Theo McDonald

5 days ago | irishexaminer.com | Theo McDonald

A gerontocracy is a system where the elderly hold sway, governing by and for their own interests. The concept traces back to the classical period, with Plato describing a society where ‚Äúthe elder man rules, and the younger submits.‚ÄĚ In Sparta, the Gerousia, a council of elders including two kings and nearly 30 elite full-citizen men of the city state of Sparta over 60, wielded significant judicial and legislative power, embodying this structure.

1 week ago | gript.ie | Theo McDonald

The government’s recent decision to ‘reform’ rent caps lays bare whose interests they are most eager to serve: the institutional landlords and investment funds they seek to lure into the housing market. Last week, it was announced that rent pressure zones (RPZs), initially rolled out in Dublin and Cork in 2016 due to soaring rents and later expanded to cover 83% of tenancies, will now cover the entire country, adding a fifth to overall tenancies. The stated aim? To bring ‘certainty’ to the market.

3 weeks ago | gript.ie | Theo McDonald

Mortgage holders trapped by excessive rates may breathe a sigh of relief as a option to escape excessive rates charged by vulture funds on home loans has entered the market. Núa Money, the brokerage start-up backed by the Allen beef barons of Wexford, has launched what it now calls Núa Freedom to allow prisoners of vulture funds, trapped by excessive rates of interest, to move their debt.

1 month ago | gript.ie | Theo McDonald

Recently, the popular house price tracking social media page ‘CrazyHousePrices’, run by Ciarán Mulqueen, shared a Facebook message he received from a distressed tenant who had been outbid by a Chinese institutional buyer. “Outbid again by a Chinese cash buyer through the above property investment company,” the message read. But what company is the messenger referring to? Let me introduce you to Vanke. Vanke is a China-based real estate investment firm.

1 month ago | irishexaminer.com | Theo McDonald

Iā€™ve been writing about the housing crisis for nearly three years, and one theme has remained constant: a generational divide between those who own homes and those locked out of the market, including yours truly. But recent developments suggest the Government now aims to align both groups in shared sacrifice. The recently reported planning rules would be relaxed to encourage older people to ā€œrightsizeā€ into smaller homes.