hennigan, which is been going on for several years now.

 

  • The same developer is featured on the front page of The Sunday Business Post today in an article by Tom Lyons: ‘ McKillen sues Anglo liquidators in US over “illegal“ €45 million loan’.   Apparently the developer is seeking to have the former bank’s bankruptcy protection in the US lifted “As he believes it is pursuing him for a €45 million debt that was given to him illegally by the bank“.

 

  • The lead business story in The Sunday Times today reads ‘Lone Star takes a shine to floating new house builder:  US fund seeks Dublin and London listings for outfit led by Patrick Durkan’.  According to Brian Carey,  The fund has accelerated plans to float housebuilder on the Dublin and London stock markets.  If this happens, it is likely to be in late 2018.  This investment fund is thought to own approximately 600 acres of development land in Dublin with the potential to deliver approximately 7,000 new homes.   There are now three housebuilders on the Dublin stock market (Glenveagh, Abbey and Cairn), however, As mentioned last week, Seamus Ross and Zamano Look to be close to a deal, which could bring the number of housebuilders on the Dublin stock market to five before the end of the year.

 

  • The same journalist reports that “Nama is poised to enter a joint-venture agreement to develop the lucrative Players Square site in Dublin city centre, with quoted builder Glenveagh Properties favoured to clinch the deal“.

 

  • In the same paper Niall Brady reports that the  Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF)  is in talks with Home for Life, The investor consortium led by stockbroker Davy, about funding the government’s mortgage-to-rent scheme.

 

  • Samsonmont (Gerald McGreevy and Greg Kavanagh)  will see a nice return on investment following the sale of Castleforbes Business Park by Bulwark to Glenveagh Properties,  according to a piece in the Sunday Times.

 

  • Greg Kavanagh also appears in The Sunday Business Post today; apparently the developer has written  four-page letter to the governor of the Central Bank,  questioning new homes delivery figures and forecasts, and accusing the governor of turning Ireland into the land of renters.  Of course, he is absolutely right and is one of the few speaking out about the long-term unsustainability of this. It remains to be seen whether or not he will be listened to.

 

  • Fearghal O’Connor,  writing in the Business section of the Sunday Independent today confirms that Pat Moloughney “Has moved to further expand his plans for housing development in Finglas in Dublin 11“.  His company, Greenwich Project Holdings, has sought planning for 19 homes 6.3 km north-west of Dublin’s city centre.

 

  • In the SBP today it is revealed that Siobhan Quinlan, wife of financier Derek Quinlan,  has invested in prime Ballsbridge site to the tune of €7.5 million alongside developer Johnny Ronan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Via Marie Hunt, CBRE: “Another quarter of property statistics counted and verified.  Q2 saw 45 transactions extending to 80,309m2 completed in the Dublin office market, take-up of 37,330m2 in the Dublin industrial market, 29 development land transactions being completed, €939 million of investment transactions signed and 4 hotel sales negotiated…” https://bit.ly/2tIUest

 

 

 

 

Proptech and Construction Innovation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Smart City Tech Adds Innovative Solutions – And Tough New Problems: https://www.newschannel5.com/newsy/smart-city-tech-adds-innovative-solutions-and-tough-new-problems

 

 

 

  • To keep up-to-date on all things tech and innovation for the planning, construction and property industries, head over to http://www.prop-tech.ie, the national resource website for innovators, investors and mentors or email news@proptech.ie .

 

Property Insiders Guide

 

As many of you might know, my annual property book The Irish Property Buyers’ Handbook (since 2011) has undergone a rebrand for 2018 and will now appear as part of The Property Insider series, published by Oak Tree Press, the first three titles are now published and available here.

 

 

 

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