Real stories, deals and lessons from Irish property investors
Hosted by Michael Houghton, creator of The Irish FIRE Podcast. A new show about deal breakdowns, investor stories, financing strategies, landlord lessons and what really happens behind the numbers.
- Deal breakdowns
- Investor stories
- Financing strategies
- Lessons learned
The art of property financing
In this episode, Michael explores the fundamentals of property financing in Ireland, sharing how investors move beyond simply “getting a mortgage” to using finance as a strategic tool for growth. He reflects on his own journey, highlighting the importance of building strong relationships with mortgage brokers and lenders, and explains why many investors turn to specialist lenders like ICS rather than traditional banks. Michael outlines the key criteria lenders look for—such as deposit size, yield, and location—and emphasises that, unlike pillar banks, these lenders focus more on the strength of the deal than on personal financial circumstances.
Listen to Episode 3Property investing is a numbers game
In this episode of The Irish Property Podcast, Michael breaks down one of the most important concepts in property investing - and one that’s often overlooked by new investors: yield. While buying your own home is driven by emotion, investing in property is a numbers game. Michael shares a personal story of buying a holiday home versus a buy-to-let property, and how differently each decision felt - highlighting why successful investing requires discipline, not emotion.
Listen to Episode 2Why I Love Property Investing
In this first episode of The Irish Property Podcast, Michael shares his journey from arriving in Ireland in 2011 with just €50 and no long-term plan, to building a portfolio of seven properties and achieving financial independence. What started as a short trip quickly turned into a new life - meeting his wife, starting a family, and navigating the challenges of the recession - all of which laid the foundation for his approach to money, investing, and risk.
Listen to Episode 1