Property prices ‘to rise by up to 7%’

Property prices are set to rise by 5%-7% nationally in the second half of the year, a leading housing analyst has predicted.

David Duffy, an economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute, said he expected house prices to increase in all regions over the coming months.

If Mr Duffy’s prediction is confirmed, it will be the first increase in house prices outside Dublin in six years.