Welcome to the November 2007 edition of your Privateseller.ie newsletter.

The nights are colder and the days shorter, Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is almost upon us. This time of year can be so busy that we may not have time to finish everything that needs to be done, let alone make time for thoughtful preparation. For safety’ sake, Privateseller.ie has compiled the six top tips for a merry [and safe] little Christmas for you and your loved ones.

In this months Facts and Figures column, we present a brief overview of the tsb/ESRI house price index figures, and tease out some implications for buyers and sellers of the dismal autumn selling season. Can it be that the great Irish love affair with property has ended so suddenly, or have we just decided on a temporary withdrawal of our affections? It is said that fortune favors the brave, and we predict growth in the Buy-to-Let market.

As always, we welcome any feedback or queries you may have for either our Legal team or The Money Doctor. Next months newsletter will be our Christmas special. We will have an overview of the last 12 issues and the highlights of a wonderful year for Privateseller.ie as well as some seasonal articles.

Enjoy!         

Six Tips For A Safe Christmas

A moment’s absentmindedness can turn a fairyland Christmas into heartbreak. It takes only a few seconds. The sparkling lights and colourful ornaments that brighten your home during the holiday season fascinate young children. Everyone loves a beautiful table of goodies: a stunning candle centerpiece on a hall table, a cut glass punchbowl of mulled wine, a real Christmas tree laden with ornaments…each and every one a potential nightmare for parents of small children, and that’s without mentioning the conveniently placed matches and lighters, trailing extension leads, and yards of glistening ribbon….   

November Facts & Figures

In 1998, ours was a growing economy with interest rates of 6%. In 1999, a switch to the sharply reduced single interest rate controlled by the European Central Bank, was more suited to Germany’s then struggling economy. The result – our property market boom. By 2005, the building sector was responsible for 25% of GNP and employed more than 13% of the working population. Now the ECB is increasing interest rates and the construction sector is in free fall. There are 250,000 vacant housing units on the market, about 15% of Irish housing stock.              

Privateseller.ie On RTE's New Show "Highly Reccommended"

Privateseller.ie is to feature on Joe Duffy’s new prime time show, Highly Recommended, on RTE 1, Sunday December 9th at 8.30 pm.

The show features 2 people each week who reckon they are bringing a valuable money-saving idea to a panel.  The panel consists of Ben Dunne, Barbara McCarthy and Conor Pope.  Ben Dunne is a well known entrepreneur and Barbara and Conor are noted consumer journalists.  If the person bringing the idea to the panel can convince 2 out of 3 of the panel that it is a good idea, they will win €2,000 on the night.

So, why not tune in on Dec 9th to see what Joe and the panel thought of Privateseller.ie!