The collapse and massive bail out of the Irish economy will have repercussions for South Africa, says Bill Rawson, Chairman of Rawson Properties.
"As has been thoroughly documented," says Rawson, "in the 2003 to 2007 period the Irish economy had a phenomenal growth, twice exceeding 8% per annum. As a result, here in South Africa we suddenly found many Irish buy-to-rent investors buying up property, particularly at the Cape.
What is more, many did it on a big scale, acquiring 20, 30 or even more properties, either individually or syndicates, and in some cases they invested in more than one province."
This, says Rawson, was part of a worldwide trend. Irish property investors also moved into Chile, many of the European countries, parts of the USA and Australia.
Certain of the buyers in South Africa, says Rawson, are now finding that, with the collapse of their banks and the call-up of investment finance, they cannot service their bonds and in many cases are seriously over-extended. He himself, he says, knows of two syndicates that have given instructions to South African estate agents to sell for what they can get.
"The strategy in most cases," says Rawson, "appears to be to find enough cash to cover the outstanding bond. This probably means that they will have to sacrifice everything that they have paid in so far - an indication of how drastic the situation is for some of them."
Rawson stresses, however, that this was not true of all investors from
Ireland: some, he says, have already paid off the bulk of their commitments, others are well able to service their bonds (usually with 50% of the money raised locally and 30% to 40% raised in Ireland because South African law does not allow a foreign investor to use local bonds for more than half the total sum borrowed).
"From what I have been told," says Rawson, "the successful Irish investors will continue to be a significant force in South African property."
With the rand so strong and Irish property now often selling at 30% to 50% discounts on the previous high prices, says Rawson, now is a good time for South Africans to reverse the trend and start buying in Ireland.
"There can," he says, "be fewer more pleasant places to live: with a population of only four million the country remains predominantly rural and unspoilt and the people are friendly and the cultural sophistication of the upper middle class Irish has long been recognised. South Africans tend to feel very comfortable and at home if and when they holiday or settle in Ireland."
For further information contact Bill Rawson on 021 658 7100 or email bill@rawsonproperties.com.
