Spending Greens on Castles for St. Patty’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is upon us and just for nostalgia’s sake; here are some listings for Irish castles.

The word castle is defined as a fortified residence for a noble in feudal times. Great if you were nobility, but probably not so much for the peasants.

Some castles such as Heathfield have been updated.  Others such as Strongford Castle only offer amenities such as a “murder hole” and a bathtub next to the bed in the master. On the whole they appear drafty, with too few windows, too many fireplaces and way too much upkeep.

Judging from the photos, today’s average home is far superior to a feudal castle. And until the last recession, everyone’s home in America was his or her castle.

Now foreclosures, short sales and “under water” homes seem to dominate our real estate vernacular and our real estate market. Home prices have fallen by 40% in the last five years, according to Kiplinger.

Still, the current consensus is that 2012 will see home prices rebound. While many areas of the country are burdened with inventory overhang, others are enjoying a resurgence. Even within a single city, the desirable and established neighborhoods will usually rebound first.

The median price for new houses in 2012 will be $231,000, the National Association of Realtors predicts.

In Austin, the median sale price in January was a little below that – $224,589, according to ABOR. Everyone agrees that Texas fared better than most areas of the US during the housing downturn.

In Austin the central area is currently attracting a lot of interest and some price increases. I have even seen multiple offers for select properties.

The general feeling is 2012 will bring economic improvement, price rises and – I think – mortgage rate increases.

As you sip green beer on March 17, you can console yourself even if Pemberton Castle is not currently on the market.  Many castles are still available in Austin for less than a princely sum.

A beautiful Irish Castle

Incoming search terms:

• irish castles
• ireland castles
• castles in ireland
• irish castle
• ireland castle
• dublin ireland castles
• beautiful ireland
• castle Ireland
• castles ireland
• castle in ireland