Two leading Donegal auctioneers have said that mica in the county has created two Donegal property situations locally – one affected by mica, the another unaffected.
It comes as the Sunday Independent report that the mica crisis has wreaked havoc on house prices locally.
Homes with mica problems have now been recorded on the property price register for the first time, with some suffering 50pc price drops since their original sale.
The crisis means agents fear the county is likely to have a distorted market for some time as structurally sound homes in areas blighted by mica will be at a premium.
New data from the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers shows the average cost of two- three- and four-bed homes dropped 10pc in the second half of last year.
Donegal is now the second- cheapest county to buy in, the figures show.
On average, it costs €171,667 for a three-bed in the county, down from €188,334 (9pc) last summer and €181,667 over a year ago.
Agents in Donegal said mica is the first question posed by prospective buyers, but they insisted sales figures for the county last year do not paint a full picture.
Dara Furey and Keith Anderson said the crisis has created “two Donegals”, one affected by mica, the another unaffected.
Mr Furey, owner of Sean Furey Auctioneers in Buncrana and Carndonagh, mainly works on the Inishowen peninsula — the area worst affected by the crisis.
“A house that was worth €400,000 before mica emerged might only be worth €150,000 now, if even that,” he said.
Mr Anderson, owner of Anderson Auctioneers in Donegal town, said there is a different picture in the south of the county, where new three-bed end-of-terrace units that were selling at about €245,000 last year now sell at €255,000, a 4pc increase.
Prices are rising for Inishowen homes unaffected by mica because the issue simultaneously constrains supply of second-hand homes and heightens demand.
