I Hate Bidding Wars

In this episode, Michael shares why he refuses to get dragged into bidding wars and how that approach has shaped his property investing journey from accidental landlord in 2020 to closing on property number seven. What started with refinancing a three-bed semi-D instead of selling it became the beginning of a much bigger strategy: buying carefully, focusing on yield, staying unemotional, and walking away when the numbers stop making sense. Michael breaks down why the Irish property buying process is stacked against buyers, why he now makes one strong offer only, and why “coming second” can often be the smartest move in the market. He also explains the key metric he uses to assess every deal - rental yield - and why purchase price alone tells you very little about whether a property is actually good value. Along the way, he shares: why ex-rentals often no longer work for investors how RPZ rules distort buying decisions why owner-occupied properties can now make more sense for landlords how rising rents and rising prices in Limerick have broadly kept yields steady the frustration of painfully slow finance approvals why leverage and refinancing are central to his current strategy what recent rental law changes mean for larger landlords and why respecting a deal once you go sale agreed really matters This is a property episode about discipline, patience, and resisting the pressure to “win” at all costs. Show Notes: Get notified when The Irish Property Podcast launches - Get the monthly newsletter with updates on Michael's FIRE journey: This episode has been sponsored by KennCo Insurance . KennCo Underwriting Ltd T/A KennCo Insurance is regulated by The Central Bank of Ireland.

You can listen to I Hate Bidding Wars online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

I Hate Bidding Wars is an episode from The Irish FIRE Podcast by Michael Houghton.

This episode is 19:46 long.

This episode was published on Mar 9, 2026.

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