Property reports bring bad tidings for minus-figure homeowners

In a bid to bring positive tidings for the new year, local auctioneer Padraig Smith has moved to reassure increasingly sickened homeowners who were greeted this week with grim national reports that show property prices are continuing to fall as much as ever. The latest reports from MyHome.ie and Daft.ie say there has been an annual rate of decline of 18% and 13% respectively with property prices now back at year 2000 levels. The Daft.ie report showed a dramatic fall in asking prices in the final three months of the year, which may come as a shock to those hoping that the market was starting to level out. Full story in this week's Anglo-Celt.