There's no risk in that scenario. In reality the developer buys the land with a loan then spends 5-8 years getting planning permission and then actually building the houses.
Nobody is building houses in cities which can be sold to the average Industrial wage earner close to their place of work who save a deposit to buy a home after five years saving a deposit, not without a big handout from the State.
In 2005 the population of Dublin was forecast to reach 2 million, By 2021
think the present population of Dublin at present 1.43,
there is 570000 fewer living in Dublin than the forecast figure for 2021 I don't think Dublin shrunk, there must be scope to build seeing the population is 570000 less than expected by 2021,
at present, the government are giving handouts to people to build mansions that were going to be built with or without a handout,
If people on average wages are working in our cities there has to be planning to house them long term,
There is a very big unforeseen social security retirement bill on its way for people on low wages who moved to Ireland move out of Ireland after 15/ 20 years because of housing problems, We might as well spend it on housing than recycling labor because of housing problems related to the wage levels paid in our Citys,
If you are on an average wage after four five six seven or eight years of savings there should be a plan that the average wage earner can secure a home for the rest of their working life and retirement, in the area they worked all of their life,
this is how it was at the start of your working life you posted you are in your mid to late forties
I am in my late sixties and it was the same back then as when you started working,
The Citys I have visited of late within the EU new building seems to be planned around smaller units but homes for all who work within them,
From what I can see the age profile of staff on average are older than Ireland and they appear to be holding down full-time jobs,
I get the feeling in Ireland people on low to average income who travel long distances opt out of work long before the state contributory retirement date, I suspect the state is picking up the tab somewhere along the line,